Oracle Inventory Structure

Discussing Inventory Structure

What is inventory?

In simple terms it is a stock of items that your business is selling in order to make a living. Almost every non-IT related business has some physical items to sell and hence Inventory is at the heart of almost any business and is central to the planning process.

The considerations in setting it up are at least as complex as those for any other single application. Commonly, Inventory will be installed during the implementation of Order Entry, Purchasing, Manufacturing, or Supply Chain Management but it is an extremely complex module in its own right with several important setup considerations.

Inventory System: The simplest function of an Inventory system is to keep track of your items i.e. which item came in and which item went out of inventory and when the item count reaches below a certain threshold value then alert the responsible person to replenish it soon.

So how does items go in and out of the warehouse?

Let say your company manufactures office chairs. When a customer orders 5 chairs and when you ship them to the customer the count of the item goes down and when you manufacture them internally and when the finished chair is ready and moved to the warehouse the item count increases. An item can be internally consumed too.

An inventory system provides physical management of a company’s stock until it is either used up or sold. It also performs a logical, cataloging function.

This stock is referred to by its item number (usually item number is the segment1 column of mtl_system_items ) and has many attributes that affect the transactions that the modules can process against the item.

Every other module within Oracle Applications that needs to name types of objects looks to the Inventory Item Master for details regarding an item. These objects

include products ordered through Oracle Order Entry, items invoiced through Oracle Receivables, items purchased through Oracle Purchasing, items paid for through Oracle Payables , items maintained through Oracle Service, and items charged against projects in Oracle Projects.

Every module in the Manufacturing suite (Engineering, Bills of Material, Work in Process, Master Production Schedule/Material Requirements Planning, and Cost Management) deals with items named in Inventory.

Inventory’s can also track intangibles like magazine subscriptions. The company can sell these items along with physical objects. Assemblies that are never stocked can also be defined in Inventory. A phantom item, for example, represents an intermediate step in manufacture, an assembly that is never stocked in inventory because it is used immediately in a higher-level assembly.

Oracle Inventory’s on-hand balance is increased when an item is bought or made. Inventory relinquishes control and decreases its balance when items are sold or put to their final use within the company. Pads of paper in the stock room are inventory; the same pad of paper on somebody’s desk is not-as far as the company is concerned, it is already used. A new desk in the warehouse belongs to inventory; a desk in somebody’s office is no longer in inventory. Many major purchases, such as plant and equipment, never have an on-hand balance because they are put to their final use as soon as they are bought.

Oracle Inventory system

 An Inventory organization may be one of the following:

•    A physical entity like a warehouse where inventory is stored and transacted.

•                   A logical entity like an item master organization which only holds items with no Transactions

An inventory organization may have the following attributes

•                   An inventory organization can have its own location with a set of books, a costing method,a workday calendar, and a list of items.

•                   An inventory organization can share one or more of these characteristics with other organizations.

Sets of Books

You can tie one Oracle General Ledger set of books to each inventory organization.

Costing Methods

You choose your costing method at the organizational level. The item attribute control level determines the costing organization.

Item Costs

Oracle Inventory keeps one standard cost per item per inventory organization.

Movement Between Inventory Organizations

You can use intransit inventory for interorganization transfers.

Planning Method

You can perform reorder point planning at the organizational level, and you can perform minmax planning at both the organization and subinventory level.

In Multi-Org

You can tie one government reporting entity/legal entity to each inventory organization. You can also tie one operating unit to each inventory organization.

Forecasting

Oracle Inventory forecasts item usage at the organization level only.

Accuracy Analysis

You can perform a physical inventory, ABC classifications, and cycle counting at both the organization and subinventory levels.

low of any manufacturing company:

1)    Raw material flow into manufacturing company.

2)    Raw material gets processed according to requirement.

3)    Finally finished goods are distributed to end consumers through physical distribution system.

For this different companies use different manufacturing strategies, according to their business need and their requirement and they are,

Manufacturing Strategies

Make- to-stock

In this delivery time is equal to shipment time, generally you will maintain stock. Make- to-order

In make-to-order delivery time is manufacturing + assembly time + shipment time. Assemble- to- order

In this strategy assembly time and shipment time contributes to delivery time. Engineer- to- order-

In this special category order processing starts from design, manufacturing, assembly and shipment.

Materials Management

Any strategy company implements, there comes material management, for following benefits

1) For planning and controlling materials flow 2) Maximize use of firm’s resources 3) Provide required level of customer service

For this material management we will control these activities

Activities

Production Planning: The company will plan production according requirement and according to that the status of inventory is checked. Implementation of planning & control: Production planning should be implemented and control through proper resources, mainly involved purchasing.

Inventory management: As per planning inventory should be managed, that vary from raw material to finished goods.

Modules

Different modules which are interrelated with Inventory & Purchasing.

• MPC – Manufacturing Planning & Control • MPS – Master Production Schedule • MRP – Materials Required Planning • BOM – Bill Of Material Relation with major modules

Production Planning Master production schedule Engg.

BOM

MRP Purchasing Inventory

Production control

Production planning is done by keeping long term view, while on that basis master production schedule is created. MRP will take feedback BOM, Engg. & other modules. Purchasing will work according to MRP for which status will

provide by Inventory. So now we can visualize the position of purchasing & inventory in whole manufacturing organization.

Other Manufacturing modules which are inter-related are,

•   Oracle BOM ( bill of material)

•   Oracle Engineering

•   Oracle Product Configurator

•   Oracle MRP

•   WIP( Work In Process)

•   Cost management

•   Oracle quality Inventory

In Inventory all major functions are related with items, all functionality is provided by keeping item as center. Now we will discuss various aspects of inventory and flow of Inventory.

Inventory consists of, mainly

1.     Raw material

2.     Work In Process Inventory

3.     Finished Goods

Functions of inventory

1.     Maintaining stock

2.     Planning

3.     Forecasting

4.     Physical control of inventory

5.     Receipt

6.     Issues We will discuss these functions as regards with oracle applications.

Inventory Flexfields

The flexfields which are used in inventory are

•   Account aliases

•   Item catalogs

•   Item categories

•   Sales orders

•   Stock locators

•   System items

Depending on your setup inventory can use other modules flexfields like Accounting (General Ledger) & Sales tax location & territory from Accounts Receivables

Account Aliases

Table name : MTL_GENERIC_DISPOSITIONS

An account alias is an easily recognized name or label representing a general ledger account number. You can view, report, and reserve against an account alias. During a transaction, you can use the account alias instead of an account number to refer to the account.

Item catalogs

Table name: MTL_ITEM_CATALOG_GROUPS Unique ID column: ITEM_CATALOG_GROUP_ID

If you make entries for your items in a standard industry catalog or want to group your items according to certain descriptive elements, you need to configure your Item Catalog Group Flexfield.

Even if you do not use item cataloging, you must enable at least one segment and compile this flexfields before you can define items.

These flexfields supports only one structure and dynamic inserts is not allowed.

Item categorie

Table name: MTL_CATEGORIES Unique ID Column: CATEGORY_ID

You must define & configure your item categories flexfields before you can start defining items since all items must be assigned to categories. You can

define multiple structures from different category groups. So that you can associate these structures with categories & category sets.

Sales order

Table name: MTL_SALES_ORDERS Unique ID Column: SALES_ORDER _ID Through this flexfield inventory will identify sales order transactions of OM with inventory. This sales order flexfield should be defined as order number, order type and order source so that each transaction will be unique in inventory.

Stock locators

Table name: MTL_ITEM_LOCATIONS Unique ID Column: INVENTORY_LOCATION_ID

If you keep track of specific locators such as aisle, row, bin indicators for your items, you need to configure your Stock Locators Flexfield and implement locator control in your organization.

You can use stock locators field to capture more information about stock locators in inventory.

If you do not have oracle inventory installed any none of items have locator control then it is not necessary to define this flexfield. And this flexfield supports only one structure.

System items (item flexfield)

Table name: MTL _SYSTEM_ITEMS And unique id column is INVENTORY_ITEM_ID You can use item flexfield for recording and reporting your item information, and you must define and configure your item flexfield before you can start defining items.

You must plan how Oracle Inventory represents your company’s inventory sites and business units. This includes defining organizations, locations, subinventories, and locators depending on your company structure.

Inventory is consisting of inventory – subinventory -locators as per your organization setup.

ITEM is defined in inventory that is generally first in master organization, so that later it can be assign to multiple organizations. Also item definition can be uploaded by item upload open interface.

ITEM definition 

You define items in one organization. To distinguish it from others, we call it the Item Master organization. Other organizations (child organizations) refer to the Item Master for item definition. After you define an item in the Item Master, you can assign it to any number of other organizations.

Item attributes

•   Inventory attributes like lot control/ serial control

•   Purchasing and costing information.

•   bill of material/ item category attributes

•   Physical attributes like weight, volume

•   Receiving attributes

•   General planning attributes like min-max qty, order qty.

•   Status of item

Generally we will group the item attributes in these groups

Main Inventory Bill of material Asset management Costing Purchasing Receiving Physical attributes General planning MPS/MRP planning Lead times Work In Process Order Management Invoicing Service

Now we will discuss main attributes from major group.

Main attribute group

Primary Unit of Measure-

This is the stocking and selling unit of measure. Any necessary conversions are based on this unit of measure. This attribute is not updatable. The default primary unit of measure for new items is defined using the INV: Default Primary Unit of Measure profile option.

User Item Type-

Oracle provides several types by default at installation. These types correspond to the item templates also provided. Select one of these values, or one you defined with the Item Type window.

Different item types are ATO model/ Finished good/ Freight/ Inventory Type etc.

Item Status-

Item status codes set or default the values for attributes under status control. User–defined status codes control certain item attributes designated as status attributes. Item status can be active/engineer/inactive. The default item status for new items is defined using the INV:Default Item Status profile option.

Inventory Attribute Group

Inventory Item-Indicate whether to stock and transact this item in Oracle Inventory.

Stockable -Indicate whether to stock this item in Inventory. You can set this attribute only when you turn on the Inventory Item option.

Transactable – Indicate whether to allow Inventory transactions. You can set this attribute only when you turn on the Stockable option.

Reservable -Indicate whether you can create material reservations. You can reserve an item only when you have sufficient inventory.

Other attribute in this group are Lot control, serial control, locator control.

Bill of Material attribute group

BOM allowed- Allows you to define a bill of material for an item, or to assign the item as a component on a bill.

BOM item type- This attribute is controlled at the Master level only. Select a type to control bill functionality. You must enter a value here if BOM Allowed is turned on.

Asset management attribute group

These are the attributes you have to give for asset management.

Asset item type-This attribute identifies the asset item as an Asset Group, Asset Activity, or Rebuildable item.

Activity type-This is relevant when the Asset Item Type is set to Asset Activity. This indicates the type of maintenance for this asset activity.

Costing attribute group

You have to set these attributes while defining or updating items. Costing enabled-

Indicate whether to report, value, and account for any item costs. Inventory asset value -Indicate whether to value an item as an asset in inventory. Turning this option off indicates an expense item.

Cost of goods sold account-

This attribute is controlled at the Organization level only. Enter a general ledger account to use as a source for the Cost of Goods Sold Account. The default cost of goods sold account is set when you define organization parameters.

Purchasing attribute group

Purchased-

Indicate whether to purchase and receive an item. Turning this option on allows you to set the Purchasable attribute. Purchasable -Indicate whether to order an item on a purchase order. You can set this only when Purchased is turned on.

Receipt required-

Indicate whether you must receive an item before you can pay the invoice. Leave this field blank if you want Inventory to use the value defined in the Purchasing Options window for transactions involving this item.

i.e. three way invoice matching Inspection required-

Indicate whether to inspect an item upon receipt from the supplier, before paying the corresponding invoice. Leave this field blank if you want Inventory to use the

value defined in the Purchasing Options window for transactions involving this

item.

Encumbrance account-

This attribute is controlled at the Organization level only. Enter the default encumbrance account Oracle Purchasing uses when an item is received. If the item encumbrance account does not exist, Oracle Purchasing uses the sub inventory account.

Expense account-

This attribute is controlled at the Organization level only. Enter the default inventory account for expense items. This attribute is used only when Inventory Asset Value is turned off. Oracle Purchasing debits this account when you receive an item into inventory only if the item is being expensed. If you receive into an expense subinventory, Oracle Purchasing uses the expense account you assigned to the subinventory first; if you do not define the account here, Oracle Purchasing uses the expense account assigned to the item.

Receiving attribute group

In this group major attributes are receipt date controls, valid transactions and over-receipt quantity control.

Physical attribute group

The main attributes like weight, volume, and dimension are shown below,

General planning attributes

Inventory planning method- Here you can select option for organizational level planning. Like not planned, min-max or recorder point.

For min-max quantity, order quantity and source. For source you can give inventory, subinventory or supplier.

Order Management attribute group

Customer ordered-Indicate whether to allow an item to be ordered by external customers. You can add any customer orderable items to price lists in Oracle Order Management.

Shippable-Indicate whether to ship an item to a customer. Shippable items are released by Oracle Shipping Execution’s Pick Release program, creating confirmable shipping lines, and are printed on the pick slip.

Default shipping organization-Enter the Oracle Shipping Execution primary shipping organization.

Picking rule-Enter the picking rule that defines the order in which subinventories, locators, lots, and revisions are picked.

Invoicing attribute group

Invoicable item-Indicate whether to include an item on an Oracle Receivables invoice.

Accounting rule-Enter an accounting rule to identify special revenue

recognition rules for an item, such as recognizing revenue over time.

Invoicing rule-Enter an invoicing rule to determine the period in which you send an invoice when you recognize revenue over time (using accounting rules). Sales account-This attribute is controlled at the Organization level only. Enter the general ledger account Oracle Receivables uses to record revenue when you bill the customer. If Auto-Accounting is based on items, accounting entries are created at that time.

Item templates

There are two types of templates. Predefined or custom template. Predefined templates are planning item, purchased, outside processing item, lease item. So that once you assign any template, to new item then all default characters are assign to new item.

Category set & category

Categories are logical grouping of items that have similar characterizes, and a category set is a distinct category grouping scheme and consist of categories. Different category set accordingly to company need and reporting structure.

Use: For forecasting & summarizing history of that category. To keep easy track on that category.

Define category sets

Define categories

Specify default category sets Assign categories to an item

Tables are related as, for item categories MTL_ITEM_CATEGORIES MTL_SYSTEM_ITEMS_B

MTL_CATEGORY_SET_VALID_CATS MTL_CATEGORY_SETS_B MTL_CATEGORIES_B

Unit of Measure

Oracle Applications products provide powerful methods for defining and manipulating units of measure. You can easily convert between the units you define. This allows you to manufacture, order, or receive items in any unit of measure.

Table is related as: MTL_UNITS_OF_MEASURE_TL MTL_UOM_CONVERSIONS MTL_SYSTEM_ITEMS_B

Item setup

The main tables that are involved in item master set up are with their relation, MTL_SYSTEM_ITEMS_B

MTL_ITEM_STATUS MTL_ITEM_TEMPLATES MTL_PARAMETERS MTL_ITEM_ATTRIBUTES Item relationship

You can define item relationship between items. This allows you to search items through these relationships and for maintaining also.

•  Item cross reference Use the Customer Item Cross References window to define and update cross references between your inventory items and the customer item numbers defined in the Customer Items Summary/Detail windows.

MTL_ITEM_TEMPL_ATTRIBUTES

•  Substitute items In this relationship you can replace the outdated item, still keeping track on it.

•   Related items You can relate different items according to your need.

•  Manufacturer part no. You can define manufacturer part numbers for items. You can use this information for reporting purposes; and in catalog searches for particular items.

Inventory control

•  Locator control You will track item as locator wise, it is a common method of inventory control.

•  Revision Control With different revision of items according to your need, revision control can be Implemented.

•  Lot Control You will define lot of your items so that you can track that item according to their lot numbers.

•  Serial no. Control For expensive or for which you want tight control you will give serial numbers to those items. Item catalog

Used to partition items that share some common characteristics.

Item Transaction

WIP Suppliers INV Inv customers

Inventory can interact or can have transactions with suppliers, customers, work in process and with other sub inventories.

A transaction type is the combination of a transaction source type and a transaction action. It is used to classify a particular transaction for reporting and querying purposes. Oracle Inventory also uses transaction types to identify certain transactions

For example, transaction type is purchase order receipt which is a combination of transaction action i.e. receipt into stores and transaction source type is

purchase type.

Major transactions are,

Sub-Inventory transfer

Each subinventory transfer is carried out as two separate transactions, creating two records in MTL_MATERIAL_TRANSACTIONS. The first record represents an issue from the source subinventory and the second record is a receipt from the destination subinventory.

Inter- organization transfer

Use the Inter–Organization Shipping Network window to define accounting information and the relationships that exist between shipping and destination organizations. You can specify whether an organization is a shipping organization, a destination organization, or both.

In these transactions you will need bills, shipping bills and other accounting details.

ABC Analysis & cycle counting

ABC analysis is a method of determining relative value of items in your Inventory sites.

Automatically scheduled or manually scheduled cycle counts You can define your own ABC group like A class, B class, C class.

Now we will go through some of the set up steps, which you will need before setting up inventory.

Setup

•   Define item flexfields

•   Define item categories flexfields

•   Define catalog group flexfields

•   Define UOM

•   Define subinventories.

•   Define locators

•   Define organization parameters.

•   Define intercompany relationship.

•  Define picking rules. Some of the parameters we have to set defaults like item status as active, default primary unit of measure as Each or requisition approval status as approved or unapproved.

Organization parameters

You can define and update default inventory and costing parameters for your current organization in the following areas:

Default inventory parameters Costing information Revision, lot, serial parameters ATP, Pick, Item-sourcing parameters Inter-Organization Information Other account Parameters Define warehouse parameters

Default inventory parameters

Provide organization code and item master organization

In the Move Order Timeout Period field, enter the number of days a move order requisition can wait for approval. For locator control option: Inventory transactions within this organization do not require locator information. Pre-specified only: Inventory transactions within this organization require a valid, predefined locator for each item. Dynamic entry allowed: Inventory transactions within this organization require a locator for each item. You can choose a valid, predefined locator, or define a locator dynamically at the time of transaction. Determined at subinventory level: Inventory transactions use locator control information that you define at the subinventory level.

Costing Information

You have to define costing organization and costing method.

Valuation Accounts:

You choose a default valuation account when you define organization parameters. Under standard costing, these accounts are defaulted when you define subinventories and can be overridden.

•  Material An asset account that tracks material cost. For average costing, this account holds your inventory and in transit values. Once you perform transactions, you cannot change this account.

•   Material Overhead An asset account that tracks material overhead cost.

•   Resource An asset account that tracks resource cost.

•  Overhead An asset account that tracks resource and outside processing overheads.

•   Outside processing An asset account that tracks outside processing cost.

•  Expense The expense account used when tracking a non-asset item. Other accounts

•  Sales The profit and loss (income statement) account that tracks the default revenue account.

•  Cost of Goods Sold The profit and loss (income statement) account that tracks the default cost of goods sold account.

•  Purchase Price Variance The variance account used to record differences between purchase order price and standard cost. This account is not used with the average cost method.

•  Inventory A/P Accrual The liability account that represents all inventory purchase order receipts not matched in Accounts Payable, such as the uninvoiced receipts account.

•   Invoice Price Variance The variance account used to record differences

between purchase order price and invoice price. This account is used by Accounts Payable to record invoice price variance.

•  Encumbrance An expense account used to recognize the reservation of funds when a purchase order is approved.

•  Project Clearance Account When performing miscellaneous issues to capital projects, the project clearance account is used to post the distributions.

•  Average Cost Variance Under average costing with negative quantity balances, this account represents the inventory valuation error caused by issuing your inventory before your receipts. Inter-Organization Transfer Accounts

You define default inter–organization transfer accounts in the Organization Parameters window. These accounts are defaulted when you set up shipping information in the Inter–Organization Shipping

Networks window.

•  Transfer Credit The default general ledger account used to collect transfer charges when this organization is the shipping organization. This is usually an expense account.

•  Purchase Price Variance The default general ledger account used to collect the purchase price variance for inter–organization receipts into standard cost organizations. This is usually an expense account.

•  Payable The default general ledger account used as an inter–organization clearing account when this organization is the receiving organization. This is usually a liability account.

•  Receivable The default general ledger account used as an inter–organization clearing account when this organization is the shipping organization. This is usually an asset account.

•  In-transit Inventory The default general ledger account used to hold in-transit inventory value. This is usually an asset account. For average cost organizations, this account is the default material account. Other information you have to give is, Revision, Serial and lot control information.

ATP, Pick, Item sourcing rules.

Inventory Planning and replenishment:

Oracle Inventory lets you manage your inventory levels using any combination of the system’s planning and replenishment features, including min–max planning, reorder point planning, kanban replenishment, and a replenishment system for generating orders.

Performing Recorder-Point planning

In this planning method you will take minimum order quantity and time to fulfill the order to decide the level of order. So record point is safety stock + forecast demand during lead time

Performing min-max planning

In this simple method you will decide maximum and minimum level of stock for that item, so that at min level order can be placed and the qty of that item can be full at max level.

Subinventory replishment planning

For some items you will have transactions with other subinventory so that optimum stock can be maintained.

Creating & executing Kanban cards

In this you will use kanban method by deciding some items as kanban cards. And through requisition interface i.e. after running requisition import, Purchase requisition gets created that turns out to purchase orders. Then through purchase order u can receipt material in inventory.

And that is how purchasing comes into picture.

Before that we will take look at main tables in inventory modules like Major Tables

•   MTL_SYSTEM_ITEMS_B: Base table for item definition.

•  MTL_PARAMETERS : This table is consist of ORGANIZATION_ID, PICKING_RULE_ID, RULE_ID for ATP

•   MTL_ITEM_CATEGORY_ SETS

•  MTL_ITEM_CATEGORIES : These tables will store information about different category sets and categories defined.

•   MTL_ITEM _SUB_INVENTORIES

•   MTL_ITEM_LOCATIONS

•   MTL_SYSTEM_ITEMS_INTERFACE

•   MTL_SUPPLY

•   MTL_ONHAND_QUANTITIES

•  MTL_RESERVATIONS : These table stores information about reserved quantity and on hand quantity with available quantity for picking rules.

•  MTL_SALES_ORDERS : Order Management will interact with inventory for order details through this table.

•   MTL_ITEM_FLEXFIELDS

•   MTL_ITEM_TEMPLATES

•   MTL_ITEM_ATTRIBUTES

•   MTL_ITEM_REVISIONS

•   MTL_MATERIAL TRANSACTION

•   MTL_TRANSACTIONS_REASONS Additional terms in inventory

•   Accounting close cycle: General ledger transfer Inventory accounting periods

•  Move orders: Move orders are requests for the movement of material within a single organization. They allow planners and facility managers to request the movement of material within a warehouse or facility for purposes like replenishment, material storage relocations and quality handling.

Move orders are restricted to transaction within tan organization

& if you are transferring material between organization, you must internal requisitions.

Three types of move orders:

Move order requisition Replenishment move orders Pick wave move orders

Interfaces

Open Item Interface

You can import items from any source into Oracle Inventory and Oracle Engineering using the Item Interface. With this interface, you can convert inventory items from another inventory system, migrate assembly and component items from a legacy manufacturing system, convert purchased items from a custom purchasing system, and import new items from a Product Data Management package. The Item Interface validates your data, insuring that your imported items contain the same item detail as items you enter manually in the Master Item window.

The Item Interface reads data from three tables for importing items and item details.

MTL _SYSTEMS_ITEM_INTERFACE This table is used for your new item numbers and all item attributes. This is the main item interface table, and may be the only table you choose to use.

MTL_ITEM_REVISIONS_INTERFACE If you are importing revision details for your new items, you can use this table. Which is used only for revision information, and is not required.

MTL_ITEM_CATEGORIES_INTERFACE To import item category assignments, the table is used to store data about item assignments to category sets, and categories to be imported into the Oracle Inventory MTL_ITEM_CATEGORIES table.

MTL_INTERFACE_ERRORS is used for error tracking of all items that the Item Interface fails.

Before you use the Item Interface, you must write and run a custom program that extracts item information from your source system and inserts the records into the MTL_SYSTEM_ITEM_INTERFACE table. And if revision & category details are there upload into respective tables. After you load item, revision, and item category assignment records into these interface tables, you run the Item Interface to import the data. The Item Interface assigns defaults, validates data you include, and then imports the new items.

Customer Item and Customer Item Cross-Reference Open Interface

A number of manufacturing industries are characterized by a multi-tiered, just-intime supply chain structure. Today’s manufacturing environment requires a close working relationship between customers and suppliers along the entire supply chain. Suppliers must be able to react quickly to their customers’ often changing requirements. By cross-referencing customer items with their own inventory items, suppliers can achieve faster order processing and shipments by allowing customers to place orders using customer item numbers.

You can import customer items and customer item cross-references from any legacy system into oracle inventory.

In customer item interface you import customer items into inventory. For each customer item you must define related information such as customer and item definition level.

MTL_CI_INTERFACE

Using this table data is transferred MTL_CUSTOMER_ITEMS table.

In customer item cross reference, you can import cross-references between customer items and exiting inventory items into your master organization. You can create multiple cross-references between customer items and one Oracle Inventory item. You can also create multiple cross-references between Oracle Inventory items and one customer item.

MTL_CI_XREFS_INTERFACE Using this interface table data is uploaded into base table, MTL_CUSTOMER_ITEM_XREFS.

Reports In inventory

Oracle Inventory provides you with a wide variety of reports, intended for different users of the product.

We will have overlook on major reports that you will come across.

Inactive items report

You can use this report to print items that have not had an inventory transaction since the date you specify. You can use this report to isolate items that have become inactive and verify their status.

The parameters are display and break on sub inventory, category set, inactive since i.e. date from which no transactions were occurred for items.

Item categories report

You will use this report to list items and their associated categories. Report can develop output as per category set and for given item range.

Item definition detail

Use the Item Definition Detail report to view comprehensive information for items. Use this report to verify items have been classified in conformance with decisions you have made regarding how the parts are to be planned, coasted, and located.

The report prints the item definition for the organization in which you submit the report.

You can view item attributes as per the category and also depending on your choice which attributes you want to print. Like general item attributes, bill of material item attributes, costing item attributes, inventory item attributes or physical item attributes.

Item definition summary report

Use the Item Definition Summary report to print a limited amount of information about items, such as description, status, and cost.

Item template listing

Use the Item Template Listing to review the template definitions. A template is a way to define a set of attribute values.

Reports parameters are all template flag or item template.

Item statuses report

Use the Item Statuses Report to view the item statuses. For example, You can use the report to review all pending statuses by making the effective date and the report date the same. You can have options like categories from-to, items from –to, and status effective date. And only for particular status.

ABC descending value report

Use the ABC Descending Value Report to view the results of an ABC compile. The report is sorted by descending value or quantity, depending on the compile criterion. Use this report to evaluate the break points for assigning your ABC classes to items.

You can give cumulative display criteria i.e. cumulative by value of cumulative by quantity.

Organization Setup

•  Use the Organization Parameters window to complete your organization definition for inventory purposes.

•  Define receiving parameters if you receive items on purchase orders, internal orders, and in transit interorganization shipments.

•  The item master organization should be the first inventory organization for which parameters are defined.

•  You must also specify the item master organization. The system defaults this field to the organization for which parameters are being entered. It must be changed, for any organization that is not a master organization.

•  You must define the control options and account defaults for your organization before you can define items or perform any transactions.

•  You must assign a unique short code to your organization and use this code to identify the organization with which you want to work.

Oracle Inventory represents your company's inventory sites and business units. This includes defining organizations, locations, subinventories, and locators.

Define organization parameters. These parameters are the source for default inventory, costing, control, and movement parameters for an organization

Define subinventories that represent physical or logical locations for items within an organization

Definelocators that represent storage structures (for example, aisles or bins) within

Subinventories

Define planners or planning entities for each organization. You assign planners to inventory items at the organization level

Defining Default Inventory Parameters

To define inventory parameters:

1.  Navigate to the Organization Parameters window.

Select an Item Master organization.

You create items in the item master organization and assign them to other organization within your operating unit.

Move Order Time-out Period field

The workflow approval process sends a notification to the item planner when a move order requisition requires approval. After the first time -out period, if the recipient has not approved or rejected the order, the system sends a reminder notice. After the second time-out period, the system automatically rejects or approves the order depending on whether you select Approve automatically or Reject automatically in the Move Order Time-out Action field.

Select a locator control option

None: Inventory transactions within this organization do not require locator information.

Prespecified only: Inventory transactions within this organization require a valid, predefined locator for each item.

Dynamic entry allowed: Inventory transactions within this organization require a locator for each item. You can choose a valid, predefined locator, or define a locator dynamically at the time of transaction.

Determined at subinventory level: Inventory transactions use locator control information you define at the subinventory level.

Default On-hand Material Status tracking option

Important: You cannot update this field for existing organizations.To enable this field, you must submit the Activate Onhand Level Material Status Tracking concurrent program.

Unit of Measure

A unit of measure (UOM) is a value that specifies the quantity of an item.

For example, “each”is a unit of measure that you would use to specify the number of units of an item.

Unit of Measure ClassA unit of measure class is a group of units of measure with similar characteristics. For example, “weight” can be a unit of measure class with UOMs such as kilogram, gram, pound,and ounce.

Uses of Units of Measure

Planning Products

•  Forecasting and consumption

•  Master scheduling

•  Material requirements planning Work in Process

•  Shop floor moves

•  Resource transaction

•  Completion and return transactions

•  Inquiries and reports

Bills of Material and Engineering

•  Defining bills of material

•  Defining engineering items

Units of Measure Classes

(N) > Setup > Units of Measure > Classes.

Unit of Measure Conversions

(N) Setup > Units of Measure > Conversions

Item Master Business Example

Suppose you have a distribution warehouse and a manufacturing factory. In the warehouse, the item has independent demand and is min-max planned. In the factory, the item is MRP planned and built. Using an Item Master with a warehouse and a factory as the other organizations, you define the item just once-in the Item Master. Next, you assign the item to both the warehouse and the factory. Finally, you change the planning and build attributes in each organization to describe the different behavior of the items in those organizations.

You do not have to change any other information about the item; in fact, because information such as unit of measure, description, and so on is maintained at the Master level, you know it is consistent in each organization.

Item attributes are information about an item, such as order cost, lead time, and revision control.

One of the prerequisites for defining items (and assigning values to item attributes) is setting attribute controls.

Control Level

This attribute control type determines whether you have centralized (Master level) or decentralized (Organization level) control of item attributes.

Attributes maintained at the Master level have the same attribute values in each organization in which an item is assigned. For example, you maintain an item's primary unit of measure at the Master level.

Attributes maintained at the Organization level may have different attribute values in different organizations. For example, an item may be min-max planned in a distribution organization but material requirement planning (MRP) planned in a production organization.

Item Status Control

Status control describes whether certain status attributes have default values that appear when you assign a status code to an item, and whether status codes control those attribute values after the defaults are assigned to an item.

Note: Item Status Control differs from material status control. Item

status control controls the action you can perform on an item, such as purchasing or stocking an item. Material Status controls the transactions you can perform on an item.

The status attributes are:

•  BOM Allowed

•  Build in WIP

•  Customer Orders Enabled

•  Internal Orders Enabled

•  Invoice Enabled

•  Transactable

•  Purchasable

•  Stockable

•  Recipe Enabled

The Item Status attribute has a defined set of yes/no values for the status attributes. You apply the values to the status attributes when you choose an item status code when you define an item. For example, in the beginning of a product development cycle you set the Item Status attribute to Prototype with all of the status attributes defaulted to yes except for Customer Orders Enabled. When the item is ready you change the Item Status attribute to Active to enable all item functions.You can assign one or more pending statuses for an item, to be implemented on future dates.These statuses become effective on their assigned effective dates. You can view the status history of an item if needed.

Defining Item Types

The User Item Type item attribute is a QuickCode you use when you define an item. You can use the types provided by Oracle Inventory or create your own.

To define your own item types:

1. Navigate to the Item Type QuickCodes window. The User access level is selected indicating you can add or modify QuickCodes without restriction.

To define an item using the Attribute Groups Tab:

1.  Navigate to the Attribute Groups tab on the Master Item window.

Enter a unique designator for the item.

3.   Optionally, select a Control Level to enable only Master level or Organization level attributes. The default is to enable all attributes.

4.   Select an tabbed region to display an item attribute group where you can specify values for attributes in that group.

Note: To locate a particular attribute without manually looking through the tabbed regions choose Find Attribute from the Tools menu.

5.   Save your work.

Master-Level Control An attribute you maintain at the master level has identical values across all organizations that use the item.

Organization- Level Control An attribute you maintain at the organization level may have different values for each organization that uses it.

Attribute Control Some attributes can be maintained at only the Master level or the Organizational Level.Unit of Measure should be maintained at the Master level.If using multiple organizations, the Min-Max attribute should be maintained at the organization level.

(N) > Items > Master Items

To define access mappings between organizations and responsibilities:

1. Navigate to the Organization Access window.

Open Item Interface

You can import and update items, and their category assignments from any source into Oracle Inventory and Oracle Engineering using the Item Interface. With this interface, you can convert inventory items from another inventory system, migrate assembly and component items from a legacy manufacturing system, convert purchased items from a custom purchasing system, and import new items from a Product Data Management package.

The Item Interface reads data from two tables for importing items and item details. You use the MTL_SYSTEM_ITEMS_INTERFACE table for new item numbers and all item attributes. This is the main item interface table, and can be the only table you choose to use. If you are importing revision details for new items, you can use the MTL_ITEM_REVISIONS_INTERFACE table. This table is used only for revision

information, and is not required. A third table, MTL_INTERFACE_ERRORS, is used for error tracking of all items that the Item Interface fails.

Before you use the Item Interface, you must write and run a custom program that extracts item information from your source system and inserts it into the MTL_SYSTEM_ITEMS_INTERFACE table, and (if revision detail is included) the MTL_ITEMS_REVISIONS _INTERFACE table. After you load the items into these interface tables, you run the Item Interface to import the data. The Item Interface assigns defaults, validates data you include, and then imports the new items.

Importing Items

To import items using the Item Interface:

1.      Navigate to the Import Items or All Reports window.

2.      Enter Import Items in the Name field. The Parameters window appears

3.  Indicate whether to run the interface for all organizations in the item interface table. If you choose No, the interface runs only for the current organization and interface table rows for other organizations are ignored.

4.  Indicate whether to validate all items and their data residing in the interface table that have not yet been validated. If items are not validated, they are not processed into Oracle Inventory.

You would choose No if you had previously run the item interface and responded Yes for Validate ItemsandNoforProcess Items, and now want to process your items.

5.  Indicate whether to process items. If you choose Yes, all qualifying items in the interface table are inserted into Inventory.

You would choose No, along with Yes for Delete Processed Rows, to remove successfully processed rows from the interface table without performing any other processing.

6.  Indicate whether to delete successfully processed items from the item interface tables.

Choose No to leave all rows in the item interface tables for successfully processed items.

7.  Choose OK to close the Parameters window, then choose Submit.