Step-by-Step Solution: Configuring an Expense Policy in Oracle Financials Cloud
To configure this expense policy in Oracle Financials Cloud, follow these steps:
Step 1: Access the Expense Policies Setup Page
Log in to Oracle Financials Cloud with the appropriate Expense Manager or Financial Administrator role.
Navigate to Setup and Maintenance.
Select the Task: Manage Policies by Expense Category.
Step 2: Create or Locate the Meal Expense Category
Search for the Meals expense category.
If the Meals category does not exist:
Click Create Expense Category.
Category Name: "Meals".
Category Type: "Meals and Entertainment".
Save the entry.
Step 3: Define a Policy Rule for Raising a Warning
Select the Meals Expense Category and click Edit.
Navigate to the Policies and Limits tab.
Under Amount Limits, click Add New Rule.
Configure the Expense Policy Rule:
Description: "Meal Expense Warning Policy".
Limit Type: "Warning Only".
Limit Amount: Enter the prescribed limit (e.g., 50 USD).
Per: Select Day (or another relevant time frame).
Applies To: Select All Employees.
Location-Based Rules: Leave blank if not location-specific.
Set Warning Behavior:
Select Raise a Warning if the expense exceeds the prescribed limit.
Ensure the policy does not block submission or approval.
Click Save and Close.
Step 4: Associate the Policy with an Expense Report Template
Navigate to Setup and Maintenance > Manage Expense Report Templates.
Search for the Expense Report Template where the Meals category should be included.
Click Edit and go to the Expense Types section.
Add the Meals Expense Type and associate it with the newly created Meals Expense Warning Policy.
Click Save and Close.
Step 5: Enable and Validate the Policy
Ensure the policy is marked as Active.
Click Submit to finalize the policy configuration.
Run the Validate and Deploy Expense Policies process.
Step 6: Testing the Policy
Simulate an Expense Report Submission:
Create a new expense report and select Meals as the expense type.
Enter an expense amount exceeding the limit (e.g., 55 USD).
Verify that a warning message appears, but the expense is still allowed to proceed.
Submit an expense below the limit (e.g., 45 USD) and ensure no warning appears.
Expected Outcome:
If the meal expense exceeds the limit, the system raises a warning but does not block the expense submission.
If the meal expense is within the limit, the system processes it without warnings.
The policy is successfully associated with an expense type in an expense report template.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you successfully configure an expense policy that raises a warning for meals exceeding a specified limit without blocking submission or processing. This ensures that employees are notified about policy violations while allowing flexibility in expense approvals.
