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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

Don't laugh - the average lifespan of an ERP system is 7-10 years

Crossroads RMC 0 36461 Article rating: 5.0

Don’t laugh! I know, I know…many of our customers say that after 7-10 years they are finally settling in after the implementation! We have seen many a customer stretch out the lifespan of their ERP system to 20+ years. That sounds great for the company’s bank account, but is it good for the business?

An outdated ERP system hurts your business in many ways, not just with slow performance. The best-of-breed functionality is now 2 decades old, and obsolete technology can't leverage newer technology. Lack of integration leads to siloed data that hurts communication and your internal teams feel the pain, and your customers are noticing. Poor visibility into your operations makes it nearly impossible to achieve industry-based regulatory compliance and meet financial auditing requirements. Not to mention the sheer size of Big Data that is being collected today vs. 2 decades ago or the fact that your vendor is no longer supporting your ERP version.

Let’s scrap it all and start over!...

Infor LN & Baan Tip: Purchase Order Text

Kathy Barthelt 0 71129 Article rating: 5.0

Is the text linked to the purchase order just an information field? Could it be used for another purpose?

The text editor is just an information field when linked to the purchase order line and there is no other logic behind this functionality. The line text or the header text could be a part of the printed document. When you add text to a purchase order line you are creating a unique code that links the purchase order line (Baan - tdpur041/ LN - tdpur401) to the text (tttxt010).

Infor LX & BPCS Tip: Vendor Terms Maintenance, ACP160D1

George Moroses 0 36121 Article rating: 5.0

This program allows maintenance of vendor terms, which you individually assign to each vendor. Vendor terms designate the due date and the discount date as a number of days after the invoice date. You establish the discount percentage here. Vendor terms are stored in the AVT file. Rather than use the method specified above, you can override due dates and discount dates so those calendar days are used to age invoices.

Access: Menu ACP02

Infor LN & Baan: BIG DATA - Keeping Track of Key Metrics

Kathy Barthelt 0 97318 Article rating: 5.0

In order to communicate effectively as a team, everyone needs to speak the same language and operate off the same playbook. If decisions are made based on the data or the view of data that individuals are maintaining through their own spreadsheets or other data silos, then communication is negatively impacted.

Manufacturers need to review large amounts of data every day, making it difficult to keep track of key metrics within your department.

That’s where Crossroads RMC’s Analytics Dashboard solution comes in. Our Analytics Dashboard was developed to make tasks easier by putting all of the key information in one convenient location so you can view all of your crucial data in real-time. 

With powerful dashboards, you can...

Infor LX & BPCS: Waste in Manufacturing

George Moroses 0 31250 Article rating: 5.0

In manufacturing, waste is anything that doesn’t add value to or benefit the end customer. Reducing waste enables manufacturers to save money and increase productivity. Where is the waste happening in your processes?

How often is your department spending time and resources on the following tasks?...

Infor LX & BPCS Tip: Overhead Costs - CST120D1

George Moroses 0 29468 Article rating: 4.0

Use this program to enter period overhead expenses to distribute to various work centers. You can set up this overhead cost allocation on either a per-hour or a per-piece basis, depending on the overhead allocation type specified for each work center on the Work Center Maintenance screen, CAP100D2-01. The system spreads the amounts entered across all shop orders posted by Shop Floor Posting, SFC600, or Production Reporting, JIT600, when you run Overhead Cost Allocation, CST510. The system stores allocated overhead in the Labor Ticket file, FLT, and updates actual item cost when you run Shop Order Close and Post, CST900.

Access: Menu CST

Infor LX & BPCS: BIG DATA - Keeping Track of Key Metrics

George Moroses 0 34972 Article rating: 5.0

In order to communicate effectively as a team, everyone needs to speak the same language and operate off the same playbook. If decisions are made based on the data or the view of data that individuals are maintaining through their own spreadsheets or other data silos, then communication is negatively impacted.

Manufacturers need to review large amounts of data every day, making it difficult to keep track of key metrics within your department.

That’s where Crossroads RMC’s Analytics Dashboard solution comes in. Our Analytics Dashboard was developed to make tasks easier by putting all of the key information in one convenient location so you can view all of your crucial data in real-time. 

With powerful dashboards, you can...

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Tips:  LX | BPCS | M3

Tips: LN | Baan

Digital Transformation & Your ERP

70% of global executives said the pandemic will accelerate their digital transformation pace

Transformation: (definition)  A thorough and dramatic change.

We all dream about it….how can we transform ourselves into something better…something more desirable? Maybe it is our appearance that we want to improve, maybe it is our physical strength and stamina, or maybe it is our mental toughness.

Have we thought about transformation when it comes to our businesses? More specifically, our ERP systems that are the lifeblood of our businesses?

When it comes to this type of transformation, we’re talking about a digital transformation. This means taking disconnected business systems and manual processes and transforming or converting those systems into a world where achieving greater efficiencies, collaboration, improved delivery speed, and greater customer satisfaction is not only possible but probable.

As the world becomes more digital, so must organizations large and small, despite the unexpected. One survey found that 70% of global executives said that the pandemic will inevitably accelerate their digital transformation pace. https://dmexco.com/stories/is-the-coronavirus-pandemic-an-engine-for-the-digital-transformation/

ERP has a major impact on digital transformation. When it comes to ERP, transformations are often referred to as ERP Modernization. Here is just a sampling of how ERP modernization can impact your business:

  • Cost Reduction – Supporting legacy software and on-premise servers requires resources, but not just any resources. You must have resources that know the ins and outs of software and hardware that is decades old. Older software and platforms often result in higher maintenance costs and significant limitations to overall data management and system performance. Moving to the cloud, or the latest version of on-premise systems opens many doors that would otherwise be closed to you.
  • Eliminating Data Silos – Separate databases and disconnected systems mean that collaboration and communication are not possible. Missed opportunities abound for increased productivity. What would it mean to your business for all personnel to be operating off the same set of data and getting updates in real-time?
  • One Cohesive System –  Using ERP add-ons is helpful, but unless the systems talk to one another, duplicate data entry is required and real-time updates aren’t possible. How can you truly take advantage of the investment you made in a CRM or inventory management system if it doesn’t communicate with your ERP?
  • Visibility Across the Supply Chain –  No idea when your supplier is going to deliver the parts you need? Are you literally calling or waiting for an email to be sent? If that is how you’re getting updates, you’re likely not getting them timely enough to properly respond to those updates. Customer satisfaction issues can greatly be eliminated with real-time updates and complete visibility up and down the supply chain. With global supply chain issues prevalent in most industry sectors, visibility becomes more important than ever.
  • Scalability Becomes Possible – When your business needs change, your ERP system should be capable of handling the growth or increased functionality requirements to support it. This can be achieved by staying current on the ERP version or at least getting to a version where integrations with complementary systems are possible.

Transformations don’t happen with one act or one giant step. They happen with small steps and interim goals that can and should be celebrated along the way. Need help deciding when or where that first step should take place? Need someone to be your coach for the transformation? Contact Crossroads RMC today for recommendations, best practices, and solutions for this all-important journey for your business. 

800.762.2077 or click here to get a free phone consultation!

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