Understanding the capabilities of PeopleTools enhancements is key to optimize best practices and efficiency. Here, we’ll dive into the PeopleTools features Drop Zones and Page Field Configurators to provide tips for utilizing them effectively.
Drop Zones and Page and Field Configurators are a part of recent PeopleTools enhancement capabilities that provide options for customizing PeopleSoft applications without modifying delivered PeopleSoft development-related objects. These functions essentially replace previously customized applications, leaving minimal to no impact on the end-user experience.
Drop Zones
The PeopleSoft Drop Zone is a tool that allows users to configure content to meet specific business needs, making it simpler to apply maintenance and adopt new features.
Drop zones are predefined areas on a Fluid page that allow you to insert content directly on a transaction page, eliminating the need to place the custom content in a separate window. With drop zones, users can add new fields to delivered pages. Accessible with PeopleTools 8.57 and higher, Drop Zones let you add new fields to delivered pages and capture additional data for future processing, which does not affect the lifestyle management process.
PeopleSoft adds standard Drop Zones to the top and bottom of Fluid pages, and additional Drop Zones can be strategically added to the middle of the page. Additional Drop Zones can be requested by accessing the My Oracle Support community and entering your request on the Ideas page.
Functionalities of Drop Zones can be used to add text or instructions to a page. Users can look to Drop Zones to add a statement to certify the correctness of time on a Fluid Timesheet page, add data entry fields to a page, and even add fields to provide additional information such as display links to internal or external areas or websites on a page.
After using a drop zone on a Fluid page and saving the Fluid page data, the data on the drop zone will automatically save. The newly saved content will then seamlessly integrate onto the Fluid page.
Drop Zones are available within various Fluid ePro Requisition pages and should be used as a technique to streamline Requisition entry. Elire PeopleSoft expert Jeff Hilliard gives insight on a Drop Zone use case below:
“Project Business Unit and Project ID fields could be configured and added to a delivered DropZone area within the delivered PeopleSoft Fluid Requisition pages. These newly added fields could then be leveraged by Event Mapping PeopleCode logic for defaulting detail line level values common to every Requisition Line, eliminating the need for users to enter common values multiple times in a single Requisition.”
Using drop zones on an application page reduces maintenance costs of customized Fluid pages, identifying the changes to be configurations instead of customizations.
Page and Field Configurator
The Page and Field Configurator in PeopleSoft is a PeopleTools enhancement function. The Page and Field Configurator (PFC) is similar to Drop Zones in that it can reduce the cost and impact of customizations and upgrades.
The PFC tool is a configurable framework built upon PeopleTools Event Mapping that provides users more flexibility in configuration. It is intended to eliminate minor routine customizations that increase costs. Users can configure fields and pages in any component and don’t need to customize delivered application pages or fields.
PFC gives users the ability to modify labels, hide or disable fields for data entry, make fields required or change field labels all without customization. Another useful capability of PFC is its ability to be configured to display differently for specific device sizes. Ultimately, this functional tool aims to make configuration easier for users.
PFC is available for both Fluid and Classic pages.
To create a configuration, users should follow the steps below:
- Select the component
- Add criteria
- Select fields for change
- Identify impacted roles
- Apply the configuration
To learn more about PeopleSoft capabilities and PeopleTools that can optimize your PeopleSoft investments, read our blog post “PeopleTools 8.59 New Features and Enhancements.”
