This document will continue to evolve as existing sections change and new information is added. All updates appear in the following table:
| Date | Product | Feature | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04 JUN 2021 | Created initial document. |
This guide outlines the information you need to know about new or improved functionality in this update.
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Common Technology and User Experience
Common Project Management Features
Service Excellence Continuing Investments
In this update, our on-going investment in service excellence includes improvements in performance, messages, usability, and documentation. Refer to the What's New for more information.
REST APIs for Project Management
Project Contract Invoice Attachments Using a REST API
Attach documents, links, and text to project contract invoices using a REST API. For example, attach copies of invoices or other supporting documents.
Financial Project Plan Additional Actions Using a REST API
Update actual amounts, update progress, or refresh resource and conversion rates for a financial project plan using the Financial Project Plan REST API. Specify a percentage to adjust planning amounts.
Manage Planning Resource Breakdown Structures At Project Level Using a REST API
Manage the planning resource breakdown structure of specific projects or project templates using the Planning Resource Breakdown Structures for Projects REST API
Project Cost Transaction Validation Using a REST API
Validate project cost transactions using the project cost validations REST API. For example, ensure that the combination of project attributes are valid for a given date.
Project Attachments Using a REST API
Attach documents, links, and text to projects using a REST API. For example, attach a project scope or definition document or project management plan to a project.
Project Business Events Enablement Using a REST API
Enable or disable project business events using the ERP Business Events REST API. The existing opt-in framework to enable or disable project business events will be replaced with this REST API and any saved settings for these events will be carried forward automatically from update 21C.
Project Resources Additional Actions Using REST API
Manage assigned labor and expense resources for a project using the Project Resources REST API. For example, confirm a labor resource, replace a labor or expense resource, or cancel an existing labor resource reservation.
Resource Calendar and Resource Pool Memberships Using Project Enterprise Labor Resource REST API
View the resource calendar and pool memberships of a labor resource using Project Enterprise Labor Resource REST API. For example, view the daily working hours of a labor resource along with any scheduled exceptions for days where the resource is not available.
Workflow for Project Management
Project Cost Adjustment Approval Workflow
Manage project cost adjustment approvals using the Project Cost Adjustment Approval human task. Configure approval rules for adjustments such as split or transfer of project costs and route notifications to the relevant approvers for approval. Project application administrators can configure this workflow to support both single and multi-record cost adjustments.
Attachments in Project Status Change Approval Workflow
Attach documents, links, and text to the project status change approval workflow for approvers to review. Project administrators can optionally include attachments for the project to the approval workflow while making a project status change.
Additional Billing Attributes While Updating Contract for Award
Grants Administrators can provide the contract and billing attributes such as Transaction Type, Generated Invoice Status, and Bill Set Number when defining the award, saving them the need to amend the contract.
Award Budget Period Date Updates
Update dates of the award, including award budget period dates, to ensure compliance with federal regulations when you receive modifications from sponsors. Advance or postpone the start date or the end date of the award to update the control budget and contract and ensure cost control.
Award Close Date for Transaction Processing
Specify an award close date to allow costs with a transaction date after the award end date. The award close date allows the team to capture late costs or make adjustments until the close date as work wraps up on the award.
Advanced Item Billing Using Billing Events
Create item-based invoices for item-based billing events associated to free-form contract lines. Import, create, and update item-related attributes on billing events using Invoices Work area, FBDI or REST APIs and generate invoices which reflects the item and quantity captured on the events. Add item-related attributes on billing event subject areas in OTBI.
Editing of Event on a Deleted Invoice
Billing Specialists can update a billing event that was previously included on a draft invoice that was subsequently deleted.
Inclusion of Billing Events with No Project Data in Invoice and Revenue OTBI Subject Areas
Include and display billing events without project data in ad-hoc analysis using the Project Billing real time subject areas in OTBI.
Invoice Comment Update by Project Manager on Manage Project Invoices Page
Enter or update the invoice comment on the Manage Project Invoices page. Project managers can change the text that is transferred to receivables for potential display on the invoice published to the customer.
Budget and Forecast Planning in a Single Currency for Multi-Currency Financial Plan Types
Create a budget or forecast resource assignment in a single currency when the financial plan type is enabled to plan in multiple currencies. As the project incurs costs in multiple currencies, the costs convert to the planned currency and associate to the forecast resource assignment.
Control Budget Date Updates for Budgetary Control Enabled Projects
Control costs when the project manager advances the project start date forward or extends the project completion date. For the start date, the control budget dates become the earliest of the project start date, task start date, or budget line start date. Similarly, when the finish date changes, the control budget dates becomes the latest of the project completion date, task end date, or budget line end date.
Financial Resource Planning Directly At Task Level
Plan efficiently when specifying amounts at the task level. Eliminate the need to explicitly add a Financial Resource assignment to each task.
Inventory Item: Expenditure Type Resource Format Available in Planning Resource Breakdown Structures
Include the Inventory Item: Expenditure Type resource format in the planning resource breakdown structure even if the Expenditure Type resource format is already included. Project managers can plan for their projects using a combination of inventory item and expenditure type even if they already plan using expenditure type only. This means that they will have more flexibility when assigning specific resources, and entering and viewing planning costs in their financial project plans, budgets, and forecasts.
Planning Resource Breakdown Structure Updates for a Project
Maintain resources for a planning resource breakdown structure that allows changes at the project level. Update the planning resource breakdown structure to automatically add resources on incurring actual amounts, modify the resource alias, update the spread curve, or disable a resource that's no longer working on the project.
Rates Refresh for Multiple Financial Project Plans, Budgets, and Forecasts
Refresh rates across a range of projects to ensure that the most accurate and current rates for resources are being used in the planning process. Current working versions of financial project plans, project budgets, project forecasts, and award budgets can be refreshed using a scheduled process.
Improved Visibility of Commitments for Project Managers
Track committed costs more closely and report on commitments more accurately on the Manage Project Costs page. Project managers can view approved and unapproved commitments separately or together thus having the flexibility to meet their reporting needs.
Navigation from Processed Expenditure Batches to Project Costs
Drill down from project expenditure batches into the project costs that make up the batch. Project and grants accountants can click the batch name on the Manage Expenditure Batches page for the batches that are in Processed status to navigate to the Manage Project Costs page to view the project costs that were included in the batch.
Public Event Generation for Gate Status Changes and Gate Approvals
Generate public events on gate status changes and gate approvals. For example, when a project gate moves from closed to in review status, use this business event to initiate gate approval activities in Oracle Integration Cloud Service. Alternatively, when a gate goes to open status, you can use that event and Oracle Integration Cloud to send the status to stakeholders.Use the ERP Business Events REST API to enable or disable this business event from update 21C.
Work Item Planning for Items and Product Change Orders Using the New Project Planning User Experience
Plan for Oracle Product Development items and product change orders using the new planning user experience. Set task completion criterion for each work item to automatically mark the task as complete when all associated work items meet their criteria. This capability is available with the feature, Expedite Your Project Planning with a New User Experience.
Expanded View of Resource Details
Resource managers can view all nominations for an individual resource besides their total assigned and display range hours for resource utilization on Manage Resource Details. View resource nominations in different statuses, including any rejections and potential reasons.
Project Resource Replacement Requests by Project Manager
Project Managers can request a replacement for a resource that is assigned to their project. In some cases the project manager knows the resource they want for the replacement. In other cases, the project manager needs suggestions by the resource manager for a resource that is qualified and available. The resource manager can approve the requested replacement resource or nominate resources.
Resource Manager Dashboard Personalization Improvements
Personalize the Resource Manager dashboard to select the default tab and resource pool so that the dashboard always opens to the data most applicable to the individual resource manager. Set the user preferences to choose the default resource pool and the landing page option for defaulting the dashboard view.
Resource Pool Owners and Managers As Eligible Staffing Owners
Ensure that a project resource request's staffing owner is a pool owner or pool manager. Project resource requests are routed to staffing owners who have authority to search for and nominate resources to the project manager. Presenting a targeted list of pool owners and pool managers from which a project manager can select as the staffing owner provides assurance the requests are routed to the right people.