Plan Design Copy enables you to copy program and plan design data that you have already entered into an Oracle HRMS database. The copy process creates a new instance of the compensation object and its associated child records.
Note: The Copy Process does not copy person related records, only plan design data.
You can use Plan Design Copy to save time during your implementation by avoiding repetitive data entry where plan design components are similar or identical. For example, you can copy a base plan, then makes changes to the new plan with the applications windows you used to create the base plan.
Plan Design Copy is available to all Oracle HRMS customers and does not require a license for Self-Service or Advanced Benefits. You can use Plan Copy for any plans that you administer using the Total Compensation data model, including:
Standard and Advanced Benefits Programs and Plans
Compensation Workbench Plans
Individual Compensation Distributions Plans
Absence Plans
When you copy a program or plan, the copy process copies the compensation object and plan design data associated with the object stored in benefits tables. For example, if you copy a program, the copy process also copies:
Plan types in program
Plans in program
Options in plan
Participant and dependent eligibility profiles
Enrollment requirements
Life events
Standard and variable rate calculations
Coverage and premium calculations
Flex Credit calculations and benefit pools (Advanced Benefits)
FastFormulas (however, the process does not verify the formula or copy any functions called by the formula)
For a list of items that the copy process does not copy, see: Exceptions to the Copy Process
You can copy a compensation object and its child records to the same business group or to a different business group.
You can also export a program or one or more plans into a flat file. Exporting a compensation object is useful if you want to transfer a plan design between database instances, for example, between a test and a production database. You export a plan design by selecting Export to File on the Select Target page.
You import the file into the database through a concurrent request and then complete the transaction using Plan Design Copy.
See: Importing a Plan Design From a File
Child objects are components of a plan design that you attach to a higher level object, such as a plan in a program or an activity rate attached to an option.
You can reuse child objects that exist in your target business group. For example, you may want to reuse a plan that is shared between two programs rather than maintaining two versions of the same plan.
You can choose how the copy process functions when duplicate objects exist in the target database. You can:
Reuse existing objects if objects with the current namein the source business group exist in the target business group.
Reuse existing objects if objects with thenew nameformed by adding a prefix or suffix to the current name exist in the target business group.
Create new objects without reusing duplicate objects.
Application of these rules--along with certain exceptions required by the Total Compensation data model--are documented below.
When you copy a plan design within a business group, a prefix or suffix is mandatory. Top level objects that you copy (such as a program or plan not in program) must be unique within the business group.
If you reuse objects with the current name in the business group, the copy process:
Creates top level objects with a new name based on the prefix or suffix you supply.
Generates an error if top level objects exist with the new name based on the prefix or suffix you supply.
Reuses child objects with the current name or, if no objects are found, creates child objects with the current name.
Creates activity rate objects with the new name.
If you reuse objects when the new name exists in the business group, the copy process:
Creates top level objects with the new name.
Generates an error if top level objects exist with the new name.
Reuses child objects with the new name or, if no objects are found, creates child objects with the new name.
Reuses life event reasons and FastFormulas with the new name. If the process does not find an object with the new name, it reuses an object with the current name. If it does not find an object with the current name, it creates an object with the new name.
If you do not reuse existing objects, the copy process:
Creates top level and child objects with the new name.
Generates an error if top level or child objects exist with the new name.
Reuses life event reasons and FastFormulas with the current name, or, if no objects are found, creates objects with the new name.
When you copy a plan design to a different business group, a prefix or suffix is optional.
If you reuse objects with the current name in the different business group, and you do not enter the optional prefix or suffix, the copy process:
Creates top level objects with the current name.
Generates an error if top level objects exist with the current name.
Reuses child objects with the current name or, if no objects are found, creates child objects with the current name.
Note: If the copy process finds a child record with a different name, but the same sequence number (such as for eligibility profiles or options in plan), the process generates an error.
If you reuse objects with the current name in the different business group, and you enter a prefix or suffix, the copy process:
Creates top level objects with the new name.
Generates an error if top level objects exist with the new name.
Reuses child objects with the new name or, if no objects are found, creates child objects with the new name.
Creates activity rates with the current name if rates with the current name are not found. If rates with the current name are found, the process creates rates with the new name. If the process finds existing rates with the new name, the process generates an error since activity rate names must be unique.
Reuses life event reasons and FastFormulas with the current name or creates objects with the new name.
If you reuse objects when the new name exists in the different business group, the copy process:
Creates top level objects with the new name.
Generates an error if top level objects exist with the new name.
Reuses child objects with the new name or, if no objects are found, creates child objects with the new name.
Reuses life event reasons and FastFormulas with the new name. If the process does not find an object with the new name, it reuses an object with the current name. If it does not find an object with the current name, it creates an object with the new name.
If you do not reuse existing objects in the different business group, and you do not enter the optional prefix or suffix, the copy process:
Creates top level and child objects with the current name.
Generates an error if top level or child objects exist with the current name.
Reuses life event reasons and FastFormulas with the current name, or else creates objects with the current name.
If you do not reuse existing objects in the different business group, and you enter a prefix or suffix, the copy process:
Creates top level and child objects with the new name.
Generates an error if top level or child objects exist with the new name.
Reuses life event reasons and FastFormulas with the new name. If the process does not find an object with the new name, it reuses an object with the current name. If it does not find an object with the current name, it creates an object with the new name.
The copy process does not copy:
Non-benefits data, such as HR and Payroll data referenced by your plan design. You must map this data to targets in the new business group as part of the copy process.
Regulations
Person changes and related person changes for life event reasons. The process copies the top level of your life event reason definition, but you must reselect the table and column names that define the data change.
Eligibility and variable rate criteria based on enrollment in another plan, the People Group flexfield, or status as a COBRA Qualified Beneficiary (US).
Functions called by FastFormulas you have written. Nor does the process verify the formula. The copy process does, however, copy the formula and its associated code.
Note: If a Lookup Type used in your plan design changes from Extensible to System (due to an application upgrade), and you have added new codes to the Lookup Type, the process will not copy the plan design. In this case, you must remove any codes you have added to the Lookup Type before you can copy the plan design.
Because you link activity rates to compensation objects, activity rates must be unique to the compensation object. Therefore, whenever possible, the activity rate is copied with the prefix or suffix that you supply. Activity rates include:
Standard rates
Flex credits
Benefit pools
Coverage calculations
Actual Premiums
Combinations always include a program (plans in program, plan types in program, or options in program) thus the program must have a unique name.