Unleashing the Power of Flexfields: Design Principles and Best Practices

1. Getting the Most from Your Flexfields Presented by: Dorothy Sheets FMT Systems Inc. MOUS Livonia, MI September 2009

2. Agenda • Introduction • What’s the big deal about flexfields? • What’s a flexfield, anyway? • Flexfield design (psychology) • What to put in & what to leave out • Flexfield design (physiology) • Value sets, structure & valid segment values • Cross validation & flexfield security rules • Wrap Up Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

3. Introduction • Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc. • 16 years experience with Oracle applications • Implementing • Teaching • Selling Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

4. What’s the big deal about flexfields? • Company X – 17 segment accounting flexfield • Everything but the kitchen sink • Unwieldy • Very time consuming data entry • No aliases or shortcuts • Way too much information to enter & analyze! Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

5. What’s a flexfield, anyway? • Important feature of Oracle applications • One size does NOT fit all! • You configure according to your business needs • Protected during upgrades Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

6. Key vs. descriptive flexfields • Key flexfield examples • General ledger: accounting flexfield • Assets: asset key, category, location flexfields • Inventory: system item flexfield • Descriptive flexfield examples • Global: journal entry lines example • Context sensitive: asset category example Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

7. Flexfield design (psychology) • What to put in • What to leave out • What’s typical • Other considerations Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

8. What to put in? • Decision process can be challenging & political • Examine existing system for clues • What do you need that you do not currently have? • Example: budget centers Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

9. What to leave out? • Decision process can be challenging & political • Examine existing system for clues • What do you have that you do not currently need? • Example: sub departments Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

10. What’s typical? • It depends… • When was Oracle implemented? • Typical then is not typical now • Experience with AFF ranges: • From as few as 3 segments • To as many as 17 segments • Typical today is about 5-7 segments Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

11. Other considerations • Consider all modules implemented • Don’t just think about general ledger • What’s fine for GL may cause data entry issues in AP • What’s fine for controlling inventory items may cause hassles with shipping them Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

12. Flexfield design (physiology) • Value sets • Segment structure & segments • Valid segment values • Cross validation rules • Flexfield security rules Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

13. Value sets: security, format & validation Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

14. Segment structure: order Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

15. Segments: appearance Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

16. Segments: qualifiers Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

17. Valid segment values: company, cost center & account Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

18. Cross validation rules: combinations of segment data Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

19. Flexfield security rules: definewho can access what Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

20. Flexfield security rules: assign who can access what Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

21. Wrap up • We hope this presentation has give you some insight into: • Flexfield design psychology • Flexfield design physiology • “Getting the most from your flexfields” • Questions??? Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.

22. We are . . . Integrating people, processes, and technology!™ THANK YOU! Dorothy Sheets, FMT Systems Inc.