Setting Up and Processing Mass Updates

This chapter provides an overview of mass update processing and discusses how to process mass updates.

Note. PeopleSoft no longer supports HRMS specific Mass Change templates. We have left the templates in the database for your convenience but recommend that you use the Mass Update feature.

Understanding Mass Update Processing

This section discusses:

The steps for a mass update run.
The Mass Update process.
Tips for a successful mass update run.

Steps for a Mass Update Run

Mass update processing enables you to make changes to the data of large groups of people. Update job data by groups (using the groups you create using PeopleSoft Group Build), position number, job code, establishment, or department.

To run a mass update:

Set up templates keyed to Mass Update IDs on the Mass Update Definition page (MU_MASS_UPDATE_TBL).

These templates identify the parameters of the updates and enable you to save and reuse parameters.
Enter the Mass Update IDs that you want to execute on the Mass Update page (RUN_MASSUPD1) and run the Mass Update process (HR_MASSUPD).

Choose to execute just one or a number of IDs.
Review the execution result record on the Mass Update Result page (MU_EXEC_RESULT).

Use the result record to determine the source of any errors, correct the problems, and then run the process again for just the affected people.

Mass Update Process (HR_MASSUPD)

The Mass Update process (HR_MASSUPD) uses the component and component interfaces related to the data slated for update (that is, for job data, it uses the JOB_DATA component) and retrieves the data for each person in the group. It then assigns the new values for the people and saves the change, triggering any business rules that apply to this component. It also creates an execution result record to trace the statuses of all modifications for all people.

Tips for a Successful Mass Update Run

For a successful mass update:

Test your update on a small group first.
Use the correction option only if you are certain you want to override data.

If at all possible, add a new effective-dated row, instead.
Familiarize yourself with the online transaction to understand the rules governing the component before trying to automate it using the Mass Update process. When you update a component using Mass Update, it is governed by the same rules (such as defaulting and required fields) as when you access the component online.
To enhance performance, group change lines (using sequence numbers) by record when possible.

By keeping all changes for a record together, the system opens the component only once. When changes to a record are interspersed with other record changes, the system must keep moving between records.
Create several simple Mass Update IDs that you can use in combination instead of trying to create a complicated one that changes everything.

In addition to being more flexible, it’s easier to identify the source of errors.

Important! The Mass Update feature uses component interfaces to update data. Component interfaces execute all of the business logic associated with a component, which ensures that the components function correctly and that the data is consistent. However, updating the data in this manner, while more complete, is slower than some other methods (such as a SQL update). When you run a mass update, take steps to improve performance, such as limiting the size of the transaction set and/or performing the update at night when server traffic is low.

Creating Mass Update Definitions

To create mass update definitions, use the Mass Update Setup component (MU_MASS_UPDATE_TBL).

This section discusses how to set up mass update definitions.

Page Used to Create Mass Update Definitions

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Mass Update Definition	MU_MASS_UPDATE_TBL	Workforce Administration, Collective Processes, Mass Changes, Mass Update Setup, Mass Update Definition	Set up mass update definitions to process mass updates.

Setting Up Mass Update Definitions

Access the Mass Update Definition page.

Population Selection Options

Select By

Indicate how you want the system to select people for mass update: Group ID, Position Number, Job Code, Establishment, or Department.

When you make a selection here, the system displays related fields below for you to specify which Group ID, Position Number, Job Code, Establishment, or Department you want the process to update. For example, if you selected Group ID, the system displays the Group ID field. The update process will select all people with the group ID you specify.

Note. To set up mass update definitions by group, you must grant group security to the Mass Update Definition page. To set up a mass update definition by department, the user must have access to the selected department.

Process Mode Options

Indicate whether you want the process to correct the current information or add a new effective-dated row.

Add new effective date and Reference Date

Select to insert a new effective-dated row using the reference date as the new effective date. If a record already exists with this effective date, the system inserts a row with the date and a sequence number. If the record is not organized by effective sequence, the system produces an error message warning you that if the update were to go ahead, it would overwrite data. This option inserts new information and does not override previous data.

Correction on current Info and Reference Date

Select to change incorrect data and override information in the person's records. The system corrects the record that is or was effective as of the reference date you enter.

Employee Data Change

Use these fields to define which fields to update and with what values.

SeqNum (sequence number)	Indicate in what order the system should update the fields. Some fields cannot be updated without specifying several other related fields in the same mass update ID. For example, to specify a Location field on the JOB record, you must first specify the appropriate business unit. The Business Unit field should be processed first and should have an earlier sequence number than the Location field. Fields that are managed with a key, such as phone information, also require that you use a sequence number to ensure that the key is updated first. For example, before the mass update can update a phone number, it needs to update the phone type. When setting up the mass update, ensure that phone type is an earlier sequence number than the phone number. The system warns you if you need to add a related or key field. Note. Be careful to sequence fields appropriately. Remember that the same constraints (such as defaulting and required fields) that govern a component when you access it online are also active when you update them with Mass Update. The Mass Update process does a preliminary check during the saving process, but it cannot prevent all errors.
Record (Table) Name	Select the record containing the field that you want to update.
Field Name	Select the field whose value you want to update.
Field Value	Enter the value you want to enter in the field you selected.
Update Future	Select to have the Mass Update process update all existing future effective-dated rows (rows that have an effective date later than the Reference Date) in addition to the effective-dated row it is adding or correcting. This option is not applicable to data that is not effective-dated.

Specifying Job Actions and Action Reasons in Compensation Data Change

Enter a row for action and action reason fields. It’s important that you include an action and action reason value when making changes to job data. If you do not specify an action and action reason for inserting a new effective-dated row in a person's Job or Personal Data record, the Mass Update process inserts the following values in the new record:

Change Type	Action	Action Reason
Job Data Change	Data Change (DTA)	None
Compensation Data Change	Pay Rate Change (PAY)	Other (OTH)

Compensation Data Change: Amounts Tab

See the above exhibit for an example of this tab.

Use this tab to correct or add compensation amounts.

Action

Select to Add, Change, or Delete compensation data.

Add: When you select this option and the rate code already exists in the person's compensation package, the system adds the compensation element to the existing package with a new compensation sequence number.
Change: When you select this option, the system can process changes to people with only one compensation element or people who have previous compensation rows with the same rate code.
Delete: If you select this option, the system removes all compensation elements with the rate code specified here from the person's compensation package.

The Mass Update process can only change or delete compensation packages that contain rate code information.

SeqNum (sequence number)

Indicate in what order the order the system should update the compensation record.

Rate Code

Select the rate code whose associated data you want to add, change, or delete. When you add compensation data, the system inserts the compensation rate code for any new compensation effective sequences.

Compensation Data Change: Changes Tab

Use this tab to add compensation changes. The fields on this tab match those of the Amounts tab.

Processing Mass Updates

This section discusses how to:

Run mass updates.
View Mass Update process results.

Pages Used to Process Mass Updates

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Mass Update	RUNCTL_MASSUPD1	Workforce Administration, Collective Processes, Mass Changes, Mass Update Run Control Page, Mass Update	Run mass updates using Mass Update IDs.
Mass Update Result	MU_EXEC_RESULT	Workforce Administration, Collective Processes, Mass Changes, Mass Update Result, Mass Update Result	View Mass Update process results.
Mass Update message log	MU_EXEC_MSGLOG_SEC	Workforce Administration, Collective Processes, Mass Changes, Mass Update Result, Mass Update Result Click Details on the Mass Update Result page.	View any errors that occurred during the Mass Update process.

Running Mass Updates

Access the Mass Update page.

Step Number

Enter the order in which to process this step.

Mass Update ID

Select the mass update ID you want to process.

Exec? (execute?)

Select to execute mass updates step by step instead of executing all the mass updates in an ID at once. This enables you to ensure that the each step executes properly before proceeding to the next. Select to execute your first step or to execute a row after the previous row has completed.

Done?

The system selects this check box when it has processed the mass update ID in the step. If the process completes, the system displays a link to the Mass Update Result page where you can review the results of the update.

Viewing Mass Update Process Results

Access the Mass Update Result page.

Status

Displays the status of the mass update change to this person's record.

If the status is Failure, the process was unable to make the change. You can correct the problem and come back to this page to reset the status to Ready, or you can opt to Cancel the process for this person.

When you select Ready, you can rerun the process.

Details

Select to view the message log for this person. The message log displays the errors (if any) that occurred during the mass update process.

Step Number	Enter the order in which to process this step.
Mass Update ID	Select the mass update ID you want to process.
Exec? (execute?)	Select to execute mass updates step by step instead of executing all the mass updates in an ID at once. This enables you to ensure that the each step executes properly before proceeding to the next. Select to execute your first step or to execute a row after the previous row has completed.
Done?	The system selects this check box when it has processed the mass update ID in the step. If the process completes, the system displays a link to the Mass Update Result page where you can review the results of the update.