FBDI upload fails for manufacturing plan data migration with ORA-12899 error

SCM Oracle Fusion Cloud SCM
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1

We’re migrating manufacturing plan data from our legacy ERP to Oracle Fusion Cloud SCM 23C using FBDI templates. The upload consistently fails with ORA-12899 errors during the import process.

The error indicates value too large for column when processing work definition records:


ORA-12899: value too large for column WORK_DEFINITION_NAME
(actual: 85, maximum: 80)
Record failed at line 247

Our legacy system allowed longer work definition names (up to 100 characters), but the FBDI template seems to have a strict 80-character limit. We have approximately 3,500 work definitions to migrate, and about 15% exceed this limit.

Has anyone dealt with FBDI field length mismatches during manufacturing plan migrations? Do we need to cleanse all the data before upload, or is there a way to extend the field length in Fusion?

2

Check these fields too - they frequently cause issues:

  • OPERATION_DESCRIPTION (240 chars)
  • RESOURCE_CODE (30 chars)
  • DEPARTMENT_CODE (10 chars)
  • ITEM_NUMBER (40 chars)

Also watch for multi-byte characters if you have international data. They can consume more space than single-byte ASCII characters, causing unexpected failures even when the character count looks correct.

3

I’d add one more critical point about FBDI validation - run your cleansed data through a test import in a non-production environment first. We discovered that some fields have additional validation rules beyond just length. For example, certain special characters are prohibited even if they fit within the length limit. A full test cycle will catch these edge cases before you commit to the production migration.

4

We faced the exact same challenge last quarter. The FBDI template documentation specifies maximum field lengths, but it’s easy to miss during planning. Here’s what worked for us:

  1. Export your legacy data and run a validation script to identify all records exceeding length limits
  2. Create business rules for truncation (e.g., remove middle words, use abbreviations)
  3. Maintain a cross-reference table mapping old names to new names for reporting
  4. Get business stakeholder approval on the truncated names before proceeding

The pre-upload data checks are critical. We caught about 200 other issues (special characters, invalid dates) during this validation phase that would have caused additional import failures.

5

Let me provide a comprehensive solution based on multiple manufacturing plan migrations I’ve completed.

Root Cause Analysis: The ORA-12899 error occurs because FBDI templates map directly to database columns with fixed maximum lengths. Oracle Fusion SCM enforces these constraints strictly during import. Your legacy system’s 100-character limit for work definition names exceeds Fusion’s 80-character limit, causing the import to fail at the database level.

Complete Resolution Steps:

  1. Pre-Migration Data Validation: Create a validation script to identify ALL field length violations before attempting FBDI upload:
SELECT work_definition_name, LENGTH(work_definition_name) as name_length
FROM legacy_work_definitions
WHERE LENGTH(work_definition_name) > 80;
  1. Data Cleansing Strategy: For the 15% of records exceeding limits (approximately 525 records), implement a systematic truncation approach:
  • Prioritize removing filler words (“and”, “the”, “of”)
  • Use standard abbreviations (“Manufacturing” → “Mfg”, “Assembly” → “Assy”)
  • If still too long, truncate to 75 characters and add a 3-digit sequence number (“_001”, “_002”) to ensure uniqueness
  • Maintain a cross-reference table:
CREATE TABLE work_def_mapping (
  legacy_name VARCHAR2(100),
  fusion_name VARCHAR2(80),
  migration_date DATE
);
  1. Comprehensive Field Validation: Beyond WORK_DEFINITION_NAME, validate these manufacturing plan fields against FBDI limits:
  • OPERATION_DESCRIPTION: 240 characters
  • OPERATION_SEQUENCE_CODE: 10 characters
  • DEPARTMENT_CODE: 10 characters
  • RESOURCE_CODE: 30 characters
  • STANDARD_OPERATION_CODE: 30 characters
  • ITEM_NUMBER: 40 characters
  1. FBDI Template Preparation: After cleansing, populate your FBDI template with the validated data. Critical columns for manufacturing work definitions:
  • Ensure WORK_DEFINITION_NAME contains your cleansed names (≤80 chars)
  • Verify ORGANIZATION_CODE matches your Fusion manufacturing organization
  • Include OPERATION_SEQUENCE with proper numeric sequencing
  1. Multi-Byte Character Handling: If your data contains international characters, check actual byte length, not just character count:
SELECT work_definition_name,
       LENGTH(work_definition_name) as char_length,
       LENGTHB(work_definition_name) as byte_length
FROM legacy_work_definitions;

Some Asian characters consume 3 bytes per character in UTF-8, so an 80-character limit might actually be a 27-character limit for certain languages.

  1. Test Migration Cycle:
  • Upload a subset (50-100 records) to your test environment first
  • Review the import results and error logs carefully
  • Check for additional validation errors beyond length (invalid characters, referential integrity issues)
  • Verify that migrated work definitions display correctly in the Manufacturing Work Definition UI
  1. Production Migration:
  • Schedule during a maintenance window to avoid conflicts
  • Upload in batches of 500-1000 records to isolate any remaining issues
  • Monitor the Import Process Status page in Fusion for real-time feedback
  • Keep your legacy-to-Fusion mapping table updated for post-migration reporting

Post-Migration Validation: After successful import, run reconciliation queries to confirm record counts match between legacy and Fusion systems. Update any integration interfaces or reports that reference the old work definition names.

This systematic approach addressing FBDI field length constraints, data cleansing requirements, and comprehensive pre-upload validation should resolve your ORA-12899 errors completely.

6

This is a common issue with FBDI migrations. The ORA-12899 error is Oracle’s way of enforcing database column constraints - you can’t extend these limits as they’re part of the core schema design.

Your only option is data cleansing before upload. I recommend creating a mapping spreadsheet where you truncate names to 80 characters while maintaining uniqueness. Add a suffix like “_01” if truncation creates duplicates.