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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 ERP Tips & News from the Experts

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

BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: Alternate Items

Anthony Etzel 0 56057 Article rating: No rating
How can I use an alternate item on a shop order?

The best way is to have the approved alternate item appear on the Bill of Material just after the standard item with a zero required quantity. Now the alternate item will appear on the Shop Order. So, if the standard item is not available, the alternate item can be issued to the shop order.

When the shop order is closed out, one item will have an unfavorable variance while the other shows a favorable variance. This is an easy way to provide alternate items provided engineering approves and they are part of the Bill of Material.

Baan/LN Tip of the Week: Negative Inventory

Kathy Barthelt 0 53750 Article rating: No rating

If Location Control is turned on in Baan IV, then inventory should never be negative.

If Location Control is not turned on in Baan IV, and the parameter “Negative Inventory Allowed” in INV Parameters is set to “NO”, then inventory should never be negative.

In Baan V and LN, the parameters in Inventory Handling Parameters determine whether you can have negative inventory. If these parameters are set to “NO”, then inventory should never be negative.

BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: User Defined Transactions

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When to use a user defined inventory transaction

ERP LX (BPCS) provides you with the flexibility to create inventory transactions without program modifications. The typical transaction types are defined with effects set on how the transaction will impact inventory balances.

Perhaps you want to process a customer return and don’t want to the inventory to be impacted. You can create a user define transaction effect to allow the customer receipt and not update the inventory balance.

Baan/LN Tip of the Week: Old Porting Set

Kathy Barthelt 0 50681 Article rating: No rating

Here are some issues that you might run into if you stay on an old porting set too long:

  • Incompatibility because of operating system patches
  • Printing issues because of out-of-date libraries
  • Potential performance issues if binaries are not updated
  • Updating third-party products may not be possible because of dependencies
  • Limited support from Infor
  • Issues with updating database software/patches because of dependencies (if the database is also running on the same server as the application)

Need help getting on a newer porting set? Let us know! We’d be happy to help.

Crossroads MES Released for Windows 10

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Crossroads RMC is pleased to announce the availability of Crossroads MES, V11 for Windows 10. Any customers wishing to upgrade from a previous version to V11 can do so by contacting  support@crossroadsrmc.com. As previously announced, Crossroads MES  is also compatible with tablet PCs running Windows 8.1. Tablet PCs are becoming the clipboard replacement for supervisors and managers to monitor what’s happening on the shop floor.

BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: Shop Order Release Date

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The shop order release date is the date that the shop order is scheduled to be released for production.

If you want to use the backward schedule method, make sure the release date is blank and the due date is maintained.

If you maintain the quantity on the shop order and the due date is prior to the system date, the due date and the release date are the same.

Baan/LN Tip of the Week: Plan Codes

Kathy Barthelt 0 58003 Article rating: No rating

In Baan IV, plan items exist within the context of a plan code. A plan code includes only items of the MPS Item item type. Planned orders are independent of a plan code. Users can compare plan codes by means of the Plan Code Performance Comparison (cprmp4504m000) session.

The scenario concept in Infor LN replaces the plan code concept in Baan IV.

In Infor LN, the basic data for plan items is the same for all scenarios. However, users maintain not only the master plan within a scenario, but the planned orders as well.

For example, for each scenario, Users can specify:

  • Special demand for an item.
  • The availability of resources (in the Scenario – Availabilities (cprpd4160m000) session).
  • The sourcing strategies and supply strategies.

Users can compare scenarios by means of the Performance Indicators (cprao2201s000) session.

BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: Receiving to Inspection

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If the item being received needs to be inspected prior to being available for use, there are two schools of thought.

The first is to receive the item to a QC hold location. The downside is the item will show up in on hand inventory.

A better method would be to do a PO receipt to inspection. Both Inv500 and Pur550 support this method. Now you have received the item without showing it in inventory. Only the PO quantity in inspection is updated. This method also allows you to create an Inspection Dispatch Report. After the QC process for the item is complete, then the transaction Receipt from Inspection to Stock is processed. That transaction then updates the PO quantity received field and the Item on hand field in inventory.

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Tips:  LX | BPCS | M3

Improves control over PO costing changes during invoice entry by replacing passive warnings with an intentional override action.

  • In ACP500D3 (Invoice Entry PO Costing), users previously could unintentionally accept changes by pressing ENTER, even when quantity to cost or amount to cost values had changed.

  • A new “F14 to Override” warning message replaces the old message:
    “Details have changed. Press enter again to accept data.”
    This ensures users acknowledge and confirm significant changes explicitly.

New System Parameter:

  • “Apply GRN Costing Tolerance for PO Costing” (optional):

    • Within tolerance: Displays the original message —
      “Details have changed. Press enter again to accept data.”

    • Outside tolerance: Triggers the new override requirement —
      “F14 to Override”

Benefits:

  • Enhances oversight and reduces unintentional cost acceptance.

  • Enables better control of PO costs when invoice details differ from expectations.

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Tips: LN | Baan

Kathy Barthelt

Infor LN & Baan Tips & Tricks for EXECUTIVES

FINANCE: Use of Electronic Bank Statements

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:

  1. Convert Electronic Bank Statements (tfcmg5202m000)
    Convert the received bank file to a format that LN can process. LN stores the converted bank statement files in the directory specified in the Path For EBS Archive field of the Bank Relations (tfcmg0510m000) session. In the Pathname EBS File field, you must add the file name. To add the current date to the file name, append a tilde (~) to the file name.

  2. Validate Bank Statements (tfcmg5202m000 / tfcmg5510m000 / tfcmg5511m000)
    Validate the converted electronic bank statement.

  3. Match Bank Statements (tfcmg5210m000)
    Automatically match as many of the imported statements (status Validated) as possible with open items. LN can match the statements with sales invoices, purchase invoices, and anticipated payment documents.

    Matching Options:

    • Match - Surplus on Aging / Unallocated (Default value)
    • Match - Surplus on Unallocated
    • Match - Surplus to be allocated Manually
    • Allow Underpayments
    • Use Payment Difference Tolerance
       
  4. Matching Results (tfcmg2500m100)
    Review the results of the matching process.

    To handle an unmatched amount, you can:

    • Manually add an unallocated payment or receipt line.
    • Reconcile the surplus with remaining open entries of the business partner.
       
  5. Post Bank Statements (tfcmg5210m100)
    Post the bank transactions to the General Ledger.

    Update the business partner’s bank account number and other details in the Bank Account by Pay-by Business Partner (tccom4115s000) session, based on the details read from the bank statement file.

OPERATIONS: What is Statistical Inventory Control (SIC) and How Does It Work?

Statistical Inventory Control (SIC) is an inventory-controlled order system designed to maintain stock levels based on predefined thresholds, rather than being demand-driven like EP (Enterprise Planning). Since SIC relies on inventory levels, it may lead to higher stock levels. To minimize financial risks, SIC is best suited for:

  • Low-cost items.
  • Items with predictable demand or short lead times.


Applications of SIC

  • Low-Cost Items: Particularly effective for inexpensive goods.
  • Predictable Demand or Short Lead Time: Suitable when demand patterns are stable or lead times are minimal.
  • Warehouse-Specific Planning: Useful for planning by warehouse rather than across the supply chain.
  • Trading Industries: Commonly employed in sectors like supermarkets.
  • Immediate Demands: Effective for items required immediately by customers.
  • Ease of Use: Simple to implement and manage.


Limitations of SIC

  • Does not account for dependent demand from planned orders (e.g., MPS/MRP/INV).
  • Does not generate distribution orders.
  • Ignores time-phased planned orders.
  • Lacks forecast consumption techniques.
  • Uses both nettable and non-nettable warehouses.

How SIC Works

SIC operates based on the Reorder PointStock Levels, and Order Method.

Triggering SIC

When Economic Stocks (calculated as On-Hand Inventory + On-Order – Allocated Stocks) on the Horizon Date fall below the Reorder Point, SIC triggers the creation of:

  • Planned Purchase Advice.
  • Planned Production Advice.


Order Methods in SIC

The quantity for these advices is determined by the Order Method, which can be one of the following:

  • Replenish to Maximum Stock
  • Fixed Order Quantity
  • Economic Order Quantity (EOQ)
  • Lot-for-Lot

Example: SIC in a Supermarket

Scenario: Managing stock for Ice Cream (1 Kg Pack)

  • Current Stock: 10 PCs
  • Reorder Point: 5 PCs
  • Safety Stock: 2 PCs
  • Lead Time: 1 Day
  • Order Method: Replenish to Maximum (Maximum Stock: 20 PCs)
  • Maximum Anticipated Consumption: 3 PCs/Day

Process:

  1. Customer purchases reduce the stock.
  2. When stock reaches 5 PCs, SIC is triggered.
  3. A Purchase Advice is generated for 15 PCs to replenish stock to the maximum level (20 PCs).
  4. During the lead time (1 day), the remaining 3 PCs (excluding Safety Stock) meet customer demands.
  5. In emergencies, Safety Stock can also be utilized.

Statistical Inventory Control offers a practical approach for managing inventory levels, particularly in industries with predictable demand or fast-moving items. However, its limitations make it less ideal for complex or time-phased planning scenarios.

TECHNOLOGY: Archiving Data from tipcs300 and ticst300 Tables

1. Archiving tipcs300

  • Using Session tipcs2260m000:
    • When archiving PCS projects, selecting the "Archive Financial data" option ensures that:
      • Records in tipcs300 are archived to the archiving company.
      • Records are deleted from the original company.
    • If records remain in tipcs300:
      • They may belong to projects that have not been archived.
      • The project may have been archived without selecting "Archive Financial data."
    • Verify there are no errors during the archiving process.
  • Using Session tipcs3500m001:
    • The session "Delete Financial Transactions by Project" can delete records from tipcs300.
    • Note: This session is not for archiving; it removes records without copying them to the archiving company.

2. Archiving ticst300

  • Using Session ticst0250m000:
    • The session "Archive Production Orders" allows:
      • Archiving and deleting records from the original company.
      • Only deleting records from the original company.
    • When executed:
      • Records in ticst300 associated with archived orders are removed.
      • Remaining records belong to unarchived orders.

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Kathy Barthelt

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