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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: Are You Still Using Handwritten Tickets for Your Inventory?

Kathy Barthelt 0 49373 Article rating: No rating

This method of inventory tracking is slow, and prone to human error.

Putting a simple barcode system in place speeds up the process of tracking inventory movements, reduces the likelihood of mistakes, and creates a recorded history of the who/what/where that can provide valuable insight to those who make critical business decisions for your business.

Not sure where to start? Contact us and we’d be happy to help you take the first step.

 

Optimize Your Manufacturing Today!

BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: Why Would You Buy a BMW, But Use a Scooter?

Anthony Etzel 0 32493 Article rating: No rating

Congratulations! You bought that shiny, new car! It has all the features you can possibly want and goes a million miles an hour. It can take you anywhere your heart desires…….but you rely on a manual scooter to get you around. You know, the kind you had when you were a kid…BEFORE you could drive…before you could afford the BMW. Make sense? Uh... no.

You’d never do this, right? So, why are you doing this with the ERP system that runs your business? Why are you relying on spreadsheets and separate little Access databases to record and store the information that is the most critical to your business when you have an ERP system that is meant for this? Why continue to plod along at a snail's pace when you have the tools to take your business to the next level?

Your ERP system is your BMW. Use it. See what it can do for you. Think you’ve used it to its potential? Unlikely. We’ve helped customers breathe new life into their EXISTING ERP version all by unlocking functionality for them that was already there and ready to use! We’ve also helped by offering add-ons to the ERP that can make your productivity skyrocket.

Ask us how. We’ve got an extra set of keys to the BMW in case you lost yours.

Optimize Your Manufacturing Today!

Baan/LN Tip of the Week: Why Would You Buy a BMW, But Use a Scooter?

Kathy Barthelt 0 73374 Article rating: No rating

Congratulations! You bought that shiny, new car! It has all the features you can possibly want and goes a million miles an hour. It can take you anywhere your heart desires…….but you rely on a manual scooter to get you around. You know, the kind you had when you were a kid…BEFORE you could drive…before you could afford the BMW. Make sense? Uh... no.

You’d never do this, right? So, why are you doing this with the ERP system that runs your business? Why are you relying on spreadsheets and separate little Access databases to record and store the information that is the most critical to your business when you have an ERP system that is meant for this? Why continue to plod along at a snail's pace when you have the tools to take your business to the next level?

Your ERP system is your BMW. Use it. See what it can do for you. Think you’ve used it to its potential? Unlikely. We’ve helped customers breathe new life into their EXISTING ERP version all by unlocking functionality for them that was already there and ready to use! We’ve also helped by offering add-ons to the ERP that can make your productivity skyrocket.

Ask us how. We’ve got an extra set of keys to the BMW in case you lost yours.

Optimize Your Manufacturing Today!

BPCS/LX TIP OF THE WEEK: 6 POWERFUL STEPS TO WIN WITH AUTOMATION:

Anthony Etzel 0 32077 Article rating: No rating
  1. Eliminate paper shop packet and distribution of the paperwork to the shop floor.     
  2. Eliminate manual (paper-based) recording activities and the need to key in the transactions.
  3. Easy electronic scheduling by sequence and changing job priorities.
  4. Evaluate differences using actual times compared to standards.
  5. Improve data accuracy and eliminate the need to chase and fix errors.
  6. Practice real-time data reporting to monitor efficiencies and identify problems as they occur.

Baan/LN Tip of the Week: 6 Powerful Steps to Win With Automation:

Kathy Barthelt 0 72842 Article rating: No rating
  1. Eliminate paper shop packet and distribution of the paperwork to the shop floor.  
  2. Eliminate manual (paper-based) recording activities and the need to key in the transactions.
  3. Easy electronic scheduling by sequence and changing job priorities.
  4. Evaluate differences using actual times compared to standards.
  5. Improve data accuracy and eliminate the need to chase and fix errors.
  6. Practice real-time data reporting to monitor efficiencies and identify problems as they occur.

Duncan – Out With the Old In With the New… MES

Anthony Etzel 0 18912 Article rating: No rating
Duncan Enterprises, Inc., a leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of ceramics, arts and crafts, fabric dying and painting products, fashion arts, and home decor DIY products, has selected Crossroads MES to implement throughout all of their shop floor departments and work centers. Through this implementation, Duncan intends to replace their existing Code Soft label software and Shop 2000 Reports. In addition, they expect to eliminate manual tracking of performance measurements and labor. With Crossroads MES, all shop floor paperwork will be distributed in a paperless fashion and all shop floor activities and production receipts will be captured. In addition, real time shop floor status information will be available for reporting across the enterprise.

Baan/LN Tip of the Week: Transaction Accounts – Commissions

Kathy Barthelt 0 76139 Article rating: No rating

In Baan IV, if a link with Financials exists for commissions and rebates, invoices are created directly in the Commission Control System (CMS) module and posted to Financials. As a result, users must specify the ledger accounts that are used for posting commissions and rebates in the Maintain Commission/Rebate Transaction Accounts (tdcms2101m000) session.

In LN, the Maintain Commission/Rebate Transaction Accounts (tdcms2101m000) session is removed from the Commission Control System (CMS) module, because invoices are no longer created directly in the Commission Control System module.

BPCS/LX Tip of the Week: Vendor Maintenance Security Option for Company or Program

Anthony Etzel 0 38694 Article rating: No rating

The Vendor Maintenance Security option is in the Purchasing System Parameters program(PUR820D). The purpose of this program is to provide an additional security option for VendorMaster Maintenance. To access this program, the user selects the Parameters Generation option from the System Functions menu, SYS500. The user can modify the Vendor Maintenance Security parameter from PUR820D-04 in the Purchasing System Parameters program.This feature provides an additional security parameter for Vendor Master Maintenance.

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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 EXECUTIVES

FINANCE: Use of Electronic Bank Statements

All actions required for converting, validating, matching, and posting electronically received bank statements can be performed within a single session:

  • Bank Statement Workbench (tfcmg5610m100)
  • Bank Statement (tfcmg5610m000)

Alternatively, you can use the sequence of electronic bank statement sessions outlined below.

Steps to Process Electronic Bank Statements:

  1. Convert Electronic Bank Statements (tfcmg5202m000)
    Convert the received bank file to a format that LN can process. LN stores the converted bank statement files in the directory specified in the Path For EBS Archive field of the Bank Relations (tfcmg0510m000) session. In the Pathname EBS File field, you must add the file name. To add the current date to the file name, append a tilde (~) to the file name.

  2. Validate Bank Statements (tfcmg5202m000 / tfcmg5510m000 / tfcmg5511m000)
    Validate the converted electronic bank statement.

  3. Match Bank Statements (tfcmg5210m000)
    Automatically match as many of the imported statements (status Validated) as possible with open items. LN can match the statements with sales invoices, purchase invoices, and anticipated payment documents.

    Matching Options:

    • Match - Surplus on Aging / Unallocated (Default value)
    • Match - Surplus on Unallocated
    • Match - Surplus to be allocated Manually
    • Allow Underpayments
    • Use Payment Difference Tolerance
       
  4. Matching Results (tfcmg2500m100)
    Review the results of the matching process.

    To handle an unmatched amount, you can:

    • Manually add an unallocated payment or receipt line.
    • Reconcile the surplus with remaining open entries of the business partner.
       
  5. Post Bank Statements (tfcmg5210m100)
    Post the bank transactions to the General Ledger.

    Update the business partner’s bank account number and other details in the Bank Account by Pay-by Business Partner (tccom4115s000) session, based on the details read from the bank statement file.

OPERATIONS: What is Statistical Inventory Control (SIC) and How Does It Work?

Statistical Inventory Control (SIC) is an inventory-controlled order system designed to maintain stock levels based on predefined thresholds, rather than being demand-driven like EP (Enterprise Planning). Since SIC relies on inventory levels, it may lead to higher stock levels. To minimize financial risks, SIC is best suited for:

  • Low-cost items.
  • Items with predictable demand or short lead times.


Applications of SIC

  • Low-Cost Items: Particularly effective for inexpensive goods.
  • Predictable Demand or Short Lead Time: Suitable when demand patterns are stable or lead times are minimal.
  • Warehouse-Specific Planning: Useful for planning by warehouse rather than across the supply chain.
  • Trading Industries: Commonly employed in sectors like supermarkets.
  • Immediate Demands: Effective for items required immediately by customers.
  • Ease of Use: Simple to implement and manage.


Limitations of SIC

  • Does not account for dependent demand from planned orders (e.g., MPS/MRP/INV).
  • Does not generate distribution orders.
  • Ignores time-phased planned orders.
  • Lacks forecast consumption techniques.
  • Uses both nettable and non-nettable warehouses.

How SIC Works

SIC operates based on the Reorder PointStock Levels, and Order Method.

Triggering SIC

When Economic Stocks (calculated as On-Hand Inventory + On-Order – Allocated Stocks) on the Horizon Date fall below the Reorder Point, SIC triggers the creation of:

  • Planned Purchase Advice.
  • Planned Production Advice.


Order Methods in SIC

The quantity for these advices is determined by the Order Method, which can be one of the following:

  • Replenish to Maximum Stock
  • Fixed Order Quantity
  • Economic Order Quantity (EOQ)
  • Lot-for-Lot

Example: SIC in a Supermarket

Scenario: Managing stock for Ice Cream (1 Kg Pack)

  • Current Stock: 10 PCs
  • Reorder Point: 5 PCs
  • Safety Stock: 2 PCs
  • Lead Time: 1 Day
  • Order Method: Replenish to Maximum (Maximum Stock: 20 PCs)
  • Maximum Anticipated Consumption: 3 PCs/Day

Process:

  1. Customer purchases reduce the stock.
  2. When stock reaches 5 PCs, SIC is triggered.
  3. A Purchase Advice is generated for 15 PCs to replenish stock to the maximum level (20 PCs).
  4. During the lead time (1 day), the remaining 3 PCs (excluding Safety Stock) meet customer demands.
  5. In emergencies, Safety Stock can also be utilized.

Statistical Inventory Control offers a practical approach for managing inventory levels, particularly in industries with predictable demand or fast-moving items. However, its limitations make it less ideal for complex or time-phased planning scenarios.

TECHNOLOGY: Archiving Data from tipcs300 and ticst300 Tables

1. Archiving tipcs300

  • Using Session tipcs2260m000:
    • When archiving PCS projects, selecting the "Archive Financial data" option ensures that:
      • Records in tipcs300 are archived to the archiving company.
      • Records are deleted from the original company.
    • If records remain in tipcs300:
      • They may belong to projects that have not been archived.
      • The project may have been archived without selecting "Archive Financial data."
    • Verify there are no errors during the archiving process.
  • Using Session tipcs3500m001:
    • The session "Delete Financial Transactions by Project" can delete records from tipcs300.
    • Note: This session is not for archiving; it removes records without copying them to the archiving company.

2. Archiving ticst300

  • Using Session ticst0250m000:
    • The session "Archive Production Orders" allows:
      • Archiving and deleting records from the original company.
      • Only deleting records from the original company.
    • When executed:
      • Records in ticst300 associated with archived orders are removed.
      • Remaining records belong to unarchived orders.

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