Overview

The following are the features that are new with Oracle Shipping Execution R12.

Features

Workflow-enabled Shipping Transactions

Oracle Shipping Execution will utilize Oracle Workflow to automate business processes by routing information according to user-defined business rules. Oracle Workflow integration will provide users with a powerful tool to automate specific tasks and customize output based on attributes of business objects. For example, using a configurable workflow, a user will be able to receive notification of delivery backorder and can be alerted to issues arising throughout the shipping process- from pick through ship confirm.

The workflow status monitor for deliveries and trips will enable the user to track and view statuses in a user-friendly display format. The graphical user interface will provide a history of key actions performed up to a certain point that can be viewed from the Shipping Transactions form and the Quick Ship user interface.

Ship Confirm Message Configuration

Oracle Shipping Execution users will now be able to configure certain warnings that occur at Ship Confirm to be hard errors based on their business process. These warnings can be tailored based on user role. For example, the existing warning of ‘A Ship set can not be broken during Ship Confirmation’ can now be configured to be a hard error in order to stop the ship confirm process.

Shipping Purge

The purge feature in Oracle Shipping Execution will be introduced to enable users to delete all shipping transactional data based on user-selected criteria. Purging permanently removes records from the active tables, which will allow the system to perform more efficiently. For example, queries will be completed more quickly and upgrades will be streamlined when fewer records exist.

Flexible Documents

The key objective of this feature will be to give the users more freedom to design key external-facing shipping documents (reports) that best match their business needs. Leveraging Oracle XML Publisher, Oracle Shipping Execution users will be able to create template-based, easy-to-use formats to quickly produce and easily maintain shipping documents unique to their business. Additional attributes will be added to the XML templates for each report for added flexibility. For example, the Bill of Lading (BOL) and Master Bill of Lading (MBOL) will now be able to include the freight class as well as the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) code. The following reports will be included: Master Bill of Lading, Bill of Lading, Pack Slip, Vehicle Load Sheet, Mailing Label, Commercial Invoice and Pick Slip.

Enhanced LPN Support

Oracle Shipping Execution users will now have improved visibility to the Oracle WMS packing hierarchy at Pick Confirmation. The packing hierarchy, including the License Plate Number (LPN), will be visible in the Shipping Transactions form as well as in the Quick Ship user interface.

Parallel Pick Release Submission

This new feature will allow users to run multiple pick release processes in parallel to improve overall performance. By distributing the workload across multiple processors, users can reduce the overall time required for a single pick release run. Users will be able to specify the number of threads that are spawned by the pick release product for added configurability.

Customer Acceptance/ Deferred Revenue

This feature will allow for more sophisticated accounting to take place as a result of ship confirmation. When customer acceptance and other common contingencies are required prior to recognizing revenue for a shipment, Oracle Shipping Execution will support deferring the revenue through integration with Oracle Receivables. In addition to user directed events, implicit acceptance will be supported using a number of days after shipping.

Pick Release enhancements

Enhancements will be made to the Release Sales Order Form and the Release Rules Form to support planned cross docking and task priority for Oracle Warehouse Management (WMS) organizations. Pick release will allow a user to specify allocation methods and if cross docking is required, a cross-dock rule. The task priority will be able to be set for each task in a sales order picking wave when that wave is pick released. The priority indicated at pick release will be defaulted to every Oracle WMS task created.

Support for Miscellaneous Shipping Transactions

Oracle Shipping Execution users will now be able to create a delivery for a shipment that is not tied to a sales order via XML (XML-equivalent of EDI 940 IN). Once this delivery has been created, users will be able to print shipping documents, plan, rate, tender, audit and record the issuance out of inventory. Additionally, an XML Shipment Advice (XML- equivalent of EDI 945 OUT) will be supported to record the outbound transactions.

Inventory Convergence

Oracle Inventory and Oracle Shipping Execution will now be able to handle both discrete and process items in a single warehouse for more flexibility in their item handling. Process features have been added to Oracle Inventory to support process characteristics, such as dual units of measure, grade, child lots as a subdivision of lot-controlled inventory, and the use of material status. Oracle Shipping Execution will be able to include the new process item attributes in Flexible Documents.