Orchestration Items

Orchestration items represent the tasks and activities in an orchestration plan that are performed during the order process, and they are grouped by an orchestration plan definition.

At runtime, orchestration item definitions become orchestration items, and the orchestration execution engine monitors their state. The state process flow for orchestration items is shown in the diagram:

To see examples and descriptions of orchestration item states, see Orchestration Item States

The behavior of an orchestration item is defined by an item type (to learn more, see Orchestration Item TypesOrchestration Item Types). Items execute when all of their dependencies and conditions are met.

You can define dependencies and conditions in the Orchestration Item Definition Detail page.

As shown in the figure above, you can define:

• Orchestration item conditions that evaluate attributes or fields on the product or order entity.

• Orchestration item dependencies to sequence the task within its orchestration plan definition or among orchestration items from other orchestration plan definitions.

You cannot reuse orchestration items between plans. However, you can specify dependencies between items that belong to different plans.

As a best practice, Salesforce recommends creating all plans and orchestration items first, then specifying dependencies between them. To create a reusable orchestration item, for example, complete order, you can create a plan with only one orchestration item and reuse the plan as needed.

Orchestration items reach a Ready state and are executed when all of their conditions and dependencies have been met.

Note

Orchestration item states are managed by Order Management. Other than marking a callout as failed, you should never personally change the state of an orchestration item. Doing so leads to failed orders.

• Orchestration Item Types
  Orchestration plans use orchestration item types to define actions for orchestration items. Actions are triggered when an item reaches the Ready state.
• Orchestration Item States
  Each orchestration item in an orchestration plan is given a color that indicates its state. You can glance at the orchestration plan to get an idea of the states of the items in that plan.
• Orchestration Item Conditions
  As part of an orchestration item definition, you can specify conditions that control whether the item should execute if the condition is met, or skipped if the condition is not met.
• Orchestration Item Associations to Fulfillment Request Lines and Order Items
  If an orchestration plan definition is associated with a technical product, its orchestration items are associated with a fulfillment request line. If an orchestration plan definition is associated with a commercial product, its orchestration items are associated with an order line item.
• Orchestration Item Dependencies
  Orchestration dependency definitions specify the dependencies among orchestration items, either within a single plan or between orchestration items from different orchestration plans.
• View or Create an Orchestration Item Definition
  Edit, examine, or create an orchestration item definition from the relevant Orchestration Plan Definition, or open Orchestration Item Definitions from the App launcher.
• Orchestration Item Definition Attributes Encoding Style
  In the Orchestration Item Definition screen, choose whether to produce flat or structured JSON for attributes.
• Orchestration Item Definition Request Items Encoding Style
  In the Orchestration Item Definition screen, choose whether to produce flat or structured JSON for requests.
• Orchestration Scope
  The Scope field on an orchestration plan definition defines a default scope for orchestration items contained by a plan if the item does not have a scope defined.
• Pass Attribute Values to a Fulfillment Request Line
  Use the XOMAutoTaskCopyAttributes auto task to extract values and pass them to a fulfillment request line.
• Set a Future Time for OM to Process an Orchestration Item
  Edit the Process After field on any callout or auto task Orchestration Item definition to have OM process that item at a specified time, rather than as soon as any prerequisite items have completed. For example, you can delay billing or cancellation of a service until the end of the month.
• Configure a Callout to Send Empty Attribute Values
  By default, if an attribute value is empty, then Order Management doesn't send the attribute at all in a callout. It's as if it didn't exist. You can configure a callout to send along attributes and their values, even if those values are empty.
• Manipulating Attributes with a Vlocity Calculation Matrix
  You can use callouts and auto tasks to manipulate attributes based on a calculation matrix. Use a Vlocity Calculation Matrix to reduce integration complexity and conditional programming logic.
• Propagation of Attribute Values Upstream During Order Management
  Order Management can pass attribute values (or propagate them) from downstream orchestration items back upstream to the associated order line item or orchestration item. You can also set up a pair of values, so that if you receive one value from the pair, you pass back a pre-configured value.
• OM Plus: Re-Propagating Attribute Values
  Order Management Plus allows re-propagation of mapped characteristics on technical (downstream) order items. This is because some attributes might be completed as a result of the information received once callbacks are finished or a task is completed.
• Information About Synchronizing Data across Order Items from Different Orders
  In Order Management Plus, assets are not affected when you synchronize data across Order Items from different Orders.
• Synchronize Data across Order Items from Different Orders
  To synchronize data across Order Items from different orders, use an Auto Task to trigger a request to the Order Management Plus AutoTask service.