National Identifier Table Guide

National Identifier Table in Oracle Fusion HCM: A Practical Consultant Guide

When working on Oracle Fusion HCM implementations, understanding how employee identity data is stored and managed is critical. One of the most important backend components for handling government-issued identifiers is the National Identifier table in Oracle Fusion HCM. Whether you are working on payroll, compliance reporting, or integrations, this table plays a central role in ensuring accurate employee identification.

In real-world projects, consultants frequently interact with this table during HDL loads, BI reporting, and integrations with third-party systems. In this guide, we’ll break down the concept, structure, and practical usage of the National Identifier table with real implementation insights.

What is National Identifier in Oracle Fusion HCM?

A National Identifier refers to any government-issued identification number associated with a worker. Examples include:

• PAN (India)
• Aadhaar (India)
• Social Security Number (US)
• National Insurance Number (UK)

In Oracle Fusion HCM, these identifiers are stored at the person level, and they are essential for:

• Payroll processing
• Legal reporting
• Tax compliance
• Background verification

From a technical perspective, these identifiers are stored in a key table:

👉 PER_NATIONAL_IDENTIFIERS

This table is part of the Person Model in Fusion HCM and links directly to the person record.

Key Features of National Identifier Table

Understanding the capabilities of this table helps in both functional and technical implementations.

1. Multiple Identifiers per Person

A single employee can have multiple identifiers:

• PAN + Aadhaar (India)
• Passport + National ID

2. Country-Specific Validation

The system supports:

• Country-based formats
• Validation rules (configured via setups)

3. Effective Dating

Like most Fusion tables:

• Start Date
• End Date

This allows tracking historical changes.

4. Secure Storage

Sensitive data like national IDs:

• Is masked in UI
• Requires role-based access

5. Integration Ready

Used in:

• HDL (HCM Data Loader)
• REST APIs
• BI Publisher reports

Real-World Business Use Cases

Use Case 1: Payroll Compliance in India

In one implementation:

• Client required PAN validation before payroll run
• Missing PAN → Payroll error

👉 Solution:

• Extract from PER_NATIONAL_IDENTIFIERS
• Validate completeness before payroll

Use Case 2: Employee Onboarding via HDL

A client migrated 20,000 employees:

• PAN and Aadhaar loaded via HDL

Example HDL snippet:

Use Case 3: Integration with Background Verification Vendor

• Vendor required:
  • Employee ID
  • National ID

👉 Integration used:

• BI Extract pulling PER_NATIONAL_IDENTIFIERS
• Sent via OIC integration

Architecture / Technical Flow

From a technical standpoint, the flow looks like this:

1. Employee created → PER_ALL_PEOPLE_F
2. National ID entered → PER_NATIONAL_IDENTIFIERS
3. Linked via PERSON_ID

Key Columns in PER_NATIONAL_IDENTIFIERS

Prerequisites

Before working with National Identifiers, ensure:

1. Legislation Setup

Navigation:

2. National Identifier Types

Defined per country.

Navigation:

3. Security Roles

Ensure users have access to:

• Person data
• Sensitive information

Step-by-Step Configuration in Oracle Fusion

Step 1 – Navigate to Person Management

Search for the employee.

Step 2 – Open Identification Section

Go to:

Step 3 – Add National Identifier

Enter:

Step 4 – Save Configuration

Click Save and Close

👉 Backend entry created in:
PER_NATIONAL_IDENTIFIERS

Testing the Setup

Test Scenario

Create a test employee:

• Person Number: TEST1001
• Add PAN number

Validation Steps

1. Run OTBI report:
   • Subject Area: Workforce Management – Person Real Time
2. Check:
   • National Identifier Number
   • Type
3. Query backend:

Expected Result

• Record should exist
• Correct mapping with PERSON_ID

Common Implementation Challenges

1. Duplicate Identifiers

Problem:

• Same PAN assigned to multiple employees

Solution:

• Enable validation rules
• Use HDL validation

2. Missing Data in Reports

Cause:

• Incorrect joins with PER_ALL_PEOPLE_F

Fix:

• Always join using PERSON_ID

3. Security Restrictions

Issue:

• Users cannot view ID numbers

Reason:

• Data masking policies

4. Incorrect Identifier Type Mapping

Example:

• PAN stored as Passport

Fix:

• Validate identifier types during data load

Best Practices from Real Projects

1. Always Define Primary Identifier

• Helps in reporting and integrations

2. Use HDL for Bulk Uploads

• Faster and consistent

3. Mask Sensitive Data

• Follow compliance guidelines

4. Validate Before Payroll

• Avoid downstream failures

5. Maintain Country-Specific Configurations

• Avoid global assumptions

Frequently Asked Interview Questions

1. What is PER_NATIONAL_IDENTIFIERS table?

It stores government-issued identifiers for employees.

2. How is it linked to employee data?

Via PERSON_ID.

3. Can an employee have multiple identifiers?

Yes.

4. What is PRIMARY_FLAG?

Indicates the main identifier.

5. How do you load national identifiers using HDL?

Using NationalIdentifier business object.

6. What is LEGISLATION_CODE?

Defines country context.

7. Is the data effective dated?

Yes.

8. How do you secure national ID data?

Using role-based access and masking.

9. Which reports use this data?

• Payroll reports
• Compliance reports

10. How do you extract this data?

Using:

• OTBI
• BI Publisher
• SQL queries

11. Can identifiers expire?

Yes, using expiration date.

12. What happens if identifier is missing?

Payroll or compliance errors may occur.

13. How to validate identifier format?

Using configuration and validation rules.

14. Which module uses this heavily?

Payroll and Global HR.

15. What is the impact of incorrect data?

Legal and compliance issues.

Real Implementation Scenarios

Scenario 1: PAN Mandatory for Payroll

• Client requirement: No PAN → No payroll
• Solution:
  • Pre-validation report
  • Blocking payroll run

Scenario 2: Global Implementation

• Multiple countries:
  • US → SSN
  • India → PAN
  • UK → NIN

👉 Used LEGISLATION_CODE for segregation

Scenario 3: Integration with Finance System

• Finance system required PAN
• Extract built using BI Publisher
• Integrated via OIC

Expert Tips

• Always test with multiple identifier types
• Use PERSON_ID instead of PERSON_NUMBER in joins
• Validate data during conversion phase
• Avoid hardcoding identifier types in integrations
• Maintain audit logs for changes

Summary

The National Identifier table in Oracle Fusion HCM is a critical component for managing employee identity data. It directly impacts payroll, compliance, and integrations. As a consultant, understanding its structure, usage, and best practices can significantly reduce implementation risks.

From HDL loads to BI reporting and integrations, this table is used across multiple layers of the system. Proper configuration and validation ensure smooth business operations and compliance with legal requirements.

For further reference, consult Oracle documentation:
https://docs.oracle.com/en/cloud/saas/index.html

FAQs

1. Can we store multiple national IDs for one employee?

Yes, Fusion allows multiple identifiers with one marked as primary.

2. Is National Identifier mandatory in Oracle Fusion?

It depends on country-specific payroll and compliance requirements.

3. Which table should we use for reporting national IDs?

Use PER_NATIONAL_IDENTIFIERS joined with PER_ALL_PEOPLE_F.