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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

Infor LN & Baan Tip of the Week: New Inventory Aging Analysis Report – 10.7

Kathy Barthelt 0 60525 Article rating: 5.0

A new standard Inventory Aging report can be printed in the Perform Inventory Aging Analysis (whina1440m000) session. This report is mainly based on the physical incoming and outgoing inventory movements and transactions. The date of inventory consumption or issue is compared to the date of receipt. If inventory is not yet issued, a reference date is used for aging calculation.

The report includes this information:

  • Which inventory items are not frequently used or are obsolete.
  • How long items have been stored in a warehouse.
  • Inventory and transaction values. This facilitates the financial auditing process.

To use this new feature, an inventory aging analysis definition must be available in the Inventory Aging Analysis Definition (whina1140m000) session.

Infor LX & BPCS Tip of the Week: Order Entry Line Copy Feature – LX 8.4

George Moroses 0 21132 Article rating: 5.0

This enhancement provides the ability to copy order lines, quote lines, and RMA lines. During Order Entry, action 3=Copy is available to copy regular lines and special lines. The new line displays in the next available line number.  This enhancement reduces manual key entry and speeds up Order Entry. 

The programs or areas impacted include ORD700D2, Order Line Entry, Quote Line Entry, and RMA Line Entry.

What do you do when there is no pre-built Infor integration from UPS or FedEx to your LN system?

Kathy Barthelt 0 69052 Article rating: 5.0

Call Crossroads RMC, of course! 

That’s how one of our Infor LN customers solved their cloud implementation dilemma. Crossroads RMC partnered to streamline their shipping process on Infor LN 10.5.2 in the cloud. Four sites went live with RMCship in 2019 and as a result, they have increased accuracy by eliminating manual steps and streamlining their operations.

Contact Crossroads RMC today to get started 800.762.2077

What if you could make your ERP system work harder for you? How would you improve it?

Crossroads RMC 0 1268 Article rating: 5.0

The answer to this question is often integration to other systems. Why not take advantage of Crossroads RMC's best of breed solutions to take your ERP installation to the next level and really TRANSFORM your business?

Read this great article by NextProcess:
Here’s How You Can Enhance Your ERP with Software Integration

Crossroads RMC has integration experts ready to tackle any integration project!

Contact us today! 800.762.2077

Your Enterprise Resource Planning software lies at the heart of your business

Infor LN & Baan

Kathy Barthelt 0 16586 Article rating: 5.0

How Infor LN & Baan is utilized is critical to operating a stable, well understood, and effective business system. Knowing the current state of your system will enable you to make decisions to either better utilize your current ERP version or upgrade.

Crossroads RMC’s ERP Assessment helps you to flush out issues and areas for improvement. Our findings have resulted in minor procedural changes to a full reimplementation, or system upgrade to Infor LN. If your business requirements and your resources have undergone major change since your original implementation, it is time to take a look at your Infor ERP system to see if it is being utilized properly. The Crossroads RMC Utilization Review is designed to work with your people to identify the best way to apply the powerful capabilities within the Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Financial modules within the LN/Baan software to best suit the needs of your business, not only today, but in years to come.

Learn more>

Infor LN & Baan Tip of the Week: What is the LN Report Designer and what is required to use it?

Kathy Barthelt 0 1430 Article rating: 5.0

The main purpose of the Report Designer is to enable changes to the design of a 4GL application report, without modifying the standard report or using an external reporting solution. The changes are stored as personalizations. Therefore, the effort that is required to implement changes, after the standard is updated, is reduced.

You can also generate new reports that are based on a selection of fields from the application data model. These reports are generated in the extensibility package. You can personalize these reports in the Report Designer, or modify them in LN Studio.

  • The Report Designer is available with LN 10.5 and later.
  • Enterprise Server 10.6 is required.
  • The Report Designer is only supported in LN UI.

Note:  On LN 10.5 you must re-compile the reports once with Enterprise Server 10.6 to enable them for the Report Designer.

OTTO - On-Time Ordering: Q&A with an MIS Manager from a metal fabrication manufacturer

George Moroses 0 429 Article rating: 5.0

OTTO  A Q&A with an MIS Manager from a metal fabrication manufacturer:

1. How difficult was it to initially install OTTO?

"We loaded OTTO on our AS/400 on a Friday morning and demonstrated OTTO's capabilities with our own data that afternoon. That really impressed me from an IS perspective because it was so easy to load and run."

2. Would you install it on a test system or on the production system?

"We installed on the production system in order to use live data. OTTO resides outside of the ERP system and builds its own databases so it is not detrimental to any other system."

3. How difficult was it to implement OTTO, was there a negative impact on daily operations?

"Some reports were being used on the first day of the evaluation. There was only positive impact on our operation. For example, shortages in our final assembly area were eliminated within 30 days of the demonstration."

4. Comments?

"I was greatly surprised OTTO fit so well with our operation. OTTO has worked well in our company (we substantially increased on time shipments at the same time our business was seeing a 3 fold increase), but each company has to judge for themselves how well OTTO fits in with their organization."

Contact us to learn how OTTO can help your company!

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Tips:  LX | BPCS | M3

Tips: LN | Baan

Eliminating ERP Customizations: Key Considerations and Modern Solutions

Transitioning away from customizations can indeed pose challenges, but it's not insurmountable with the right approach. Here’s a look at the real issues and solutions that can pave the way for a streamlined, up-to-date ERP.


Common Challenges:

  1. Dependency on Custom Processes
    Custom processes become ingrained, and removing them disrupts established workflows. However, business processes often evolve over time, as do best practices incorporated into modern ERP systems.

  2. Cost and Time Constraints
    Testing, retraining, and hiring consultants for an upgrade are valid concerns. Yet, consider the efficiency gains and reduced maintenance costs over time by utilizing standard ERP features.

  3. User Resistance
    Change management is critical, as employees can be skeptical of losing tools they’re familiar with. Effective communication about the benefits of standardized, future-ready tools can help ease the transition.


The Reality Check: Has Your Organization Changed?

Evaluate how much your business needs have shifted, how user expectations have evolved, and if any workarounds or interim solutions are now adding unnecessary complexity. Many companies discover that industry-standard ERP features can replace outdated customizations.


Did You Know?

  • ERP Upgrades Can Eliminate 25% - 50% of Customizations
    Modern ERP systems incorporate industry best practices as core features, allowing you to rely less on customizations and more on robust, standardized solutions.

  • Extensibility & Reporting Solutions
    Extensibility tools in Infor LN or Baan let users add last-mile functionality without modifying the core ERP. Reporting tools allow custom insights while keeping ERP data intact.


Solutions to Reduce Customization Dependency:

  1. Rewrite Customizations to Use Standard APIs and Libraries
    This ensures seamless interaction with core ERP features without modifying underlying code.

  2. Utilize Infor Extensibility and LN Studio
    Smaller tweaks can be handled with Extensibility; larger needs can leverage LN Studio for custom apps without touching the ERP's foundation.

  3. Incorporate Infor ION for External Integrations
    If customizations primarily manage integrations, Infor ION can connect and streamline external systems effectively.

  4. RMCgen for Custom Components
    RMCgen allows for custom development without altering standard programs, offering flexibility without compromising core stability.

  5. Analytics Dashboards for ERP Insights
    Dashboards offer tailored views and insights without requiring customizations in the ERP itself.

  6. Leverage Built-in Reporting Tools
    Infor Report Designer, Document Management, and BIRST can provide custom reporting, avoiding custom coding altogether.

  7. Assess Your Custom Components
    A thorough assessment of your customizations—internally or with Crossroads RMC consultants—can reveal areas for potential standardization and streamlining.

Let’s Talk Solutions

If customizations are standing in the way of your ERP’s full potential, Crossroads RMC can help. Connect with us at 800.762.2077, solutions@crossroadsrmc.com, or request a consultation to start your path towards a flexible, future-proof ERP.
 

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Kathy Barthelt

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