Step 11: Document Sequences (Order Numbering)

Define Document Sequences for automatic or manual numbering of orders. This step is required.
Order Management uses AOL Document Sequence functionality for order numbering. You can define document sequences that automatically generate numbers for your orders and returns as you enter them. You can define a single document sequence to assign unique consecutive numbers to all your orders and returns, or you can define multiple document sequences that are assigned to different order types. In the latter case, an order or return is uniquely identified by its type and its number, since orders and returns of different types may share numbers.

Order and return numbers cannot contain alphabetic characters.

Following 4 steps need to be completed to enable document sequence
1.  Set the profile option Sequential Numbering to Always Used at the Order Management Application level

2.  Define document sequence
OM: Setup -> Documents -> Define

Many countries have legal and audit requirements for order numbers to be contiguous. You can set up a document sequences as gapless through the Define Documents Sequences window. In addition, Order Management prevents deletion of orders that have been numbered using the gapless numbering sequence. The application uses locks to ensure gapless numbering. If you are using gapless sequences, please save your changes frequently to minimize lock contention issues.

Order Management enables you to enter the order numbers for certain types of orders. You can define a document sequence as manual and assign it to a desired order type. This order type can be used on orders that you want to manually enter order numbers. When an order number is specified for such an order, Order Management validates that it is unique for a given order type.

Steps for creating document sequence
1. Enter a name for the document sequence.
2. Specify Oracle Order Management as the Application.
3. You can define the sequence to be Automatic, Gapless or Manual.
■ Automatic sequences: The system will automatically increment document numbers. Automatic sequences do not guarantee contiguous numbering.
■ Gapless sequences: The system guarantees that the numbers returned are contiguous.
■ Manual: User must specify a unique document number.
For all types of numbering, the Order Management system validates that the number specified by you is unique for a given order type.
4. Enter a starting number

3.  Define document categories
You can create a document category for shipping documents such as a bill of lading (BOL) and assign it to a location or all locations. You can create more than one document category for a document, for example, if you want each carrier to have its own Bill of Lading number series, you can set up a unique document category to accommodate this requirement.

You must define a category for each bill of lading and packing slip you wish to create. You can create a bill of lading category for each ship method/carrier or define a single bill of lading category for all. When you use a different bill of lading sequence for each carrier, you can easily identify the carrier by looking at the bill of lading number.
Whenever we create a new transaction type, a new document category gets created automatically

4.  Assign document sequences
After defining document sequences and categories, assign document sequences to document categories. Assigning sequences is application and category specific.
You cannot change a document category definition. If you find incorrect information, create a new category with the correct information, re-assign document sequences to the new category, and disable the old category. Either leave alone the existing Category or Disable it cautiously since it may affect other documents using the setting. For that reason disabling cannot be undone.