Quickly setup an instance of a business process in Oracle Integration
In Oracle Integration, it is easy to use the Processes feature to rapidly design, automate, and manage business processes in the cloud.
The documentation says it nicely.
Engage in business processes automated in the cloud.
The type of business processes that may be automated include:
Start an application and complete a form
Act on assigned tasks such as Approve, Reject, or Request Info
Find tasks and view their details and status
Upload documents related to a task, download them, and manage them in folders
Set out-of-office routing for assigned tasks
If you want automated business processes in the cloud — then you’ve come to the right place.
In fact, as we’ll discover there are many applications pre-designed, just ready to be activated.
Let’s get started!
Start here
Firstly you need to start an Integration instance.
Now you’re ready to manage the Integration instance from the Service Console.
From the Oracle Integration main page, scroll down and choose ‘Processes’.
You will get a blank page if you haven’t created any processes.
However on the top-right of the page, you get the opportunity to create a process.
It’s possible to jump off the deep end, and create an application from scratch.
However for the newbies it’s easier to get started with something simple to begin with. You can go hard-core later.
So to choose a pre-designed application, choose ‘Start with a QuickStart’.
Presented to you is a smorgasbord of ready-to-go applications that you can activate.
These are the choices:
- Absence Management Request
- Business Plan Approval — The owner of a business plan submits a request to initiate the development of a business plan. The request is for budget and additional team members. A decision table determines the levels of approval that are required.
- ERP Credit Line Increase Approval
- Form Approval — In this application, the process owner submits a request for approval and fulfillment. If the request is denied, the applicant may resubmit with additional information.
- Loan Application — This loan application starts with the loan applicant submitting a form. The loan applicant and appraiser upload supporting documentation and then the Loan Department and Finance Departments review and approve.
- Parallel Request — In this application, the process owner submits a request which is reviewed and validated in parallel by the process owner and the process reviewer.
- Performance Management — This application will manage the performance management cycle for managers to review employee performance within an organization.
- Quote Discount Request — This process application will manage the discount approval lifecycle for a quote associated to an opportunity.
- Travel Approval — An employee submits a travel request for approval, and, if it is approved, the employee is instructed to book the travel. If it is rejected, the employee can resubmit with additional documentation.
For now we will just choose one — the Travel Approval application.
This is an outline of the process flow of the Travel Approval application.
Just enter some basic information to create an instance of the application.
Configuration of the application
When the application is ready you’ll be given an opportunity to:
- Configure
- Test
- Activate
Choose to configure.
The configuration page has the tasks in a list.
Well configure just a few of the tasks.
1) Configure the approval task
Let’s change who can approve the travel request.
If there are names pre-configured, you can search for them, and add them as approvers.
There is also a priority field, so modify this from the default, to a value of high.
You can also setup reminders as an option.
Optionally there is also request escalation and expiration.
Now close the task, and go back to the configuration page for the application.
2) Configure the resubmit task
Let’s change the item for resubmit activity.
Scroll down and change the following fields.
- Due date = 10 days to resubmit.
- Reminders = once.
- Before Due Date = 5 days from the deadline.
Then close this task, and return to the main page again.
Testing the application
Now we are ready to test the application with the new configuration.
You’ll now see this page with the opportunity to activate the application.
In order to be able to test all the roles, just ensure the check box is ticked.
Now the application can be tested in a test mode, so select ‘Try in Test Mode’.
The application will now start in a new tab in the browser, as follows.
Click on the application icon and you’ll enter the page used to create requests.
Enter some details as a test, then submit.
Then enter some more requests as desired.
To see all the travel requests, go to the ‘My Tasks’ item in the menu, then processes.
You can now review, and approve or reject the requests as desired.
There are a number of other scenarios you can test too.
Once you have finished all testing as different users, you can select ‘Testing Mode’ to off.
Make the application available to the users
Go back to the main page.
Select ‘Activate’.
Just progress through the wizard, and enter a version number that is a increment of the instance that you just tested.
Then the final screens are:
Then finish up with:
At this point, you’ll want to add and assign users to roles.
Then select ‘administration’ from the menu.
Then ‘Manage Roles’
Once you have the roles set, then your application is ready for the users.
Paul Guerin is an international consultant that specialises in Oracle database. Paul is based from a global delivery center in South East Asia, but has clients from Australia, Europe, Asia, and North America. Moreover, he has presented at some of the world’s leading Oracle conferences, including Oracle Open World 2013. Since 2015, his work has been featured in the IOUG Best Practices Tip Booklet, and in publications from AUSOUG, Oracle Technology Network, Quest, and Oracle Developers (Medium). In 2019, he was awarded as a most valued contributor for the My Oracle Support Community. He is a DBA OCP, and continues to be a participant of the Oracle ACE program.
