Polttimo Group Aiming to Harvest Business Data with Infor

Infor recently announced that Finnish grain, malting and food manufacturing company Polttimo has implemented Infor CloudSuite Food & Beverage via multi-tenant cloud platform Amazon Web Services (AWS) across Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Poland and Lithuania. The application will help harmonize technology and ways of working leading to better traceability and operational transparency. Per the press release, simplifying processes will improve quality controls and reporting, which will ultimately increase operational efficiency and enable the company to optimize the operating model. Infor CloudSuite Food & Beverage will replace several existing ERP systems and deliver the benefits of standardization to the entire Polttimo Group. Further, Polttimo expects to see an increase in the transparency and subsequent control of key business metrics, better business continuity, improved efficiency and collaboration with stronger quality controls, and preparedness for an evolution towards integrated business planning.

 

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Best Vendor Management Applications

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Managing the recruitment process yourself can make your workload overwhelming. Above all, seasonal positions must be filled promptly. With VMs, you can quickly fill positions and automate the process. Check and respond to applications with ease, without having to sort stacks of resumes. As web-based applications, VMs can have applicants apply online from any agency. [Sources: 3]

 

VMs can help you stay compliant by providing a single location to store all the necessary settings and onboarding documentation. Even if all your employees are in the same office, VMs can provide risk management and keep your business processes compliant, especially if you work with contract workers. [Sources: 3]

 

Managing providers can be a tedious and time-consuming process. Vendor management tools are technological solutions that enable companies to manage their suppliers through frequent collaboration and regular monitoring. They help companies manage costs, track quality and measure third-party performance. [Sources: 7]

 

Here are a few things to consider when investing in supplier management software. A supplier management system is essentially designed to manage and mitigate third-party and fourth-party risks. Here are some of the most important components of a vendors management software solution. [Sources: 6]

 

It is a governance plan that refers to the authority, authorizations and contributors in supplier management. Now that we have covered vendor management, we will cover some best practices for scaling your own vendor management system. These best practices are often coupled with software vendor management platforms to facilitate vendor procurement and management. [Sources: 8]

 

Before we dwell on the specific characteristics, let us talk about the four biggest roles that vendor management systems perform. One way to imagine supplier management software is a more robust version of Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) tools. What an SRM software can achieve is performance, risk assessment, procurement, compliance, etc., just like VMs. Vendor management systems are channels of communication between managers and vendors. [Sources: 1]

 

Organizations must ensure that products and services offered by multiple third-party providers and contractors are safe and comply with all applicable laws, regulations and standards. Vendor Management Software is a process designed to manage and control relationships and agreements between these third parties, control costs, minimize third party risk, and improve service quality. [Sources: 0]

 

Here is a list of some of the best software options that should be considered for vendor management tools and IT services.

With VendorLaunch, which started as a vendor management tool, you also get a contract management module and the ability for the vendor to input their invoices which will all interface to your ERP system once your defined approval process has been completed. . Vendors can set themselves up and maintain their own documents that you need to stay in compliance. You can keep track of anything vendor or contract related in this custom set up system that corresponds to the way your company operates. You also get streamlined tasks and automation options that help you save time and ensure compliance. An audit record is created for every transaction that occurs.

 

FreshService is a cloud-based IT solution that is touted as easy to set up and use. It contains a contract management module that is integrated with an asset management module in its service desk package. There is a fully functional free trial for 30 days. [Sources: 2]

 

If you have problems managing your supplier documents, contracts, profiles, records and profiles, Gorilla wants to make your life easier. This SaaS solution includes comprehensive vendor profile management and an online collaboration tool that is suitable for companies of all sizes. [Sources: 4]

 

Managed Service Provider (MSP) is a case where companies outsource the entire process to a software provider. It leads to neutrality and leaves room for flexibility in outsourcing management. It allows companies to choose the specific characteristics they want. With this solution, users are managed by a single provider. [Sources: 5]

 

Companies are always looking for solutions that are tailored to their specific business needs. The solution you choose allows you to continue to use your own proven processes and to switch to new processes that meet the expectations of providers. However, vendor management has a learning curve for the acquisition. [Sources: 6]

 

Find cloud SaaS applications to purchase your accounts, personnel costs and data, and manage all your subscriptions in one place. All in one solution that brings together all your providers and uses a cloud SaaS discovery platform. [Sources: 8]

 

Sources:

[0]: https://cloudsmallbusinessservice.com/small-business/best-vendor-management-software.html

[1]: https://www.softwareadvice.com/scm/vendor-management-system-comparison/

[2]: https://www.tek-tools.com/itsm/best-vendor-management-software-for-it

[3]: https://softwareconnect.com/vendor-management/

[4]: https://connecteam.com/top-12-vendor-management-software-solutions-for-2017/

[5]: https://www.selecthub.com/supply-chain-management/vendor-management-software/

[6]: https://www.softwaresuggest.com/us/vendors-management-software

[7]: https://kissflow.com/procurement/vendor-management/top-vendor-management-tools/

[8]: https://zylo.com/blog/vendor-management-guide/

Why Intelligent ERP Systems Are The Secret To Growing A Company’s Competitive Edge

When the pandemic hit us suddenly last year, we were forced to adjust our live personally and professionally. But, now that things seem to be normalizing again, how do we as a society go back to some form of “normal”? While it won’t be the same normal pre-pandemic, it will be as close to normal as we can get. Businesses these days must observe and act on even the slightest changes in consumer behavior and habits to success in this post-pandemic economy. What’s the best way to monitor this change? Intelligent ERP. SAP’s Oliver Schoenborn shares an interesting article on Forbes explaining why intelligent ERP systems are the secret to growing a company’s competitive edge. “Moving from reactive management to proactive management,” says Schoenborn, “businesses facilitate data-driven decision-making using predictive analytics and act on insights with a collaborative network of suppliers, service providers, and employees.” This can happen by developing a core set of new ERP software requirements to help them compete more effectively, grow revenue, and increase agility and resilience. Businesses that have application and business processes embedded with data intelligence, advanced analytics tools, simulated modeling, and guided decision-making allows their employees to reduce the urgency when matters arise and the needs to manually handle redundant tasks. With intelligent ERP, by predicting challenges and solving them before they become customer issues, organizations can focus on more strategic activities, says Schoenborn. As much as we want out pre-pandemic lives to come back, we are always an ever-growing, ever-evolving society. With intelligent ERP, businesses can keep up with our constant changes and behavior patterns.

 

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Aircom Drives into the Cloud with Infor

Aircom Automotive has selected Infor CloudSuite Automotive, running on Amazon Web Services (AWS), to help the automotive supplier expand internationally. Per the press release, choosing Infor provides the company with access to a scalable, complete industry solution that allows it to reduce infrastructure costs. Additionally, the most important goals for this implementation are replacing the current system with a more modern and functional one and implementing proven industry practices to help Aircom expand its business. The Infor cloud solution provides a flexible way to grow the business globally, particularly in China, India and Mexico. This project is being implemented by international Infor alliance partner Merino Consulting Services BV, and will be supported by S&T, an Infor channel partner in Poland. The article also notes that after deployment, the system will initially be used by more than 100 employees in Poland, before it is deployed in other countries.

 

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How to check the delivery history of a specific LBI smart notification over a long period of time

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LBI, or Lawson Business Intelligence, smart notification is a great way to send out reports to users. Often times its good to check which users are getting the report and may have gotten it in the past.

To check this follow the steps below:

  1. Login to your LBI environment and go to Tools Dashboard >> Smart Notifications
  2. Select the Admin tab and click Delivered History

  1. In Delivered Alert History, you can set the dates as you wish to search a window of time, however this will bring back all notifications which can be cumbersome to look through

  1. To filter down on one report, simply click the Search box under Alert ID to locate the ID number.

  1. Type your report name and click search, select the correct one:

  1. Now you should see an Alert ID, click Get Delivered Alert History to see that report only and its recipients:

That’s it! Click Next Page to view the next set of records for longer date ranges.

City of Coral Gables Selects Infor to Reach New Levels of Operational Efficiency and Innovation

The City of Coral Gables, Florida, has selected Infor to help the organization provide better service to its constituents. The tech giant will support the city in its goal of reaching new levels of efficiency and innovation and promoting a culture of exceptional customer service. Per the press release, the city will implement a suite of Infor cloud applications to streamline financials, supply management and human capital management to better aggregate data through deep industry-specific analytics and artificial intelligence. Further, Coral Gables also will implement key Infor analytics solutions and set up a cloud operating platform for the future that will help enhance productivity, and bring business processes and artificial intelligence together to offer unparalleled insights. Infor will provide the city a platform for networked business analytics, help automate the process of preparing data and add an adaptive user experience.

 

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Fixing a Scheduled LBI Report Instance Parameters

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Often times a user is responsible for updating dozens of LBI report schedules that generate daily, weekly, and monthly report instances.

A parameter might have been set incorrectly and is now generating the incorrect data for a bunch of instanced reports that now are useless and no one noticed until several report instances existed.

Today we are going to go over how to easily fix those report instances assuming one has admin access and crystal reports installed.

Here is an example of a report a user was viewing that contains no bursting data for that user because it has the incorrect parameters:

First thing to note is the Report ID and Instanced ID as highlighted below.

Let’s now export the report as a Crystal report as shown by the arrow below.

Open the exported report in Crystal and press F5 >> Prompt for new parameter values >> OK

This should pull up the incorrect saved parameters. Change it to the proper values and press OK to generated the report with data. (you may be prompted for credentials, you’ll need some sort of db read access).

After the data is generated go to File >> Save and make sure “Save Data with Report” is highlighted:

Now go to the report instance that you exported this from and click details:

Under Report Actions >> Republish >> Choose File >> Find the updated crystal report, select >> Save

That’s it! Now view the report again and see if it shows the correct data. Do this for the rest of the reports.

Why Small And Mid-Market Organizations Need Modern ERP

The modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform has been a clear benefit for large companies off the bat. All departments across a business can work in a connected way, freeing up time and costs.  So why haven’t more small and mid-market businesses (SMBs) made the switch yet? Simply put, SMBs usually run their operations with a mixture of manual processes, various spreadsheets and software, and disconnected point solutions because they don’t have the same amount of resources as larger companies. But no matter the size, ERP systems would make any sized business run smoothly. SAP expert Brian Mortimer shares an article on Forbes explaining why SMBs would benefit from modern ERP systems. More specifically, cloud-based ERP platforms would keep even the smallest company’s network of employees connected and up to date on current information. Mortimer points our that businesses recognize that an ERP platform will help a company have a tighter grip of their entire business, improve cashflow, fast-track reporting, and make it easier to comply with regulations. Modern cloud-based ERP systems are the key to continue your business’ growth. SMBs, Mortimer says, would do well to consider a modern ERP platform that will provide the process efficiencies enjoyed by larger competitors, as well as data-driven insights and agility for scale and innovation.

 

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How Partnerships Can Improve Your B2B Customer Experience

The 2020 pandemic’s dramatic shift to online commerce has prompted many B2B buyers to want companies to offer new ways to access their services and products at an experience that’s easy and simple. Companies need to meet these expectations head on or risk losing business to competitors. Business development executive Denise Purtzer shares an article on Destination CRM of a strategic solution to this approach. She suggests forming strategic partnerships with other businesses to create an ecosystem that delivers what your customers want, so they don’t have to seek out what they need from your competitors. If you choose your partners carefully, Purtzer notes, you can give your customers what they want without making major investments in developing new lines of business or new in-house CX initiatives. This strategy of company-to-company partnerships is helpful for adding new services that complement your existing offerings and help your customers accomplish their goals. There are many areas in your business that make this cost effective and beneficial that Purtzer highlights.

Support for self-service buying. “If your business still relies on the catalog-and-sales-call method, one of the most impactful partnerships you could make might be with a B2B e-commerce platform that integrates with your current product catalog so that your customers can research products and services and place orders online quickly at any time, the way they shop in their personal lives. A good e-commerce partner will offer a constellation of its own partners to help you build out your self-service portal, such as design, content, SEO, and user experience services, so you don’t have to find, vet and hire all those providers on your own.”

End-to-end services. “If you offer e-commerce services, take a look at where your customers need more support during their own sales cycles. For example, you might partner with digital marketing service providers to help them drive traffic to their websites and also partner with returns management services to ease their return logistics burden.”

Complementary services. “If your business serves customers in a vertical that requires specialized knowledge from service providers like inventory and supply-chain management, bookkeeping and accounting, maintenance, logistics coordination, regulatory compliance or cybersecurity, you and the service providers you already use might benefit from setting up referral partnerships.”

Purtzer notes that the most successful partnerships build and create value over time. This kind of long-term benefit requires defined roles, ongoing communication and the willingness and ability of both partners to keep up with their customers’ needs.

 

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How your IT department will be affected by an Acquisition

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Your IT department will be busy during an Acquisition.

Once the decision is made which system will be the surviving system – yours or the acquisition’s system – that is when your IT department will get even busier. They may even be involved with comparing the systems and determining which might be the better system to consolidate the data into.

The obvious part your IT department will play is data extraction and data mapping for the data that needs to copied and converted from the sunsetting system and moving it to the surviving system. All of your interfaces need to be reviewed to determine which of those need to be moved or adjusted to continue “talking” to the surviving system.

When considering an acquisition there are many considerations. Some of these are:

How much history needs to be converted from the sunsetting system and moved to the surviving system?

How will historic transactions continue to be accessed from the sunsetting system when needed?

Coordination between IT departments (acquiring company and acquired organization) on current interfaces and how they will be handled in the combined organization.

Make sure to start with a BRD – Business Requirement Document – so you have a road map of what is expected throughout the process. This helps all involved – the acquired company, the acquiring company and any partner you may engage – know what is expected from all parties.