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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 Many companies discover that industry-standard ERP features can replace outdated customizations.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: How many hours remain in total and at each operation?

First let’s look at some key BPCS Master File data starting with the routing file.

How many routing steps (operations) are set up that reflect how the product is produced in the factory? If you take a short cut and set up only one operation for the entire process, then you will limit the information seen on the SO inquiry program. Set up the operation steps to reflect what you want to report back to from the factory floor.

Will each of the routing steps run in one work center, or in different work centers? To keep it simple you may want to set up work centers as departments. For example:

  • Assembly
  • Machine
  • Paint
  • Etc.

For each operation setup consider how you have set up the following:

  • Load Codes – for example a code 5 is used if reporting both setup time and run labor time. These codes are maintained in the work center file
  • Basis Code – typical codes are P for pieces per hour,  3 is used for hours per 1,000 pieces
  • Setup hours – if you set them up, you also want to report them
  • Run hours – Direct Labor
  • Machine hours

How you set up th

Came across an article online from Lauber CFO’s, and thought I would share. Here is a checklist for things to consider in order to finish out the year and help you plan for 2016:

 

  • Are your accounting records up to date so that you can make a projection of how the current year will turn out?
  • Are all account reconciliations currently up to date to facilitate the closing of the books after year end?
  • Are there accounts receivable that should be reserved for or written off prior to the end of the year?
  • If your business carries inventory, do you need to plan a physical count as of the end of the year?
  • Has depreciation on your fixed assets been recorded during the year? Have you considered depreciation on current year additions?
  • Have all new asset purchases and bank loans been recorded on your books?
  • Are there any liabilities, for example, pending legal actions or warranty issues, which will need to be recorded prior to year end? 
  • Do you have a plan in place to properly “cut-off” revenue at year end to properly match revenue and expense?
  • Will there be bonuses, profit sharing contributions or discretionary retirement plan contributions paid prior to the end of the year? How will these payments affect cash f
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Tips: LN | Baan

Kathy Barthelt

Infor LN & Baan Tips & Tricks for EXECUTIVES

FINANCE
Ledger Account Blocked Error
When attempting to post to a ledger account, users may occasionally encounter an error indicating that the ledger account is blocked. To resolve this issue, navigate to the Chart of Accounts session (tfgld0508m000) and select the Miscellaneous tab. Once there, review the Blocking field. The available settings are:

  1. Free
  2. Blocked for manual input (integration transactions and other automatic transactions can be posted with this setting)
  3. Blocked for all purposes.

OPERATIONS
Absorbing Cost Items into Projects
To absorb the cost of cost items into specific projects, you'll need to handle them as customized items. However, cost items cannot directly be defined as customized items. Customized items must be physical, either manufactured or purchased.

That said, it's still possible to absorb cost items into a project, although indirectly. Here's how:

  1. Set Up Ledger Account: First, create a new ledger account in session tfgld0508m000 and set the type to "PCS" (project) in the operations management integrations. This account will be used for matching and approving purchase orders for cost items.

  2. Create and Activate Projects: Ensure that the necessary projects are created and set to active status.

  3. Purchasing Cost Items:

    • If needed, create the cost items.
    • Create a purchase order for the cost items without referencing a project number.
  4. Matching PO to Costs:

    • When matching the purchase orders in session tfacp2107m000, select "Add Costs" from the specific menu on the toolbar (you'll need to be in the matching details to access this).
    • This will open session tfacp1133s000, where you will enter the previously specified ledger account number.
    • Once done, the "PCS Transactions" option on the toolbar becomes available. Selecting this brings up session tipcs3140m000 (General Actual Project Costs).
       
  5. Disbursing Costs to Projects: In session tipcs3140m000, the PO costs for the cost items can be disbursed to any open and active project.

Since these are cost items, they won't go into stock. The key is ensuring that the cost disbursement ("Add Costs") is correctly linked to the appropriate project, giving users visibility of the cost items as general project costs.


TECHNOLOGY
Adding a Timestamp to LN Standard Tables
Table Timestamp Definitions (ttadv4136m000)

Use this session to define timestamps for Infor LN tables. A timestamp is an additional column that stores the date and time of the last change for each record.

Timestamps are utilized by features like the extraction logic of CPM Enterprise Analytics. They enable CPM to perform incremental data extractions. For example, CPM can use the timestamps to extract records that were changed during the last week in a weekly extraction process.

To Create Timestamps:

  1. Enter the Tables: In this session, specify the tables for which you want to define timestamps.

  2. Convert and Reconfigure: Run the Convert to Runtime Data Dictionary (ttadv5215m000) session to convert the table definitions to the runtime data dictionary and reconfigure the tables.

  3. Restart Session: Log off and log back on to apply the changes.

IMPORTANT!
To avoid issues with locked tables, ensure that all users have logged off before starting the reconfiguration.

For more information, refer to the online help of the Convert to Runtime Data Dictionary (ttadv5215m000) session.

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Kathy Barthelt

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