Automating your Business Processes Using Oracle Workflow

Therron Hofsetz Logical Apps, Inc. thofsetz@logicalapps.com

Agenda

Oracle WorkFlow
What is it? The Hidden Treasure Item Setup Example Limitations

AppsFlow Question and Answer

Oracle WorkFlow What is it? Business Process Automation for Oracle eBusiness A structured method for defining, implementing and automating business processes within the Oracle Applications

Workflow: The Hidden Treasure

Workflow Engine is embedded in the Oracle Databaseand its FREE! Core modules are leveraging from the power of workflow more and more in R11i Workflow is new to many organizations..very little to no experience with it Out of the Box workflows provided..just scratching the surface of what can be done

Workflow: The Hidden Treasure

Ensures that critical business processes (best practices) are:
Clearly Defined Documented Automatically Implemented Followed to the Letter Easily altered to accommodate changing business requirements

Improves visibility and efficiency to core business processes Bottlenecks can be easily identified and resolved Identify opportunities for streamlining and improving business processes Streamlined Six Sigma Qualification

Oracle WorkFlow Key Concepts Process Components

Detailed process steps Branching & conditional logic

Notifications & Approvals

WF notifications and Email notification Ranked, voting, polling based approvals

Metrics
Details on process steps

Time Sensitivity
Timeouts w/ Automatic Forwarding & Return Routing

Oracle WorkFlow Key Concepts Workflow Builder

Drag and Drop components Re-use common processes, notifications, approvals Save processes on the Database or File System

PL/SQL
Flexibility and power

APIs
Process integration, parameters, resulting values

Oracle WorkFlow 11i Examples Business Process Automation for Oracle eBusiness Order Management
Order, Line and Return Flows

Purchasing & iProcurement

Requisition & PO Approval Flows

Inventory
Move Item Flow

Accounting
Account Generator

Oracle WorkFlow 11i Example

Seeded Line Flow Generic process

Oracle WorkFlow Benefits

Through 2007, business organizations will be able to save as much as 10 percent of the cost of a business process by creating a current business model and optimizing on cost within a current context. Gartner Group January 2003

Imagine the Possibilities

If Oracle Application users could easily implement the following types of workflows to gain business process efficiencies: Item Configuration Process Vendor or Customer Creation Processes Month End Close Processes RMA Process with approval Notification of Stuck Interface Transactions AR & AP Transaction Approvals

Imagine the Possibilities Item Setup Hundreds of item attributes

Critical Impact on Apps functionality Configuration/Input from many different departments/groups Many require manual setup

Coordination difficulties
Categories, Cross-References, Price Lists, Costs, BOMs, Routings, Supplier Sourcing Rules, etc.

Item Templates provide only a partial solution

Imagine the Possibilities Item Setup RESULT: Incomplete Item Setup

Item transacted with no costs Missing lead times Missing critical item categories Missing Price List/Discounts Incorrect Item Attributes (orderable item not invoiceable) Item setup in Master Org only

SOLUTION: Item Configuration via Oracle Workflow

Imagine the Possibilities Item Setup Clearly Identify the Process

Functional Areas that need to be involved Sequence of critical setup tasks.

Systematically validate key business rules

Make items should have a BOM and Routing FG items should be enabled in Org D1 and D2 only

Timeouts insure that the item setup flow is progressing Final Review and Approval of the Item Configuration Notify key users when process is complete

Imagine the Possibilities Item Setup

Sample Item Setup Flow

1 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0

3-D Column 1 3-D Column 2 3-D Column 3

Why Have Oracle Users Not Embraced Workflow?

WorkFlow Builder Appears simple, but requires code under each function
Difficult APIs PL/SQL Required Specialized Resources Hard Coded solution

Why Have Oracle Users Not Embraced Workflow?

WorkFlow Builder Appears simple, but requires code under each function
Difficult APIs PL/SQL Required Specialized Resources Hard Coded solution

Why Have Oracle Users Not Embraced Workflow?

WorkFlow Builder Appears simple, but requires code under each function
Difficult APIs PL/SQL Required Specialized Resources Hard Coded solution

Traditional Oracle eBusiness Solutions

Introduce a manual approval process prior to data entry
Ineffective Inefficient

Customize Oracles standard workflow

Workflow Gurus are Required Complex Workflow APIs Non-Flexible Solution due to hard coding

AppsFlow A New Approach

Automate Processes via Workflow

Automate Current Manual Processes Enforce Systematic Approvals System Wide Notifications Integrated with Workflow Builder Capture & Analyze Process Metrics Rules based, Meta-data Driven Solutions Solutions in Minutes, not Days or Weeks

AppsFlow A New Approach

AppsFlow WorkFlow Integration WorkFlow Integration

Export to WorkFlow Builder Stand alone execution Re-use common process components

AppsFlow WorkFlow Integration

Drag the Logical Apps Process into the WorkFlow

AppsFlow WorkFlow Integration

Route the seeded process with the AppsFlow Process

Logical Apps Product Architecture

AppsFlow
Fully integrated with Oracle Applications Single Oracle Application sign-on Independent of upgrades/patches Oracle Certified

AppsFlow Benefits
DRAMATICLY DECREASE DEVELOPMENT TIME!
Reduce the need for PL/SQL hard coded solutions Complex APIs are eliminated Reduce dependence on Workflow gurus

Integrated to Workflow Builder Process Rules are easily managed

Activate, changed, & disable

Define your Companys Unique Approval Groups Process Rules can be migrated across instances Rules Subscribe to Oracles Business Events

Questions?

Therron Hofsetz thofsetz@logicalapps.com

www.logicalapps.com 949.453.9101