Barcodes play a vital role in data collection strategies. Not only are they used to gather information about inventory, supply chain, and sales activity, but the latest generation of barcodes (in a common form of 1d & 2d) are also being deployed to learn more about customer behavior and preferences.
Barcodes already laid their existence into Oracle via Oracle Warehouse Management Cloud under the feature of Label Designer in Price Labels.
This blog mainly discusses the simple approach of incorporating the concept of barcodes into Oracle HCM-related and other Oracle BI Reports by implementing some of the minute configurations under “Administration >> Manage BI Publisher >> Font Mappings” of Reports & Analytics.
What is Oracle BI Reporting?
Oracle Business Intelligence (BI) Reporting, powered by Oracle BI Publisher (formerly known as XML Publisher), is a comprehensive enterprise reporting solution designed to streamline the creation and generation of reports and forms. A key feature of Oracle BI Publisher is its ability to separate the data extraction process from the report layout, making it easier to manage and customize reports.
With Oracle BI Reporting, users can design and create report layout templates using widely available desktop applications like Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat. The solution then renders XML data based on these templates to produce reports in various formats such as PDF, RTF, Excel, and HTML, and supports multiple languages.
This powerful reporting approach reduces the need for constant report maintenance and allows business users to modify report templates independently, without relying on IT resources. Oracle BI Reporting enhances efficiency, enabling organizations to generate timely, accurate reports that meet their unique business requirements
Oracle BI Reports | Incorporating Barcodes via RTF & Administration Setup
Step 1: Create an RTF Template
- Generate an RTF Template by loading exported XML data from the Data Model
Fig-1.1: Creation of RTF Template
Step 2: Upload Barcode Font
- A 3-of-9 barcode font format with the extension of .ttf (TrueType Font file) is downloaded as a compressed zip folder from any web browser.
Fig-2.1: Downloading 3-of-9 barcode font file
- From the downloaded folder, click on “3 of 9 Barcode Regular” TrueType Font file. Click on “Install” button as shown in the reference image.
Fig-2.2: Installing 3 of 9 Barcode.ttf into Windows Fonts
- The 3 of 9 Barcode Regular .ttf file gets installed within the folder “Fonts” of the following path “This PC >> Local Disk (C:) >> Windows >> Fonts”
Fig-2.3: Installed font file
- The font style “3 of 9 Barcode” starts getting displayed in all the Windows Microsoft Applications as soon as it is uploaded.
Step 3: Select and Save
- To select the field in which the barcode is to be printed, change its font to “3 of 9 Barcode”. Save the changes in the Rich Text Format (.rtf) file
Fig-3.1: Selecting Barcode Font for required field
Fig-3.2: Reflection of barcode font in the template
Step-4: Create BI Report
- Log in to Oracle Fusion HCM Application,
- Navigation: Tools >> Reports & Analytics >> Browse Catalog
- The layout for the report is created by tagging it to the exact data model and is made to run to check the output of the report.
Fig-4.1: Uploading RTF Template file
Fig-4.2: Tagging of data model to the layout
Fig-4.3: Previewing the BI Report
- Oops, the barcode is not printed in the selected field of the RTF file that we created report with!! Barcode will not get printed directly into the report. To achieve it, we need to perform the following setup in BI Administration.
Step-5: Setup BI Administration for incorporating Barcode into reports
- Click on the Person Account icon in the right corner & Select Administration. Click on “Manage Publisher” under the Publisher option and select “Font Mappings” option under Runtime Configuration.
Fig-5.1: Navigating to BI Administration Setup
Fig-5.2: Manage BI Publisher
Fig-5.3: Configuring Font Mappings
- Upload the similar TrueType Font file of “3 of 9 Barcode Regular.ttf” file which we installed earlier in Windows.
Fig-5.4: Uploading 3 of 9 Barcode Regular.ttf file in BI setup
Fig-5.5: Confirmation on successful inclusion of font file
- Click on “Add Font mapping” and add the below mentioned details.
- Base font name “3 of 9 Barcode”, this name must match with the font name selected in MS Word.
- Select “Target Font Type” to be TrueType and “Target Font” as 3 of 9 Barcode.ttf from the drop-down list.
Fig-5.6: Addition of Font Mapping
Fig-5.7: Selecting Base & Target Font
- Save the changes. A new font with the name “3 of 9 Barcode” will be created.
Fig-5.8: Created new font for RTF Templates
Step-6: Check Report for Barcode Generation by re-running the report
- After the completion of all the setups in BI Administration, the report is made to run again and this time, the barcode will be displayed.
Fig-6.1: Previewing the report
Fig-6.2: Reflection of Barcode in BI Report
- The generated barcode in the report can be decrypted with the help of a Barcode scanner by the Payroll Administrator.
Prerequisite:
- Font name in BI font mapping must match with MS Word font name.
- “3 of 9 Barcode” format is supported only if the exact .ttf file is uploaded into Oracle and select “3 of 9 Barcode Regular.ttf” in target font.
Business Benefits:
- Barcodes encode product information and alphanumeric characters into bars, making it much faster and easier to ring up items & track inventory in a warehouse.
- Since scanning a barcode automatically enters a large amount of data into a system, they are incredibly valuable for streamlining record keeping and improving efficiency.
- Scanning a barcode completely automates the data entry process and significantly reduces the risks associated with manual errors. The information encoded into a barcode will be reproduced accurately each time the image is scanned to ensure consistency across systems.
- Each time a barcode is scanned, it creates another step in a data trail that can be easily referenced to locate items and events. This allows businesses to greatly improve real-time visibility into their operations.
- This barcode thus highly helps to conceal the details that need to be secured or hidden for the common faculty of sight.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, integrating barcodes into Oracle HCM Payroll and BI reports offers significant advantages in data management and operational efficiency. By following the outlined steps to configure barcode fonts within the BI Administration settings, organizations can enhance their ability to track inventory, streamline processes, and improve overall accuracy. With barcodes facilitating automated data entry and providing real-time visibility into operations, businesses can optimize their supply chain management and better understand customer behavior, ultimately leading to enhanced decision-making and improved organizational performance.
Author: Shivani Guruswamy, Oracle Fusion HCM Consultant