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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

Baan/LN Tip of the Day: Configuring Items

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In LN, the configuration of a generic item not always results into a customized item. Configured items can now be customized items as well as standard items. If users configure items without PCS projects, standard items are generated instead of customized items.

 

The sessions for generating product variant structures for sales quotations and sales orders are moved from the Product Configuration module in Manufacturing to the Sales Control module in LN. The following new sessions are available in Sales Control:

▪ Generate (Budget) Structure for Sales Quotations (tdsls1201m100).

▪ Generate (Project) Structure for Sales Orders (tdsls4244m000)

BPCS/LX Tip of the Day: Shop Order Control

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To create and maintain shop orders use SFC500 Shop Order Entry Maintenance. These orders use the standard bill of material (BOM) as the base list of components. You can also set up standard routings, which list the operations,

or work steps, involved in manufacturing.

 

To release shop orders, use the Shop Order Release program, SFC505. Infor ERP LX groups shop orders by user ID for batch processing. Use Shop Packet Print, SFC520, to print the shop orders that you select. SFC530 allows you to create multi-level shop orders to link shop orders together with a common end item parent. Linking multiple shop orders together for a final assembly product provides support for make-to-order and engineer-to-order manufacturing environments which need to schedule these multiple orders together or as a vertical slice in the production schedule.

 

You can make changes to shop orders after you print them. Use Shop Order Entry/Maintenance, SFC500, to update the shop orders. Changes are immediately visible on the inquiry screens for SFC300 and SFC350. To reprint the shop packet, use Reprint Shop Packet, SFC560.

Baan/LN Tip of the Day: Multi-Company Service

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Service departments and warehouses that contain spare parts and components used for service and maintenance belong to enterprise units. To perform separate financial accounting for the service departments and their warehouses, you can assign service departments and warehouses to enterprise units that are linked to different financial companies.

 

If material, labor, or other costs are transferred between service departments and warehouses, or from one service department to another (in the case of internal subcontracting for depot repair), LN can perform the invoicing between these departments and warehouses. In the Enterprise Modeling Management module, you can define internal trade relationships with invoicing between various entities.

 

You can also record and process service operations in a multi-logistic company environment.

BPCS/LX Tip of the Day: Material Requirement Dates and Lead Time Offsets in MRP

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The system automatically performs offsets for requirements dates for components in the MPS/MRP calculations. It also performs offsets for calculation of material need dates at the time that shop orders are released.


To calculate the offset, the system takes the parent lead time from the Item 
Master and adjusts it by the bill of materials offset (plus or minus) for the component. This gives the lead time days for that specific component. The system starts with the due date of the parent and backs up and skips all non-work days in the shop calendar.


Note that the offset calculation uses only calendar records that have a blank 
work center (the calendar record applies to all work centers). See the information for the Shop Calendar Maintenance program SFC140, in your Shop Floor Control documentation for shop calendar details.

Baan/LN Tip of the Day: Multi-Company Taxation – LN

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Tax reporting is part of the financial accounting and is restricted to one country. Therefore, the LN tax handling in a multi-company structure is similar to the tax handling in a single company environment.

Tax handling in LN includes the following:

· Tax registration

For tax registration, you define the various tax details for each country in the Taxation module. In the General Ledger module of Financials, you specify the ledger accounts for the tax amounts separately for each financial company. LN can post the tax amounts calculated for a tax code to different ledger accounts in the individual financial companies, for example, in a single logistic, multi-financial company structure.

BPCS/LX Tip of the Day: Accounts Payable / Purchasing

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You can integrate Accounts Payable (ACP) with Purchasing. ACP requires more detailed information in the Vendor file than Purchasing requires. Accounts Payable automatically checks for a valid purchase order when you

match invoices to POs and receipts. Enter any outstanding active purchase orders through PO Release, PUR500, before you can match invoices in Accounts Payable.

 

Accounts Payable can also update the Actual Cost fields in the Inventory Master file directly from vendor invoices. You must provide the following information in order for Accounts Payable to complete this update:

▪ Define a type C inventory transaction.

▪ Enter a valid purchase order on the Invoice Entry header screen, ACP500D2-01, or in the Next Purchase Order field on the Invoice Entry: PO Costing screen, ACP500D3-01.

▪ Enter the information for the actual cost transaction on the appropriate lines.

Baan/LN Tip of the Day: Virtualization

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The advantages of virtualization include the following:
 

• You get more out of your existing resources. Pool common infrastructure resources and break the legacy “one application to one server” model with server consolidation.

• You can reduce datacenter costs by reducing your physical infrastructure and improving your server to admin ratio. Fewer servers and related IT hardware means reduced real estate and reduced power and cooling requirements. With better management tools, you can improve your server to admin ratio so personnel requirements are reduced.

• You can increase the availability of hardware and applications for improved business continuity.

• Securely back up and migrate entire virtual environments with no service interruptions. Eliminate planned downtime and recover immediately from unplanned issues.

• Gain operational flexibility. Respond to market changes with dynamic resource management, faster server provisioning, and improved application deployment.

 

The disadvantages of virtualization include the following:

 Virtualization adds overhead to the CPU, memory, IO, and network.

 Virtualization adds an additional layer to the hardware and software stack. Therefore, additional complexity is introduced in the following circumstances:

CST Industries Goes Live With LN Ecommerce Site for Dealers

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Crossroads RMC has partnered with Xenitel Managed Service Solutions and CST Industries to create an online parts ordering site for CST’s dealers. The site is live as of June, 2015. This site was developed largely to simplify the ordering process for CST’s dealers, providing information on available inventory, flexible ordering, fast shipments, and improved dealer support.

 

CST is a global leader in the manufacture and construction of factory coated metal storage tanks, aluminum domes and specialty covers.

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Tips:  LX | BPCS | M3

Tips: LN | Baan

Kathy Barthelt

Moving Beyond ERP Customizations: Smarter Solutions for a Future-Ready System

Transitioning away from ERP customizations can feel like a major hurdle—but with the right strategy, it’s not just possible, it’s powerful. Let’s cut through the noise and look at the real issues... and the smart solutions that pave the way to a leaner, more future-ready ERP.

Common Challenges (and Why They’re Not Dealbreakers)

Reliance on Custom Processes
Custom workflows often become second nature—but are they still serving you? Modern ERPs evolve with industry best practices baked in, and chances are, today’s standard features do what your custom code used to… only better.

Budget & Time Constraints
Testing, retraining, consulting—it all adds up. But the long-term payoff? Reduced technical debt, faster upgrades, and major gains in efficiency and scalability.

User Resistance
Change is hard, especially when teams are comfortable with their tools. But clear communication and a strong change management plan can turn skeptics into champions of a smarter, streamlined system.

Reality Check: Has Your Business Outgrown Its Customizations?
Are workarounds piling up? Are outdated custom features slowing things down? It might be time to re-evaluate. Often, organizations discover that what once required custom code can now be handled with out-of-the-box functionality.


Did You Know?

  • ERP Upgrades Can Eliminate 25%–50% of Customizations.
  • Modern ERP systems, like Infor LN and Baan, now include many features that used to require custom development.


Smart Alternatives to Customization

  • Use Standard APIs & Libraries
    Modernize without disrupting. Refactor your code to integrate cleanly with the ERP’s built-in APIs—no more core modifications.
  • Tap Into Infor Extensibility & LN Studio
    Need to tweak something? Use Extensibility for light changes or LN Studio for deeper custom apps that don’t compromise ERP integrity.
  • Simplify Integrations with Infor ION
    If your customizations are all about connecting systems, ION has you covered with seamless, low-code integration across platforms.
  • Build with RMCgen
    Need custom development? RMCgen lets you create new components without ever touching standard ERP code—flexibility and stability.
  • Get Insights with Dashboards, Not Code
    Custom dashboards deliver actionable insights without bloating your ERP. Use analytics tools to tailor views for every role.
  • Embrace Built-In Reporting Tools
    Skip the custom report scripts. Infor Report Designer, Document Management, and BIRST give you the power to build rich reports—no dev time required.


Your Custom Inventory: Time for a Health Check
Not sure where to begin? Start by assessing your existing custom components. Crossroads RMC can help you pinpoint which ones are still pulling their weight—and which can be retired or replaced with smarter tools.


💡 Let’s Talk Solutions
Ready to unlock the full potential of your ERP—without dragging legacy code along for the ride? Crossroads RMC is here to help.

📞 800.762.2077
📧 solutions@crossroadsrmc.com
💬 Or Request a Consultation to start your journey to a flexible, future-proof ERP.

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