setting kffs

Setting KFFs

There is a swim lane procedure for the configuration of Oracle Payroll, and w are going to follow the same. We will start with defining the KFFs.

Setting up Mandatory KFFs

There are two very important Key Flex Fields for a successful, up and running system with Oracle Payroll. They are Cost Allocation KFF and People Group KFF. While cost allocation KFF deals with the way the costing is managed, the people group KFF provides an additional set of columns to identify different population in Oracle HRMS.

Cost allocation KFF

As we had discussed, the Cost allocation Flex Field defines a structure to the various accounts under which costing can be incurred. This KFF runs in parallel with the Accounting flex field in Oracle General Ledger. Costing is important in order to credit the appropriate accounts based on the labour costs paid as part of pay checks.

Responsibility: Application Developer

Navigation: Flex Field -> Key -> Segments

Steps:

Click on Title. Query for the string "Cost Allocation Flex field". Define a new structure with the following data. See Figure 5.1 – Cost Allocation KFF

Figure 1 Cost Allocation KFF

(Figure 5.1 – Cost Allocation KFF)

 Application Payroll.

 Flex Field Title  Cost Allocation Flex field.

Code   A user defined name.

 Title This appears as the window name in Segments. A user defined name.

Description Any description. Free Text.

 View name  It creates a database view with the name specified here.

 Freeze Flex field definition

 Needs to be checked, once the updates are done. This makes the window display only, once checked.

 Enabled  This one makes the structure possible to be used. Un-checking this is as good as end dating the record.

 Segment separator  The character we select here is used as the separator between segments.

 Cross Validate segments

 Can be used, if cross validation is needed. 

 Allow Dynamic Inserts

 Allows users to create new possible combinations in the table.

 Compile  Compiles the FF structure. 

To define the segments, we will have to click on the segments button. However, let's first finalize the levels where the cost can be added. We will have to decide the valid levels from the structure of our enterprise. In case we are implementing the ERP for our client, we need to discuss these requirements in details. Usually, the levels in which the costs are allocated are: Company, Cost centre, account Code, Project and Product.

However, if we have the GL implemented for our client, it’s advised to create the segments in parallel with our accounting flex field.  

OK, once we know the levels, let's configure them. See Figure 5.2 – Cost Allocation Segments.

Figure 2 Cost Allocation Segments

(Figure 5.2 – Cost Allocation Segments)

 Number The sequence number that decides the precedence in which the segments are going to appear.

 Name  The name of the segment.

 Window Prompt  The name that would appear on forms.

 Column The segment number column in our KFF table. Advised to start with 1 and keep incrementing after that. 

 Value Set  Assign a value set.

 Displayed Check Box

 Enables the segment to be displayed.

 Enabled Check Box  This one enables the segment to be usable.

 Value Set We can update/assign/define a value set to be attached to the segment. 

 Flex field qualifiers We have learnt about these in AOL  

As the segments are added now, the next task is to set the details for that segment. To do so, click on the first segment and press open. See Figure 5.3 – Cost Allocation Segment Description.

Figure 3 Cost Allocation Segment Description

(Figure 5.3 – Cost Allocation Segment Description)

 Value SetThe Value set attached to the segment.

 Default Type This one enables us to add a default value if needed in the segment.

 Required Marks the segment Required. So every time we open the KFF, we must enter a value for the segment.

 Security Enabled  In case we want to use the security rules to be attached.

 Sizes  Self explanatory.

 Range  Allows another set of validation, explained below. 

Sometimes we would like to add an extra set of eyes to the segments, where we want the segment value to be dependent on another. The best example in this case is the start date and the end date, where we’d always want the start date to be smaller than the end date, which logically makes sense, as we cannot end a record in the past that is created in future.

In cases like this, we can make use of the range. A segment with high range must always be bigger than the segment with the low range. To solve the dates issue here, we can define the end date to be in High and the start date as low. 

Laws of Range:

We should have the Low segment appear before the High segment We cannot just assign one segment as High and not assign any as low, or Vice versa. If we have a low

segment, we must have a high segment too.

As the ranges are set, let's talk about qualifiers. Remember we talked about these while talking about the KFFs in the core HR and AOL section? OK here it is; Qualifiers define the segments that can be updated at one given level. Talking about the Cost Allocation KFF, we have the Following places where a segment can be updated:

Payroll Element link Organization Assignment Element Entries

In these levels, the cost can be attained or assigned, with precedence from payroll to element entries with increasing order. So it means, the cost associated to an element entry has the highest precedence, hence it can be overridden by anything we enter at any upper level.

So what's the role of the qualifiers here? The qualifiers define the segments that can be updated in the above given levels. For an example, if we have an Overtime element attached to an employee's record. The costing is allocated to the HR department at the payroll (highest) level. On Monday, the employee worked for 4 extra hours to support the Admin Department. Now, the account Department wants the cost for those 4 hours to be added to the Admin department, not to the Payroll department. We can then come down to the Element links (Lowest) level, and override the costing to the Admin dept.

This configuration was possible, just because we made the Project code (for an example) availableupdated at the element links level. If we won’t make the project code segment available at the element links level, we will have to choose any other segment code to override the cost.  So we have the autonomyenable or disable any particular segment at any level. This is done through qualifiers.

Click on the qualifiers tab on any segment. Choose the places where we want the segment to be visible. Close the window and repeat the same for the rest of the segments.

People Group KFF

The people group flex field enables us to create and track another set of criteria for the employees. Although Oracle HRMS gives us a lot of such criteria types, like job, position, grades, locations but this one is another grouping that can be used for anything like, a stock option or may be a union or sometime just leave accruals. HRMS also has things like, Benefit Group and Bargaining units to group employees. This is a mandatory KFF in Payroll implementation. In case our Enterprise does not need an additional grouping, we can still create a dummy one for the future usage. 

One of the most important reasons to have People Groups is the element Link. In element links, there are various criteria based on which we can set eligibility of an employee to have the element attached to him. However the eligibility options are limited. In a case where the user cannot separate the employees using the given eligibility options, he always has the liberty to use people groups. We will discuss more about the usage of people Groups while discussing Element links.

Responsibility: Application Developer

Navigation: Flex Field -> Key -> Segments

Steps:

Click on Title

Query for the string "People Group Flex field" Define a new structure with the following data. See Figure 5.4 – People Group Segments.

Figure 4 People Group Segments

(Figure 5.4 – People Group Segments)

 Application Payroll.

 Flex Field Title  People Group Flex field.

Code   A user defined name.

 Title This appears as the window name in Segments. A user defined name.

Description  Just a description.

 View name  It creates a database view with the name specified here.

 Freeze Flex field definition

 Needs to be checked, once the updates are done. This makes the window display only once checked.

 Enabled  This one makes the structure possible to be used. Disabled this is as good as end dating.

 Segment separator  The character we select here is used as the separator between segments.

 Cross Validate segments

 Can be used, if cross validation is needed. 

 Allow Dynamic Inserts

 Allows users to create new possible combinations in the table.

 Compile  Compiles the FF structure. 

Now, on to the segments:

 Number The sequence number that decides the precedence in which the segments are going to appear.

 Name  The name of the segment.

 Window Prompt  The name that would appear on forms.

 Column The segment number column in our KFF table. Advised to start with 1 and keep incrementing after that. 

 Value Set  Assign a value set.

 Displayed Check Box

 Enables the segment to be displayed.

 Enabled Check Box  This one enables the segment to be usable.

 Value Set We can update/assign/define a value set to be attached to the segment. 

 Flex field qualifiers We will learn about it in future.  

Now, once the segments are added, click on the first one and press open to get  started with the value sets if any.

 Value SetThe Value set attached to the segment.

 Default Type This one enables us to add a default value if needed in the segment.

 Required Marks the segment Required. So every time we open the KFF, we must enter a value for the segment.

 Security Enabled  In case we want to use the security rules to be attached.

 Sizes  Self explanatory.

 Range  Allows another set of validation. 

So this completes our KFF set up.