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

Crossroads Connections

Infor ERP Tips & News from the Experts

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

Grindmaster Cecilware Selects Crossroads RMC For Baan IV / Davisware Integration

Crossroads RMC 0 40405 Article rating: No rating

Grindmaster Cecilware, a leader in the development of products for the food and beverage industry, has selected Crossroads RMC to integrate their Baan IV system to Davisware Global Warranty. Davisware is an electronic customizable online solution that fits almost any warranty process. Grindmaster’s customers will be able to access the Davisware software online and process warranty claims which will then automatically feed back into the Baan IV system for further review and processing. The integration is expected to go live in Q1 of 2015.

Huf North America Goes Lives With Next Phase of RMC3 Data Collection

Crossroads RMC 0 41002 Article rating: No rating

Huf North America, a global leader in the production of mechanical and electronic key systems, lock sets, steering locks, and remote control systems for the automotive industry, has gone live with phase 2 of their Crossroads RMC data collection implementation. This go-live included Report Orders Complete, Labor Reporting, Material Issue, Inventory Transfers, barcode label modifications, as well as custom applications for their Paint / Polishing operations. This go-live was paired with the expansion of Huf’s Plastic Injection Molding and Paint Facility in Greeneville, TN. The next phase of this project will include the extension of the Crossroads RMC solution into Huf’s facility in Mexico.

Baan/LN Tip of the Week: Product Configurator - Part 2

Baan Tips

Kathy Barthelt 0 87749 Article rating: 3.0
Who gets involved?
  1. Most commonly Engineering is involved in writing the rules, creating the bills and routings.
  2. Sales or Customer Service determines the questions and the order they are asked in.
  3. Sales or Customer Service determines the rules for the pricing.
  4. Sales, or Customer Service, and Engineering work together in determining the part number, description and text.

What are the steps?

  1. You must start by defining the features and options (questions and answers) and the order in which these are asked. We work this out first using sticky notes and large easel paper. Normally during the process we find that we want to move these questions around. Setting them down on paper makes the process of getting the data into Baan much more efficient. We also then have a record of what decisions were made prior to entering the data. This is normally a joint effort of Engineering and Sales. This is required and must be the first step.
  2. Constraints for features and options. These are the rules for determining what questions are asked and which options are allowed. This is generally done by Engineering or whoever is responsible for the configurator. This is required.
  3. Generic Bill of Material. All possible bill options are entered here and constraints are written to determine which options are selected based on the answers to the questions. This is generally done by Engineering or whoever is responsible for the configurator. This is a required step.
  4. Generic Routing. Similar to the bill of material, but used for generation of the routing steps. This is generally done by Engineering or whoever is responsible for the configurator. This is optional.
  5. Generic Item Data. This consists of creating custom item numbers, descriptions, text, material, size or standard fields in the custom item master. This is generally done by Engineering or whoever is responsible for the configurator though Sales may have some involvement. This is optional.
  6. Generic Pricing. This is used to calculate the selling price based on the answers to the questions. This is normally a responsibility of Sales or whoever determines the pricing. This group is also trained on writing the constraints for this section only. This is optional.

BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: How To Capture Re-Work Time (Part 1)

Anthony Etzel 0 73398 Article rating: No rating
In SFC600, there is no code to capture the time spent on re-work. Re-work is usually at a specific operation, or when the part is finished and QC determines that re-work is required in order to pass inspection. You are faced with deciding on how to report the additional labor time.

Do you continue to report it against the operation, or create a re-work shop order?

If you are re-working through a specific operation you can capture the time as run labor with the SFC600 program. Now you need to deal with the variance of actual to standard time and what impact this has on costing.

BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: Configuration Management

Anthony Etzel 0 69402 Article rating: No rating

Make to Order? No problem if you use the Configuration Management System. This LX product allows you to define and configure a make to order product during Customer Order Entry. Basically, you have the option to create different products under the same common product item. You will get two completely different common end items that are configured from the same common parent.

The customer orders are planned and turned into shop orders for each end item with all the associated components. With an MES solution in place, the shop order side is easy to schedule and allows you to manage the shop floor.

Baan/LN Tip of the Week: Product Configurator - Part 1

Kathy Barthelt 0 69981 Article rating: No rating
What is it?
The configurator consists of a set of features (questions). The options (answers) to these questions then are used to generate the custom bill of material and routing. These questions may be answered at the time of order entry, prior to order entry (in a project or quote) or after order entry (in the project). The order of the questions need not have any relationship to the bill of materials. The configurator may also calculate the selling price, create a unique “smart” item number, custom description and text. Simple rules are used to interpret the answers.

Who uses the configurator?
Companies whose products have options. The configurator eliminates the need for part numbers for all combinations of options. The configurator ensures that the pricing and bills are correct. The configurator also keeps statistics on the frequency the options are selected.

BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: Uses for LX Bill of Material

Anthony Etzel 0 80180 Article rating: No rating
In Infor LX, based on how your items are set up and on how you structure the Bill of Material, the following are some usages of a bill of material by functioning area:

  • Engineering & QA – change control, product design and specifications
  • Manufacturing – build instructions , material pick lists
  • Accounting – product costing
  • Materials Inventory – material and inventory planning
  • Sales – customer order processing
  • Production Scheduling – item scheduling (also a component of an MES solution)

Baan/LN Tip of the Week: Optionally Include Tax Amounts In Order Balance

Kathy Barthelt 0 66586 Article rating: No rating
In Baan IV, the order balance amount always includes the tax amount. Consequently, the tax amount must be recalculated every time an order line is modified in order to update the balance correctly. If the tax provider is activated, this requires an API call for every re-calculation of tax.

In Infor LN, users can select or clear the new Include Tax in Order Balance check box in the COM Parameters (tccom0000s000) session to indicate whether users want to include tax amounts in the order balance amount. This parameter has an effect on various sessions in Order Management.
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Tips:  LX | BPCS | M3

Item Facility Master has a new attribute to define the override inspection days lead time CICP.ICINSD.

  • When an item facility has a defined override inspection days lead time, that value will be used instead of the system parameter inspection days lead time.

MRP exception report, MRP200B
Purchase planning report, PUR285B
Purchase order / Requisition maintenance, PUR500D3
Purchase order consolidation / release, PUR640B1
Vendor splits, PUR653B

This enhancement improved the subfile utilized in MRP320D Master Schedule Detail Inquiry -SCR001 by expanding the subfile with data rather than clearing the subfile as user pages. This change provides full support for the WebTop 4.8 Grid decorator.

This enhancement updated the approach used to populate the subfile to allow a deployed Webtop Grid to function correctly. There is no visible or user-impacted change to the way the program functions.

This enhancement provides improved functionality and full support of a Webtop grid applied to the subfile.

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Tips: LN | Baan

Kathy Barthelt

Infor LN & Baan Tips & Tricks for EXECUTIVES

TECHNOLOGY: Data Sharing Methods (Advantages and Disadvantages)

Depending on the multicompany scenario you choose, an implementation team must decide whether or not tables must be logically linked or if data must be synchronized in another way to achieve availability of data across various companies. 

There are 3 ways in which data may be shared among companies. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of each:

  1. Logical Table Linking - If two companies use the same physical data, the physical table exists, or is used, in only one company: the physical company. Each piece occurs only once: one instance of the same data. If the term logical table linking is used, users from multiple companies use a single physical instance of the data. If the company tables are on the same server, this can be accomplished by logical table linking. Access to specific data can be restricted, if required.

    • Advantages: Logical Table Linking takes place in real time; therefore, the moment a record is created or modified in one company, a record becomes available in all other linked companies as well. The setup and maintenance of logical table linking is easier than the setup and maintenance of data replication. Logical table linking is extremely reliable because this type of linking is independent of network connections and user interventions. 

    • Disadvantages: Table sharing implies that all attributes for a record are the same in all companies. Therefore, suppose you share the item table and, for a particular item in a company, the product class is XXX. In this case, in all other companies, the product class for this item must be XXX as well.

  2. Data Replication - In this situation, each company has exactly the same data, but each company has a unique copy of the data. The same piece of data exists in multiple (physical) places: multiple instances of the same data. The process to copy the data is called data replication.

    • Advantages: Rather than using table sharing by means of the logical linking of tables, you can replicate the content of tables between companies. The advantage is that, on company level, some (non-key) attributes of a record can differ by company. For example, if the bills of materials are replicated instead of shared, for each company, you can link a different warehouse to the bill of material. As a result, the bills of materials can be the same across all companies and only the warehouses differ. Using replication, you can also make only a subset of the records available in other companies. For example, if you replicate items between companies, in a sales company, for example, by means of the item group, you can only make end items available. In addition, you can replicate only a subset of items, for example, depending on the item group. Note that replication also requires that the referenced tables are replicated or shared.

    • Disadvantages: Replication is not in real time, and therefore, for processes that require real-time integrated data as the financial integration processes, replication is not an option. For replication, you also must take into account the sequence in which you replicate. First, you must replicate the child tables and then the parent tables, and therefore first the business partners and then the purchase contracts. During the replication process, the data must be frozen. This point is of particular importance if the replication process takes a lot of time.

  3. Manual Syncronization - If only a small number of records are the same between some companies, you can enter, maintain, and keep the records synchronized manually. Note that the more dynamic data is, the more difficult this process is. This solution is strictly procedural. Therefore, depending on the discipline of the users, the solution is error sensitive: data can be forgotten, updated too late, or typing errors may occur.

  • Advantages - The main advantage is the flexibility so that only the data that really must be shared can be kept synchronized. By manually keeping data synchronized, not all attributes of a record need to have the same value.

  • Disadvantages - The main disadvantage is that this method depends on user interaction. Therefore, the method depends on the user’s time - because the method is not a real time procedure and the user may forget to update the data - and users can make mistakes.

OPERATIONS: Creating a Purchase Order with Subcontracting

To create a purchase order (with subcontracting) third party outsourcing from purchase order, execute these steps:

  1. Create a purchase order using the same data set defined in the Subcontracting Models (tisub1100m000) session.
  2. In the Purchase Order Intake Workbench (tdpur4601m200) session, click New. The Purchase Order (tdpur4100m900) session is displayed.
  3. Select the business partner in the Business Partner field, Press Tab. Note: Infor LN populates the default data for the selected business partner in the other fields of the purchase order header.
  4. Select the order type for subcontracting in the Order Type field, purchase office in the Purchase Office field, and the related order series in the Order field.
  5. Click New on the Order Lines tab and select your subcontracted price item in the second segment of the Item field.
  6. Specify the required quantity in the Ordered Quantity field, price of the item in the Price field and click Save.
  7. Click the Approve button to approve the purchase order. The purchase order Status is updated to Approved.
  8. Verify that the material to be sent to the subcontractor is updated on the Material Supply Lines tab.
  9. Select the material line on the Material Supply Lines tab and click Actions > Generate Supply Order.
  10. Select the generated supply order line updated in the Supply Order Line field on the Material Supply Lines tab and click References > Supply Lines. The Warehousing Order (whinh2100m100) session is displayed.
  11. Select the outbound order line on the Outbound Lines tab and click References > Status Overview. The Outbound Line Status Overview (whinh2129m000) session is displayed.
  12. In the Outbound Line Status Overview (whinh2129m000) session, ensure that the Generate Outbound Advice and the Release Outbound Advice activities are automatically executed.
  13. On the specific menu, click Freeze/Confirm. The Shipment Lines (whinh4131m000) session is displayed.
  14. Select the shipment line and click Confirm. The shipment line Status is updated to Confirmed on the Status tab.
  15. Verify that the Line Status is Shipped for the outbound order line on the Outbound Lines tab in the Warehousing Order (whinh2100m100) session.

FINANCE: Cash Flow Statements (tfgld 0123m100)

Use this session to define or maintain cash flow statements and hierarchical structures of cash flow reasons for cash flow statement reports. 

On the Cash Flow Reasons by Statement tab, you can select cash flow reason groups and cash flow reasons to build a hierarchical structure of cash flow reasons for the cash flow statement report.

To link a child cash flow reason group to a parent cash flow reason group:

  1. In the Parent Cash Flow Reason Group field, select the parent cash flow reason group.
  2. In the Child Cash Flow Reason Group field, select the child cash flow reason group.
  3. Leave the Child Cash Flow Reason field empty.

To link a cash flow reason to a cash flow reason group:

  1. in the Parent Cash Flow Reason Group field, select the cash flow reason group
  2. Make the Child Cash Flow Reason Group field empty.
  3. In the Child Cash Flow Reason field, select the cash flow reason.

Note: To link cash flow reasons to a child cash flow reason group, you must select the child cash flow reason group in the Parent Cash Flow Reason Group field.

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Kathy Barthelt

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