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Infor LX Tips, Infor LN Tips, BPCS Tips, Baan Tips, Infor M3 Tips & Infor ERP News

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Infor LN & Baan Tip of the Week: What is the LN Report Designer and what is required to use it?

Kathy Barthelt 0 1430 Article rating: 5.0

The main purpose of the Report Designer is to enable changes to the design of a 4GL application report, without modifying the standard report or using an external reporting solution. The changes are stored as personalizations. Therefore, the effort that is required to implement changes, after the standard is updated, is reduced.

You can also generate new reports that are based on a selection of fields from the application data model. These reports are generated in the extensibility package. You can personalize these reports in the Report Designer, or modify them in LN Studio.

  • The Report Designer is available with LN 10.5 and later.
  • Enterprise Server 10.6 is required.
  • The Report Designer is only supported in LN UI.

Note:  On LN 10.5 you must re-compile the reports once with Enterprise Server 10.6 to enable them for the Report Designer.

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OTTO - On-Time Ordering: Q&A with an MIS Manager from a metal fabrication manufacturer

George Moroses 0 429 Article rating: 5.0

OTTO  A Q&A with an MIS Manager from a metal fabrication manufacturer:

1. How difficult was it to initially install OTTO?

"We loaded OTTO on our AS/400 on a Friday morning and demonstrated OTTO's capabilities with our own data that afternoon. That really impressed me from an IS perspective because it was so easy to load and run."

2. Would you install it on a test system or on the production system?

"We installed on the production system in order to use live data. OTTO resides outside of the ERP system and builds its own databases so it is not detrimental to any other system."

3. How difficult was it to implement OTTO, was there a negative impact on daily operations?

"Some reports were being used on the first day of the evaluation. There was only positive impact on our operation. For example, shortages in our final assembly area were eliminated within 30 days of the demonstration."

4. Comments?

"I was greatly surprised OTTO fit so well with our operation. OTTO has worked well in our company (we substantially increased on time shipments at the same time our business was seeing a 3 fold increase), but each company has to judge for themselves how well OTTO fits in with their organization."

Contact us to learn how OTTO can help your company!

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Analytics Dashboard News: What is a CFOs Biggest Concern?

Crossroads RMC 0 388 Article rating: 5.0

If you ask CFOs about their biggest concerns, most of them will tell you that increasing cash flow is a high priority.

In order to succeed at this, you have to keep an eye on your accounts receivable. Many companies, however, do not have the means or data to find out where they currently stand.

What if you could have that information at your fingertips?

Learn more about Analytics Dashboard for Infor LN/Baan >

Learn more about Analytics Dashboard for Infor LX/BPCS/M3 >

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Your Enterprise Resource Planning software lies at the heart of your business

Infor LX & BPCS

George Moroses 0 12266 Article rating: 5.0

How Infor LX & BPCS is utilized is critical to operating a stable, well understood and effective business system. Knowing the current state of your system will enable you to make decisions to either better utilize your current ERP version or upgrade.

Crossroads RMC’s Utilization Review helps you flush out issues and areas for improvement. Our findings have resulted in minor procedural changes to a full reimplementation, or system upgrade to Infor LX.

If your business requirements and your resources have undergone major change since your original implementation, it is time to take a look at your ERP system to see if it is being utilized properly. The Crossroads RMC Utilization Review is designed to work with your people to identify the best way to apply the powerful capabilities within the Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Financial modules within the LX/BPCS software to best suit the needs of your business, not only today, but in years to come.

Learn more>

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Infor LX & BPCS Tip of the Week: How do I restrict over-shipments to customers - LX 8.4?

George Moroses 0 1289 Article rating: 5.0

This enhancement prevents over-allocations and resulting overshipments to customers. Attempted over-shipments can present an error message to the user, or there is an option to automatically adjust the user’s request to the allowed quantity.

Since over-shipments result from over-allocations, Infor LX provides an optional validation during the four processes where a user can attempt to over-allocate. Note: Infor LX never over-allocates or over-ships; this always results from a user’s action. This enhancement provides three options regarding over-allocations and over-shipments:

  • Continue current process with warning message.
  • Show error message.
  • Automatically change allocation quantity to match quantity available for shipment.

If the over-ship quantity change is acceptable, internal procedures may require that the order quantity be revised so that pricing, promotions, credit checking, load planning, and other processes reflect the actual quantity.

The programs or areas impacted include:

  • ORD820D, Order Entry System Parameters
  • ORD720D2, Order Allocations
  • ORD725D, Order Entry Allocations
  • ORD570D5, Pick Confirm Inventory Confirmation
  • ORD700D2 / ORD700DA / ORD710B, Order Line Validation
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Your Enterprise Resource Planning software lies at the heart of your business

Friedman | MAPICS | XA and more

George Moroses 0 24209 Article rating: 5.0

How your ERP is utilized is critical to operating a stable, well understood and effective business system. Knowing the current state of your system will enable you to make decisions to either better utilize your current ERP version or upgrade.

Crossroads RMC’s Utilization Review helps you flush out issues and areas for improvement. Our findings have resulted in minor procedural changes to a full reimplementation, or system upgrade.

If your business requirements and your resources have undergone a major change since your original implementation, it is time to take a look at your ERP system to see if it is being utilized properly. The Crossroads RMC Utilization Review is designed to work with your people to identify the best way to apply the powerful capabilities within the Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Financial modules within your ERP software to best suit the needs of your business, not only today, but in years to come.

Learn more>

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Tips:  LX | BPCS | M3

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.

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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.

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Tips: LN | Baan

Kathy Barthelt
/ Categories: Infor LN & Baan Tips, Finance, Operations, Technology, Executive

Infor LN & Baan Tips & Tricks for EXECUTIVES

FINANCE: Can accounts receivable invoices be uploaded into LN using Excel?
Yes, this is possible, by following the steps below:

1. Maintain a batch

2. Maintain an invoice header, export it, add an additional invoice header to the Excel file, and import it

3. Maintain an invoice line for the first invoice, export it, add additional invoice lines to the Excel file and import it
 

Below the above steps are described in detail.

1a. Open the transactions (tfgld1101m000) session and create a batch.

1b. Insert a transaction type, used for creating sales invoices, like ACR, and open it.

2a. The Sales Invoices (tfacr1110s000) session starts. Maintain the invoice header and save it. For example sales invoice ACR 4497.

2b. In the Actions menu select Export and Import -> Advanced Export (fields: All tabs).

2c. In the excel file created during previous step, add the headers for the invoices to be uploaded. Notice if for the transaction type the Documents in Fixed Sequence checkbox is ticked in the Transaction Types (tfgld0511m000) session, the document number for the not-yet existing invoices to be imported in LN should be equal to the default series for this transaction type. Otherwise, so if the Documents in Fixed Sequence checkbox is not ticked, the desired document numbers can be maintained in the excel file.

2d. In the Sales Invoices (tfacr1110s000) session in the Actions menu select Export and Import -> Settings, and make sure the Import Only in This View checkbox is NOT ticked. Then select in the Actions menu select Export and Import -> Import, select the excel file as saved in the prior step, and import it. Afterwards the invoice headers should be visible in the Sales Invoices (tfacr1110s000) session.

3a. Navigate to the first invoice, select Lines. The Transactions (tfgld1102m300) session opens. Maintain at least 1 line and save it.

3b. Open the line created in the prior step. Notice the detailed version of the Transactions (tfgld1102m300) session opens.

3c. In the Actions menu select Export and Import -> Advanced Export (fields: All tabs).

3d. In the excel file created during previous step, add lines for the header invoice numbers as available in the Sales Invoices (tfacr1110s000) session (as per step 2d).

3e. In the detailed version of the Transactions (tfgld1102m300) session in the Actions menu select Export and Import -> Import, select the excel file as saved in the prior step, and import it.


OPERATIONS: MPS Planned vs. MRP Planned
When deciding what items should be MPS (Master Production Schedule) planned and what items should be MRP (Material Requirements Planning) planned, it's crucial to understand the nature of the items and their demand sources. Here's a breakdown:

  • Master Scheduled Items:

    • Master Scheduled Items are typically finished goods or service items.
    • These items receive their requirements from both Independent and Dependent demand sources.
       

  • Independent Demand:

    • Independent demand cannot be calculated from higher-level demand in the product structure.
    • It is driven by forecasts or actual customer orders, primarily applicable to Finished Goods or Service parts sold to customers.
       

  • Dependent Demand:

    • Dependent demand is derived from higher-level demand in the product structure.
    • It includes components, raw materials, and sub-assemblies.
    • Dependent demand items are not typically part of Master Production Scheduling (MPS).
       

  • Service Parts:

    • Service parts can have both independent demand from forecasts or customer orders and dependent demand from higher-level demand if they are used in sub-assemblies or other products.
       

  • Cumulative Lead Time:

    • Cumulative Lead Time is a concept used in MPS.
    • It combines the fixed lead time and variable lead time required to produce a product.
    • It represents the longest path through a Bill-of-Materials (BOM).
    • Your ERP system will calculate the cumulative lead time (Critical Path) based on MPS setup options.
       

  • Infor LN Approach:

    • Infor LN does not differentiate between MPS and MRP planning.
    • It uses Enterprise Planning (EP) with one set of planned orders.
    • While you can set up items and generate orders at plan levels, it's not always necessary.
    • In theory, you could treat plan level 1 similar to MPS items.
       

  • Defining Independent Demand in LN:

    • In LN terms, independent demand is demand not related to other planned items.
    • Dependent demand comes from related planned items higher up in the BOM structure.
       

  • COLT (Cumulative Order Lead Time):

    • COLT exists in the purchase and manufactured planned items.
    • It considers non-critical and critical lead times based on components marked as critical.
    • Once calculated, COLT can be used to update the order and planning horizons of a planned item.

Relevant Sessions:

In Baan IV:

  • Maintain Item Data (tiitm0101m000)
  • Generate MPS (timps3201m000)
  • Maintain Master Production Schedule (timps3101m000)
  • Display Planned Inventory Movements by Item (timrp1510m000)
  • Display Planned MRP Purchase Orders (timrp1521m000)

In Baan V:

  • Plan Item Data (cprpd1500m000)
  • Item Master Plan (cprmp2101m000)
  • Time-Phased Overview (cprrp0520m000)

In Infor LN:

  • Item – Planning (cprpd1100m000)
  • Item Master Plan (cprmp2101m000) - Same as Master MPS if used


TECHNOLOGY: Are you running the latest Infor components?
Always good to stay on top of new releases for your various Infor components. Here is a list of knowledge base articles that you can check for the components listed below:

For the last Infor LN, Infor Baan5, and Infor Baan4 porting set see KB 22923520

For the last BaanIVc 6.1c porting set see KB 22923521  No fixes are made based on the 6.1c porting set.

For the last Worktop set see KB 22881488 For the last BW set see KB 22881483 For the last EME set see KB 22866552 For the last Office integration set see KB 22867312 For the last Dynamic Form Editor see KB 22881485

For more information and assistance, you can contact Crossroads RMC at 800.762.2077 or via email at solutions@crossroadsrmc.com.

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Kathy Barthelt

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