Why organizations should upgrade their ERP systems

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are a part of the day-to-day operations of most every business. More and more enterprises each day are finding out the benefits ERP can bring. Even current ERP users know their legacy systems may need an upgrade and now is the best time than any to upgrade your ERP systems. Mark Vivian, CEO of independent Oracle Managed Services provider Claremont, shares an article on IT Pro Portal a number of elements to consider when enterprises upgrade their ERP systems.

  • New features – “Inevitably there will be new features to improve functionality in the latest releases of ERP systems. Additionally, there are a whole host of new features in each application to consider.”
  • Customizations – “Nearly all ERP systems are customized. Businesses need to be sure they understand the purpose of each customization, whether they can be retired or replaced by new functionality and what the impact of moving them to new releases will entail.”
  • Infrastructure – “As part of ensuring that the path to the “to-be” upgraded technology stack is understood, organizations need to examine what infrastructure they need to support the new version of the software.  It could be a prime opportunity to move “on premise” ERP solutions to an infrastructure cloud, in line with a “cloud first” strategy. According to Claremont’s latest managed services survey, 69 percent of Oracle EBS users currently host on physical servers rather an infrastructure cloud, but around 40 percent are looking to move to cloud to enjoy the flexibility it offers.”
  • Database – “If you are running Oracle Linux prior to version 7 then an operating system upgrade will be required before upgrading the database. With Premier Support for Oracle Linux 6 finishing in March 2021, many organizations will be looking to upgrade soon or will risk running on another unsupported platform.”
With multiple ERP systems to consider, now is a good time to start planning for the future and consider upgrades to server, database, infrastructure and vendor partners.

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Infor Unveils New Cloud-Based Revenue Management Functionality for Hoteliers

Infor has made significant updates to Infor EzRMS, a leading revenue management application built specifically for the hospitality industry. As a part of the Infor Hospitality suite of cloud-based solutions, Infor EzRMS is designed to help hoteliers better optimize revenue by automatically calculating demand forecasts and recommending appropriate selling strategies based on data such as day-of-week patterns, booking lead-time and the number of guests per room. Per the press release, the newest iteration of Infor EzRMS has a responsive new forecast algorithm that helps hotels use their data to identify and optimize revenue opportunities. Infor EzRMS smartly incorporates competitor information, on top of hotel system data, to calculate the optimal price decisions. Furthermore, this release includes unique, smart, real-time optimization, ensuring a hotel pricing and selling strategy is always up to date, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This allows hotel teams to focus on other key tasks, trusting that Infor EzRMS will automatically detect and control new revenue opportunities as they happen.

 

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Using Lawson jobinteg Command to Clean up Batch Jobs

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The jobinteg command identifies orphaned jobs and allows you to delete them to clean up your job server.

The parameters for jobinteg are

  • v (Verbose) – prints the bad records
  • t (Terse) – prints totals only
  • P – validate parameters
  • U – print usage/syntax
  • d – deletes bad records

It is recommended that you run a jobinteg -v first to see how many (if any) jobs are orphaned or missing.  Then, run a jobinteg -d to delete the orphaned jobs.  Here is an example of the output:

Transdev Selects Infor to Advance Drive to the Cloud

Transdev Australasia has chosen a comprehensive Infor CloudSuite EAM solution to underpin its company-wide transition to cloud-based asset management. Partners since 2015, Transdev operates buses, ferries, light rail, and rail services across Australia and New Zealand. Per the press release, Infor will be key to Transdev’s plans to establish a centralized asset strategy, standardize and simplify group-wide processes, implement cloud technology around automation, Internet of Things and telemetry integrations, address customer expectations underpinning Transdev’s asset strategy, and manage audit trails. Deploying CloudSuite EAM is expected to streamline internal processes and benefit end users across Transdev’s businesses. As part of the agreement, Transdev will roll out a range of Infor cloud-based solutions including Infor CloudSuite EAM SaaS, Infor User Adoption Platform Bundle SaaS, Infor EAM Enterprise Edition Mobile SaaS, Customer Success+, and Infor EAM Enterprise Edition Fleet Management.

 

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IP Designer Series – Lawson Transaction Node

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The Lawson Transaction Node can be used to add/edit/delete records in Lawson forms using AGS calls.

After you drag the node to your process, you can enter the AGS call manually, import it, or select “Build” in the properties to open a wizard.  In the Wizard, select all your system values.  When you are selecting the fields to update, also be sure to include all the key fields so that Lawson can find your record.  The field values can be hard-coded, or you can use variables.  Once you’re done building your call, click Finish, and the AGS call will be displayed in the properties window.

A beginner’s guide to the three main types of ERP system deployment

There are various factors to consider when selecting an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system for your business. You must consider budget, existing IT infrastructure, size of IT department, and flexibility and control over the system – to name a few. Regardless of your industry, an ERP system can result in a more effective and efficient business. GISuser.com breaks down the three main types of ERP system deployment to help you figure out which is best for your company.

  • On-premise ERP – “This is the traditional method, where the software is manually installed on your company’s own computers and servers. It gives you total control over the system, although this also means that you are responsible for issues such as maintenance, security, troubleshooting, and back-up of the data and software. It usually involves a large up-front cost to buy the license, but gives you greater flexibility. This method is generally only used by large corporations.”
  • Cloud ERP – “This is where your software and data are hosted on a remote, third-party server. The up-front cost is much lower and instead you pay a regular subscription fee for access (which over a long enough period of time could of course exceed the upfront cost of on-premise ERP). Maintenance and updates will all be handled for you, as well as security and back-up of data. However, it’s important to remember that if you work in an industry with particularly sensitive data the level of security may not be sufficient for your needs. This method is popular with small and medium-sized businesses.”
  • Hybrid ERP – “This is an increasingly common option and as the name suggests is a blend of on-premise and cloud deployment. It may be suitable for you if your business has an existing on-premise system that you want to blend with the cutting-edge technology of a cloud system. It’s flexible and brings you the best of both worlds (although perhaps not to the same level), but it can be complex.”

 

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Why CRM Is Critical to Small-Business Success Right Now

The coronavirus pandemic has affected a lot of businesses, with small and midsize businesses (SMBs) failing to stay afloat this year. Many SMBs have implemented customer relationship management (CRM) solutions to aid in customer retention during these difficult economical times. Susan Marshall, founder and CEO, Torchlite, shares an article on Destination CRM of the importance CRM is to small businesses today. According to Marshall, maintaining customer contact is the lifeline to any company, no matter the industry. Utilizing a CRM is good for business, as there’s a major difference between those who are thriving and those who are struggling to survive.

CRMs Give SMBs the Edge – CRM not only empowers a first-class customer experience, but also simultaneously drives revenue and gives SMBs a competitive advantage.

Simplified Client Management – One of the main reasons that more SMBs invest in CRM solutions is its incredible ability to simplify client management by centralizing customer data.

Seamless Sales Strategy – Backed up by reliable reporting tools and access to customer history, CRM solutions make it easier than ever to accurately forecast a company’s pipeline.

Automated Target Marketing – Today’s consumers not only long for personalized and relevant content, but they demand it.

Increased Profits – Installing a successful CRM can save SMBs valuable hours of employee time, in turn saving money by engaging in more productive efforts.

Using CRM to the Fullest – CRM software has the potential to enhance many aspects of a small business, but only if you use its features to their full potential.

 

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Nylacast Forges Future-Proof Operations with Infor

Nylacast, a worldwide leader of precision engineered polymer solutions, has chosen Infor CloudSuite Industrial as its core technology platform. Having an aggressive growth strategy, Nylacast will utilize Infor’s application to shorten the timeline of achieving new capabilities within both its automotive and engineered products divisions, reducing risk and minimizing business disruption. Deployed via multi-tenant cloud and implemented by Infor partner JPO Solutions, According to the press release, Nylacast chose CloudSuite Industrial based on the enhanced functionality it offers over the existing on-premises application, the reduced management demands it is expected to make on Nylacast resources, and the robustness and flexibility cloud-based technologies offer. “This decision is based in our desire to develop a truly future-looking ERP system,” said Mark Bevan, CFO of Nylacast Group. “Moving to the cloud not only reduces cost but cuts the complexity of managing the hardware and enables us to continually evolve new capabilities instead of being confined to large-scale, cyclical releases that come with larger risk.”

 

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IP Designer Series – Resource Update Node

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The Resource Update node is used to add/edit/delete resources in Lawson Security (Resource Manager).  This node is extremely useful for automating onboarding and offboarding.

In the properties of the node, click “Build” to build your resource update action.

Select your action and the type of object you are updating (People or Thing).  The selection criteria and the updated values can be IPA variables.

After you click “OK” on the build, you will be able to see what is being updated in the properties window.

Suitcase Hospitality Optimizes Revenue Management with Infor

Infor recently announced that French hotel group Suitcase Hospitality is continuing to deploy Infor’s EzRMS revenue management solution across its properties to standardize its practices across all of its facilities. The cloud-based solution, which is based on AI (artificial intelligence) and its extensive learning capabilities, provides hospitality professionals with enhanced revenue management functionality and advanced tools to help improve customer service, in particular to better anticipate the commercial services to be offered to them. Since 2015, Suitcase Hospitality Group develops, designs and operates its own hotels on a totally independent basis. Another of the group’s distinctive features is that it owns a number of different brands and luxury hotels and boutique hotels. The group currently has five establishments in exploitation and aims to open three new ones per year. Per the press release, Infor EzRMS enables Suitcase Hospitality to standardize processes across its various properties, automate revenue management, optimize room occupancy and independently analyze market data. The solution identifies its customers through the analysis of their purchasing behavior. Thus, each establishment of the Suitcase Hospitality group can better know and understand the specificities of its clientele and adapt its price offer accordingly.

 

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