The specifications of an item are divided into structured and unstructured information. You can add unstructured information to the item as an attachment. Attachments include files, folders, text, and URLs. All management of item attachments occurs from the Attachments page. To navigate to this page, locate the item. On the item's Primary Attributes page, click the Attachments tab.

You can add attachments to items at the item revision level as well, enabling you to track specification information by item revision. Most tasks related to item attachments are the same as those for attachments to any other business object. For an explanation of all tasks related to attachments to any business object, see: Using E-Business Suite Attachments.

You can also use a Change Management approval and review process to control the changes to item attachments. Change Management for item attachments provides change control functionality for all types of attachments, a crucial and important piece of non-structured information about the product.

Types of attachment changes supported using a change order include:

• adding a specific version of an attachment at the item or item revision level

• creating a new version for an existing attachment by checking out the current version and checking in a new version.

• changing the attached version for an existing attachment.

• changing attachment attributes. Supported attributes include Name, Description, and Attachment Category.

• deleting attachments.

Change control is achieved by providing a mechanism to author, track and manage changes to attachments through a change order approval and implementation process. You can:

• Specify items and attachments that are effected in a change order.

• Author and specify the exact changes that are desired or required to resolve an issue or change request.

• Route the change order for approval to the appropriate people responsible for the revised item based on item roles, change desired and lifecycle of item.

Once the change order is approved, implement the changes manually or automatically on the specified implementation date.

Change Management for item attachments is supported through the Change Management functionality. User can create a change order and specify changes to the attachments of a reviewed item. There are no additional steps required in the setting up of a change order to be able to do attachment changes for a revised item.

   To request review or approval of an attachment:

You can request approval or a review of a file version, URL, or text using workflows. Each approval or review consists of a number of phases; you can associate a workflow approval with each phase.

The workflow lists the steps in the approval process. You can add steps to the process only if a workflow routing is associated with the particular phase. You cannot delete predefined steps. You can add additional assignees to a step, but you cannot delete predefined assignees. For more details about approvals, see Managing Workflows.

When you send a file version stored in a Oracle Universal Content Management (UCM) content repository through a review or approval process, the same status is reflected everywhere else this file version is attached. The process is the same for both reviews and approvals, but the following steps use the request approval action to explain the process.

1. In the Attachments page, find and select the files that you want to approve or review.

2. In the Select Attachments field, select either Request Approval or Request Review, then click Go.

3. In the Create File Approval: Select File Approval Type page, select the file approval type from the dropdown list. Click Continue.

4. In the Create File Approval page, enter a file approval name.

   Optionally, enter values in the following fields:

   • Description

   • Priority

   • Reason

   • Need By Date

5. In the Create File Approval page, click the Workflow Approval tab to add update, add, or delete any workflow steps. For more information about workflows, see:

   • Managing Workflows

   • Defining Workflow Templates, Oracle Product Hub Implementation Guide

6. Click Submit.

   In the Attachments page, the status of the selected files has changed to Submitted for Approval.

   To view the status of a review or approval:

You can view the review or approval status of a particular attachment from the Attachments page Status column. By moving your cursor over a status icon in the Status column, you can see the status of a particular attachment. If you click on the status icon for an attachment going through the review or approval process, the system takes you to a review or approval summary page

You can also view the status of a review or approval by clicking on the Attachment Details icon in the Details column for a particular attachment. From the Details page, click either the Reviews or Approvals tab. Each tab lists all reviews or approvals associated with the attachment.

   View pending attachment changes:

You can view pending attachment changes for an item from the attachments sub-tab in the item workbench. You can select a pending change from the attachments drop-down list in the View section and view change details.