Title: Oracle Retail Merchandising System (RMS): A Beginner's Guide
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction to Oracle RMS
2. Core Concepts and Architecture
3. Key Modules in Oracle RMS
4. Item Management
5. Supplier and Cost Management
6. Purchase Orders and Receiving
7. Inventory Management
8. Sales and Pricing
9. Integration with Other Oracle Retail Applications
10. User Interface and Navigation
11. Common Use Cases and Workflows
12. Conclusion and Further Learning
13. Appendix: Examples and Workflows
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### 1. Introduction to Oracle RMS
Oracle Retail Merchandising System (RMS) is a core component of the Oracle Retail
suite, used by retailers to manage core merchandising operations such as
purchasing, inventory, pricing, and supplier information. RMS serves as the
foundation for accurate item, cost, and inventory data across the retail
enterprise.
### 2. Core Concepts and Architecture
- Data Model: Relational database structure, with key entities like ITEMS,
SUPPLIERS, LOCATIONS.
- Technology Stack: Oracle Database, Oracle Fusion Middleware, WebLogic Server,
ADF-based front-end.
- Deployment Options: On-premise or Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
### 3. Key Modules in Oracle RMS
- Item Management
- Supplier Management
- Purchase Orders (POs)
- Inventory Control
- Cost Management
- Sales Auditing (via ReSA)
- Invoice Matching (via REIM)
### 4. Item Management
- Creating and managing items and styles.
- Hierarchy: Departments → Classes → Subclasses → Items.
- Defining attributes like size, color, season, etc.
Example: A retailer adds a new line of winter jackets. In RMS, each style (e.g.,
Men's Winter Jacket) is created with different colors and sizes under the same
style ID.
### 5. Supplier and Cost Management
- Defining and managing supplier profiles.
- Setting up cost zones and cost hierarchies.
- Handling vendor agreements and cost negotiations.
Workflow:
1. Add a new supplier with contact and contract details.
2. Define default cost terms and currency.
3. Link the supplier to specific items.
### 6. Purchase Orders and Receiving
- Creating purchase orders (manual and automatic).
- PO lifecycle: Draft → Approved → Shipped → Received.
- Managing shipments and ASN (Advanced Shipping Notice).
Example: A PO is created for 100 winter jackets from Supplier A. Once the ASN is
received, RMS updates the shipment status, and upon receipt, stock is added to
inventory.
### 7. Inventory Management
- Stock ledger and inventory balance.
- Transfer orders between stores/warehouses.
- Cycle counting and physical inventory.
Workflow:
1. A store initiates a stock transfer request.
2. RMS generates a transfer order.
3. Warehouse ships items; store receives and updates stock.
### 8. Sales and Pricing
- Setting and managing retail prices.
- Promotions and markdowns.
- Price zones and price events.
Example: A 20% markdown is scheduled for winter jackets starting December 1. RMS
pushes this event to stores and updates POS pricing.
### 9. Integration with Other Oracle Retail Applications
Oracle RMS integrates tightly with other Oracle Retail modules:
- ReSA (Retail Sales Audit): Pulls sales data from POS and reconciles with expected
transactions from RMS.
- REIM (Retail Invoice Matching): Matches supplier invoices with PO receipts.
- RPM (Retail Price Management): Sends price events and promotions to RMS and POS
systems.
- SIM (Store Inventory Management): Facilitates store-level inventory adjustments
and cycle counts.
- RWMS (Warehouse Management): Communicates shipments and receiving between
warehouse and RMS.
Connection Workflow Example:
1. PO is created in RMS.
2. Shipment arrives at warehouse; RWMS updates RMS.
3. Store sells the item; POS sends data to ReSA.
4. Supplier sends invoice; REIM matches it with RMS PO.
### 10. User Interface and Navigation
- ADF-based user interface.
- Navigation via task panes and dashboards.
- Common UI elements: LOVs, tables, forms.
### 11. Common Use Cases and Workflows
- New Item Onboarding:
- Create item → Assign supplier → Define cost/price → Approve
- Creating and Receiving POs:
- Create PO → Approve → Supplier ships → Receive stock
- Inventory Transfers:
- Initiate transfer → Ship from source → Receive at destination
- Cost and Price Changes:
- Approve cost change → Validate with suppliers → Push to RMS and POS
### 12. Conclusion and Further Learning
Oracle RMS is a powerful merchandising backbone. To become proficient:
- Explore Oracle documentation and support.
- Practice using a sandbox environment.
- Understand integration with retail analytics and cloud components.
### 13. Appendix: Examples and Workflows
1. Item Lifecycle Example
- Step 1: Create a new item style.
- Step 2: Assign colors/sizes (SKUs).
- Step 3: Set cost and price.
- Step 4: Assign to stores.
- Step 5: Create PO and receive stock.
2. Purchase Order Example
- PO #123456 for 200 jackets → Supplier confirms ASN → Warehouse receives shipment
→ Stock updated in RMS.
3. Integration Example
- RMS PO → Shipment via RWMS → Receipt confirmed → Invoice matched in REIM → Sale
recorded and audited in ReSA.
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Glossary of RMS Terms
- SKU: Stock Keeping Unit
- ASN: Advanced Shipping Notice
- PO: Purchase Order
- DC: Distribution Center
- LOV: List of Values
Sample SQL Queries for RMS Tables
-- Get items by subclass
SELECT * FROM ITEM_MASTER WHERE subclass = 'Winter Wear';
-- PO status
SELECT po_number, status FROM PO_HEADER WHERE supplier = 'Supplier A';
RMS Batch Jobs Overview
- ORDIMPR: PO Import batch
- STKLEDGR: Stock ledger update
- ORDRECPR: PO receipt processing
Oracle Retail Learning Resources
- Oracle University
- Oracle Retail Documentation Library
- Oracle Retail Community Forums
