The Answer  ‘Oracle Install Base’

InstallBase Overview

Oracle Install Base is an item instance life cycle tracking application that facilitates enterprise-wide life cycle item management and tracking capability. Helps you to track instance from the time that it is received in inventory, in work in process, in projects, at customer sites, and throughout the return and repair process.Oracle Install Base is a centralized repository of information for an item instance and its tracking details including location, status, ownership, party, account and contact relationships, configuration data linked to Contracts,service requests repairs.Oracle Install Base is capable of tracking serialized and non-serialized item instances including:

•  Tangible items such as those that are manufactured, purchased, and shipped
•  Intangible items such as software, services, licenses, and agreements
•  Tangible assets including fixed, movable, and leased assets
•  Key features and functionality include the following:
•  Item instance maintenance
•  Support for inventory transactions
•  Centralized repository of information:

                        Item instance consolidated transactions history

                        Item instance timestamp and version label history

                        History of Oracle E-Business Suite transactions affecting Oracle Install Base

•  Instance relationships with multiple party/accounts
•  Configuration support and instance-to-instance relationships
•  Open Interface and Quick Edit capabilities:
•  Mass load of item instances by an open interface
•  Quick online edit of attributes for a group of item instances
•  Install Base Interface Error processing functionality
• System grouping of item instances
• Capability of user-defined extended attributes
• Sales Order Shipment, Fulfillment, and RMA Receipt Interface

Shipped Order Lines, RMA Receipt Order Lines (shippable items)

                        Fulfilled Order Lines (non-shippable items)

• Interface with Inventory & WIP modules.

IB Integration within eBiz

Oracle Install Base provides for creation, updating, querying, and copying of instances through Oracle Install Base user interfaces and through integration with other applications. These include Oracle applications such as Oracle Service Contracts, Oracle Field Service, Oracle Depot Repair, complex maintenance repair and overhaul, receiving, WIP, Oracle Inventory, Oracle Projects, Oracle Order Management, Oracle Purchasing, Contact Center, eBiz Center, and shipping.

• Counters and Notes ,Direct updates from Oracle Field Service and Oracle Complex Maintenance Repair, and Overhaul, Oracle Inventory (receiving and other inventory transactions)
• View and reference accessibility from multiple applications such as Oracle Contracts, Oracle Field Service, Oracle Depot Repair, and Oracle Customer Support
• Oracle Trading Community Architecture for querying parties and accounts and building item instance to party relationships
• Oracle Order Management (shipping, fulfillment, and RMA receipts
• Oracle Assets (Oracle Enterprise Install Base-specific updates through mass additions
• Oracle Projects (Oracle Enterprise Install Base-specific updates to projects)
• Oracle Work in Process (move transactions, assembly completion, configuration support)
• Oracle e-Biz Center & Contact Center. A new tab provided with Contact/e-Biz Center window enables direct access to Oracle Install Base.
• Oracle Project Contracts (shipment transactions)
• Oracle Purchasing (inter-company drop shipment and PO adjustments)

Everything you need to SetUp Install Base

1. Synchronize On-Hand Balance with Oracle Inventory

2. Set Up Inventory Serial Control at the Master

3. Set Up Oracle Install Base Items in the Item Master

4. Set Up Parties

5. Set Up Vendors

6. Set Up Employees

7. Set Up Party Accounts

8. Set Up Party Contacts

9. Verify the Setup of the Oracle Service Fulfillment Manager Event Queue

10. Set Up the Action Menu in Oracle Order Management

11. Set Up the Order Management Workflow for Non-Shippable Items

12. Run the License Manager Program

13. Verify the Setup of Four Profile Options for Oracle Enterprise Install Base

14. Verify Location IDs in HZ_LOCATIONS

15. Verify Codes for Asset Update Statuses

16. Set Up Installation Parameters

17. Set Up Codes for Party-Account and Party-Contact Relationship Types

18. Verify Codes for Instance Relationship Types

19. Verify Extended Attribute-Level Codes

20. Set Up Extended Attribute Pools

21. Set Up Extended Attribute Classifications

22. Set Up Extended Attributes

23. Verify Accounting Classification Codes

24. Set Up Instance Type Codes

25. Verify Codes for Instance Location Sources

26. Verify Party Sources

27. Set Up Codes for Instance-Operating Unit Relationship Types

28. Set Up Version Labels

29. Set Up System Type Codes

30. Set Up Split Process Reasons

31. Verify Oracle Configurator Enabled Values

32. Verify Instance Class Values

33. Verify Values for the Resubmit Interface Process

34. Verify Values for CSI:Propagate Systems Changes

35. Set Up Regions for the Advanced Search Page

36. Set Up the Results of the Search Item Instances Page

37. Set Up Instance Statuses

38. Set Up Source Transaction Types

39. Set Up Transaction Subtypes

40. Set Up the Transaction Subtypes LOV from Non-Service Processes

41. Verify Transaction Status Codes

42. Verify Transaction Error Source Types

43. Create Business Users

44. Create Agent Users

45. Schedule the Expire End Dated Instances Program

46. Schedule the Install Base Open Interface Program

47. Schedule the Initiate Mass Edit Program

48. Schedule the Process Mass Edit Program

49. Schedule the Process Old Order Lines-Fulfillable Only Program

50. Schedule the Resubmit Interface Process

51. Schedule the Resubmit Waiting Transactions Program

52. Schedule the Install Base and Inventory Data Discrepancies Program

53. Schedule the Install Base Error Correction and Synchronization Program

54. Final Synchronize On-Hand Balance with Oracle Inventory

Using Install base

General View and maintain general information about the item instance such as system

name, serial number, owner, and location. This page is organized by regions of  basic categories under which you can define and test various specific search criteria

Additional Attributes View and update values for additional attributes defined for an item or instance.These are attributes are user definable with the Oracle Install Base Administration responsibility

Assets View and define associated asset information such as asset number, date placed in

service, and employee. Oracle Enterprise Install Base uses such information in the

tracking of fixed assets.

In the Create Item Instance page you can create an item instance(or sub instance). The page has regions for general item information, owner information, current location, item flags, and item views. The inventory rules of the selected organization will be used to verify the item being created. The BOM from the organization will be used in the case of warranty creation.For serialized items, Oracle Install Base checks for the uniqueness of the serial number based on the setup of a serial control uniqueness parameter in the inventory organization. Version label and status default to the profile option setup if they are not populated. Accounting classification defaults to Customer Product if it is not populated

Party Relationships View and define names, types, and effective dates for additional parties that can be associated with an instance. You can use these features to transfer ownership. Associated links have the following uses:

■ Owner: Transfer item instances.

■ Party: Add or maintain party relationships

■ Account: Define and maintain accounts and account types for a party

■ Contact: Define the contact type and names of a party

■ Summary: Display all the associated parties, and the accounts and contacts from each

Transfer Ownership In the Owner page, you can transfer ownership of an item instance from one active party to another.The account field is mandatory only if the party is external. Other owner types can be Employee and Vendor. Ship-to and Bill-to location can be modified on this page. The ownership transfer date can be set as a past or current date. If ownership transfer is backdated, then the application verifies that no Oracle Install Base transactions exist between past and current dates & accordingly transfers the ownership.

Pricing View extended pricing attributes that come from Order Management sales order

lines at the sale of an item instance.

Counters With the Counters application, you can define a counter construct called a counter group for an item to monitor the usage of customer item instances and services and execute business processes based upon the usage information. Eg  automobile (the odometer), a gas meter, and a photocopy machine. Counters are created for an instance at the time of instance creation if the counter group is associated with the item in the Counters application. As a piece of equipment recorded in Oracle Install Base is put into service, its usage can be tracked by incrementing the counters associated with the unit. These counters may be updated manually or automatically on regular intervals. In Oracle Install Base you cannot define counters, but you can view, adjust, enter, and reset their readings.  

Transactions View the most recent transactions for this item instance. Each transaction ID links to a page of transaction details.

Service Requests View and create service requests associated with the item instance.

Repair Orders View open, closed, and hold repair orders for an item instance.

History Retrieve and view the history of an item instance based on a date range or a version label

Operating Units Display and maintain operating units associated with the item instance.

Configuration.In the Operating Units page, you can view, add, and remove the association of

operating units with a particular item instance.

Displays the Item Instance Configuration page. View the various configurations and define children for an instance.

Contracts View information such as the name, effective dates, and coverage description of service contracts associated with the instance. Each contact number can link to a page of contracts details.

Notes Create and view notes associated with an item instance.

Saved Search Criteria : For frequent used search criteria IB lets you save the search.With saved searches you can easily reuse a set of possibly complicated search criteria by assigning a name to the saved set of criteria. Saved search page is organized by regions of basic categories under which you can define and test various specific search criteria.After you are satisfied with results of your tests, you can save the set of criteria with a name of your choice.You can customize search criteria in saved search page by updating lookup CSI_ADV_SEARCH_DEF_SHOW

Splitting Quantities In the Split Quantity page(on General Attributes region),You can split the original quantity into two or n parts. Oracle Install Base automatically creates serviceable items under serial control with a quantity of one. Only nonserialized items are created with a quantity greater than one. Oracle Install Base retrieves from Oracle Contracts the appropriate coverage for the newly created instances.

Example of splitting quantities are as follows:

■ Isolate a quantity for transfer to an end customer

■ Set apart a quantity to be terminated

■ Set aside a quantity for installation elsewhere

■ Set apart a quantity to apply or order a new service program

■ Set apart a quantity for upgrade or repair

 Relationship Types With Oracle Install Base you have a flexible way to types of instance-to-instance relationships.

• Component-Of  Most used relationship example being  Monitor,Mouse,Keyboard are component of Computer
• Connected-To : used to represent a network of connected items  ranu-laptop is connected to print-server-11.2.9 lan network

Transaction Details Window In the Transaction Details window you can update Oracle Install Base with attributes provided for an item that is being sold or returned. In addition, you can

update a referenced item instance.This tab can be uded to enter replacement/upgrade of an item.

Order Management Super User -> Orders, Returns > Sales Orders > Line Items tabbed page, select a line > Click Actions > Installation Details

Transaction Error Handling

If a source transaction(OM,FA,Projects,Sales Order,Teleservice o is successful and the Oracle Install Base update errors-out, then the transaction appears with error text in the Transaction Error Summary and

Details window.Transaction Error Summary and Details window you can reprocess transactions that failed to update Oracle Install Base from certain Oracle applications.

Oracle Install Base Admin responsibility >  Navigate to Transaction Errors Processing.

Install Base and Inventory Data Discrepancies program picks up the discrepancy data from the tables of Oracle Install Base and Oracle Inventory and displays it on a report. A separate concurrent program, Install Base Error Correction and Synchronization Program, is available to correct the discrepancies.

Mass Edit/Future Dated Transactions

In the Mass Edit/Future Dated Transaction window you can schedule several changes to be made to a group of instances and to be performed at a specific date and time. Such changes include, for example, location, party ownership, accounts and contacts.

Oracle Install Base Administrator responsibility  > Mass Edit > Open Mass Edit/Future Dated Transaction window > Entry Details region, Find Instances > Supply a value for the Name field of your mass edit session, and click Save eg Use Location tabbed page to change the current location or the install location for all selected instances.

Item Instance Query Window

The Item Instance Query window displays existing configured item instances,including attributes and components,

■ Ability to query instances based on a wide range of query parameters including extended attributes

■ Ability to view configurations, in a tree structure, from the Sales Order window and select those instances where you want the configuration to change

■ When called from the Sales Orders window, the ability to return a PL/SQL table of records for processing by Oracle Order Management

Oracle Installed Base Admin responsibility >  Item Instance Query.         OR

Order Management Super User > Orders, Returns > Sales Orders.

Purging Transaction History

Application provides a utility to purge history transactions tied to an instance. Given a start date, you can run the utility to purge all the transaction data with dates older than the specified date and store the data in a table

Oracle Installed Base Admin > Run Request Installed Base Transactions History Purge

Counters Application in IB

Using the Counters application you can define counters to track the usage of a customer's item or service and execute business processes eg charge excess charges after 5000 copies @ of .05 pence & charge 100£ for initial 5000 copies other examples include.

■ Manage item warranties and external warranties

■ Manage service, rental, and leasing contracts

■ Know when the time has come to reorder or ship parts

■ Determine billing cycles and rate change

■ Trigger item preventive maintenance or overhauls

■ Calculate item reliability

■ Perform lifecycle tracking

Counters application supports the following Service applications:

■ Oracle TeleService

■ Oracle Install Base

■ Oracle Service Contracts

■ Oracle Depot Repair

■ Oracle Field Service

■ Oracle Mobile Field Service

■ Oracle Spares Management

■ Oracle Logistics

■ Oracle Advanced Service Online

Counters can be of Two types

Physical Counter An incremental electro-mechanical or software device built into an item to track equipment usage. These counters are tangible and can rollover to a specified value, be reset to any value, or replaced if broken during normal operation.

Formula Counter An intangible or derived counter that runs inside a software application program, keeping track of usage of an item or service. A common logical counter is the number of service telephone calls made by a customer against a particular item or service. Logical counters can be added or combined with other counters to form a new counter.

Counter Group Can be associated with an item or service and is permitted to have only one associated counter group. Group templates can also be applied with multiple Oracle Install Base items or contract lines. After a counter group is instantiated, it can be modified for a single instance or for all instances.

Counter Template A template that is defined for groups of counters and instantiated in Oracle Install Base customer items or contract lines. A template can be defined for a single counter or a group containing one or many counters.

Typical Usage of Counters

Capture Counter Readings Counter readings can be entered manually using the Capture Counters window.eg Field Service,Service Contracts

Capture Miscellaneous Reading Adjustments service counter can used to adjust a technician's copy usage during a PM Service or repair of a customer's photocopier machine

View the Counter History Log The Counters application creates a new instance each time a reading event has been performed and saves the results in the counter history log.

Oracle Install Base Life Cycle Tracking Counters uses Oracle Install Base to manage and track reading history related to an item, service, or contract throughout the active lifecycle.

Reset Counters Certain service providers require that a counter reset is performed to re-establish a new starting point for an item or service.

Modify Counters Counter groups and counters can be modified after instantiation with an item or

service.

Navigation : Customer Support or Depot Repair Super User > Setup > Counters.

Setup Checklist

1. Define counter group templates.

2. Confirm the setup of user-definable counter property lookups

3. Define counter estimation methods.

4 Define regular counters

5. Define group function counters.

6. Define formula counters.

7. Define time-based counters.

8. Confirm the setup of the concurrent program for the time-based Counters engine

9. Define profile options.

10. Instantiate Counters.

Open Interface Program

• Initial mass load: Load large volume data from multiple sources including external legacy systems.

·         Incremental load: This synchronizes Oracle Install Base with subsystems by importing item instances from different feeder systems on a frequent, on-going basis. Eg synchronize with changes in inventory.

• Change functionality

 Add new party relationships to existing item instances

 Add new physical attributes to the item instances

 Add new contact information

 Add new configuration elements

 Change the party relationships of existing instances

 Change contact information

 Change configuration (relationships between item instances)

 Remove and expire item instances

 Remove and expire configuration, cascading

 Remove and expire party relationships

 Remove and expire contact information

• Data validation Imported data is validated to ensure data integrity

Use Open Interface as follows(Just like any other Oracle Applications open interface)

Load the Open Interface tables, using SQL Loader or a custom program.

Oracle Install Base Admin responsibilitynavigate to Others > Setups > Requests.

Guidelines for Loading Open Interface Tables (Follow Oracle Apps Common sense)

1. Set up the source system details before using the Open Interface functionality.

2. Use the appropriate value for Transaction_Identifier. The value must be unique for the same source_system_name.

3. Set replace_flag to Y only if the complete structure, or image, of the item instance is being processed.

4. Any type of transaction requires at least one row in the CSI_INSTANCE_INTERFACE table.

5. Child entity updates, such as instance_party update and ip_account_update,must have a corresponding row with the same inst_interface_id in the csi_instance_interface table.

6. Get NEXTVAL from the respective instances for populating primary keys of the interface tables

7. Make sure that all the referenced entities are populated with their respective IDs before running the Open Interface program. For example, inventory_item exists in mtl_system_items, party exists in the respective party tables, and order line exists in the order entry tables.

8. When including pricing attributes on an instance, make sure that the Pricing Context Flexfield (QP_ATTR_DEFNS_PRICING) has the Context Field Code Value defined and the related segments specified.

9. The Open Interface program resolves the IDs from different tables from the descriptive values provided in the interface tables and also validates the existence of all the referenced IDs.

10. Transaction Identifier along with Source_System_Name is used to identify the set of instances and instance relationships. This set is committed as a single database transaction.

Useful Profile Options

CSI: Allow Install Parameter Update

CSI: Auto-Generate System Name

CSI: Auto-split Instances During Instantiation

CSI: BOM Explosion Level

CSI: Cascade System Termination

CSI: Configurator Enabled

CSI: Contracts Enabled

CSI: Counters Enabled

CSI: Debug Level

CSI: Default Install Date with Ship or Fulfillment Date

CSI: Default Instance Status

CSI: Default Version Label

CSI: Display HTML UI

CSI: Enable Contracts For Open Interface

CSI: Explode BOM

CSI: Filter Display of all Contracts

CSI: Instance Termination Status

CSI: OE Line Processing Delay

CSI: Show Expired Instances

SERVICE Master Inventory Validation Organization

The API’s to work with

CSI_ITEM_INSTANCE_PUB: Contains all APIs for item instance management.

• Create_Item_Instance
• Update_Item_Instance
• Expire_Item_Instance
• Get_Item_Instance
• Get_Item_Instance_Details
• Copy_Item_Instance

CSI_INSTANCE_RELATIONSHIP_PUB: Contains all APIs to manage instance-to-instance relationships

• Create_Relationship
• Update_Relationship
• Expire_Relationship
• Get_Relationship

CSI_SYSTEMS_PUB: Contains APIs for creating, updating and deleting the systems.

• Create_System
• Update_System
• Expire_System
• Get_Systems

**CSI_DATASTRUCTURES_PUB: Contains all public datastructures exposed to Install Base API users.