1. Infor XA Release 7 An Executive Perspective
Deborah Vermillion
VP Consulting Services

2. Deborah Vermillion Professional Experience MBA, CPIM, CIRM
IT Development Manager, ERP Project Manager
20 Years XA Experience
MAPICS Experience
20 Years implementation and project management experience
Certifications in EPDM, Production, Procurement, Inventory, Cost Accounting
My background started in IT development of custom accounting, inventory and sales system. I have been doing MAPICS/XA for 20 years, in variety of industries; Automotive-Nissan, Honda, Toyota suppliers, Batch-Chemicals, Paper; Configure to Order, Make to Order & Stock-Lighting, Electrical and Large Capital Equipment.

3. Agenda
What is XA Release 7?
What are the improvements?
Is Release 7 ready for You?
How do I get there?
Summary

4. Custom Definition Server
What is XA Release 7?
Legacy Architecture
Java Architecture Infrastructure
NETWORK
server
iSeries
Application Server
Web Server
Custom Definition Server
Database
DB2/400
HTML Server
XML Server
iSeries
Application Server
Database
DB2/400

5. Java Architecture Infrastructure
What is XA Release 7?
Java Architecture Infrastructure
NETWORK
Web
Data
Base

6. One platform for total enterprise integration
What is XA Release 7?
One platform for total enterprise integration
Thin Client
Web Site W S
Office
Excel
Other System
XML WS
Infor XA
HTML
XML
Quality
JDBC
Custom System
(SQL Server)
Customize
User
User

7. What is XA Release 7?
Java Architecture User Interface

8. What is XA Release 7?
Powerful Functional Enhancements
..now and in the future

9. What is XA Release 7?
Powerful Functional Enhancements
..now and in the future

10. Lean Execution and Planning (LEAP)
What is XA Release 7?
New Applications
Lean Execution and Planning (LEAP)
Integrates Lean execution with MO’s or REP schedules
Infor Supply Web
Electronic Supplier Communications
Infor Enterprise Asset Management
Leverage Infor’s Solution Library

11. What are the improvements?
Agenda
What is XA Release 7?
What are the improvements?
Is Release 7 ready for You?
How do I get there?
Summary

12. Implement at your own pace
Integrator
SystemLink
NetLink MM PM
EPDM
OBPM
CSM
R 6 Browser ‘Smalltalk’
R 7 Browser Java
Release 6 Green Screen
Release 7 Green Screen

13. What are the improvements?
Easy Access to Information improves decision making
Improved Application Functionality
Tailor XA to meet your specific needs
Connectivity and collaboration beyond your walls

14. Easy Access to Information
Quick change
Graph cards
Compound cards
Presentation schemes
Subset tip text
Cascading subsets
Power expand
URL & buttons
Attachment count
Column statistics
User definition favorites
Express customization
Logical field tip text
Change templates
Code files delete
Auto logoff
Auto key generation
Open action
Workspaces

15. Highlight Exception Items

16. Graph Cards Graph data on a card Pie charts, bar charts, stacked bar…
Multiple fields, multiple records
Drill down to supporting data
Customize subsets, sorts, max number

17. Compound Cards

18. Column Totals and Statistics

19. Quick Change

20. All Available over the Internet

21. Proactive Notification with Alerts
PO P for $11, needs approval

22. 2. Improved Application Functionality
R7 Essentials is the platform for enhancing core applications (EPDM, PM, IFM, etc)
R7 is the platform for integration to Infor Extensions

23. Cost Simulation Object

24. Results at total item level…
Cost Simulation Object
Results at total item level…
…and by cost element…
…and by summary.

25. Costed Indented Bill of Material
Cost elements
Summary costs

26. Purchase Requests New object on main browser
Ties together requisitions
Like a header
Handle requisitions as a group
Makes entering and tracking requisitions easier
Purchase Request
Buyer: John Doe
Whs: Atlanta
REQ
1 123A 10 Apr 1
ITEM
QTY
DATE
Apr 8
Apr 8
Apr 1
Apr 6
Priority: 1
Contract: 123

27. Purchase Requests From the requisitions Overall status All/Some/None

28. Purchase Requests

29. Requisitions
Purchase Request items are requisitions

30. Benefits Purchase Request is for the requisitioner, not the buyer
No change to buyer’s process
Manage and track requisitions as a group
For order, job, contract
Quick glance shows status
Drill-down to see more

31. PO Variance
Define ‘Standard’…
Comparison cards

32. PO Variance

33. R7.8 Expanded Process Functionality
Customer Service Management
End order enhancement
Split commissions
Price books
Reports
Invoicing from orders or shipments
Holds – list view gives visibility
Comments maintenance
Customer/industry item maintenance
Contracts/promotions maintenance
IFM customer maintenance

34. New End Order
Better Hold Management
CSM Reports

35. Invoicing Invoices can now be generated from orders or shipments.
As a standard host job, the invoices can be
ed or stored as text, HTML, and/or PDF
documents.

36. R7.8 Expanded Process Functionality
Enterprise Product Data Management (non-EPDM environments still the same)
Maintain kits and kit components
Procurement Management
Integration with SRM SupplyWEB for electronic communication with vendors.
Enhanced security for SOX requirements (federal tax ID/Social Security # has it’s own security and pre-set security for separation of duties)
Cameleon
De-couples engineering data from line-item entry, speeding up data entry process.
Configured item descriptions are saved in both CSM and EPDM.
MO’s can be generated automatically from configured customer orders.

37. R7.8 Expanded Process Functionality
Materials Management
New inventory transactions (IS, RC, TW, SA)
Receiving now has receipt by shipping notice, shipment containers and shipped items (SRM SupplyWEB)
Visibility and receipt functionality for “in-transit” stock being transferred to another XA warehouse
Inventory Status and Non-netting Locations
New field, Inventory Status, added to the Warehouse Location object to classify items to be withheld from certain activities.
Customer order pick lists – regular & stock pick combined
Customer order shipments (complete only for now)
Invoicing

38. New Inventory Transactions
Issue Item (IS) – formerly
Miscellaneous issue.
Receive Item (RC) –
formerly Miscellaneous receipt.
Issue Sales Item (SA) – formerly
Sales Shipment.
Transfer Item (TW) – formerly
Interwarehouse Transfer, and the
related generated
Interwarehouse Issue (IW) and
Interwarehouse Receipt (RW).
(Renamed but same designator. Note Reverse action.)

39. SHIPPING FUNCTIONALITY

40. R7.8 Expanded Process Functionality
IFM
Maintenance of:
Entities
Customer
Vendors
New summary levels and analytical functions
Credit information updated in real time
Increased length of bank account number to 60 characters to handle bank ID codes and international bank ID codes.

41. Add/maintain customers with IFM
Add/maintain vendors with IFM

42. New IFM Summaries

43. R7.8 Expanded Process Functionality
Order-Based Production Management
Application setting controls how users are notified when changing MO quantities with discrete allocations.
Net-Link
Supports multiple internet browsers
Environment Management
Includes Product Update feature to analyze and apply PTF’s, PCM’s and migrations from R6 to R7.

44. R7.8 Expanded Process Functionality
Integrator
Imports and exports user code within user exits.
Publish and subscribe supports notification subsets, including all fields on regular subsets.
The User Definition and User Preference Administration functions have moved from Integrator to base Power-Link product.
Translation enhancements
Add language to user profile and eliminate need for multiple MMLIST records and multiple database copies.
Install new applications and apply code fixes once without regard to individual languages.

45. R7.8 Expanded Process Functionality
Link Manager
Provides enhancements for managing machines, processes and environments.
System-Link
Calls to host jobs and reports
Define transactions groups
Supports conditional blocks in System-Link requests
Performance
Extra caching of customization data
Use of System i SQL query engine

46. IFM – Functions in process
Phase I – “Establishment”
All table maintenance
Entities, divisions, ledgers, withholding tables…
45% of menu options
Phase II – “Transactions”
Journal entries
Cash receipts
AR Invoices
AP Invoices
Phase III – “The rest”

47. Lean Execution and Planning
Lean Execution and Planning includes:
Kanban setup and management
Electronic production/rate boards
Backflushing with or without an M.O.
Kanban integration with XA’s shop floor tools
“drag and drop” M.O. / Kanban scheduling
and much more….

48. Lean Execution and Planning

49. Infor Integration-Enterprise Software Bus
Infor ERP XA PO
ASN PO
Infor
App 1 PO
Infor
App 2
Infor
App 3 SW
EAM
ESB
Enable functions once to interact with the bus
May now interact with any other application enabled for the bus
Let App 1 = SupplyWEB
Let App 2 = EAM
Both can use PO’s in the ERP system
The answer is System-Link, the XML program interface to any Power Architecture object, including those created by the company. System-Link provides a way to programmatically inquire into and update XA objects. It requires an XA user ID and password, and observes all security as though the requesting program were a user. It also provides all the same edits and calculated fields a user would see.
XA provides web services via Enterprise Integrator as a front-end to System-Link. A web service is simply the industry-standard way of doing what System-Link does directly. A programmer can use a web service for XA and never see the underlying XML going to and from System-Link.
WebSphere MQ is the messaging system that allows System-Link to operate asynchronously. The request can be sent to XA without waiting for a response. The response can be sent minutes or hours later.
What all this means is that as XA is migrated to the Power Architecture the application functions are enabled for services. As a company customizes XA in the Power Architecture the objects they create or change are also automatically enabled for services. In this way, XA can fully participate in the larger Infor global technology strategy.

50. SupplyWEB: Electronic Comm w/Suppliers
Multiple Procurement Methodologies:
Scheduled Releases
Ship Schedules
Discrete Purchases
One Way eKanban Pull Signals
Supplier Managed Inventory (SMI)

51. World Class Enterprise Asset Management
Asset - Equipment
Work Management
Materials Management
Purchasing Management
Administration Management
Reporting

52. World Class Enterprise Asset Management
Easy to use
Pre-set configurations
Simplified Installation
Pre-define KPI/Inbox’s
Low database and server costs
Simplified User setup
User defined Hyperlinks for fast data entry
Financial Integration to XA included

53. 3. Tailor XA to meet your specific needs

54. 3. Tailor XA to meet your specific needs
Purchased
Manufactured

55. Develop Applications

56. Everything you customize is “transparent” to the release.
Release Transparency!
This is a big deal!
You plan to be with your ERP system for a long time
A long time = lots of custom project
Everything you customize is “transparent” to the release.
Customized software but not modified
No source code changes
At release time, changes are brought forward and reapplied

57. 4. Connectivity and Collaboration

58. 4. Connectivity and Collaboration
Link business processes outside your 4 walls
Integrate multiple systems
Integrate multiple platforms
Leverage desktop applications

59. Secure web access to your objects
Custom business processes
Create objects and deploy over the web
HTML
Customize
Infor XA
User

60. Secure web access to your objects
Create and deploy objects on the web in minutes
Navigation, customization, attachments…all automatic
Note: Enterprise Integrator is required for Net-Link to see new or changed objects.

61. Integrate XA with your web page…
Web pages talk XML natively
Create web pages that talk XML to your ERP system
HTML
XML
Customize
Infor XA
User

62. Integrate XA with your web page…

63. Integrate with other systems
XML
Other system
Financial, CRM, shop floor, CAD…
Includes edits, calculated fields, business rules
Honors security
HTML
XML
Customize
Infor XA
ERP
Backbone
User

64. Download/upload bulk data

65. Integrate with Desktop applications
Office
Other System
XML
Costs
Budgets
Forecasts
Prices WS
Infor XA
HTML
XML
Customize
User

66. Integrate with Desktop applications

67. Integrate other applicationsW S
Office
Other System
XML WS
Infor XA
HTML
XML
Single user interface
Customize
JDBC
User
User
Quality
Departmental System
(SQL Server)

68. Objects from QA’s system (SQL Server)

69. One platform for total integrationW S
Office
Other System
XML WS
Infor XA
HTML
XML
Single user interface
Customize
JDBC
User
User
Quality
Departmental System
(SQL Server)

70. Access QA data over the Internet

71. One platform for total integrationW S
Office
Other System
XML WS
Infor XA
HTML
XML
Single user interface
Customize
JDBC
User
User
Quality
Departmental System
(SQL Server)

72. Is Release 7 ready for You?
Agenda
What is XA Release 7?
What are the improvements?
Is Release 7 ready for You?
How do I get there?
Summary

73. Is Release 7 Ready for You?
R7 is implemented on a large scale in large companies
Polaris, hundreds of users, multiple sites
Vestas, hundreds of users, multiple sites, multiple countries

74. Is Release 7 Ready for You?
R7 is implemented on a large scale in mid-sized companies
“XA R7 has provided an integrated business solution for our company. Information flows seamlessly, and via PowerLink, users are able to quickly access real-time information to make business decisions and respond to issues quickly. It has enabled an improvement of our business processes, and is the backbone of running our business.” VP Finance, industrial equipment manufacturer
“XA R7 is a tremendous tool for our business. Users are now able to access key information, without the need for specialized queries and reporting help from IT. The ability and ease of which our people can locate up-to-date data, and export to Excel is extremely valuable.” IT Manager, electronics manufacturer

75. Is Release 7 Ready for You?
R7 is implemented on a large scale in mid-sized companies
“Finding vital production information, such as customer order and manufacturing order status, is five times faster with XA R7. Once you move to this toolset, you would never want to function without it.” Production Control Manager, Ind Equipment Manufacturer
“ The workbench capability in XA R7 allows us to analyze material and purchase requirements exactly how we want to see them. This type of analysis previously required sometimes hours of digging, but is now easily seen on one screen – without having to go to multiple places in the system!” Materials Manager, Ind Equip Mfr
“We were sold by the ease with which you can customize the PowerLink user interface. The ability to quickly and easily add custom data files with relationships to XA data, and have those files immediately available in the PowerLink interface is extremely powerful” IT manager, Wire manufacturer

76. How do I get there? Agenda What is XA Release 7?
What are the improvements?
Is Release 7 ready for You?
How do I get there?
Summary

77. How do I get there?
Define your vision
Infrastructure Planning
Implement the R7 Platform
Deploy the enhancements

78. Define your Vision Office Other System XML WS Infor XA HTML XML
Single user interface
Customize
JDBC
User
User
Quality
Departmental System
(SQL Server)

79. Infrastructure Planning
Integrator
SystemLink
NetLink MM PM
EPDM
OBPM
CSM
R 7 Java
R 7 Green Screen

80. Infrastructure Planning
Performance Planning
Determine Server Requirements
R7 performance has been tuned
Offload to PC servers
Network Considerations
Client Considerations
Your affiliate and Infor can help
Technical Education
R7 Infrastructure operations

81. Implement the R7 Platform
If Green Screen only, similar to previous migrations
Minimal application changes
Evaluate impact to custom programs
With Java applications
Link Manager Configuration
Client Deployment

82. Deploy the Enhancements
Existing ‘Browser’ User
Basic Training on enhancements
New Java User/s
Potential for significant process improvement
Consulting assistance to develop streamlined processes supported by new tools
Project for significant deployment

83. Summary-Why go to XA 7?
My Infrastructure is now ‘nimble’
My ‘Enterprise’ is now connected
Information is now available
My processes are more streamlined
My users are more productive
Roadblocks (quality, performance) have been removed

84. Questions or comments?
Thank you!!