When you add collection elements to collection plans, they become collection plan elements specific to that collection plan, and can have a different definition in every collection plan in which they are used. When you use a collection element in a collection plan, only its specifications and default value are copied into the plan, not its actions or values. You must reassign it some or all of its values and actions, or create new values and actions for it once you associate it with a collection plan. Any actions that you define for a collection plan element only apply to that element when used in that collection plan.

You can define your own collection elements (User-defined collection elements), use any of Quality's pre-defined collection elements (Pre-defined Reference Information collection elements), or you can copy collection elements from one collection plan into another. See: Collection Elements and Defining Collection Plan Elements.

Common Collection Plan Elements

In addition to the collection elements that you add to collection plans, there is a group of common elements that are automatically added to collection plans as they are created. The following common collection plan elements are predefined as mandatory, enabled, and displayed:

• Collection Number

• Collection Plan Name

• Collection Plan Type

• Created By

• Entry Date

• Last Update Date

• Last Updated By

• Organization

These common collection plan elements can be used to define output variables when reporting quality results. To view the results for common collection plan elements, see: Viewing Quality Results.

The item description is also recorded at the time of data collection, but it is not a common collection plan element. To view the item description, see: Viewing Quality Results Details.

Context Element Dependencies

Some context collection elements are dependent on other context elements. If you add them to collection plans before you add the context elements they depend on, a warning message is displayed, but you are allowed to continue.

For example, if you add the Lot Number collection element to a collection plan, before adding the Item collection element, you are warned that you should add Item to the collection plan before adding Lot Number. The following table lists all context dependencies.

Collection Element Dependencies

You can choose to save a collection plan that you have added a dependent collection element to (Lot Number) even if you do not add the collection element that it depends on (Item). When you enter results using this collection plan, however, the field for the dependent collection element (Lot Number) is disabled and you are prohibited from entering results.

It is possible to sequence collection plan elements so that a dependent collection element (Lot Number) precedes the collection element it depends on (Item). In this case, as you enter results, the Lot Number field remains disabled until Item results are entered.

Collection Plans for Transactions

You can create collection plans that are specifically used to collect quality data during transactions performed in other applications. In general, these collection plans have only one requirement: that they be associated with a transaction in another product (collection plans that are used to inspect received items in purchasing, however, have additional requirements).

Additional information on creating collection plans to be used with other products can be found in the following sections:

• Quality Data Collection in Work in Process, Shop Floor Management, and Flow Manufacturing

• Collection Plans for Receiving Transfers and Deliveries

• Collection Plans for Receiving Inspections

• Quality Data Collection in Oracle TeleService

• Quality Data Collection in Oracle Depot Repair

• Creating eAM Quality Collection Plans

• Mobile Quality, Oracle Mobile Supply Chain Applications User's Guide.

• Quality Collection Plans Setup (Complex Maintenance Repair, and Overhaul)

Collection Plan Templates

You can create collection plans by copying from another plan in two ways:

• Copying a collection plan, including child plans, and creating a new plan

• Copying the components from one plan to a new plan

To determine which method to use, decide whether you want to copy associated child plans along with the parent plan you have chosen to copy. See: Parent-Child Collection Plans. If you do want to copy the associated child plans, refer to Setup Steps, Step 2 - Copy from Template Collection Plans, Oracle Quality Implementation Guide. These instructions explain how to copy a seeded template collection plan, but are valid for user-defined collection plans as well.

The remaining discussion focuses on creating a collection plan when only copying the components from an existing plan to a new plan. The collection plan from which you copy the components from acts as a template for the new collection plan. You can use collection plans created in one organization as templates to create new collection plans in another organization as well as in the current organization.

When you create a collection plan using a template, all of the following components are automatically copied from the source to the destination collection plan:

• Collection plan elements and, if defined, their values

• Collection plan element actions, action triggers, action details, and, if defined, output variables for alert actions

Collection plans for transactions and their collection triggers are not copied. Also, the specification type for the source plan is not defaulted to the destination plan.

When you create collection plans from templates, the transactions associated with the source plan are not copied, therefore you must manually associate the appropriate transaction with the new plan. You also must enable the collection plan that you set up for the transaction. When you save your work the system checks to make sure that all required collection plan elements, actions, and values exist. If they do not, you are prompted to fill in the missing fields (you also can choose to have the system automatically fill in the missing components).

You can use both pre-seeded and user-defined collection plans as templates. The following list describes the pre-seeded collection plans that are available. The elements in each plan and the actions associated with each element are listed in an appendix, Pre-Seeded Collection Plan Templates.

You can delete collection plan elements that are copied but are not required. You can also add user-defined and additional context elements.

See: Inspection Collection Plans

Creating Collection Plans From Templates

   To create a collection plan from a template:

1. Navigate to the Collection Plans window.

   Attention: To assist you as you create collection plans, you can choose the Summary/Detail option from the View Menu and run a query to view existing collection plans in summary format. See: Combination Blocks.

2. Enter the Collection Plan name.

   Collection Plan names consist of alphanumeric characters and spaces. Collection plan names can have up to 30 characters, and the first 25 characters must be distinctive. The only special characters that you can use in a collection plan name are the underscore (_) and the single quotation mark (').

3. Optionally, enter the date that the Collection Plan becomes effective in the Effective "from" field, the first field after Effective.

   You cannot use the collection plan before this effective date. If you do not enter a "from" Effective date, the collection plan is effective immediately.

4. Optionally, enter the date that the Collection Plan expires in the Effective "to" field, the second field after Effective.

   You cannot use the collection plan after this date. Once a collection plan expires, you cannot enter quality results using the plan, but you can query records that already use it. If you do not enter a "to" effective date, the collection plan is valid indefinitely.

5. Select the collection Plan Type from the list of values for that field. See: Collection Plan Types.

6. Choose the Copy Elements button. The Copy From Plan list appears.

7. Select the name of the source or template collection plan.

   You can select any collection plan, even those that are not effective. You also can copy collection elements from more than one collection plan.

   When you copy collection elements from another collection plan, their sequence numbers, prompts, parameters (mandatory, enabled, displayed), actions, lists of values, and default values are defaulted from the source. These values can be changed.

   Caution: If you copy collection elements that are disabled on the source collection plan, they are copied to the destination collection plan as disabled.

8. Choose OK.

9. Change the new collection plan as required.

   You can delete collection elements that are copied if they are not required. If any of the collection plan elements from the 'source' collection plan have already been added to the destination collection plan, those on the destination collection plan are not overwritten.