Predefined configurable business rules (also known as process rules) validate proposed changes to positions, budgets, or assignments. You configure business rules by changing their default status level (typically Warning) to Warning, Ignore, or Error.
When you apply a business transaction (position transaction, budget worksheet, or budget reallocation) to the database, the application validates it by comparing its values with criteria found in the business rule. For example, business rules confirm that an assignment's budgeted FTE or grade level is consistent with policy, or that the proposed action stays within budgeted amounts. If the validation fails, the application considers the rule's status level. If the status is:
Warning: the application displays a message, but continues processing.
Ignore: the application continues processing without displaying a message.
Error: the application displays a message and halts processing.
In order to validate and apply a position transaction, budget worksheet, or budget reallocation transaction, you must approve it using Oracle Workflow. Routing and approval rules you define in the Transaction Type Wizard specify the recipients of the routed transaction.
For information about configuring workflow routing and approvals, see The Transaction Type Wizard.
You define the following characteristics (properties) of a business rule:
Process Rule Name
Short Name
Description
Rule Category
Assignment Modification
Position Modification
Budget Preparation
Budget Reallocation
Oracle delivers predefined rules in the Assignment Modification, Position Modification, and Budget Preparation categories. You can use a rule in any of these three categories as a Reference Rule, providing the basis for a new rule. You specify the business group or organizations where the new rule applies, and configure its status level to Warning, Error, or Ignore.
You can create user-defined rules in the Budget Reallocation category. In addition to specifying scope and status level as described previously, you can define the conditions that trigger a validation failure, and create your own message text.
You can search for both predefined and user-defined rules using Rule Category, Business Rule Name, Reference Rule, or Business Group as search criteria. You can delete user-defined rules from search results.
Rules in the Assignment Modification category monitor assignment actions, such as entering new assignments, grades, or Assignment Budgeted Values.
Note: With Position Transactions, the application enforces business rules only for Shared and Single Incumbent position types.
For more information about assignment actions, see:
Entering an Assignment (Assignment Window)
Entering Assignment Budget Values
The Position Modification category is similar to Assignment Modification, except a rule in this category monitors position actions, such as eliminating a position.
Rules in the Budget Preparation category monitor HR budget actions, such as entering budget period data or preparing budget sets.
For information about budget preparation, see:
Rules in the Budget Reallocation category validate virtual folders containing reallocation transactions. Reallocation transactions transfer resources from one budget entity (such as a position or organization) to another, reallocating from over-budgeted entities (Donors) to under-budgeted entities (Receivers). When you apply to the database, business rules validate each transaction within the folder. You specify a reallocation rule's Applicability, restricting its effects to Donors only or Receivers only.
On the search page, an Applicability column indicates whether the rule affects Donors or Receivers. A Status column alerts you if you have not finished your reallocation rule setup. Three scenarios can result in a Status of Incomplete:
You have not yet defined rule conditions.
You change the business group. You must revisit the Conditions page and redefine the rule conditions, using attributes found in the new business group.
You change a rule's Category to Budget Reallocation.
Configurable Business Rules have four levels of scope, in descending order of precedence:
Global (predefined rules)
Business group
Organization Hierarchy/Starting Organization
Organization
A Scope column in search results displays the business group, hierarchy, or organizations affected by the rule.
Business rules you configure at the organization level take precedence over those you configure at the organization hierarchy/starting organization level. If the application finds no configured rule for the organization or its organization hierarchy, the application uses the rule associated with the business group. Finding no configured rule there, the application uses the global default status level (typically Warning).
For information about predefined business rules and their related events, contexts, and warning messages, see Process Rules Reference