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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 47232 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 15785 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 24505 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 16012 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 13000 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 11942 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

An ERP System Review is NOT a Report Card

It's a no-judgment-review - we promise!

report card C minusWe all remember our school days and the nervousness that we felt when it came time to get our grades. Even if we were doing well, we were still nervous. Sometimes we experienced that same nervousness when it came time for a performance review on our job. Nervousness…sometimes dread…knowing that our performance was not what we wanted it to be, or others expected it to be. 

Somehow I think the feelings that we felt in our past often find ways to creep into our present. I have seen this recently when I suggested an ERP system review to one of our customers. They immediately became flustered and thought about every possible problem that they knew existed within the software and how they were currently using it. I asked them to consider the purpose of the ERP system review.

An ERP Utilization Review will:

  • Document how your company is using your ERP system (or a particular aspect of the system) and to what extent the system meets the needs of the business.
  • Identify challenges encountered using the software.
  • Create opportunities for improving business processes and generating additional value.
  • Identify potential risks and areas that need improvement.


key hole to the futureSo, if the result of ERP system review is to establish a path forward for growth based on current status, then why doesn’t every company take advantage of it? I think for some, the answer lies in the feelings of nervousness and dread still stuck in the recesses of our brains.

An ERP system review or more specifically a utilization review is NOT a personal report card, or performance review showing how well a particular individual does his/hers/their job, nor is it an attack on the team that implemented the software. 

As they say, hindsight is 20/20. What we view now to be a less than ideal implementation methodology may have been absolutely appropriate at the time the software was originally deployed. The software has likely matured and the skillsets of the individuals responsible for the system have likely matured as well. In some cases, those resources are no longer with the company, leaving those that remain with no back story as to how and why implementation decisions were made.

Instead of viewing the ERP utilization review as a reason to find fault in previous decisions, think of it as discovering untapped potential – both of the ERP system and the people who use it. Viewing an ERP utilization review in this way puts a positive spin on it and allows us to challenge ourselves to identify opportunities for growth far greater than anything we imagined before. This means not only moving our businesses forward faster but also advancing the strength of the company as individuals and as a team.

What untapped potential lies within your company?

Consider a utilization review of your entire ERP system, or just a part of it like Finance, Technology, Materials Management, Order Processing, or Shop Floor Control. You just might be surprised at what greatness can be achieved… far greater than anyone could have imagined.  

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Kathy Barthelt

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