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

Infor LX & BPCS: Why You Need MES

You know your plant better than anyone, and most likely you'd admit that there is room for improvement. Perhaps too many defects are causing costly issues down the road, or maybe your production is behind and orders are shipping late? Do you know what needs to be improved? Do you know about the root causes of the problems that you’re experiencing? Is it fair to say, you don’t know what you don’t know … yet?

MES helps you dig into the problem and better yet, SOLVES the problem!

What Is MES and How Does It Work?

Many companies still enter data manually or share work instructions on paper. Most of them, however, know there’s a better way to organize the mass of activity happening on the plant floor. MES provides visibility to that activity as well as the underlying data and uses that data to improve how that activity is done and makes it repeatable. MES connects multiple sites, integrates with equipment, and raises the effectiveness of business applications all to better optimize operations.

The 3 Pillars of MES:

  1. Establishing a plan and staying on schedule. The system takes your input — production shifts/times, production goals, etc. — and calculates the rate at which you need to complete production in order to meet customer demand. Operators see real-time progress on dashboard graphics, knowing the progress at every moment.
  2. Enforcing a repeatable process. Knowing your process is being followed exactly as defined provides the ultimate peace of mind. Every target, from fastening to product routing, is achieved just as you defined it time after time.
  3. Creating a rich data set. Capturing data is one thing; being able to act on that data is really the key to driving improvement initiatives. Use your analytics, explore your data set, and identify and solve your hidden inefficiencies.

All three of these MES pillars are used to help you reach productivity and quality goals by:

  • Solving production scheduling challenges
  • Discovering and sharing your best operators’ insights
  • Uncovering inefficiencies in your process and fixing them
  • Reducing the exhausting task of putting out fires
  • Establishing a continuous improvement philosophy
  • Increasing operator engagement and dedication

And if you need another reason... according to Forbes.com, MES ranks in the Top 5 Key Areas to Affect How Goods Are Made in 2023 - Five Predictions For Manufacturing And Logistics In 2023.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/02/13/five-predictions-for-manufacturing-and-logistics-in-2023/?sh=1155863f1f76

So, what's next? Work with Crossroads RMC, an experienced MES partner who has seen situations just like yours and who has guided companies in your position. And best of all, Crossroads RMC doesn’t just know MES, we have a team of experts who are knowledgeable about manufacturing best practices, your Infor ERP, and MES and can bring all of that knowledge together to help you formulate the right plan for your company’s success.

Contact Anthony Etzel at Crossroads RMC today. He can provide you with a free MES ROI calculator to give you some concrete numbers to help you see what MES can do for your business. 800.762.2077

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George Moroses

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Tips:  LX | BPCS | M3

When I try to enter a 3-way match invoice with zero cost items, I get an error 'Must have value/cost entry.

Resolution
​ACP500 requires a positive value to create a 'C' transaction when entering a 3-way match invoice. If you are receiving inventory items for free (no charge) and have a purchase order for it and need to include the quantity in inventory, you should first receive your items through PUR550 using something like a 'U' transaction. Then, you would enter a 'C' transaction with the quantity and zero cost through PUR550. This will change the status of the line in the HPO file to '3', fully received and costed. Once this is completed, you will be able to enter an invoice for your zero-cost item through ACP500 without getting the error message 'Must have value/cost entry.

The cycle counting sub-system in Inventory Management determines which items are selected for cycle counting based on the following criteria:

  1. Cycle Counts/Year: The system calculates the cycle count frequency for each item using the "Cycle Counts/Year" field in the Item Master file (optional).

  2. Last Cycle Count Date: If you use locations, this date is found in the Location Inventory file (ILI), and if you don't, it's in the Warehouse Inventory file (IWI).

The system adds the calculated cycle count frequency to the last...

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Tips: LN | Baan

A serialized item is a physical occurrence of a standard item that is given a unique lifetime serial number. This enables tracking of the individual item throughout its lifetime, for example, through the design, production, testing, installation, and maintenance phases. A serialized item can consist of other serialized components.

In Service, a serialized item can be a customer-specific or owner-specific installation. Installation groups are a group of installations/serialized items such as photocopiers, computers, air conditioners, forklifts, lathe machines, and even aircraft.

A serialized item is identified by both the item code and serial number. You can set up the mask used to generate the serial numbers so the serial number includes some fields of the item data, such as the item group and the manufacturer.

In a multi-company structure, the companies can share the serialized item data. All the service departments in the various companies can refer to the same serialized items.

The serialized item can originate from a sales order or a project. The details of a serialized item indicate their origin, for example, by using specific sets of serial numbers for items that originate from sales orders and from projects. Serialized items can also originate from an as-built structure or directly from the production bill of material in Manufacturing.

In Service...

Are you striving to create shipping labels that cater to all your customers' needs? Do you require specific details on your shipping labels for particular items or product lines?

According to recent research, the global barcode label printer market was valued at $2.6 billion in 2022 and is estimated to reach $4.3 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.2% from 2023 to 2032.

Crossroads RMC's RMClabel software automates the printing of customer-specific and item-specific labels...

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