A Comprehensive Guide to Combination Sets in Oracle Cloud ERP

Introduction: The New Era of Validation in Oracle Fusion

Oracle Fusion's latest release has introduced a powerful feature for managing chart of accounts (COA) integrity: Combination Sets. This enhancement simplifies how users control valid segment combinations, offering a faster, more efficient alternative to traditional Cross-Validation Rules (CVRs).

In this blog, we’ll explore:

What are Combination Sets?
How they differ from CVRs
When to use them
How to configure them
Real-world examples

What are Combination Sets in Oracle Cloud Fusion?

Combination Sets are a simplified and high-performance way to restrict segment value combinations in your Chart of Accounts (COA). Unlike CVRs, which operate at the rule level, Combination Sets allow predefined valid segment combinations to be stored in a set and then assigned to a ledger or business unit.

At its core, a Combination Set is a new type of account validation rule that allows you to define a list of allowed or disallowed combinations of segment values for your Chart of Accounts. Unlike CVRs, which are rule-based (if X then Y), Combination Sets are list-based. They focus on explicitly enumerating valid or invalid partial account combinations.

You can specify up to five validation segments within a Combination Set. This feature is particularly powerful when dealing with complex business rules that don't follow a simple pattern or when integrating with Master Data Management (MDM) systems that manage such lists.

How Do Combination Sets Work?

Combination Sets operate on a simple yet effective principle:

1. Define the Set: You create a Combination Set and specify its type:

Allow: Only the exact combinations of segment values explicitly listed within this set are valid. Any other combination involving these segments is considered invalid. This is ideal for scenarios where only a few specific combinations are permitted.

Disallow: All combinations are considered valid except for the specific combinations of segment values explicitly listed within this set. This is useful for preventing a few known problematic combinations.

2. Specify Validation Segments: You select the Chart of Accounts (COA) segments (up to five) that will be part of this validation set. The order of these segments should typically mirror your COA structure for clarity.

3. Upload Combinations: You then define the specific segment value combinations (either allowed or disallowed) within the set. This can be done manually for smaller setsor, more commonly, via File-Based Data Import (FBDI) for larger volumes. Oracle provides templates for this purpose.

4. Activation: Once defined and combinations are loaded, the Combination Set must be activated. This involves setting its status from 'Draft' to 'Active'. For auditing purposes, you might need to enable auditing for account combination changes.

When a user attempts to create a new account combination (either through manual entry, imports, or integrations), Oracle's validation engine checks it against all active Combination Sets, CVRs, and Related Value Sets. For a combination to be valid, it must satisfy all active validation rules.

Combination Sets vs. Cross-Validation Rules (CVR): A Comparison

While both Combination Sets and CVRs aim to ensure valid account combinations, their underlying approach differs significantly:

Feature	Cross-Validation Rules (CVR)	Combination Sets
Approach	R ule-based (IF-THEN logic): Defines conditions and filters.	List-based (Explicit Lists): Defines allowed or disallowed combinations.
Complexity	Ideal for logical patterns, ranges, or hierarchical relationships. Can become complex with many conditions.	Ideal for non-patterned, discrete lists of combinations. Handles up to 5 segments.
Maintenance	Managed through UI with condition/validation filters. Spreadsheet upload available.	Managed primarily via FBDI upload for bulk combinations. UI for set definition.
Error Messages	Customizable error messages per rule.	Error messages are generic for the Combination Set.
Best Use Case	Rules like "If Company = X, then Department cannot be Y." "If Account is Revenue, then Cost Center must be non-zero."	"Only these specific combinations of Company-Department-Account are allowed." Or "These 3 combinations of Company-Project are explicitly disallowed."
Performance	Can degrade with highly complex or numerous rules that are evaluated.	Generally good for defined lists; performance benefit for disallow rules over complex CVRs.
Integration	Less direct integration with MDM for list management.	Designed to integrate well with MDM solutions managing explicit lists.

When Should You Use Combination Sets?

Use Combination Sets when:

You have a fixed list of valid segment combinations.
Performance is impacted by a large number of CVRs.
You want to eliminate the risk of users entering invalid combinations without writing dozens of validation rules.

Avoid them if you need dynamic or conditional validations — for that, CVRs are still better.

How to configure combination Sets: A Step-by-Step Guide

Configuring Combination Sets in Oracle Cloud ERP involves navigating through the Setup and Maintenance work area. Here’s a general outline of the steps:

Access Cross-Validation Rules:

From the Setup and maintenance page, select Manage Cross-Validation Rules.
On the Manage Cross-Validations page, you'll find a new tab: Combination Sets. Click on this tab.

2.Create a New Combination Set:

Click the Create icon (+).

Name: Provide a unique and descriptive name for your Combination Set.
Description: Add a detailed description of its purpose.
Type: Select either Allow or Disallow. Crucially, this cannot be changed after saving.
Status: The initial status will be Draft. You'll change this to Active once your combinations are ready.
Validation Segments: Select the segments that will be part of this Combination Set. Remember, a maximum of five segments can be chosen.

3.Save the Combination Set Definition.
4.Define and Upload Combinations:

While on the Combination Sets tab, select your newly created (or existing) Combination Set.
Click Download Combinations. This will generate an FBDI template (CrossValidationCombinationsImportTemplate.xlsm) for you.
Populate the template with your desired valid or invalid segment combinations. Ensure you use the correct segment values and the appropriate "Action" (INSERT, DELETE).
Upload the completed FBDI template using the Upload Combinations option (or Manage Account Combination Validation Rules process).

Upload process
On the Manage Cross-Validations page, click the Combination Sets tab
On the Actions menu, select Upload.

Now load the data from the interface table into the application.
Select Manage from the Actions menu to open the Manage Account Combination Validation Rules process dialog box.

Activate the Combination Set:

Once your combinations are successfully uploaded and you've reviewed them, go back to the Combination Set definition.
Change the Status from Draft to Active.
Important: Remember to redeploy your Chart of Accounts Flex field if you've made significant structural changes or are activating new validation types for the first time.

Examples of Allowed vs Disallowed Combinations in Combination Sets

Let's assume our Chart of Accounts has the following segments:

Company (e.g., 1000 - US Operations, 2000 - EU Operations)
Department (e.g., 101 - Sales, 102 - Marketing, 201 - HR)
Account (e.g., 5000 - Salaries, 6000 - Travel, 7000 - Utilities)
Project (e.g., P001 - New Product Launch, P002 - Q3 Campaign, P000 - No Project)

Example 1: Allow Type Combination Set

Scenario: Your company has very strict controls over capital expenditure projects. Only specific combinations of Company, Department, and Project are allowed for any capital-related accounts (e.g., 15000 - Capital Assets).

Combination Set Definition:

Name: Capital_Project_Allowance
Type: Allow
Validation Segments: Company, Department, Project
Status: Active

Combinations Loaded (via FBDI):

Company	Department	Project
1000	102	P001
1000	201	P000
2000	101	P002

Results:

Allowed Combination: 1000-102-15000-P001 (This combination is valid because 1000-102-P001 is explicitly allowed in the Capital_Project_Allowance set.)
Allowed Combination: 1000-201-15000-P000 (Valid, as 1000-201-P000 is allowed.)
Allowed Combination: 2000-101-15000-P002 (Valid, as 2000-101-P002 is allowed.)
NOT Allowed Combination: 1000-101-15000-P001 (Invalid. Although Company 1000 and Project P001 are in the set, the Department 101 is not part of any explicitly allowed combination for Company 1000 and Project P001 in this set. This segment combination would be rejected.)
NOT Allowed Combination: 2000-201-15000-P000 (Invalid. The combination 2000-201-P000 is not explicitly listed as allowed in the Capital_Project_Allowance set.)
NOT Allowed Combination: 1000-102-15000-P003 (Invalid. Project P003 is not part of any allowed combination in the set.)

Example 2: Disallow Type Combination Set

Scenario: Your company wants to prevent specific problematic or erroneous combinations from ever being used in the General Ledger. For example, certain expense types should never be booked to specific departments.

Combination Set Definition:

Name: Invalid_Expense_Combos
Type: Disallow
Validation Segments: Department, Account
Status: Active

Combinations Loaded (via FBDI):

Department	Account
101	6000
102	5000
201	7000

Results:

Allowed Combination: 1000-101-5000-P001 (Valid. Department 101 with Account 5000 is not in the disallowed list. The disallowed combination for 101 is 6000.)
Allowed Combination: 2000-102-6000-P000 (Valid. Department 102 with Account 6000 is not in the disallowed list. The disallowed combination for 102 is 5000.)
Allowed Combination: 1000-201-6000-P002 (Valid. Department 201 with Account 6000 is not in the disallowed list. The disallowed combination for 201 is 7000.)
NOT Allowed Combination: 1000-101-6000-P001 (Invalid. This combination uses Department 101 and Account 6000, which is explicitly disallowed in the Invalid_Expense_Combos set.)
NOT Allowed Combination: 2000-102-5000-P000 (Invalid. This combination uses Department 102 and Account 5000, which is explicitly disallowed.)
NOT Allowed Combination: 1000-201-7000-P002 (Invalid. This combination uses Department 201 and Account 7000, which is explicitly disallowed.)

Very Important Note

These examples demonstrate how Allow sets restrict usage to only what's explicitly listed, while Disallow sets prevent specific problematic combinations while allowing everything else. This flexibility makes Combination Sets a powerful addition to Oracle's validation capabilities.

Conclusion: Smarter Validations with Less Effort

Combination Sets are a game-changer for Oracle Cloud ERP users seeking performance, simplicity, and better control over COA segment combinations. While CVRs are still relevant for advanced conditions, Combination Sets offer an easier and faster way to enforce fixed combinations.

Looking to optimize your ERP setup? Start using Combination Sets today to reduce errors, improve efficiency, and enhance compliance.