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The AR_LOCATION_VALUES table in Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) 12.1.1 and 12.2.2 is a critical data structure within the Accounts Receivable (AR) module, primarily used to store location-specific values associated with customer addresses. This table plays a pivotal role in maintaining geographic and tax-related information, ensuring accurate invoicing, tax calculations, and reporting. Below is a detailed breakdown of its purpose, structure, and key relationships.

Purpose and Functional Context

The AR_LOCATION_VALUES table stores supplementary location attributes for customer sites, enabling granular tax determination and regulatory compliance. It is tightly integrated with the HZ_LOCATIONS (TCA) and RA_CUSTOMER_TRX tables, ensuring that location-based rules (e.g., tax jurisdictions, shipping zones) are applied correctly during transaction processing. Key use cases include:
  • Tax Calculation: Stores tax identifiers (e.g., VAT registration numbers) and jurisdictional codes required for automated tax engines like Oracle E-Business Tax.
  • Address Validation: Augments TCA (Trading Community Architecture) address data with AR-specific attributes.
  • Reporting: Supports regional sales analysis by linking transactions to geographic hierarchies.

Table Structure and Key Columns

The table's schema includes columns that map to TCA locations while adding AR-specific extensions:
  • LOCATION_ID: Foreign key to HZ_LOCATIONS.LOCATION_ID, linking to the TCA address.
  • LOCATION_VALUE_ID: Primary key, uniquely identifying each record.
  • GEOGRAPHY_ID: References HZ_GEOGRAPHIES for spatial hierarchies.
  • TAX_CODE: Stores jurisdiction-specific tax codes (e.g., for sales tax).
  • ATTRIBUTE_CATEGORY/ATTRIBUTE1-15: Flexfields for custom attributes.
  • CREATION_DATE, LAST_UPDATE_DATE: Audit columns for compliance.

Integration with Other Modules

AR_LOCATION_VALUES interacts with:
  • TCA (HZ_LOCATIONS): Extends base address data with AR-specific values.
  • E-Business Tax: Provides tax jurisdiction data via ZX_JURISDICTIONS.
  • Order Management (OM): Shares location data for shipping and invoicing.

Data Flow and Usage Scenarios

  1. Customer Creation: When a new customer site is added in TCA, AR populates AR_LOCATION_VALUES via AutoInvoice or manual entry.
  2. Transaction Processing: During invoice generation, the system queries this table to determine tax rules based on the ship-to/bill-to locations.
  3. Compliance Reporting: Tax reports leverage location values to aggregate data by jurisdiction.

Customization and Extensions

Organizations often extend the table via:
  • Descriptive Flexfields (DFFs): Adding industry-specific attributes (e.g., export licenses).
  • Triggers/APIs: Custom validations using AR_LOCATION_VALUES_PKG.

Performance Considerations

Indexes on LOCATION_ID and GEOGRAPHY_ID are critical for join performance with TCA tables. Partitioning may be employed for large-scale deployments.

Conclusion

The AR_LOCATION_VALUES table is a linchpin in Oracle EBS AR, bridging TCA addresses with transactional tax and compliance logic. Its design ensures scalability and flexibility, supporting global deployments with complex regulatory requirements. Proper configuration of this table is essential for accurate tax determination and customer communication.