1. 11i Journal Workflow: Maximize the Potential
By Krishnan Ramamurthy &
Ian Webster

2. Introduction
About presenters
Introduce Ian and Self

3. Topics of Discussion Workflow overview Requirements
How did we address the requirements
Major features
Sample screens
Common pitfalls QA
Talk about the presentation flow.
In this presentation we will cover …..

4. Workflow Overview Workflow in r11i Seeded workflows and usefulness
GL batch workflow – what it does?
Customization options
Possibilities
Talk about workflows in 11i and generally on GL batch workflow.
Setups
Prerequisites – setups, employees
Usefulness – automated journal approval, audit trail, speedy processing
How to go about customizing – customization points

5. Requirements … City of Chicago overview Use of standard workflow
Ease of maintenance
Journal processing by user departments
Standard HR hierarchy inadequate
Notifications to users and also roles
Use of the standard workflow process as much as possible
Push Journal Entry processing out to user departments
Use of standard Oracle HR hierarchy table was unacceptable
- More flexibility needed
- Get maintenance out of the hands of the HR department
Use departments must be able to maintain the table for their department's hierarchy
 Easy maintenance & flexibility
Lookup driven functionality-
Custom use of DFF's to route the documents
Multiple dollar thresholds for large transaction notifications to supervisors
Workflow must use both USER ID's and Responsibilities to route documents
- USER ID's in user departments and Responsibilities in Central Finance Department
- Ability to put notifications in boxes of all users with a certain responsibility and once acted upon, remove the notifications from all others boxes.
- Notifications must be able to be sorted by the sender of the notification

6. Requirements Vacation handling Validations for
Funds override
Balancing journals by fund
Handling journal rejections
Auto un-reserve funds
Notifications to preparer
- Timeout features for reminders and notifications to supervisors
·        Vacation forwarding functionality needed
·        Internal functionality must be written into the workflow
Must check for balanced journal entry by our balancing segment
Rejection of the journal entry must trigger automatically unreserve funds
Rejection must notify the originator of the journal entry of the status
'Funds Override' status must be included in each notification throughout the workflow approval process

7. How Did We Address the Requirements …
Approval hierarchy
Custom hierarchy Vs HR hierarchy
Multiple departments – sequential
Sequential notifications to roles
Parallel notifications
Custom forward to form for notifications
Discuss the critical components and the choices we had for the requirements,
- ex HR vs Custom hierarchy form,
- Notification to users vs role
- Handling vacations – similar to Purchasing Workflow forward to form

8. How Did We Address the Requirements
Timeout processing & reminders
Canceling notifications
Custom validations in workflow
Funds override
Balance by fund
Built logic for timeout and reminders
Notifications to roles or responsibilities
Built validations for funds override – detail how notifications contain
Balance journals by fund – detail how balancing works

9. Major Features … Custom approval process
Different Divisions within Comptroller’s office

10. Major Features … Custom approval hierarchy form Hierarchy form
Restricted to each department
Use of employee
Can define supervisors
Can define approval limits
Can enable or disable employees

11. Major Features … Sequential departmental approvals
Sequential department approvals
Custom code Checks for DFF attributes to determine processing flow
Once approved, journal wf forwarded to next dept
Rejections notified to preparer
Funds are reserved automatically

12. Major Features … Sequential approvals Notifications sent to roles
Multiple notifications
Once an approver responds, notification removed from others
FYI notifications for journals over $ limit
Lookup codes help in maintaining the verification of $ amount

13. Major Features … Custom Forward to form Custom forward to form
Useful for vacation handling
Assigned to supervisors
Selected notifications forwarded to approvers

14. Major Features … Notifications Notifications when no approvers found
Custom code for checking comptroller or non comptroller

15. Major Features … Notifications reminders Timeout processing
Reminder processing

16. Major Features … Validations and unreserving of funds
When rejected, funds are automatically unreserved
Notifications sent to preparer

17. Major Features Custom validations – balance by fund
Validation for Balancing journals by fund
Notify preparer
Other custom validations

18. Common Pitfalls Keep the design simple Decide on the flow
Keep the flow straight
Handle all scenarios for decision points
Consider repeatable functions and sub processes
Handle all possible errors
Test thoroughly for all scenarios
Discuss all the possible problems encountered

19. How to Contact Krishnan Ramamurthy Principal consultant

20. Questions and Answers