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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

Baan/LN Tip of the Week: 3 Common ERP Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Kathy Barthelt 0 74857 Article rating: No rating

For many businesses, a high-powered ERP can streamline processes, increase efficiency, and strengthen the bottom line—at least in theory. In reality, some companies miss out on the opportunity to achieve greater ROI by overlooking a few fundamental truths about ERPs.

1. Implementation takes longer than usually anticipated.

2. Company buy-in and sufficient training can predict success.

3. Implementing the full range of features can make the difference between success and failure.

Can your ERP move with you into your next growth phase? Can it scale and flex as your business expands? Is your business making the most of your investment?

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BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: Notes Maintenance Enhancements

Anthony Etzel 0 53337 Article rating: No rating

The Notes Maintenance feature is made up note programs that are accessible from a central location. The Note Text Maintenance (SYS555), Note Type Maintenance (SYS553) and Multi Language Notes Maintenance (SYS556) programs are all available as menu options.

Instead of having to go into separate programs to maintain note settings, the user can set up print options, specify user documents and customize user security levels for specific notes.

The Notes Maintenance feature provides a way to create, revise, delete, and copy note text that are categorized by note types. The print options in Notes Maintenance permit a user to define documents for which the note is intended. This includes base LX documents and custom documents. 

Finally, the notes program provides a way to define notes by assigning document types. For example, a document type can be created named “Invoice.” A note can then be defined to print on all invoice programs without requiring individual entry.

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Baan/LN Tip of the Week: Letter of Credit

Kathy Barthelt 0 78570 Article rating: No rating

In LN 10.6 you can now link Sales Order (lines), Purchase Order (lines) and Contract (lines) to a Letter of Credit and process the same in accordance with the conditions stated in the linked Letter of Credit.

In addition, LN can be setup in a way that enables employees, with sufficient authorization, to approve the different types of Letters of Credit and change its status.

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BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: IDF - Enterprise Items Application

Anthony Etzel 0 49548 Article rating: No rating

The Enterprise Item application in the Infor Development Framework for Infor LX supports display of all information relevant to an item. This includes numerous aspects of Inventory, including facility, warehouse, location, lot, and container data.

With the Enterprise Items application, you can customize the data displayed to include more or less data than is currently displayed using the standard Infor LX programs. You can access this information through a single point of entry, so there is no need to switch from one program to another to see all the data you require. This ability to customize will help streamline your decisions by allowing you to display information that is specific to your needs.

The various Enterprise Item application cards provide listings, maintenance type information, and current information that you could previously only access by running multiple standard Infor LX programs, such as Material Status Inquiry (INV300), Bill of Material Inquiry (BOM300), and Routing Inquiry (SFC100).

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May 23, 2018 - Lunch & Learn Webinar for BPCS & LX! - It’s Time to Understand Time

Anthony Etzel 0 19731 Article rating: No rating

 


Lunch & Learn Webinar for BPCS & LX! 
-  It’s Time to Understand Time -

Machine Time  |  Down Time  |  Crew Time  |  Direct Time  |  Indirect Time

So many ways to break down time!
Have you taken the time to understand what these
breakdowns mean and how they impact your business?

Watch the recorded webinar and learn about a fast and efficient
way to capture time from the factory floor.
 

             Click Here to Watch Video (34:41) 

 

 

 

 

Baan/LN Tip of the Week: Get Real!

Kathy Barthelt 0 78384 Article rating: No rating

You’ve got an ERP system, so everything should be real time and everyone should have access to information in real time, right? RIGHT?

Why not? Why are there spreadsheets, and separate Access databases off to the side?

Data loses value over time, so why not give everyone up to date, accurate information all the time? Take a look at those silos of information and see how you can eliminate them. Your business will benefit greatly as a result.

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BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: Purchase Order Receive All Processing LX/8.3.5

Anthony Etzel 0 49686 Article rating: No rating

This enhancement to the Purchase Receipts screens; optionally shown with the quantity and weight fields populated with the open value on the purchase order. Previously the user had to manually enter the quantity received or, for a dynamic weight and measure items, the weight received for each line on the purchase order. Now the screens are populated with the open value and if the open value is the same as the value received, the user can simply accept the line.

The Receive All field on the PUR550D1-01 screen determines whether the receipt lines are populated with the open value. A system parameter controls the Receive All default value but the default value can be overridden. If the user specifies 1=Yes in the Receive All field then the PUR550D2-02 screen displays the open quantity or weight for each line. The user can accept the open value for each line. 

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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

Kathy Barthelt

Infor LN & Baan Tips & Tricks for TECHNOLOGY: Data Sharing Methods (Advantages and Disadvantages)

Depending on the multicompany scenario you choose, an implementation team must decide whether or not tables must be logically linked or if data must be synchronized in another way to achieve availability of data across various companies. 

There are 3 ways in which data may be shared among companies. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of each:

  1. Logical Table Linking - If two companies use the same physical data, the physical table exists, or is used, in only one company: the physical company. Each piece occurs only once: one instance of the same data. If the term logical table linking is used, users from multiple companies use a single physical instance of the data. If the company tables are on the same server, this can be accomplished by logical table linking. Access to specific data can be restricted, if required.

    • Advantages: Logical Table Linking takes place in real time; therefore, the moment a record is created or modified in one company, a record becomes available in all other linked companies as well. The setup and maintenance of logical table linking is easier than the setup and maintenance of data replication. Logical table linking is extremely reliable because this type of linking is independent of network connections and user interventions. 

    • Disadvantages: Table sharing implies that all attributes for a record are the same in all companies. Therefore, suppose you share the item table and, for a particular item in a company, the product class is XXX. In this case, in all other companies, the product class for this item must be XXX as well.

  2. Data Replication - In this situation, each company has exactly the same data, but each company has a unique copy of the data. The same piece of data exists in multiple (physical) places: multiple instances of the same data. The process to copy the data is called data replication.

    • Advantages: Rather than using table sharing by means of the logical linking of tables, you can replicate the content of tables between companies. The advantage is that, on company level, some (non-key) attributes of a record can differ by company. For example, if the bills of materials are replicated instead of shared, for each company, you can link a different warehouse to the bill of material. As a result, the bills of materials can be the same across all companies and only the warehouses differ. Using replication, you can also make only a subset of the records available in other companies. For example, if you replicate items between companies, in a sales company, for example, by means of the item group, you can only make end items available. In addition, you can replicate only a subset of items, for example, depending on the item group. Note that replication also requires that the referenced tables are replicated or shared.

    • Disadvantages: Replication is not in real time, and therefore, for processes that require real-time integrated data as the financial integration processes, replication is not an option. For replication, you also must take into account the sequence in which you replicate. First, you must replicate the child tables and then the parent tables, and therefore first the business partners and then the purchase contracts. During the replication process, the data must be frozen. This point is of particular importance if the replication process takes a lot of time.

  3. Manual Syncronization - If only a small number of records are the same between some companies, you can enter, maintain, and keep the records synchronized manually. Note that the more dynamic data is, the more difficult this process is. This solution is strictly procedural. Therefore, depending on the discipline of the users, the solution is error sensitive: data can be forgotten, updated too late, or typing errors may occur.

  • Advantages - The main advantage is the flexibility so that only the data that really must be shared can be kept synchronized. By manually keeping data synchronized, not all attributes of a record need to have the same value.

  • Disadvantages - The main disadvantage is that this method depends on user interaction. Therefore, the method depends on the user’s time - because the method is not a real time procedure and the user may forget to update the data - and users can make mistakes.

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Kathy Barthelt

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