What is Infor LN?
Infor LN is one of the most important, industry-agnostic tools within Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). The solution offers a system for the complete planning of all relevant business processes from design, manufacturing, warehousing and supply chain to the integration of all external partners and customers. Due to its high usability, Infor LN is able to significantly simplify these complex processes in everyday operations.
Implementation of Infor LN.
Infor LN is a multilingual ERP system and can therefore also be used for internationally active companies and their customers. The ERP solution ensures transparency in all internal and external processes through high-performance analysis tools, optimises error management (automated alerts, prioritisation of faults, prompt forwarding to the responsible departments) and makes it possible to manage both manufacturing and service functions without extensive customer-specific adaptations. Infor LN not only facilitates Enterprise Resource Planning in the narrower sense, but is also linked to other company applications via Infor OS technology – such as a tool integrated into the ERP system, which employees can use to communicate and solve on-premise problems as if in a social network.
The implementation in Infor LN is always carried out according to the specifications of the respective implementation partner. Usually, Unix-based operating systems and relational databases are used in the background in this context. As of 2022, the use of the standard interface Bemis (Baan Electronic Message Interchange System) is highly recommended. The well-documented CSV interfaces are easy and quick to use, as users have a simple directory structure at their disposal for reading in and setting up the data.
Here is an excerpt from a sample file:
"SA1";"ETN080702131713000000000000000004";"ETN293";"293000992"ORD001";"BEMIS";"";;20080702;;1317;"SA1_END"
"SA2";"ETN080702131713000000000000000004";"ETN293";"293000992";20080702;20080702;20080702;"";"";"";"FCA";"Free carrier";"";"";"";"";"030";"30days credit";30;0;0;"EUR";;"";"";;0;"POAMS1";"ZZ";"";"ETSUP1";"ZZ";
"BFBP";"ZZ";"SFBP";"SFBP";"ETSUP1";"0HBP";;"ETSUP1";"ZZ";"PTBP";"";"";"0";32;;"";"TEST VD";;;;;;;;;;;"SA2_END"
"SA3";"ETN080702131713000000000000000004";"ETN293";"293000992";"BFBP";"NLD";"ZARA Gran Via 293 Financial Company";"ZARA Gran Via Nergenshuizen";"ZARA Gran Via";"";;"";"1011 NH";"NH";"12345";"";"";"";"";"";;"Den Helder";"DH";"SA3_END"
What to consider regarding Infor LN?
The challenge for companies before using the ERP software Infor LN is the preliminary work already mentioned in point two. Depending on the project and implementation partner, it must be taken into account that there may be deviations with regard to Bemis. These specific implementation parameters should definitely be clarified in advance. In order to make the project run smoothly in the company and to speed it up, a precise goal must be named – possibly in cooperation with an ERP consultant – and source and target formats, communication protocols (e.g. SFTP, AS2, AS4, OFTP etc.) and test data must be discussed.
Benefits of Infor LN.
An ERP optimised via Infor LN software provides economic benefits at all levels of a business activity. Among other things through:
- Operational excellence thanks to automated and transparent processes
- Reducing operational expenditure by building an agile supply chain and e.g. cost-centred supplier management as default
- Expansion of manufacturing into a service-oriented business model
- Strengthening the competitive position through agile, customer-specific adaptations of the software without great expenditure
- Reading out ERP-relevant data, transforming it into resilient insights and transferring it into data-based decisions
What solution does Lobster offer?
With the data interface solution Lobster_data, Lobster offers a comprehensive construction kit that enormously accelerates the creation of interfaces to Infor LN. The use of default interfaces via Lobster middleware creates a release-secure solution, which also simplifies communication with implementation partners. In addition, CSV interfaces such as Bemis can be solved very simply and quickly and are easy to scale.
Furthermore, the elimination of metadata, such as in XML, makes the information readable to the human eye as well, eliminating the need for software developer support to map or maintain these interfaces.
Customer or project-specific requirements are easy to implement, e.g. by implementing packaging materials (in-house/external). ISO certification and certified protocols provide the necessary security. Most templates and formats are already available in Lobster_data or can be created very easily and quickly.
Lobster consulting employees are happy to advise interested companies in the run-up to implementation projects or accompany them through their specific implementation phase.
