Integrating Oracle Financials Accounts Payable data with third-party systems has been “a chore” that EBS Subject Matter Experts have had to tolerate for a generation.
Fortunately, custom WebADI integrators greatly simplifies what was once a painfully cumbersome process, eliminating the need to rely on bolt-on applications and/or manual labor.
This is part II of a two-part blog series on deploying custom WebADI Integrators.
Part I covered pre-requisites for custom WebADI Integrators, custom WebADI integrator design considerations and tips for building your own integrators.
Today, we detail steps to take before starting the Integrator wizard and while detailing content sets, the uploader, the importer and value lists.
Steps to Take Before Starting the Wizard
There are several steps you must take prior to starting the wizard. First, you must ensure that your developer has properly defined your upload table. Next, you will need to confirm the configuration of your table using the Application Developer responsibility. Once you do that, you’ll be able to query your import table, but you won’t be able to register your table through this form.
As you define your new integrator, the wizard will guide you through 5 critical steps:
1. Defining the Integrator name
2. Selecting the interface you will use
3. Designating content sets to be used (if applicable)
4. Determining whether you will set up a seeded or custom uploader
5. Establishing whether you will use an API or a custom program for your importer
Defining Your Import Destination
Defining your import destination is a critical step because it determines both how your integrator will receive data as well as impacting on the user interface’s look and feel.
Once you select a destination, in this case a table, you’ll be able to see both the attributes of how that information will be used and presented.
A Quick Word on Content Sets
Within integrators, Content Sets provide you with a means for loading specific information and are also useful for creating a “reporting only” integrator.
The Uploader
As the name suggests, the uploader is the window that users see when they are ready to import their data through the integrator. If you’re new to integrators, then you should use the pre-defined templates. You can also use the uploader to prompt users for specific parameters that your concurrent program or API may require. Keep in mind that parameters defined within the uploader can be transferred and used by your concurrent program at a later time.
The Importer
The final step in building your integrator is defining the importer. This is an important step, because this definition tells the system which method you will use to load your data from the staging designation you’ve created to its final destination within Oracle EBS.
This is where you tie in any specific parameters that you prompted the user for during the upload into your concurrent program or API call.
Lists of Values
Lists of values are useful because they provide an excellent way of assuring that only valid data gets loaded into your system. To set up a List of Values you will need to define a custom component. For example, you could define a list of pre-approved vendors. Once you define a custom component, please remember to link it to the corresponding field in your staging table.
Making Oracle Financials AP Work for You with Custom WebADI Integrators
As you can see, while it certainly simplifies integrations with Oracle Financials R12 Accounts Payable (i.e. Oracle Financials AP, or just “AP”), deploying custom Web ADI integrators will require time, effort and, most likely, some trial and error.
Streamlining administrative processes is always a priority for business, and finding ways to squeeze more efficiency out of back-office processes is even more imperative in the age of COVID-19.
If you’re looking to deploy custom WebADI Integrators and need a hand, we encourage you to visit our Oracle consulting services page. If you’d like to take things a step further and explore on-going support for deploying and maintaining Web ADI integrators and other CEMLI’s (Configuration/Customizations, Extension, Modification, Localization, and Integration) that are vital to your Oracle E-Business Suite, click here to learn more about our AMS solutions.
If you’re ready to talk with an expert about either of these options, contact us here.