Create Transaction QuickLink

The Copy Transaction and Transaction Templates features help you create a new transaction from an existing transaction. To do so, you will need to search for an existing transaction, select the Copy action, specify the Transaction Dept and Transaction ID information, and then finally select the Copy Transaction action. Even though you can bookmark frequently copied transactions, you still need to specify the Transaction Dept and Transaction ID information each time.

If users under the same business role frequently copy from a small set of transactions to create new ones, you can add QuickLinks to the home page to create draft transactions via a single click. On the QuickLink Library (QUICKLNK) page, you can create QuickLinks with the Type set to Create Transaction along with parameters specifying how to search for the source transaction. After you add the QuickLinks to the home page for the business role that uses it, you can look for the QuickLink corresponding to the transaction you need to copy and click on it. When you click on the Create Transaction QuickLink, the system searches for the source transaction based on the QuickLink Parameters and copies the source transaction to a new transaction if a unique match is found. The system sets the Transaction Code, Transaction Dept, and Transaction Unit from the source transaction and assigns the Transaction ID using Auto Numbering. Once the source transaction has been copied into the new transaction, you are navigated to the new transaction automatically and can update the information.

For example, if users in a business role copy certain revenue or expense transactions frequently, you can set up Create Transaction QuickLinks on the home page for each of the source transactions and name the QuickLinks so users can easily find the desired transaction. Another example is when a similar task is performed for multiple departments where certain data values are different depending on the Department. You can set up multiple source transactions with the same Transaction Code and Transaction ID but different Transaction Dept, where each source transaction contains the data values applicable to that department. You can set up one Create Transaction QuickLink that looks for the source transaction using the Transaction Code and Transaction ID, as well as the Transaction Dept value matching the user’s Home Department. This enables users from different departments to use the same Create Transaction QuickLink to create transactions from the applicable department’s source transaction without creating multiple QuickLinks.

If the system encounters errors while creating the new transaction using Create Transaction QuickLinks, error(s) are issued and a transaction is not created. You can dismiss the error(s) and return to the home page.

The Create Transaction QuickLink makes it easier to find the source transaction, reduces the chance of finding the wrong one, and reduces the number of steps it takes to copy the transaction. It can be useful if the business role has a small number of transactions that are frequently copied.

Tips for using Create Transaction QuickLinks:

  • Template Where Clause must be specified in the QuickLink Parameters. Match User Home Department and Match User Home Unit are optional.

  • Use DOC_HDR fields to formulate the Template Where Clause. For optimal results, use key fields that uniquely identify transactions (Transaction Code, Transaction Department, Transaction ID, and Transaction Version) with additional filters as applicable. If you want to match by user’s Home Department or Home Unit, do not specify Transaction Department or Transaction Unit in the Template Where Clause, but include the corresponding parameter(s) instead.

  • It is recommended to set up a Transaction Template as the source transaction, though non-template transactions can also be used.

  • Ensure the Template Where Clause is well-formed and finds a unique source transaction by using a DB tool to check results retrieved as expected. Use additional fields such as Transaction Name and Transaction Description to narrow down the result to a unique transaction in scenarios. Transaction ID cannot be used as a match criterion.

For example, if the following is the Create Transaction QuickLink parameters setup:

  • Template Where Clause: DOC_CD = ‘CR’ AND DOC_ID = ‘PROCESSING_FEE’

  • Match User Home Department: Y

Use the following SQL to verify syntax and results:

SELECT DOC_CD, DOC_DEPT_CD, DOC_ID, DOC_VERS_NO FROM DOC_HDR WHERE DOC_CD = ‘CR’ AND DOC_ID = ‘PROCESSING_FEE’ AND DOC_DEPT_CD = ‘<substitute home department value here>’

  • After the Create Transaction QuickLink has been added to the home page, you can update the QuickLink Parameters or the source transaction without needing to regenerate the home page. This can be useful if you need to change the source transactions when the fiscal year changes, since it allows you to update the source transactions without disturbing the users who still see the same QuickLinks on the home page.