TASK 2: CREATE EXPENSE ITEMS

We need to create expense items with the following requirements:

✔ Effective Start Date: Set to current date.✔ No tax implications.✔ Projects are not used.✔ Receipt and expense fields should match those from the expense report template created earlier.✔ Dinner expense item must be linked to the Meal policy created in the previous task.

Step-by-Step Solution: Configuring Expense Items in Oracle Financials Cloud

Step 1: Navigate to the Expense Items Setup

Log in to Oracle Financials Cloud as an Expense Manager or Financial Administrator.

Navigate to Setup and Maintenance.

In the Search Bar, type "Manage Expense Items".

Click on Manage Expense Items.

Step 2: Create Expense Items

Click Create New Expense Item.

Enter the following details:

Expense Item: Internet

Name: "Internet"

Expense Category: "Meals and Entertainment"

Effective Start Date: Current Date

Tax Classification Code: None (No tax implications)

Projects Used? No (Uncheck "Enable for Projects")

Receipt Required? Follow Template Policy

Expense Fields? Set as Optional

✔ Click Save and Close.

Expense Item: Room Rate

Click Create New Expense Item again.

Enter the following details:

Name: "Room Rate"

Expense Category: "Lodging"

Effective Start Date: Current Date

Tax Classification Code: None

Projects Used? No

Receipt Required? Follow Template Policy

Expense Fields? Set as Optional

✔ Click Save and Close.

Expense Item: Dinner (Linked to Meal Policy)

Click Create New Expense Item again.

Enter the following details:

Name: "Dinner"

Expense Category: "Meals and Entertainment"

Effective Start Date: Current Date

Tax Classification Code: None

Projects Used? No

Receipt Required? Follow Template Policy

Expense Fields? Set as Optional

Link to the Meal Policy Created Earlier:

Navigate to Expense Policies.

Select the previously created Meal Policy.

Ensure that Dinner Expense Item is associated with this policy.

Set Limit Type: Warning Only (if applicable).

✔ Click Save and Close.

Step 3: Validate and Confirm the Expense Items

Review the created expense items.

Ensure that:

No tax classification codes are applied.

Projects are disabled.

Receipt and expense fields match those in the Expense Report Template.

Dinner Expense Item is correctly linked to the Meal Policy.

✔ Click Submit and Activate.

Step 4: Test the Expense Items

Simulate an Expense Report Submission:

Select Internet, Room Rate, and Dinner as expense types.

Enter sample amounts.

Ensure that:

No tax implications appear.

Projects field is disabled.

Receipt rules match the Expense Report Template.

A warning is displayed if the Dinner Expense exceeds the Meal Policy limit.

Expected Outcome:

✔ Expense items are successfully created.✔ No tax implications are applied.✔ Projects are not enabled.✔ Receipts and expense fields match the template.✔ Dinner expense item is linked to the Meal Policy and displays a warning if the limit is exceeded.

Conclusion

By following these steps, we have successfully created expense items that comply with all business requirements.

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Explanation:

In Oracle Financials Cloud, Oracle Transactional Business Intelligence (OTBI) provides robust reporting capabilities, including the use of deep links that enable users to drill down from summary reports into detailed transactional data, such as purchase orders. Access to these drill-down features is governed by specific job roles that encompass the necessary privileges.

Predefined Job Roles with Drill-Down Capabilities:

Accounts Payable Analyst (Option A):

Role Overview: This role is primarily focused on analyzing payables data, including the ability to access and drill down into detailed transactions to support financial analysis and reporting.

Privileges: Includes access to OTBI reports and the capability to drill down into transactional details such as invoices and payments.

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Explanation:

To incorporate new transactional attributes into the Expense Approver Report workflow notification in Oracle Financials Cloud, you need to customize specific Business Intelligence Publisher (BI Publisher) catalog objects. The two primary objects that require customization are:

The Data Model (Option B):

Purpose: The Data Model defines the data structure and sources for the report. It determines which attributes from the application's data sources are available for inclusion in the report.

Customization Process:

Navigate to the BI Catalog: Shared Folders > Financials > Workflow Notifications > Expenses.

Locate the Expense Approval Data Model.

Use the Customize option to create a copy of the data model in the Custom folder.

Edit the copied data model to include the new transactional attributes required for the notification.

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Explanation:

The profile option CE_USE_EXISTING_BANK_BRANCH in Oracle Financials Cloud controls whether users can select from pre-existing banks and branches or enter new bank information manually when setting up employee bank accounts.

When set to Yes:

Behavior: Users are provided with a list of predefined banks and branches to select from. This ensures consistency in bank data and reduces errors associated with manual entry.

Default Search Capability: Users can search and select both Bank and Bank Branch from the existing list.

Step-by-Step Solution: Configuring an Expense Policy in Oracle Financials Cloud

To configure this expense policy in Oracle Financials Cloud, follow these steps:

Step 1: Access the Expense Policies Setup Page

Log in to Oracle Financials Cloud with the appropriate Expense Manager or Financial Administrator role.

Navigate to Setup and Maintenance.

Select the Task: Manage Policies by Expense Category.

Step 2: Create or Locate the Meal Expense Category

Search for the Meals expense category.

If the Meals category does not exist:

Click Create Expense Category.

Category Name: "Meals".

Category Type: "Meals and Entertainment".

Save the entry.

Step 3: Define a Policy Rule for Raising a Warning

Select the Meals Expense Category and click Edit.

Navigate to the Policies and Limits tab.

Under Amount Limits, click Add New Rule.

Configure the Expense Policy Rule:

Description: "Meal Expense Warning Policy".

Limit Type: "Warning Only".

Limit Amount: Enter the prescribed limit (e.g., 50 USD).

Per: Select Day (or another relevant time frame).

Applies To: Select All Employees.

Location-Based Rules: Leave blank if not location-specific.

Set Warning Behavior:

Select Raise a Warning if the expense exceeds the prescribed limit.

Ensure the policy does not block submission or approval.

Click Save and Close.

Step 4: Associate the Policy with an Expense Report Template

Navigate to Setup and Maintenance > Manage Expense Report Templates.

Search for the Expense Report Template where the Meals category should be included.

Click Edit and go to the Expense Types section.

Add the Meals Expense Type and associate it with the newly created Meals Expense Warning Policy.

Click Save and Close.

Step 5: Enable and Validate the Policy

Ensure the policy is marked as Active.

Click Submit to finalize the policy configuration.

Run the Validate and Deploy Expense Policies process.

Step 6: Testing the Policy

Simulate an Expense Report Submission:

Create a new expense report and select Meals as the expense type.

Enter an expense amount exceeding the limit (e.g., 55 USD).

Verify that a warning message appears, but the expense is still allowed to proceed.

Submit an expense below the limit (e.g., 45 USD) and ensure no warning appears.

Expected Outcome:

If the meal expense exceeds the limit, the system raises a warning but does not block the expense submission.

If the meal expense is within the limit, the system processes it without warnings.

The policy is successfully associated with an expense type in an expense report template.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you successfully configure an expense policy that raises a warning for meals exceeding a specified limit without blocking submission or processing. This ensures that employees are notified about policy violations while allowing flexibility in expense approvals.

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Explanation:

Closing a Payables period in Oracle Financials Cloud requires that all transactions for the period are fully processed and accounted for. The system enforces certain checks to ensure data integrity and accurate financial reporting. The following are valid reasons that can prevent the closure of a Payables period:

Incomplete Payment Files (Option B):

Explanation: Payment files that have been initiated but not completed will prevent period closure. All payment processes must be finalized to ensure that all disbursements are accurately recorded.