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George Moroses
/ Categories: Infor LX & BPCS Tips, Technology

Infor LX & BPCS Tip: PowerLink

PowerLink is a Windows-based client for end-users within the Infor Development Framework (IDF). PowerLink allows exports/imports from/to the ERP database, but how much do you really know about it? Here is some helpful information about PowerLink.​

Why does PowerLink sometimes fail to export all records?
There's not a finite amount of records that PowerLink can export. However, PowerLink export was never intended to handle large volumes of data. It was designed as a quick snapshot of a fairly small subset and a simple view of the user's PowerLink card. 

What is the maximum amount of data that can be exported?
The maximum number of records is only limited by the system resource like memory, etc. When the system runs out of resources, an OutOfMemory error should occur. In previous testings, we have exported +1 million records, although the size of records differs greatly between business objects, the total size of the data could be an issue. For larger volumes of data, customers should investigate other tools such as the iSeries Access "Data Transfer from iSeries Server" feature to download directly to Excel.

How do I know if the size of the data is an issue?
1. When exporting to an external file (text, HTML) then importing to Excel: You can easily check the output (text, HTML) to see if the intermediate output has all the records. This can be done by visual inspection or through the use of column totals. Simply compare between the output and what you see in PowerLink. If the exported file has all the records, then the problem is definitely Excel.
2. When exporting to clipboard, then copy/paste to Excel: There is a clipboard export size limit that is controlled through client preferences. Check the exported data in the clipboard, and see if it contains all the records or only partial records due to the size limitation set in client preferences. If limited, change the client preferences using Customize from the Main browser > Preferences > Miscellaneous tab > Limit Clipboard Export, and try the export again. If the clipboard has all the records the problem is in Excel, which we don't have jurisdiction over.

Suggestions for improving the export process. 

  1. Reduce the number of columns seen in the view. This will serve to reduce the data being exported and may increase the number of records that can be exported. 
     
  2. Reduce the complexity of the view. If the view has one column that lives on a related object, then it has to build SQL behind the scenes to get that related record. If all of the columns come from a single business object, then the processing will be significantly faster.
     
  3. Export to HTML, which can be opened directly by Excel, Access, and many other programs. This reduces the processing of the export formatting because PowerLink needs only to put begin and end tags around each data element. This will also preserve column alignment when Excel or other programs open the file.
     
  4. Unless you are exporting a fairly small volume of data, export to a file, not clipboard. Clipboard is held in memory until the entire view is read, and records are written to the file as they are retrieved.
     

 Also see KB 1357068 for more information about testing your view.

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Industry Insight: Why ERP Data Stays Siloed, and What to Do About It

Most manufacturers don't have a data problem. They have a connection problem.

Production data lives in one system. Sales and customer data lives in another. Finance runs somewhere else entirely. Each system does its job well on its own, but without a way to connect them, the organization never gets the full picture, and neither do the people trying to run the business.

Why This Happens
ERP systems are often the core of a manufacturer's operations, but they rarely operate alone. Over time, businesses add third-party software for CRM, e-commerce, warehouse management, EDI, and more. Each addition solves an immediate need, but without integration, it also creates another silo.

The result is familiar across manufacturing: teams end up manually re-entering data between systems, waiting on reports that should be immediate, and making decisions without visibility into what's happening elsewhere in the business.

Integration vs. Enhancement
There are two ways to close this gap, and they solve different problems:

  1. ERP Integration connects your ERP to the third-party software you use every day, creating a single source of data instead of several disconnected ones. Whether it's a one-way, two-way, or complex systems integration, the goal is the same: eliminate errors, reduce manual entry, and give everyone access to the same real-time information.
  2. ERP Enhancement goes a step further, creating new functionality or modifying existing functionality within the ERP itself, so the system matches how your business actually operates rather than forcing your business to adapt to the system's limitations. Done right, enhancements use parameter-co
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