R12.2 RUP6 New and Changed features

(For the previous release RUP5, see my blog here)

For 12.2.3, patch 19193000 - R12.HR_PF.C.DELTA.6 (12.2 HRMS RUP6) was released on 29-May-2015. New and updated features are tracked in document - Applying R12.HR_PF.C.Delta.6 Release Update Pack (Doc ID 1992120.1).

Known Issues on Top of Patch 19193000 - R12.HR_PF.C.DELTA.6 (12.2 HRMS RUP6) (Doc ID 1992028.1)

Key interesting enhancements are:

Payroll: 

• Improved Payroll Dashboard, which includes support for pre-readiness checks for AU, support for display of assignment without payment methods, and improved performance. Users can use the extensible lookup PAY_DB_MONITOR_PROCESSES to configure localization specific payroll processes.   When configured, the payroll dashboard displays the list of processes within the Payroll Process Details section under Other Process Details Region of the Process Monitor tab.
• Third Party Personal Payment Method: The application is now designed to auto populate the bank details in the personal payment method of the employees for third party payments using the bank details specified at Payee Organization. For this, Additional Information is enabled for Organization Classification of Payee. Users can override these details if required. (This feature is available for AU and US only at this point). 

Enhancements for AU: There are many enhancements for AU; these include:

• New reports (Workplace Gender Equality Report, Excel Workplace Gender Equality Report, Workplace Gender Equality Report (XML)) - produce output in Excel

• Report on TFN for New Hires after 28 Days: According to the Australia Tax Office (ATO), if an employee has not made a TFN (Tax File Number) declaration within 28 days of hire, then the tax file number (TFN) of the employee is set to 111 111 111. After 28 days, the TFN must be set back to 000 000 000. With this release, the application notifies the payroll managers with a message to change the TFN manually for those assignments that have TFN of 111 111 111 after 28 days of hire. Oracle delivers a new concurrent program - Employees with TFN 111111111 in Business Group (Australia) - using which payroll managers can perform this readiness check. The output displays the list of employees who do not have TFN for more than 28 days from the date of hire and also additional contact information such as payroll name, email and work/mobile number.

• Specify Offset for Viewing the Online Payslip: Users were able to view the payslip immediately after all the post payroll run processes have been completed successfully. Users can now specify in the Payroll Definition window an offset date for payslip, which ensures that employees cannot view their payslip prior to the payslip date defined for a pay period, even though all the payroll processes complete successfully before that date.

• Email Payment Summaries as PDF: For employees who do not have access to self service, Oracle delivers emailing the Payment Summary as a PDF. This is via new concurrent program - Email Australian Payment Summaries. New person EIT - Email Payment Summary - is used to set the email preference at person level. 

• Credit Rejected Pays to a Different Account: BECS transactions can fail due to various reasons, for example if the account of the individual is closed. In such cases, the bank credits back the amount to the account from which the money is being paid. The trace account number to which rejected transactions money is credited is currently the payer account number. To override this trace account number, a new field 'Direct Entry trace account number' is provided at Further Payment Method Info DFF of the payment method. (Note: While updating the Direct Entry payment methods for field Direct Entry trace account number, the payment method can only be updated after the latest prepayments run date for that payment method)

Enhancements for NZ: These include:

• Payroll Reconciliation (New Zealand) (XML) is enhanced to include Hours and Hourly Rate for Ordinary Taxable Earnings elements and Assignment Standard Hours, among others.

• Changes to Tax Calculations of Annual Bonus: These monies paid are being taxed as Lump Sum Payments(extra emolument) or normal PAYE. The application is now modified to tax these bonuses differently. New primary classifications (Regular Bonus Earnings), secondary classifications, balances, and element set are provided to enable users to calculate the taxes for regular bonus. 

There are no new features in AME, Compensation Workbench, HRMS Configuration Workbench,  Labor Distribution, Succession Planning.

The following modules have new features, which are not summarized in this blog - Advanced Benefits, Core HR (one minor enhancement around user based security profile), iRecruitment (one enhancement for US OFCCP compliance), OLM, Performance Management, Self Service (Organization Chart updates) and OTL (Timecard intergation with HR Absences and others).

(For the next release RUP7, see my blog here)