Results for “fa_methods_u2”

AI-generated from documented ETRM metadata — verify critical details on the linked pages.

Overview

FA_METHODS is the depreciation method definition table in the Oracle Assets (OFA) module of Oracle E-Business Suite. It stores the named depreciation methods that determine how asset cost is allocated over an asset's useful life, including the calculation basis, rate source, proration rules, and lifecycle limits expressed in periods or months. Every depreciation book, category-book default, and asset-level depreciation transaction ultimately resolves to a row in this table, making FA_METHODS a foundational reference object for the Oracle Assets subledger.

The table resides in the FA schema and is documented with 37 columns in ETRM 12.2.2. Its heuristic Data Vault classification is hub, which is consistent with its role as a stable, code-bearing entity referenced by many dependent tables. In a dimensional or Data Vault model, FA_METHODS would typically be modeled as a hub keyed on METHOD_ID, with descriptive attributes carried in a satellite and its relationships to books, categories, and formulas represented as links.

Key Information Stored

The primary key is METHOD_ID, a system-generated surrogate identifier defined by the FA_METHODS_PK constraint. Business users, however, identify methods by METHOD_CODE, the user-defined short name that appears throughout the application. Two unique indexes act as business-key candidates: FA_METHODS_U2 on (METHOD_CODE, LIFE_IN_MONTHS, ZD_EDITION_NAME) and FA_METHODS_U1 on (METHOD_ID, ZD_EDITION_NAME), the latter reflecting the multi-tenant edition column introduced in later 12.2 releases.

The most significant columns are:

• METHOD_ID — surrogate primary key.
• METHOD_CODE — user-visible method identifier.
• LIFE_IN_MONTHS — default life in months for the method; part of the unique key with METHOD_CODE.
• NAME — descriptive method name shown in the application.
• STL_METHOD_FLAG — indicates whether the method is used for short-term (settlement) depreciation in retirement calculations.
• RATE_SOURCE_RULE — determines where rates come from (for example, flat rates in FA_FLAT_RATES or a formula in FA_FORMULAS).
• DEPRN_BASIS_RULE and DEPRN_BASIS_RULE_ID — define the cost basis to which the method applies; the ID column is a foreign key to FA_DEPRN_BASIS_RULES.
• DEPRN_BASIS_FORMULA — formula text used when the basis is calculated rather than fixed.
• DEPRECIATE_LASTYEAR_FLAG — controls whether depreciation is taken in the final year of life.
• PRORATE_PERIODS_PER_YEAR — number of periods used for proration in the first and last years.
• EXCLUDE_SALVAGE_VALUE_FLAG — determines whether salvage value is excluded from the depreciable basis.
• POLISH_ADJ_CALC_BASIS_FLAG, GUARANTEE_RATE_METHOD_FLAG, and JP_IMP_CALC_BASIS_FLAG — country-specific calculation options.
• ATTRIBUTE_CATEGORY_CODE and ATTRIBUTE1 through ATTRIBUTE15 — the standard Oracle flexfield descriptive columns.
• LAST_UPDATE_DATE, CREATED_BY, and related audit columns — standard who-columns for change tracking.

Common Use Cases and Queries

Typical reporting and validation scenarios include listing all defined methods with their default lives, identifying which methods are flagged for short-term use, and reconciling category defaults against method definitions. A representative query follows:

• SELECT method_code, name, life_in_months, stl_method_flag FROM fa_methods ORDER BY method_code;
• SELECT b.book_type_code, b.deprn_method_code, b.life_in_months FROM fa_books b JOIN fa_methods m ON m.method_code = b.deprn_method_code AND m.life_in_months = b.life_in_months WHERE b.book_type_code = :book;
• SELECT c.category_id, c.deprn_method, c.life_in_months FROM fa_category_book_defaults c JOIN fa_methods m ON m.method_code = c.deprn_method AND m.life_in_months = c.life_in_months;

Additional use cases include mass change validation (FA_MASS_CHANGES carries FROM_METHOD_CODE and TO_METHOD_CODE), auditing changes to prior depreciation methods in FA_MC_BOOKS, and verifying that any method used in a tax interface (FA_TAX_INTERFACE) or reserve ledger (FA_RESERVE_LEDGER) is still active and correctly configured.

Related Objects

FA_METHODS is referenced by many downstream tables through composite joins on METHOD_CODE and LIFE_IN_MONTHS. The most significant relationships are:

• FA_BOOKS — join on DEPRN_METHOD_CODE and LIFE_IN_MONTHS; defines the default method per depreciation book.
• FA_CATEGORY_BOOK_DEFAULTS — join on DEPRN_METHOD and LIFE_IN_MONTHS, and separately on STL_METHOD_CODE and STL_LIFE_IN_MONTHS.
• FA_MC_BOOKS and FA_ACE_BOOKS — corporate, multicurrency, and ACE book overrides using DEPRN_METHOD_CODE.
• FA_FLAT_RATES and FA_RATES — join on METHOD_ID; hold the rate detail when the rate source rule points to flat rates.
• FA_FORMULAS — join on METHOD_ID; provides the formula definition for calculated methods.
• FA_MASS_CHANGES — join on FROM_METHOD_CODE and TO_METHOD_CODE to track method migrations.
• FA_RETIREMENTS, FA_MC_RETIREMENTS, and FA_RESERVE_LEDGER — join on STL_METHOD_CODE or METHOD_CODE for retirement and reserve calculations.
• FA_DEPRN_BASIS_RULES — parent table referenced by FA_METHODS.DEPRN_BASIS_RULE_ID.

These relationships confirm FA_METHODS as a central hub: books, categories, rates, formulas, and retirement logic all derive their depreciation behavior from a single method record.