Oracle iProcurement setups

The main setup steps of iProcurement are,

1. Loading Schema
2. Loading Items
3. Creating Catalogs
4. Creating Stores
5. Creating Item category
6. Creating iProcurement Category and hierarchy
7. Check mapping of Item categories with iProcurement categories
8. Managing Base descriptors
9. Creating Realms (optional)

All these setup steps are done from a single responsibility, Internet Procurement Catalog Administration
Log in to Oracle and go to responsibility, Internet Procurement Catalog Administration

Loading Schema and Items.........

Navigation: Load Data and Schema > Manage Loading

Click on Download Instructions and Templates

This screen will give you the instructions on how to upload data. It will provide you with the instructions and templates for uploading. You can specify what template you want to download. Click on either Download Text Resouces or Download XML Resources buttons to download the template files along with the instructions.
Click on any of the buttons.

You will be prompted to download the file CatalogTemplates.zip file. Download the zip file and open it.

As we had selected Items and Prices on the iProcurement screen we have got the Item Price template.
Open ItemPrice.txt file. The file will give the format in which data has to be entered for uploading.

#ENCODING    Cp1256

Language Section*    EN-US

Catalog Section    Supplier*    Title

Contract Reference    Operating Unit    Contract Number

Item Price Section    Category*    Action*    Supplier Item*    Supplier Part Auxiliary ID    Description*    Pricelist    Operating Unit    Supplier Site    Unit*    Unit Price*    Currency*    UNSPSC Code    Manufacturer    Manufacturer Item    Alias    Lead Time    Image    Image URL    Attachment URL    Long Description    Comments    Manufacturer URL    Thumbnail Image    Supplier URL

SYNC/DELETE

Open the other file in the zip file, Readme_Spreadsheet.htm.

You will get to see the instructions for uploading the file.
You can now fill out ItemPrice.txt file with the data and upload the file into Oracle iProcurement.
On the same responsibility,
Navigation: Load Data and Schema > Manage Loading

Click on Upload Items button

You can select your file and upload it into Oracle. You can also upload the entire schema from the previous screen by clicking on Upload Schema button.

You can upload the file from this screen

Creating Catalog and Stores........

Navigation: Manage Content > Catalogs
You can create Catalogs on this screen.

Click on Create button to create a new catalog.

Select the type of catalog you want to create. We shall select Local catalog. Click on Continue button.

We need to enter the catalog details here and click on Submit button. We have created an Internal Catalog as shown below,

Note:
We need to provide a Store for a catalog and also a supplier. If we do not want to assign a supplier we can check the box “include items without suppliers in this catalog“.

We can create Non Catalog Request Templates
Navigation: Manage Content > Non-Catalog Request

Click on Create button.

Enter the details and click on Create button to create a Non Catalog request template.
Navigation: Manage Content > Stores

Click on Create Store

Enter the Store details. Identify which operating units will have access to the store also. Once you click on Submit the store will be created.
We have created 1 store named, Main Store

Creating iProcurement category and its hierarchy......

Navigation: Online Schema Maintenance > Manage Item Categories

Click on Create button.

Enter the details and click on Apply button to create the item category.
We have created multiple Item categories. The search screen shows,

Click on Edit button on 1 item category to view the details.

Category Name: IT.Computers.Accessories.Batteries & Adaptors

Creating iProcurement category and hierarchy.......

Navigation: Online Schema Maintenance > Manage Item Categories

We need to create a Top-Level category at the beginning. Click on Create Top-Level Category button.

Enter the details and click on Apply to create the top level category.
In our instance we have already created a top level category named, Root Category.

We have also created the children categories under top level category, i.e. Root Category.
To create a child category click on the parent category and then Create Child button. We shall create child category named, Test, under Computers category.
Select Computers category

Click on Create Child button.

Enter the category name and key as Test, each. Click on Apply button.

You now have a confirmation message. Now click on the button to see all the children categories.

Now you see that the category Test has been added as an iProcurement category.
 
Mapping Item Categories with iProcurement hierarchy......

Navigation: Online Schema Maintenance > Map iProcurement Categories

We have already mapped the iProcurement categories with the Item categories. We shall query for the iProcurement categories starting with IT.

You can see that that the iProcurement categories on the left (under heading Category Name) have been mapped to the Oracle Purchasing category on the right. The top level hierarchy allows viewing the hierarchy. Click on the icon, , to view the hierarchy.

You need to map the required iProcurement categories to Purchasing categories one by one so that the iProcurement user can drill down the hierarchy on the iProcurement responsibility to view the items.
Effect on user

To the user the hierarchy will look like the following,

The user can drill down on the iProcurement hierarchy and pick up the item(s) attached to the hierarchy.
  
Check mapping of Item categories with iProcurement categories.....

Navigation: Online Schema Maintenance > Map Oracle Purchasing Categories

We can view the mapping between Purchasing categories and iProcurement categories on this screen. We shall search for the Purchasing categories starting with IT%.

Note that there is no top level category for Procurement category.
 
Managing Base descriptors......

Navigation: Online Schema Maintenance > Manage Base Descriptors

This is the screen which allows configuring the Item catalog search details. We can decide which fields to display, the order in which display will take place, etc.
Effect on user

The configuration on this field will affect the user here,

Here the user has searched for the item, CMS117. The search results which has come back to the user has been configured by Base Descriptor screen.