Quality Actions

When you define a collection element, you can specify that Oracle Quality initiates an action based on the
quality data that you collect. You can have Quality issue alerts and electronic notifications, launch workflows
created in Oracle Workflow, as well as place jobs, repetitive schedules, items, suppliers, and purchase order
lines on hold. For example, if a test result on a critical component is entered as "Failed," you can have Oracle
Quality automatically send an electronic mail notification to the responsible person(s).

The condition that you specify and the resulting action comprise what is called an Action Rule. Action rules
are evaluated and executed during the quality data collection process. When an action rule is found to be
true, the action associated with it is invoked. You can define the same actions and action rules for both
collection elements and collection plan elements, with the exception of the Assign a Value action, which can
only be defined for collection plan elements. You also can copy Actions and Action Rules to other collection
plan elements.

Quality Actions are defined in the following process:

Define the Action Rule(s) that determine when an action is invoked (see: Action Rules and Invoked
Actions).

Specify the action(s) that the Action Rule invokes when found to be true (see: Action Rules and
Invoked Actions).

Define any Action Detail(s) that may be required, such as message text or operation numbers
(see: Action Details).

Specify the evaluation Sequence that must be followed to determine whether an Action is invoked
(see: Action Rule Sequencing).

Types of Actions
There are four types of actions: Message, Alert, User-defined, and Application Specific. These are described
below:

Message Actions
Message actions either display a message or post it to the Quality Action Log. They reject input and force the
user to enter an acceptable value before the user can continue. You can use Message actions to prompt an
operator to take immediate action, such as putting nonconforming parts into a separate holding area or
shutting down faulty equipment. Message actions provide immediate feedback and help resolve problems at
the source.

Message actions require action details. For example, when you define the Display a message to the
operator action, you must enter the message that is to be displayed. Message actions options are as follows:

Display a message Displays the message entered to the operator.

to the operator

Reject the input Displays the message entered message and rejects the input. Before you can
continue with quality data collection, you must enter an acceptable quality results
value.
Post an entry to the Posts the message entered to the Quality Action Log. For example, you can post
Quality Action Log an entry each time a critical part is found to be defective so that the source of the
problem can be determined and eliminated. This creates a quality results audit
trail. See: Viewing and Deleting Action Log Entries.

Alert Actions
Quality Alert Actions can launch various processes, as well as send electronic mail notifications to users.
They are similar, yet distinctly different from the event alerts that you can define using Oracle Alerts. They
share the same underlying database tables and require some of the same setups, however, Quality alerts do
not have the full functionality of Oracle Alerts. Quality alert actions include:

Execute an operating system script

Execute a SQL script

Launch a concurrent request

Send an electronic mail notification

Defining a Launch a Workflow Action

In order to associate a workflow with an action, you must first create the workflow in Oracle Workflow. To
then be able to dynamically pass quality results values to the workflow during data collection, you must
create output variables for the collection plan elements whose values you want to pass, and assign them a
token. The token that you assign is the internal name for the workflow attribute that corresponds to the
collection element.

For example, if you have two collection plan elements called Item and Job Number whose values you want
displayed in the workflow, you open the Output Variables window and assign each element a "token" that
matches the workflow's internal name for that attribute (it must be exactly the same). When the workflow is
launched, the elements' values are automatically passed to the workflow.

The following parameters must be defined in the Output Variables window, for any workflow that you create
(See: Associating Output Variables with Actions):

1. Plan_id : Mapped to the element Collection plan name.

2. Collection_id: Mapped to element Collection Number.

3. Occurrence: Mapped to element Occurrence.

4. Recipient: Mapped to element Send Notification To.

These collection elements are part of all seeded workflows defined by Quality. The values for these
parameters (along with other parameters that you may define) should be passed through variables defined
in Actions in the Collection Plans Setup window.

Prerequisites

You must have previously created the workflow that you want to launch in Oracle Workflow.

You must obtain the name of the workflow attributes that correspond to the collection elements
whose values you want to pass to the workflow.

You must have created a collection plan, associated it with a plan type and collection plan elements,
and selected the collection plan element that will be used as the action trigger.

To define a Launch a Workflow Action

1. In the Collection Plans window, choose the Actions button.

2. In the first blank row in the Actions this Rule Invokes region, select the Launch a Workflow action from
the list of values (the Action Details button becomes visible in the Action Details region).

3. In the Action Details region, choose the Action Details button. The Launch a Workflow window opens.

4. In the Workflow Name field, select the workflow that you previously created in Oracle Workflow from
the list of values.

5. Define output variables for the workflow. See: Associating Output Variables with Actions.

o Choose the Variables button to open the Output Variables window.

o In the Token Name field, enter the internal name for the workflow attribute that you want to
associate with the collection plan element (the token name must be entered exactly the same
as the workflow attribute's internal name).

o In the Collection Element field, select the collection element from the list of values.

o Similarly, using the Output Variables window, define the following as output variables: Plan_id
mapped to Collection plan name, Collection_id mapped to Collection Number, Occurrence
mapped to Occurrence and Recipient mapped to Send Notification To. Optionally, define any
other output variables.

o Choose OK to save your work and close the Output Variables window.

6. Save the collection plan.