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BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: Configuration Management

Anthony Etzel 0 82694 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.

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

Kathy Barthelt 0 79273 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.
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BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: Uses for LX Bill of Material

Anthony Etzel 0 90375 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)
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Baan/LN Tip of the Week: Optionally Include Tax Amounts In Order Balance

Kathy Barthelt 0 74780 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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Why Your Operation Doesn’t Stand a Chance in Hell of Going From Good to Great (and What to do About it)

David Dickson 0 111933 Article rating: 5.0

You dream of building a manufacturing powerhouse.

An operation with loads of throughput, profit, and efficiency in every process to make your products the best quality you can make them.

You want to be as successful as the factories and companies they write about in books like  Good to Great, changing your operation, and even motivating and inspiring your teams to do so too.

But you know you haven’t got a chance in hell of seeing that kind of success unless you can truly change and make significant differences over the long haul.

Of course, the big question is How? 

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BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: Indirect Labor Reporting

Anthony Etzel 0 81184 Article rating: No rating
In the Shop Floor Control Module, you have the ability to key in both direct labor and indirect labor. However you want to establish specific types (reasons) for the indirect labor. The SFC600 labor entry program shows a reason code field, but it is designed for reject quantity and machine downtime reasons, not indirect labor reasons.

There is a way around this. With an MES solution you have the ability to setup and report indirect time against a specific reason code.
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Baan/LN Tip of the Week: Configuring Items in Infor LN

Kathy Barthelt 0 91212 Article rating: No rating

In Infor 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.

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

Kathy Barthelt 0 79925 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.
Read more
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Tips:  LX | BPCS | M3

Tips: LN | Baan

George Moroses
/ Categories: Crossroads MES, Support, Training & Workshops, Consulting, Finance, Manufacturing, Operations, Technology

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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