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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 Tips & Tricks for TECHNOLOGY: Archiving Concept

Kathy Barthelt 0 46848 Article rating: 5.0

Companies are developing procedures for entering data into an ERP system and for archiving manuals, drawings, specs, and other hard-copy documents. However, in many cases there is no defined procedures to store historical electronic data. Archiving electronic data should be an integral part of your business processes. 

Generally, archiving is the process of moving historical data from the operational environment to a special archive environment. At home, you might move old bank statements from a closet in your study to a box in the attic. At the office, you might store old hard copies of purchase orders in a room far from your own desk. Just because you no longer need the information in your daily work, does not mean you can dispose of the information. In terms of electronic data in your ERP system, archiving means moving historic data from the operational company to a special archive company; in that way, the historic data will be out of your way and safely stored. To free up disk space on your machine after you have archived the data, you can also move the historic data to an external medium.

Archiving strategy:

Infor LN & Baan Tips & Tricks for OPERATIONS: Blocking or Unblocking Warehouses

Kathy Barthelt 0 15716 Article rating: 5.0

You can block a warehouse for inbound procedures, outbound procedures, or both. For example, you can block inbound and outbound procedures for a warehouse if the warehouse must be closed temporarily for inspection.

You can impose these types of blockings:

  • Full block: Full block on warehousing procedures.

  • Interactive block: Override blocking allowed except blocks on confirm shipment or confirm receipt.

If you impose a full block on inbound procedures...

Infor LN & Baan Tips & Tricks for FINANCE: Interest Invoices

Kathy Barthelt 0 24360 Article rating: 5.0

You can generate interest invoices for paid invoices, partially paid invoices, and unpaid invoices. In addition, after you generate and send an interest invoice, you can generate a subsequent interest invoice for the next period.

Setting up interest invoicing: You can set up interest invoicing in Accounts Receivable and the General Ledger.
To set up interest invoicing, use these sessions:

  • Invoice-to Business Partner (tccom4112s000)

For invoice-to business partners...

Infor LX/BPCS Tips & Tricks for FINANCE: Creating Configurable Macros (CEA)

George Moroses 0 15952 Article rating: 5.0

You can create new macros in the Infor LX Configurable Enterprise Financials CEA107. 

On the Macro Definition window, you define the source file and the field in which you perform an arithmetic or special operation. For example, you can create a macro to accrue sales commission based on revenue. Your source file and field are the Invoice Line History (SIL) file and the G/L revenue (ILREV) field. 

Select Functions to access the Macro Functions window, on which you define the arithmetic, character, or special operation to process against the defined source field. In the previous example of accrued sales commission, you enter an arithmetic operation of multiply (*) and an operand value for the percentage, such as 0.05 for five percent. 

Note:  Previously created user defined macros will have to be updated to include any expanded field sizes in V84. 

Infor LX/BPCS Tips & Tricks for TECHNOLOGY: Setting Up User Groups (CEA)

George Moroses 0 12944 Article rating: 5.0

To utilize the Security Rules Optimization feature, a system administrator can assign security codes to 100 pre-defined user groups. User groups are created in the Group Security Maintenance (SYS603) program. All users assigned to this group possess the same level of security.   

A system administrator can assign security codes for up to 100 of the user groups. All user groups over 100 are still administered by all security reject/allow rules assigned to them but are not able to utilize the optimized process. 

Each of the security codes and access levels are assigned to user groups and are mapped to the account strings and stored in the Account Cross Reference (CEA106D1) file.   

Once security codes have been assigned, the system administrator must: 

  • Determine which level each group is allowed access.

  • Determine which segment values/account strings are assigned to which user groups.

  • Create security rules for specific segment values/account strings and assign these groups to the created rules.

  • Select the rules to be processed.  Processing can be done in either batch mode or interactively.

  • The Security Rules flag must be on in the CEA Control Parameters program before any rules are effective. 

Infor LX/BPCS Tips & Tricks for OPERATIONS: Lot Expiration Date

George Moroses 0 11909 Article rating: 5.0

This feature provides a parameter that allows the user to enter expiration dates on the Inventory Transaction Posting screen, INV500, and Purchase Order Receipts screen, PUR5505, when they have received a lot controlled item that is not QMS controlled. This new field allows an expiration date to be entered and not overridden. A system parameter was added to Advanced Process Industries Parameters, API820D. When the parameter is set to Yes, a new lot expiration date is available in the Inventory Transaction Posting, INV500D2, and Purchase Order Receipts, PUR550D2, screens.

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Tips:  LX | BPCS | M3

Improves control over PO costing changes during invoice entry by replacing passive warnings with an intentional override action.

  • In ACP500D3 (Invoice Entry PO Costing), users previously could unintentionally accept changes by pressing ENTER, even when quantity to cost or amount to cost values had changed.

  • A new “F14 to Override” warning message replaces the old message:
    “Details have changed. Press enter again to accept data.”
    This ensures users acknowledge and confirm significant changes explicitly.

New System Parameter:

  • “Apply GRN Costing Tolerance for PO Costing” (optional):

    • Within tolerance: Displays the original message —
      “Details have changed. Press enter again to accept data.”

    • Outside tolerance: Triggers the new override requirement —
      “F14 to Override”

Benefits:

  • Enhances oversight and reduces unintentional cost acceptance.

  • Enables better control of PO costs when invoice details differ from expectations.

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Tips: LN | Baan

Is Your Infor ERP System the Elephant in the Room?

The Infor ERP Elephant in the Room That Must Be Addressed

In a recent survey of Infor ERP customers, we discovered that 50% of respondents said that they did not know whether or not their ERP system had the features and functionality required for their business.  50%....1 out of every 2……not good.

Why is this the case? Well, the causes can be traced back to one of the following reasons:

  • A key-person has retired or left the company and their knowledge left with them.
  • Systems were implemented based on how the previous system worked.
  • Upgrades and implementations were viewed as a “technical upgrade”, meaning that the upgrade was done to get off an old or outdated platform. All the new features and functionality weren't researched so they are unknown and no one could be trained on them.


You may say “So what? Who cares if our team doesn’t know what else is available, or how the rest of the ERP system functions? Does it really matter?” It matters more than you think.

If you rely on an Infor ERP system to get your job done, you need to not only know what sessions to run, what fields are required, and what reports provide results, you also need to understand how the transactions impact the rest of the system. Without that understanding, you are inadvertently creating a departmental silo which can have a negative impact on the performance of the ERP for the rest of the company. 

Not knowing the functionality of the ERP results in limited use of the system as a whole. In my 25 years working with ERP systems, I have seen many cases where a company becomes frustrated with the limitations of the system only to discover that they were only utilizing 10-20% of the ERP system's capabilities. The system didn’t impose the limitation…it was the use of the system, or shall I say the lack of it, that was the culprit.

To be competitive in today’s economy, an ERP system should be able to move in lockstep with a business as its needs change. In order for this to happen, the entire company needs to be willing to change too. Part of this change involves taking advantage of the best practices that are built into the Infor ERP system. If you're not sure how to do that - you are not alone! Fully understanding your Infor ERP requires a team of capable users in each key department of your organization to marry the capabilities of the ERP system with your business objectives. Sounds complicated? Well, it doesn't stop there. Your team of capable users needs to communicate between the key departments to make sure one department's procedures don't handicap any other department. Once this level of understanding and communication is established, decisions can be made to take advantage of the most effective way to minimize costs, increase efficiency, improve quality and deliver the highest level of customer service possible…everything you invested in the Infor ERP system for in the first place, is now unleashed.

Not sure where to start? Crossroads RMC's consultants have this exact expertise and the skills to get you through tough times. Our expertise comes from years of experience, and best practices to evaluate your business processes and identify areas where improvement is needed. Whether you need to increase the return on your ERP investment or have no idea what to do next, our comprehensive ROI business case, cost estimates, benefits, and a plan of action will supply you with the information you need to add value to your business.

Request a free phone consultation>  or contact us to learn how to get started> solutions@crossroadsrmc.com  |  800.762.2077

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