Creating an Extended Attribute

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Creating an Extended Attribute

• Vince Schimizzi, Michigan State University
• Evelyn Portee, Michigan State University
• Lauri Thornhill, Michigan State University

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Agenda

• What is an Extended Attribute?
• Why create an Extended Attribute?
• How do I create an Extended Attribute?
• Assigning functionality to an Extended Attribute
• Business Rules
• Workflow Rules

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I. What is an Extended Attribute

• Attribute
• An object associated with and serving to identify
  an entity. In the Kuali Financial System (KFS)
  an attribute is a field, delivered with the
  system, to which values can be assigned (e.g.
  account name, account number, account expiration
  date, etc.).
• Extended Attribute
• Custom, table-driven business object attribute
  that can be established by implementing
  institutions and added to KFS without modifying
  the delivered functionality.

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How is your institution unique?

• - Special reporting requirements?
• - Out of the ordinary accounting policies or
  rules?
• - Complex workflow needs?

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II. Why create an Extended Attribute?

• In the event your institution is unique and
  requires additional attributes, the KFS allows
  you to add extended attributes to your
  maintenance tables for the following purposes
• Reporting
• Business Rules
• Workflow Rules

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Account
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Account Attributes (green)
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Account Extended Attribute (blue)
Extended Attribute Tables
Extension Table
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Extension Table

• The extension table can hold a collection of
  extended attributes.
• The extension table acts as a bridge between the
  account and the extended attributes. This
  relationship allows the system to treat the two
  tables, account and account extension, as one.
  This design facilitates assigning business rules
  or workflow rules to the newly created extended
  attributes.
• The extension table and the parent table have the
  same primary keys, creating a one to one
  relationship that enforces data integrity.
• The different types of attributes - direct,
  associated and extended - allow your institution
  to leverage their relationships in order to
  customize KFS to meet just about any reporting,
  business rule or workflow rule need your
  institution may have.

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III. How do I create an Extended Attribute?

• Configuring KFS to add an Extended Attribute
  involves both functional and technical resources.

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Functional Issues to Consider/Decisions to Make

• Determining the functionality of the extended
  attribute is a major step and will directly
  affect the technical aspect.
• Take a global approach when creating an extended
  attribute (usually not created to meet the needs
  of a specific unit).
• Assess the level of data governance needed
• An Extended Attribute should be created to serve
  one purpose
• Required or Optional

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User Interface Options

• Option 1 - Text Field
• Advantages
• User-defined values
• Unlimited and immediate creation of values
• Flexibility on reporting
• Disadvantages
• Limited data integrity (lowest)
• Increased potential for input errors

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User Interface Options contd

• Option 2 - Values Not Supported by a Table
• Advantages
• Institution-defined values
• Enforces integrity of data (highest)
• Disadvantages
• Limited flexibility on reporting
• Time to add or remove values (highest)

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User Interface Options contd

• Option 3 - Values Supported by a Table
• Advantages
• Institution-defined values
• Assign attributes
• Enforces integrity of data
• Disadvantage
• More time to set up

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Prepare a Functional Specification Document

• Document functional justification and intentions
  for future reference.
• Describes functionality of the new extended
  attribute.
• Bridges the communication gap between the
  functional and technical teams.
• Request should be reviewed by a business analyst.

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Technical Steps

• Step 1 Update the Data Model
• Oracle Database add tables

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Technical Steps (contd)

• Step 2 Update the Data Dictionary
• Create new maintenance form
• Update the associated forms (lookup, global,
  etc.)
• Step 3 Application Recognizes the Extended
  Attribute
• Add to Application Document Type
• Add to Workflow Document Type

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MSU Example

• Enhancement Request
• Create new extended attribute named Revenue
  Source on an account maintenance document. The
  new attribute will capture the levels of
  government that provide funding to the
  institution. The attribute should have full
  search capabilities and have the ability to
  support both business and workflow rules.
• Extended Attribute Table Revenue Source
• Extension Table Account _ Extension
• Values FD Federal
• ST State
• Etc.

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Maintenance Tab
Access to the new Extended Attributes
maintenance document will appear in the Chart of
Accounts section on the Maintenance Tab.
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Extended Attribute Maint Doc
Functions the same as other KFS maintenance docs
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Values Revenue Source
Institution Defined Values
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Account Maintenance Form
Appears on Associated eDocs
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Account Lookup Document
Search Lookup and Search Results
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Security Rule
Restrict access to the Extended Attribute maint
doc
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IV. Assign Functionality to an Extended Attribute

• Creating Business Rules and Workflow
• - Exploring the functionality
• - Translating the functionality
• - Technical from 30,000 feet

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Creating a Business Rule

• Decide on what document(s) the business rule will
  apply.
• Translate the functionality of the rule in
  clear-cut terms
• Decide when you want the business rule to apply
• The decision you make here affects how the
  document cycles and may impact user frustration.

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Exploring the functionality of the business rule
(MSU example)

• MSU Business Rule in Standard English
• (Normal English Narrative)
• MSU wants to prevent federal monies on Michigan
  State University Extension (MSUE) funds from
  being used to pay for scholarships on the
  Distribution of Income and Expense document.

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Translating the functionality of the business
rule (MSU example)

• MSU Business Rule in Structured English
• (More easily transferred into programming logic)
• On the Distribution of Income and Expense
  Financial Document
• If Revenue Source Code FD (Federal), and
  SubFund Group Code MSUE (MSU Extension),
• Then Object Subtype Code ? SC (Student
  Scholarships)

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Technical Steps Business Rule

• Step 1 Create parameters related to the values
  defined in the if/then statement.

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Technical Steps Business Rule

• Step 2 Create the business rule class that
  corresponds to the parameters set up in step
  1.
• Step 3 Add the name of the business rule class
  into the data dictionary of Distribution of
  Income Expense document.

Remember 30,000 feet
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MSU Business RuleError Message

• If Revenue Source Code FD, and
• SubFund Group Code MSUE,
• Then Object Subtype Code ? SC

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Workflow

• Workflow rules must be created in order for the
  financial processing document to route on the
  extended attribute.

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Workflow

• Similar to business rules, you need to create a
  functional description of workflow rule to be
  established.
• Translate the functional description for the
  technical personnel

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Translating the functionality of the Workflow
Rule (MSU example)

• On a Distribution of Income Expense eDoc
• If Revenue Source Code ST (State), and SubFund
  Group Code MAES (Michigan Ag Experiment
  Station)
• Then, document routes to MAES_MSUE_ADMIN
  workgroup for approval.

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Workflow (technical)

• Step 1 Create a Rule Attribute Specify the
  attribute fields on which to base the rule
  template.

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Workflow (technical)

• Step 2 Create a Rule Template Incorporate the
  rule attribute(s).

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Workflow (technical)

• Step 3 Add the route node
• In the XML code of the Distribution of Income
  Expense document type
• - the route node must be added
• - the rule template must be added

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Workflow (technical)

• ltnamegtDistributionOfIncomeAndExpenseDocumentlt/name
  gt
• ltparentgtKualiFinancialDocumentlt/parentgt
• ltlabelgtDistribution Of Income And Expenselt/labelgt
  
• ltpostProcessorNamegtorg.kuali.workflow.postprocesso
  r.KualiPostProcessorlt/postProcessorNamegt
• ltsuperUserWorkgroupNamegtKUALI_ROLE_SUPERVISORlt/sup
  erUserWorkgroupNamegt
• ltblanketApproveWorkgroupNamegtKUALI_ROLE_ADMINISTR
  ATORlt/blanketApproveWorkgroupNamegt
• ltdefaultExceptionWorkgroupNamegtKUALI_ROLE_SUPERVIS
  ORlt/defaultExceptionWorkgroupNamegt
• ltdocHandlergtapplication.url/financialDistributi
  onOfIncomeAndExpense.do?methodToCalldocHandlerlt/d
  ocHandlergt
• ltactivegttruelt/activegt
• ltroutingVersiongt1lt/routingVersiongt
• ltroutePathsgt
• ltroutePathgt
• ltstart name"Adhoc Routing" nextNode"Account
  Review" /gt
• ltrequests name"Account Review" nextNode"Org
  Review" /gt
• ltrequests name"Org Review" nextNode"Subfund" /gt
  
• ltrequests name"Subfund" nextNode"Award
  Workgroup" /gt
• ltrequests name"Award Workgroup"
  nextNode"SubFund and Revenue Source Routing" /gt
• ltrequests name"SubFund and Revenue Source
  Routing" /gt

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Workflow (technical)

• Adding the route node automatically updates Rule
  Quicklinks

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Workflow (functional)

• Step 4 Create the rule.

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Workflow (functional)

• Step 4 Create the rule (contd)

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MSU Workflow Demo
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MSU Workflow Demo
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Final Thoughts

• Making the functional decision involves a variety
  of stakeholders and may be a time-consuming
  process.
• In our MSU example, after the functional decision
  was made, from the technical to resolution and
  completion was approximately 40-80 hours.
• The level of complexity of the extended
  attributes functionality will directly affect
  the amount of technical time required.

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Take Aways

• When and why you might want an extended
  attribute.
• The ease that Kuali provides to create the
  extended attributes.
• The ease of creating business rules.
• The ease of creating workflow rules.

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Questions?