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The PO_EMPLOYEE_HIERARCHIES_ALL table in Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) 12.1.1 or 12.2.2 is a critical repository for storing hierarchical relationships between employees, primarily used in the Purchasing (PO) module to define approval hierarchies for requisitions and purchase orders. This table facilitates the delegation of authority and ensures compliance with organizational approval policies by mapping employee-to-employee or position-to-position relationships. Below is a detailed breakdown of its structure, functionality, and integration within Oracle EBS.

Table Structure and Key Columns

The PO_EMPLOYEE_HIERARCHIES_ALL table is a multi-org enabled table, meaning it stores data for multiple operating units. Key columns include:
  • EMPLOYEE_HIERARCHY_ID: Primary key, uniquely identifying each hierarchy record.
  • EMPLOYEE_ID: References the employee (from PER_ALL_PEOPLE_F) for whom the hierarchy is defined.
  • SUPERVISOR_ID: Identifies the supervisor or approver (also from PER_ALL_PEOPLE_F).
  • POSITION_ID: Optional field linking to PER_POSITIONS for position-based hierarchies.
  • START_DATE and END_DATE: Define the validity period of the hierarchy relationship.
  • ORG_ID: Operating unit identifier, enabling multi-org functionality.
  • OBJECT_VERSION_NUMBER: Used for optimistic locking in concurrent updates.

Functional Role in Purchasing Approvals

This table underpins the approval workflow engine in Oracle Purchasing. When a requisition or purchase order is submitted, the system queries PO_EMPLOYEE_HIERARCHIES_ALL to determine the approver chain based on the submitter's EMPLOYEE_ID. The hierarchy can be:
  • Direct Supervisor-Based: Approvers are determined by supervisor-subordinate relationships.
  • Position-Based: Approvers are derived from job positions, independent of specific individuals.
The table supports multi-level approvals, allowing organizations to define complex approval paths (e.g., Manager → Director → VP).

Integration with Other Modules

PO_EMPLOYEE_HIERARCHIES_ALL integrates with:
  • Human Resources (HR): Employee and position data are sourced from PER_ALL_PEOPLE_F and PER_POSITIONS.
  • Workflow: Approval notifications and routing rules leverage hierarchy data.
  • Multi-Org: Data is partitioned by ORG_ID, ensuring segregation across operating units.

Configuration and Maintenance

Hierarchies are typically configured via:
  • Oracle HRMS: Supervisory hierarchies are often imported from HR.
  • Purchasing Superuser Forms: Custom hierarchies can be defined manually.
Data integrity is enforced through foreign key constraints with HR tables, and the END_DATE column allows for temporal validity.

Performance Considerations

For large organizations, indexing on EMPLOYEE_ID, SUPERVISOR_ID, and ORG_ID is critical to optimize approval workflow performance. Partitioning by ORG_ID may be employed in multi-org deployments.

Conclusion

The PO_EMPLOYEE_HIERARCHIES_ALL table is a cornerstone of Oracle EBS Purchasing’s approval framework, enabling flexible, auditable, and organization-specific approval workflows. Its design reflects Oracle’s emphasis on integration with HR data and multi-org support, ensuring scalability and compliance with enterprise policies.