When it comes to having a successful CloudSuite project in the Public Sector, what do you want to know? On Wednesday (12/8) at 1:00 PM EST, Richard Leigh Stout & Barbie Hunley will tell you everything you need to know about what the Cloud means for Public Sector. If you want to know how to get ready for it and how to be successful, come listen to two of RPI public sector experts discuss projects they’ve worked on, the impacts of the clouds on an organization, and needs in the Public Sector in ...

Is your organization looking down the road at a CloudSuite project? At noon on Wednesday December 8th, RPI partners Keith Wayland and Richard Leigh Stout will discuss common implementation challenges and how to lay the groundwork early to ensure a smooth project. Learn what you and your team can do now to prepare for CloudSuite. Topics include stakeholder engagement, data cleanup, technical development, and pre-planning.

Joe Hoover: Last week, we discussed how the honest assessment of your staff's ability to be involved in the project is critical to its success. Barbie Hunley: Something else that's super crucial is having an efficient and effective decision making process.

Once the project vision and the project goals and objectives have been defined, the right quality and quantity of executive support and sponsorship are established so that when we have major accomplishments, we celebrate those accomplishments with all levels of executive support. It's not a question of setting up the vision or setting up the project goals, rather it's having continuous involvement of executives allowing the project members to get the feeling executive leadership is engaged is su...

Something that's really important when we're talking about an approval process in a software solution is that the application needs to know who has the authority to approve what kind of transactions and who needs to see what kind of transactions. In the past, every approval system that's been bolted on to Lawson, whether it be IPA, On-Base, or a separate imaging system, basically has had to store the logic within its own configuration and its own way. Those systems have been really disconnected ...

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, we had just begun the unit testing for a client's payroll implementation. So everything was from unit testing all the way through go-live was 100% remote for us. We were able to easily adapt to the project. The team lead was their only payroll person. It was her idea to have daily team calls. We had an online Microsoft Teams meeting that was just an open meeting for her and me.

Here is a sample timeline for implementing GHR, although it can definitely be done in a shorter amount of time. Usually, absence and payroll together have a 43 week go-live. During this process, there's a lot of activities occurring at the same time, but the biggest thing to remember is that there will be three payroll parallels. Of course, we'd love to do 100 of them until there's no errors, but that's unrealistic.

Barbie Hunley: With regards to the people and organization, the first characteristic that we advise people is really to ensure that they have the right quality, quantity and availability of their project staff. Joe Hoover: Right, for a successful ERP implementation, it's a people project. First and foremost, you want to identify on your organization team those individuals that will be assigned to the project and the ability of them to dedicate their time to the project will directly impact or...

Regarding system uptime in CloudSuite, anyone that has a subscription is probably on their email notifications list. This means Infor will let you know whenever there's a service degradation across any of the apps, or within any of the CloudSuite portfolios that you subscribe to. We've definitely seen a pretty steady stream of updates lately. So, the other question is how do you prepare for CloudSuite being down unexpectedly?

Let's talk about data migration. Infor does offer data migration services where they take information from single-tenant Cloud to move it to the multi-tenant. They take information from Workday 4 for example. So if your payroll application is on a third party system that is not a loss in system, that will also be migrated from loss in S3.

In order to prepare to launch a CloudSuite project, you should lead your team through a bit of a pre-planning exercise to get yourselves ready. At a high level, that means figuring out the right scope for your organization and your timeline roadmap. Where does it make sense to start migrating to CloudSuite? Should you do the migration in phases if you're talking about bringing over a three-suite Lawson application in your medium to large size entity?

A lot of the information we've been discussing throughout this series is global and applies to everyone. However, if you're looking at your organization specifically and asking what the business case for CloudSuite is in my organization, we have a couple of things that we recommend as you go through that.

We've already talked about not having to run all the infrastructure internally. This means you're spending less time and money running a data center, and on the flip side, you are able to basically operate more efficiently. We can do more with less because it takes less human power and input to do day-to-day transactions and push them through.

One of the most important things to do when you're going through an ERP implementation is to outline your business processes as early as possible. Most companies or municipalities will ensure that they also have outlined their requirements in a very detailed fashion, which is a step in the right direction - a level up from that would be doing the same for your business processes.

Everything we’ve been discussing throughout this series goes back to the scope of the ERP. The scope of the ERP is best defined through the strategic vision, which has to take into account business transformation, goals, and objectives in the areas where the organization needs the most improvement. What are the situations? How long does it take us to issue a permit? How does it take us to complete a procurement? How long does it take a business entity to respond to a solicitation? All of these...

I know that for some organizations considering a move to the cloud, there's some hesitation of not being in control of the underlying hardware or data center that they’re running. It feels like maybe there's a bit of a risk here in not managing and owning all the infrastructure. But I feel like there's a false sense of security that can come with this attitude, because even organizations that have invested in a robust disaster recovery plan have discovered that they’re not always as fail-saf...

I think everyone acknowledges that the concept of having a single ERP that handles everything you need has been outdated for a while. It can become difficult and overwhelming having a different solution for each piece, as well as thousands of integrations and interdependencies. This is why it's about finding the right happy medium for your organization, which is something that starts with a foundation that's going to take care of 80-90% of your needs. While it's possible that there are some thin...

One of the most challenging components of an ERP implementation project is project governance. While this aspect starts with the project management, it extends to the executive sponsorship as well as the actual project team members who are implementing the ERP system.

The third principle we talked about is identifying implementation constraints and objectives. What we mean by that is, is it a single phased implementation or a multi-phase implementation? It comes down to how much change management and change readiness the organization can absorb at that time. In terms of business transformation, what are those components that need the greatest impact. Is the organization having issues around the procurement process or employee satisfaction? Ultimately, the str...

Once the strategic vision for an ERP implementation is clear, it will typically evolve and be revised by the second guiding principle: establishing the strategic business transformation objectives and approach. This stage always dictates what the scope of the ERP implementation would look like. When we think about any public sector organization, somewhere there is a plaque that says your mission statement, your goals and objectives, all of which focus on constituencies and how to be a better, mo...

One of the questions that we're asked often from public sector organizations is how do I prepare for an ERP implementation? If you look at it from a strategic perspective and consider what the guiding principles would be, the answer would come down to three parts. The first is knowing the scope of your ERP project, the second is establishing your strategic business transformation strategies and approach, and the third is determining your ERP implementation objectives and criteria.

In general, Infor has incredible reporting capabilities. While a multitude of reports are actually delivered within the system, it also has the capability to extract data into an Excel spreadsheet. One of the great things about GHR is the visibility that managers have into their own employees' data, where they can run a report to see who in their group has a vaccination or has been given a face shield, ect. Anyone who is an administrator can use these company-wide reports, which would be some of...

  TAKE QUICK SURVEY   Over the years, RPI has done several key surveys like this - we are happy to share the results so that you can see how the market is doing. Your information and answers are confidential, but all respondents will receive the trends afterwards. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey - you will be entered for some great prizes including iPads, Rokus, and a host of Amazon devices (Echo Dots, Echo Shows, Fire Tablets, etc.) as we love Tech. The s...

Over the course of the last fourteen weeks, Keith and I have walked you through a high-level explanation of what RPI's pre-planning engagement is and how, together through this process, we can maximize the powerful features of Infor CloudSuite for your organization. Aside from discussing how this assessment helps get everyone on your team ready for a CloudSuite implementation, we also covered the project's scope & approach, how to handle different types of data ahead of a migration, ...

All the work that is involved in a successful pre-planning assessment culminates in the executive summary. This week, Keith takes you through the specific deliverables you will receive in our executive summary. This step is extremely important on the road to CloudSuite, so we relish the opportunity to demonstrate what we can do while providing budget estimates for your organization to consider. Check out Keith’s latest post to find out more information!

A large amount of our customers have been on Lawson for many years, which is another big factor in these pre-planning engagements and projects in general. This familiarity means they've developed very sophisticated flows, integrations, and extensions, so they're concerned about how those are going to migrate forward into CloudSuite. Today we’re going to explain what that effort and future state might look for a client in this situation. This part is actually a big component in t...

The conversion scope and strategy that we decide on during pre-planning has a pretty big impact on the structure of the overall transition project, as does the work effort and direct cost for this implementation. Let's discuss how and what we focus on during this important phase in the pre-planning project, as well as what it means for your overall implementation. There are three different kinds of data that we can talk about in terms of conversion: master data, transactional data, and hi...

A question we often get from clients who are looking to implement CloudSuite is what should an organization do to prepare for an RPI pre-planning event? While I think it’s the same as planning for an engagement, there are basically two things to consider. The first is that the better you both understand and document your current processes and pain points, the better you can articulate them to a consultant. This way we already know what you’re looking to achieve from the beginning ins...

Now let’s discuss the key deliverables a client might receive out of this engagement. We have a written deliverable which covers the scope and approach of our project, as well as the organizational profile. It contains everything gathered during the discovery period; this information forms the narrative of how the Lawson application is used, how well it is meeting the client’s needs, and any other noticeable gaps that we can close wit...

Why would you want to pre-plan for your CloudSuite implementation? In a nutshell, these projects are big and complicated and they disrupt an organization’s business processes for the better by their very nature. Since this undertaking is nothing like an upgrade, you really want to set yourself up to have a successful implementation. Remember, this venture will last the next twenty, twenty-five years – as ...

RPI at the MWLUG Virtual Meeting Join RPI this Thursday, March 18 for the MWLUG virtual meeting. The MWLUG virtual meeting will feature special interst group breakout sessions, a special Infor update by Matthew Bragstad, and a riveting ADDINS Session with Mr. Don Peterson! If you're not yet registered for the MWLUG virtual meeting you can register here.  RPI will be participating in the HR, Technical, Financial and Supply Chain special interest groups and will h...

Mike Gardner, our esteemed, long-time colleague, has officially retired from the RPI ranks and Infor-Lawson community. A sales superhero, Mike had a lengthy career in consulting and sales which outlasted most everyone I know. In addition to working at RPI, he previously owned his own consulting firm, Mid-Point Consultants, and some larger Systems Integrators before that. He was an icon in the Infor-Lawson market, truly a classy guy, and he certainly will be missed.   I will always re...

What Can you Learn About CloudSuite Today?  RPI is proud to announce our next iteration of Tech Talks with our “CloudSuite Series”, which will be 15 progressive sessions on each Friday for the next several months. Continuing our series this week, is: Watch On-Demand: CloudSuite 101: CloudSuite Migrations This is your starting point to the transformative potential of CloudSuite, so let RPI help you get off to a good start with the “secret sauce.”&...

Watch On-Demand: CloudSuite 101: CloudSuite Migrations CloudSuite 102: v11 HCM Differences CloudSuite 103: v11 Financials Differences Future Tech Talks You Can Register for Today: CloudSuite 104: v11 SCM Differences Friday, October 2. 12:00 pm EDT CloudSuite 105: v11 Pre-Planning Friday, October 9. 12:00 pm EDT CloudSuite 106: Global Ledger Sandbox Friday, October 16. 12:00 pm EDT CloudSuite 107: CloudSuite for Healthcare Friday, October 23. 12:00 pm EDT .......

The decade of Hospital 4.0 is here. So far clinical operations may have been the primary beneficiary of the innovations brought by this initiative. But as RPI director Michael Grace explains in his article for ERP News, the robust enhancements and process-driven frameworks of the new generation of Cloud ERP solutions when combined with the exciting potential of robotic process automation (RPA) promises even more transformative outcomes for the digital worker in healthcare.  Read Michael&...

RPI's 2019 Spring Webinar Mini-Series RPI's Infor Lawson Spring Webinar Mini-Series will take place May 14-15, 2019. This time we'll be featuring new information on planning for v11, why you really need a business intelligence strategy and how to get one, and show you why and how managed services can still save you time and money in a Cloud-based world. Featured guests will include Infor's Todd Stratton, and Birst's John Duda. Infor's Top ...................

Where does your organization rank when it comes to BI & Analytics maturity? We agree that most organizations are either Basic (spreadsheet-based analyses and personal data extracts) or Opportunistic (individual business units pursue their own data and analytics initiatives as stand-alone projects, lacking leadership and central guidance); so where do you start if you want to improve your maturity? Don’t reinvent the wheel and make the same mistakes others have, lean on the experts at R...

Take a Tour of the Infor HCM Evolution (& Revolution) Join Infor's head of HCM Product Management, Amy Ihlen, and RPI's Richard Leigh Stout on a tour of what's new, where Infor is headed, some industry trends, and the technology in Infor's HCM (Human Capital Management) Evolution - it's a revolution.    Infor's Next Gen Payroll is Coming: An Update & the Evolution   Join Infor's head of HCM Product Management...

As the current year winds down, RPI is pulling out all the stops for our Winter Webinar Series. We're bringing you topics from HCM, GHR, SCM, and Finance focused around CloudSuite FSM v11 and beyond. Some familiar faces, some new faces and a few special guests will be popping by the studio to help us out. So amongst all the hustle and bustle that the month of December entails, take a little time to join us for some new and informative presentations!

We still have a lot more prizes to give away so don't miss your chance to win! Complete RPI's Infor Lawson community survey and you'll be automatically entered into the drawing for a YETI cooler, an Amazon Echo Show, an Amazon Tap and Starbucks gift cards. You will only be able to take the survey until November 2, so don't wait to participate. RPI Consultants administers this survey to gauge the progress and perceptions of the great Infor Lawson community. The survey cap...

Free Coaching Sessions with RPI at Inforum 2018 - Schedule Your Session Today! Schedule a 30 or 60 minute meeting with RPI while at Inforum. Talk about specific topics or just sit down and have a general conversation with one of our consultants about where your organization is now and where you want to be tomorrow. You've seen our webinars, now spend time with those same RPI experts as they provide coaching on the topics that matter to you most. There is no better way to spend your t...

Time is running out to register for the MWLUG IPA Symposium. In this video, RPI’s Richard Leigh Stout and Jeremy Stoltzfus discuss about what you can expect to get out of the event. Check it out here! The IPA Symposium is a collaboration of developers, users, thought-leaders and other community members focusing on how to get the most out of IPA. It is a unique opportunity to share your experience and expertise around this powerful tool as well as to further your knowledge and understand...

RPI's Infor Lawson Summer Sizzler Webinar Series begins on June 4th! As we count down the days until the practical, informative webinars, we're also here to count dow the top 5 things you need to know to make sure you're prepared to experience every bit of value that these webinars have to offer.    5. Log on Early! This may sound a bit underwhelming, but we've all been there — you log on to your webinar and experience the dreaded "technical difficul...

RPI at the KLUG RPI Consultants is proud to sponsor the Keystone Lawson User Group (KLUG) Meeting being hosted at the Wyndham Garden Inn in York, PA on Friday, April 27th. RPI will be the exclusive sponsor of the 2018 KLUG Meeting with over 20 subject matter experts in attendance and 8 sessions to present. Attending from RPI will be Business Analysts, Senior Consultants, Practice Managers and Partners. For more information or to register for the KLUG 2018 Spring Meeting, please visi...

Again this year RPI Consultants is excited to sponsor the 2018 Infor Winter Showcase in St. Paul, MN. For those attending, we would like to help you get the most out of this important event. RPI and WorkOutLoud have teamed up to produce our 2018 version of the Infor Winter Showcase Visitor’s Guide. In this visitor's guide, we’re highlighting some of our favorite restaurants, bars and destinations to visit while attending the 2018 Infor Winter Showcase.

Register now for RPI's Winter Webinar Webinar Series! As current year winds down, RPI is pulling out all the stops for our Winter Webinar Series. We’re bringing you topics from HCM, GHR, SCM, and Finance including AP Automation plus several presentations on CloudSuite FSM v11. A special guest will be popping by the studio to help us out, so amongst all the hustle and bustle that the month of December entails, take a little time to join us for some new and informative presentations! ...

During the Southeast Lawson User Group on September 18th, RPI Consultants matched the donation by the SELUG board to aid the victims of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The partners, staff and family at RPI Consultants very much appreciated the privilege of being able to match the generous $1,000 donation made by the SELUG to the United Way for hurricane relief. Managing partner Keith Wayland was on hand with VP Sales & Marketing, Bill Geddy, to present the donation to SELUG’s Tanya an...

Why take the time to respond? 1. Prizes! Who doesn’t love prizes? 2. Every respondent will get a copy of the survey results when completed. Get the low-down on what’s happening in the community and see where you stand in comparison to your peers. 3. RPI’s goal is to be the premier source for knowledge-sharing and enablement for the Infor Lawson community. To do that most effectively, we need to know what’s important to you and what you’d like to see in the future educational initiat...

FLUG Spring 2017 Meeting The FLUG Spring 2017 meeting will be held at the Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, FL. Date: Friday, April 21, 2017 from 8AM - 3:30PM Where: Hillsborough Community College Brandon Student Services Center 10414 E Columbus Dr Tampa, FL 33619-7822

This Friday February 24th registration will end for Infor’s Power Training and Winter Showcase taking place March 6th and 7th and then March 8th through the 10th respectively. The Power Training will cover Landmark Security, Process Automation, Technology Foundation, and Infor Security Services. These are some of the most requested training classes and they’re going to be led by some of Infor’s leading instructors. If you’ve had your eye on any of the courses, I can’t recommend strongly enough taking advantage of this opportunity. You get the entire course content condensed into two days which is really going to maximize the time you spend. The training will take place in Infor’s Educational Floor in their St. Paul headquarters which was just renovated and re-opened a couple of years ago, so the facilities are nice, new, and comfortable. I highly encourage you to check it out, especially since time is running short to sign up!

It happens way more often than organizations realize.  Invoices get coded directly to the inventory account – which is no bueno when we are talking about a balance sheet GL account that is purportedly supposed to tie to a sub system (and that system is IC, not AP!)

The following is a clever workaround for receiving a substitute inventory item.

We’ve all gotten the request before…. What was our spend on item 11111 last year? Where do you go to provide them the data behind the request? PO54, MM280, or maybe you get a little crazy and start pulling records directly from POLINE?

It happens way more often than organizations realize. Invoices get coded directly to the inventory account – which is no Bueno when we are talking about a balance sheet GL account that is purportedly supposed to tie to a sub system (and that system is IC, not AP!) So why do we see directly Coded Invoices and Credits for Inventory Items in the first place? Don’t inventory items need to come through a PO to be received in as Inventory in the first place? Yes, they sure do!

RPI Consultants Lawson Candy Apple Webinar Fall Festival! Register today and take home all of your Lawson Festival goodies. www.rpic.com/webinars

Pack up your lunchbox and hit the books on August 18 to learn everything you need to know to ace Lawson 10.

Schedule a meeting with RPI's HCM Practice Manager, Melissa Olson. Melissa is a senior Infor/Lawson Human Capital Management applications consultant with origins in the technical side. She is experienced and certified in Lawson Global Human Resources and Talent Management as well as the Lawson S3 HR applications. Schedule a meeting with Melissa today. www.rpic.com/inforum

We often provide the recommendation to clean-up your users in LSF before running an ISS synch, other than identifying and deleted orphaned records here are some pointers on running an ISS synch.