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Infor ERP Tips & News from the Experts

Infor LX | Infor LN | BPCS | Baan | Infor M3

Eliminating ERP Customizations: Key Considerations and Modern Solutions

Kathy Barthelt 0 15 Article rating: 5.0

Transitioning away from customizations can indeed pose challenges, but it's not insurmountable with the right approach. Here’s a look at the real issues and solutions that can pave the way for a streamlined, up-to-date ERP.


Common Challenges:

  1. Dependency on Custom Processes
    Custom processes become ingrained, and removing them disrupts established workflows. However, business processes often evolve over time, as do best practices incorporated into modern ERP systems.

  2. Cost and Time Constraints
    Testing, retraining, and hiring consultants for an upgrade are valid concerns. Yet, consider the efficiency gains and reduced maintenance costs over time by utilizing standard ERP features.

  3. User Resistance
    Change management is critical, as employees can be skeptical of losing tools they’re familiar with. Effective communication about the benefits of standardized, future-ready tools can help ease the transition.


The Reality Check: Has Your Organization Changed?

Evaluate how much your business needs have shifted, how user expectations have evolved, and if any workarounds or interim solutions are now adding unnecessary complexity. Many companies discover that industry-standard ERP features can replace outdated customizations.


Did You Know?

Infor LN & Baan Tips & Tricks for FINANCE: Use of Electronic Bank Statements

Kathy Barthelt 0 394 Article rating: 5.0

All actions required for converting, validating, matching, and posting electronically received bank statements can be performed within a single session:

  • Bank Statement Workbench (tfcmg5610m100)
  • Bank Statement (tfcmg5610m000)

Alternatively, you can use the sequence of electronic bank statement sessions outlined below.

Steps to Process Electronic Bank Statements:

Harnessing the Power of AI to Help Manufacturers Sell More at the Right Time

George Moroses 0 77 Article rating: 5.0

AI: Transforming Manufacturing—From Production to Profitability

As AI reshapes industries, manufacturers are asking critical questions: How will customers discover and purchase products in an AI-driven world? And how can companies keep pace with these advancements?

At Crossroads RMC, we address these challenges with our AI Readiness Assessment (AIRA). An AIRA creates a clear, actionable digital roadmap, significantly boosting efficiency, accuracy, and strategic capabilities. This assessment ensures a smooth, swift AI transition.

Our AI Readiness Assessments target key areas:

Infor LX/BPCS Tips & Tricks for EXECUTIVES

George Moroses 0 461 Article rating: 5.0

TECHNOLOGY: Facility Security Ranges

Previously, a user could complete the Cost Transfer (CST920) process for any range of facilities regardless of their security settings established in SYS600. This enhancement verifies the user security settings set up in SYS600 before processing cost transfers for a range of facilities in CST920. If the user has authority for a facility range, but there are facilities within that range that are not authorized, the program skips those facilities and completes the cost transfer process.

FINANCE: Expiration Date for Quotes and RMAs

A Cancel-by-Date has been added to the Quote Header and RMA Header panels. This optional field can limit how long a quote or authorization to return items for credit is valid.  

For quotes, this enhancement provides an optional end date for the quote. For RMAs, it provides an optional date by which the customer must return the items to receive the credit listed on the RMA.

The Cancel-By-Date prints on the Order Acknowledgement and RMA Acknowledgement to inform the customer of this important limitation to the quote or return authorization. 

An Order Entry user cannot copy the quote to create a new order if the Cancel By Date has caused the quote to expire.

OPERATIONS: Default Split Salesperson to Customer Orders

Sales commissions are based on combinations of the Primary, Split, and Line-Level salesperson and the commission codes defined for the customer and item. You can now define the Split Salesperson in the same master files as the Primary Salesperson. While the Primary Salesperson is mandatory, the Split Salesperson is optional. It defaults during Order Create using the identical hierarchy as Primary Salesperson. Using Split Salesperson provides more flexibility in the calculation of sales commissions. The ability to define a default Split Salesperson improves the accuracy of sales commission qualification and calculation and reduces maintenance and adjustments necessitated by corrections.

Infor LX/BPCS Tips & Tricks for TECHNOLOGY: Facility Security Ranges

George Moroses 0 380 Article rating: 5.0

Previously, a user could complete the Cost Transfer (CST920) process for any range of facilities regardless of their security settings established in SYS600. This enhancement verifies the user security settings set up in SYS600 before processing cost transfers for a range of facilities in CST920. If the user has authority for a facility range, but there are facilities within that range that are not authorized, the program skips those facilities and completes the cost transfer process.

Infor LX/BPCS Tips & Tricks for FINANCE: Expiration Date for Quotes and RMAs

George Moroses 0 434 Article rating: 5.0

A Cancel-by-Date has been added to the Quote Header and RMA Header panels. This optional field can limit how long a quote or authorization to return items for credit is valid.  

For quotes, this enhancement provides an optional end date for the quote. For RMAs, it provides an optional date by which the customer must return the items to receive the credit listed on the RMA.

The Cancel-By-Date prints on the Order Acknowledgement and RMA Acknowledgement to inform the customer of this important limitation to the quote or return authorization. 

An Order Entry user cannot copy the quote to create a new order if the Cancel By Date has caused the quote to expire.

Infor LX/BPCS Tips & Tricks for OPERATIONS: Default Split Salesperson to Customer Orders

George Moroses 0 462 Article rating: 5.0

Sales commissions are based on combinations of the Primary, Split, and Line-Level salesperson and the commission codes defined for the customer and item. You can now define the Split Salesperson in the same master files as the Primary Salesperson. While the Primary Salesperson is mandatory, the Split Salesperson is optional. It defaults during Order Create using the identical hierarchy as Primary Salesperson. Using Split Salesperson provides more flexibility in the calculation of sales commissions. The ability to define a default Split Salesperson improves the accuracy of sales commission qualification and calculation and reduces maintenance and adjustments necessitated by corrections.

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Tips:  LX | BPCS | M3

Understanding: The quantities required, finished and remaining at the operation and in total for the Shop Order

The shop order may require 1,000 pieces but only 950 are reported as finished in total for the shop order. The quantity required is what is planned on the SO and it may be a higher number than what is finished, factoring in that there can be scrap. If a 1,000 pieces are required to be produced, and there is always is scrap of 10 pieces, then plan for scheduling a quantity of 1,010.

The quantity finished for the end item is what is reported in the inventory application with a production order receipt transaction. At the operation level, if the quantity is reported at the operation, there will be a value in the PCS Complete field on the operation detail screen showing the pieces completed through that operation.

If you want to get a handle on the difference between the required quantity and the finished quantity, you may want to look into reporting quantities at the operation level as well as examining how scrap is controlled and reported.

Understanding: How many hours remain in total and at each operation?

Now let’s look at what information is being supplied from the shop floor.

It’s not uncommon for transaction reporting to be captured manually on the shop packet that was issued to the factory floor when the SO was released.

The big question is, is anything done with the data? Is it collected and keyed to a  spreadsheet and not shared, or is the transaction data keyed to SFC600? If it is being keyed, ask how often and by whom? Some companies use alternative methods to capture transaction data that do not require batch keying via a keyboard.

Not a lot of data is required to be keyed to SFC600 in order for the SO Inquiry to be useful. The data that should be reported for the transaction process is as follows:

  • The type of hours being reported – machine, run labor, setup labor
  • If reporting setup and run labor you want an employee clock number
  • The shop order and the operation that is being reported
  • Is the operation complete
  • How many good were produced at this operation
  • How many hours – the numbers of hours are critical. Do the employees estimate how many hours they worked, or do they track actual time started and stopped in order to calculate the actual number of hours.

Based on what is captured and how often will have an impact on the SO inquiry screen. Understanding the batch times as to when the transactions are keyed will provide you with the window as to the SO status at that point in time. Or, are they keyed as they happen in a near real time fashion so that you can have a more current view of the factory floor.

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Tips: LN | Baan

Kathy Barthelt

Tip of the Week: 10 Ways to Succeed at an OEE Project Where 90% Fail

  1. Collect the requirements. Learn from everyone with the intent of developing a phased approach to implementing on your shop floor with OEE being Phase 1. 
  2. Create your list. Capture all of required functions, taking into account what the “output” of the system will be. What does the plant manager need to see in real-time? What KPI’s does each line need displayed in real-time? What reports are required?
  3. Insist Upon Real-time. In the moment data for the right OEE is the right approach. If it’s possible, collect the data automatically. Remember that real-time feedback to line operators results in an automatic increase in OEE.
  4. Evaluate your lines. Focus where production counts can be monitored automatically. If the data is in your PLC’s, can you get it out? OPC communication is the right way to go here. If not, the approach is to install a new dedicated PLC with sensors installed on each line.
  5. Find Your Data Points. If automatic production monitoring is not applicable, what will be your collection points and how will you collect the data?
  6. Calculate the Load. Determine how to load the “job” you’re reporting on into the OEE system. This will typically be the order/operation or the product from the ERP.
  7. Recognize Great Data. Do not accept “manual collection of data” as a viable approach because it produces false results and is labor-intensive.
  8. Be Tough. Evaluate systems based on OEE specificity to start and expandability to future phase functions as determined by your requirements. Plan to justify the OEE purchase on its own merits.
  9. Go Easy. Make sure the system is easy to implement. Software installation and configuration should take no more than 2 weeks.
  10. Be Simple. Put together a detailed but simple project plan indicating who will do what, how long it will take, and how you will monitor progress.
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Kathy Barthelt

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