Resources for Sage X3 Users

This blog discusses options for disabling the Export button on the right-hand side of the screen or restricting which fields are Exported for security purposes. Option 1: Disabling Export button in a Menu Item You may be asked if it’s possible to disable the Export button for security purposes. Unfortunately, this feature is part of the default options, and there is no way to disable it without writing Custom Code to do this. There is a Help Page on this topic: How to deactivate “Excel Export” options within code | (sageerpx3.com) The code in the above topic disables the Export button for all Users – you may decide to add code so it is more selective. Option 2: Restricting the Fields exported As an alternative, stopping particular fields from being exported to Excel/CSV or XML from a Menu Item may be sufficient – perhaps certain information is sensitive and shouldn’t be distributed via Excel/CSV or XML files. When considering the Export functionality, you need to realize that it is based on extracting the information stored in the fields defined in the relevant X3 Screens. To do this, we use a piece of built-in functionality related to Access Codes: Set up an Access Code, for example “ZDWNLD” You may have to untick the “All access codes” and add the new Access Code to the Classic User in Parameters > User > Users (GESAUS) Set “Inquiry” and “Modification” to “Yes” – this will mean data is displayed in Fields with ZDWNLD Access Code and allow them to modify those fields (that’s another story). Set “Execution” to “No” If the User was set up with “All access codes” before, the User may not have access to all the features they had previously when “All access codes” is un-ticked – for example, they would be able to go into Orders (GESSOH), but the “ALL” Entry Transaction is not available – this is because menu items may have their own Access Code, “ADMIN”. Unfortunately, this means that some analysis may need to be carried out so that appropriate Access Codes are added (with “Inquiry”, “Modification” and “Execution” all set to “Yes”) – perhaps even add all the Standard Access Codes as a last resort? Add “ADMIN” to the list of Access Codes Note that Queries displayed on the standard Queries on Landing Pages may also have Access Codes, so their Access Codes may need to be added for the User(s). Add “RESSMAGA” to the list of Access Codes: Note that this procedure doesn’t work if “ADMIN” User Function Profile is assigned to the User. Here are a couple of examples to illustrate the process – one is for a particular Entry Transaction type, and the other is for Customer Entry Example 1: Sales Order “ALL” Transaction Type In this example, the X3 CFO has asked that certain Users should not be able to download specific field-values to Excel/CSV or XML files – in this case, the “Carrier” details which are displayed as part of the “Delivery” Tab/Screen on “ALL” Transaction Type: The screen behavior is controlled by Parameters > Sales > Entry Transactions > Orders (GESSLC) Rather than hiding the field on the screen, the CFO would like it to still be displayed, and make the restriction User-specific instead, at the Export level. With that in mind, the alternative is to change the actual Screens related to the “ALL” Transaction Type. Check for Windows with the appropriate abbreviation, SOH in this case, to find the relevant Window and Screens: And then drill-down into the appropriate Screen In this case, WK2ALL12. Assign the ZDWNLD Access Code to the BPTNUM field: Once you’ve amended the Screen, Save and Validate, and that should be it – anyone with ZDWNLD Access Code will see these fields but they won’t be exported to Excel/CSV or XML. Example 2: Customer Entry The Customer’s CFO would like to stop some Users from sending out an Excel/CSV file with the Authorized Credit and Total Credit data for a customer. Again, assuming the initial Access Code and User setup are as before, assign the ZDWNLD Access Code to the appropriate fields: Once you’ve amended the Screen, Save and Validate, and that should be it – anyone with ZDWNLD Access Code will see these fields but they won’t be exported to Excel/CSV or XML. Please remember to set up an Activity Code to make sure these Customization aren’t lost when upgrading! Conclusion There you have it, two ways of restricting the Export feature – the second one is more targeted in that it can be aimed at a User and Field level but can have a high overhead in setting it up. I hope you find this article to be of use. Note: Content for this blog post was originally posted on Sage City by Richard Perrins, June 20, 2023.

Manufacturers, whether in process or discrete industries, need a robust system to manage and maintain their equipment. The Sage X3 Preventive Maintenance Module offers a solution by enabling you to schedule maintenance activities, plan production around downtime, and track the materials and labor necessary for upkeep. This add-on module is seamlessly integrated with Sage X3, leveraging its core functionalities for enhanced adaptability. Key Features of the Sage X3 Preventive Maintenance Module Include: Job Ticket Management: Handle repair, replacement, and scheduled maintenance with detailed job tickets, including cause and remedy codes, assigned resources, and materials used. Resource Management: Schedule maintenance resources efficiently using a dedicated calendar. Equipment Management: Utilize product and BOM functionalities for effective equipment management. Maintenance Scheduling: Plan and manage maintenance job tickets to ensure timely upkeep. Work Center Functionality: Track labor, costing, and routing steps to maintain an efficient workflow. Extensive Reporting: Gain insights with comprehensive reporting capabilities. User-Friendly Design: Enjoy easy adoption with a simple and intuitive design. Benefits for Your Business Implementing the Sage X3 Preventive Maintenance Module provides greater visibility into operations and planned maintenance, helping you to: Reduce inefficiencies and costly downtime, increasing overall profits. Improve productivity by ensuring equipment is always ready for use. Optimize inventory levels and purchasing costs. Offer more operational flexibility, adapting to changing business needs. For a more detailed overview of the Sage X3 Preventive Maintenance Module, we invite you to watch this general overview video below. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } If you would like to learn more or gain access to any of the other seven demos in this series that provide an in-depth look at the key features mentioned above, please contact us. Our team is ready to assist you in leveraging Sage X3 to drive efficiencies in your manufacturing operations.

We recently had a folder copy experience with a client that we thought would make a good blog for the more technical among you.  There are some extra steps that you may need to take when copying a folder to a different server where the Sage X3 folder contains new Objects that you have created that don’t reference any custom business logic.  Think of additional tables and screens you may add to Sage X3 through the authoring tools to simply hold and present data. When you create a new Object in Sage X3 it automatically generates a SUB for that Object in the X3 folder. If you create an Object function using just a Table and Screen, you do not need custom business logic.  Which would mean that a SUB for the Object would not be created in the folder being used for development.  In this case, the system falls back on the stub it created in the X3 folder which doesn’t have any business logic but must exist for the function to work. When copying the folder to a different destination server, the copy did not contain the stubs that the system generated in the X3 folder.  When you go to validate the functions worked, they fail because they could not find the stubs in the X3 folder. This can be resolved in one of 4 ways: Validate the related Objects in the PILOT and/or DEV folder would create the automatically generated stubs in the X3 folder. The stubs from the X3 folder could have been copied from the original X3 folder to the X3 folder on the destination server.  Then compiled. The stubs could have been copied from the original X3 folder to the folders on the destination server.  Then compiled. New stubs could have been manually created in the folders on the destination server.  Then compiled.

Over the past two years, the American workforce and its employers have undergone significant changes. The chemical industry, in particular, has felt these changes acutely due to an aging employee base and challenges in recruiting top new talent. This combination represents a significant threat to chemical companies, necessitating a renewed focus on growing and retaining a skilled workforce to remain competitive, agile, and profitable. Here, we examine the state of the chemical industry workforce and how leading companies can leverage technology to win the talent war. Aging Workforce: A Pressing Issue The US chemicals industry employs some of the oldest personnel across all sectors. As of 2023, the median age of the chemical industry’s workforce was around 44.7 years, compared to 42.3 years for the total US workforce. A significant portion of the workforce (25%) will be eligible to retire within the next five years, potentially leaving thousands of jobs unfilled Judging by those numbers, it’s hard to think of 44 as old, but the disparity in the average age is worrisome for chemical companies. Sources – (Deloitte United States) (WEF Forum). Plug the Brain Drain To address talent shortages, the chemical industry should focus on retaining and recruiting older workers. By 2030, it’s projected that nearly 20% of the U.S. population will be 65 or older, with this age group expected to comprise over 10% of the workforce, a roughly 55% increase from 2019. The pandemic accelerated retirements, but many older workers are now rejoining the workforce. About 32% of retirees aged 62-71 have returned to work, presenting an opportunity to leverage their experience. Notably, 90% of baby boomers consider their tech skills on par with or superior to younger colleagues. Older workers are staying in the workforce for reasons beyond just income. By creating a supportive culture that values their expertise and offers flexible schedules and more paid time off, chemical companies can better attract and retain these valuable employees. Sources – (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 projections, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2023 report (CDC) (Census.gov) (SeniorLiving.org) Attracting New Talent To build a future-ready workforce, chemical companies must attract millennials and Gen Z workers. These younger generations prioritize technology in the workplace. Companies that invest in advanced business management technologies, such as ERP, CRM, HRMS, and IT systems, create an innovative environment that appeals to tech-savvy candidates. Technology at the core Investing in digital enterprise strategies is crucial. While chemical companies have traditionally focused on R&D technologies, there’s a growing need to modernize finance and operations systems. This digital transformation drives efficiency and innovation across all departments, making the industry more attractive to younger talent and more efficient overall. Conclusion: Leveraging the expertise of senior employees and integrating this knowledge into advanced technological processes can bridge the generational gap in the chemical industry. Currently, the industry depends on individual decision-making by experienced personnel, which can lead to inefficiencies. By capturing key information and creating technology-driven workflows, companies can streamline operations. This approach not only enhances efficiency but also frees senior employees to mentor and coach the younger workforce, fostering the development of the next generation of chemical industry leaders.

We have a technical blog this week going through the configuration steps of adding a calendar to your Dashboard in Sage X3.  In this example, we are creating a new calendar gadget that will display Work orders in progress. We will use an existing query and dashboard view from the SEED folder for this example. The following general rules apply to other kinds of calendars. IMPORTANT: Make sure that you do this work first in a test folder or environment to validate the results before you do the work in your production folder or environment. And make sure it is an experienced Sage X3 administrator on your team that does this work, so it’s tagged appropriately. Always use activity codes when creating or modifying X3 objects. This will protect your configurations from patches that are released for Sage X3. We will be using an existing query to display the data in the calendar. Navigate to: Setup->Usage->Reports->Graphical query tool Choose: VMAN0006 (Tracking WO in progress) Note the definition and criteria below. We will be using an existing Dashboard view: Navigate to: Setup->Interactive dashboard->Dashboard views Select: VVMAN0006Q (Tracking WO  in progress) Note the data source, Event title column, and Event text column in the definition We will now create the menu item Navigate to: Administration->Authoring->Pages->Menu items In the upper right corner, click on the Actions button and select “New menu item” On the next screen, enter the appropriate Code, Title, and Description fields Choose “Calendar” for the Link type Choose “X3 ERP” for the Application Enter “VMAN0006” for the Query name In the Parameters grid, add a parameter row: Enter “PORTVIEW” as the name Enter “VVMAN0006Q” as the value Under Display, leave “Open in Same window” option Under Classification->Categories: For Module, choose: “Manufacturing” For Categories, choose: “Shop Floor Tracking” Next, we will need to create the calendar gadget.   Navigate to one of your home pages under the “MY HOME PAGES” section: Click on the “+” button in the top-right corner of the screen to add a gadget: On the next screen, click on the Calendar icon: On the next screen, click on “Manufacturing” under Modules, then click on “Shop Floor Tracking” under Categories, then click on “Tracking WO in progress” under Gadgets. Then click on the “Ok” button: You should now see your calendar displayed on your home page. Clicking on one of the items in the calendar will display more information: Clicking on the hyperlinks will take you to the appropriate screen. In this example, it is set up to take you to the work order screen or the routings screen depending on which link you click on.

Nectari continues to improve Sage Enterprise Intelligence Workbooks’ latest features and make extracting data even more flexible. They’ve also added some time-saving features to help you edit your SEI reporting trees quickly. Workbooks Data Extraction Automatic Refresh: Improve your workbook’s performance by minimizing data refreshes and turning off “Automatic Refresh.” Column headers: Easily customize and edit column headers directly in the worksheet. Total rows: Save time creating calculations with automatic sums added in a total row. User experience and performance: Watch your data loading with new visual cues like a progress indicator. Dashboards Save time and drill down on dashboard data with just one click by turning on the “Enable the single selection” function in “Chart Properties.” Reporting Tree Manage larger reporting trees and quickly move nodes up or down to promote them to a “parent” or demote them to a “child” node. See how easy it is to edit your reporting tree structure with a few clicks. Did you know that SSO configuration is easier than ever? https://onlinehelp.nectari.com/Latest/en/Installation/single-sign-on/saml2-config-examples.htm Configure SAML2 for the Web Client and the Excel Add-In all in a central location with no need to reconfigure your set-up after a software upgrade. Need help configuring SAML2? Click below to see some examples. BI Buzz: Industry Insights: Did you know that the manufacturing analytics market is set to reach 58.06 Billion by 2031?* Nectari has got you covered with plenty of reporting templates for all manufacturing users and analytics for Sage X3 Preventive Maintenance and the Sage 300 AutoSimply Add-on. Sage X3: https://onlinehelp.nectari.com/Latest/en/Templates/SageX3/SageX3-predefined-introduction.htm Sage 300: https://onlinehelp.nectari.com/Latest/en/Templates/Sage300/Sage300-predefined-introduction.htm NEW! Free eLearning Delta Training https://nectari.com/products/copy-of-release-2024-r3-content-updates?_pos=5&_fid=6edec87ad&_ss=c Have you had the chance to discover the latest and greatest features of Nectari/SEI? We’re offering a FREE Delta Training eLearning course to maximize your use of the new release. This course includes information on new features from releases 2024 R2 to 2024 R3. PROMOTION Save on eLearning until June 30, 2024 https://nectari.com/collections/self-paced-elearning 50% OFF 12 Month eLearning Subscription* Benefits of eLearning: Makes employee training more accessible Works as a powerful onboarding platform Improves knowledge retention Discover new capabilities Gain certification relevant to your role Reduces overall training costs

Are you migrating from a legacy ERP application to Sage X3? Do you need to integrate/migrate data periodically from non-ERP/3rd party applications into Sage X3? We have good news for you! Net at Work has a new Sage X3 Data Migration Tool. The new Sage X3 Data Migration Tool (DMT) is a user-friendly application designed to migrate data from non-Sage X3 applications to Sage X3.  The DMT uses the familiar Microsoft Excel user interface, is easy to learn, and helps reduce errors and time spent on data migration to Sage X3. KEY FEATURES: User-friendly Excel-based simple user interface. Uses embedded VBA programming language for Data conversion/translation. Built-in validation for missing data columns. 20+ pre-defined Excel templates for data collection covering Master data and Transactional data. Add custom fields to pre-defined templates. Single-button click for data conversion and import file generation. Version Management for files generated includes an auto-archiving function to backtrack. Parallel processing: Multiple copies of DMT application can be executed simultaneously on different user workstations. DMT can process 100K lines in less than two minutes. HOW DOES NET AT WORK’S DMT DIFFER FROM SAGE’S DMT FOR SAGE X3? Simplified user interface based on Excel. No need to have technical knowledge of Sage X3 data structure. Targeted for non-technical users. DMT configuration, setup, training and support is provided by an experienced data migration consultant. GETTING STARTED IS EASY: A Net at Work Data Migration Consultant will do the following: Install and configure DMT application. Install Sage X3 patch containing import templates. Provide DMT  training (2 hrs.) Provide assistance for Data migration (up to 4 hrs.) Once these steps are completed, you can use the Data Migration Tool as-needed for one-time or ongoing imports. PRICING INFORMATION: $1,000.00 – Yearly subscription Are you ready experience the simplicity and efficiency of our new Sage X3 Data Migration Tool firsthand? Don’t wait! Contact us today.

I was fortunate to have two days in Phoenix last week attending the Prophix Live conference.  It was one of the only times I have been to a conference without any colleagues from Net at Work and it was a very worthwhile experience.  Being on my own pushed me out of my comfort zone to network and speak with a lot more new people than usual without the home-base comfort of hosting a Net at Work booth or event. The morning sessions at the conference delivered Prophix-specific messages but also two keynotes on AI and the shift of the finance and accounting department from a tactical to strategic role within the organization. Some of my take-aways: To achieve growth in GDP, the US will need to focus on more productivity; without adding significantly more people, the only way to achieve consistent growth is the same number of people producing more output. The finance office will need to know much more about the business. To provide more value, it should know how the business runs and broadly what are the business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.  In a room of hundreds of accounting professionals, I was surprised to see relatively few hands up when asked who would consider themselves comfortable with the operations of their companies. Prophix urged the room to have a more creative mindset.  They challenged the attendees to get the monthly close to under 5 days (most admitted to needing 10 days) to free up more time for providing the business strategy and more long-term value. One of the keynote speakers warned the crowd that too many finance and accounting professionals spend too much time in their comfort zones.  She said that controlling expenses is not enough—everyone at the company needs to be actively contributing to how they grow the business.  The finance teams should be engaging in more brainstorming before rushing to solve issues.  Focus on the business’s competitive advantage to justify higher margins.  Think about business value and what problem are you really trying to solve. Change in every business will be required to grow in the new GenAI economy.  You will need the trust of your people to get them to step out and change with you: Give them visibility and opportunities, Acknowledge employees’ contributions Have their back and don’t point at them They need to feel you have their best interest in mind all the time Most companies, including software publishers, don’t yet have clear strategies for and policies on GenAI.  The biggest barrier is not the AI technologies but the security and privacy of data. Because data quality is key to any automation, machine learning, and AI, data specialists are now much more common in the finance department.  Only a small number of attendees have implemented or are planning to add a Chief Data Officer (CDO), most of these resources currently report in to the CFO. Data quality is driven from the top down – if the top executives don’t enforce good policy and prioritize data, it won’t be seen as important. Inspiration and effort come from the bottom up – the acumen of the people entering, scanning, and interacting with data need to ensure quality. The big move from reports to dashboards has been underwhelming for many.  Companies are realizing that some dashboards are simply more colorful reports providing little improvement to intelligence or decision-making value. The next AI-enabled generation will focus on pushes and alerts based on your requirements and associated risk tolerances. At lunches, I met with a variety of people over some great food.  The general vibe of the attendees was cautious optimism.  They love the Prophix product and would like to see more verticalized content and contextual assistance.  They understand the push to providing more value with AI coming soon but they don’t see it happening at the speed that the analysts and media are preaching.  Only about 50% of the people I met would allow a self-driving car to take them anywhere.  I learned that Phoenix is one of the only cities in the US to have a fully autonomous car service, Waymo; very cool for about 50% of us. I’m very interested to hear from you about how you have seen AI changing your department or business over the last 12 months.  Have you moved beyond some of the traditional AI-tools like AP automation or order entry OCR? Thanks for being a client of Net at Work!  I hope you find this post helpful.  As always, please reach out with any comments, questions, or feedback.

This week we highlight Auto-Journals in Sage X3 exploring the “1=2” formula by one of our favorite Sage experts, Pam Nightingale. This is Pam’s last blog for Sage – she retired in March – the Sage X3 team of Net at Work wishes Pam the very best in her well-deserved retirement. Before we look at the “1=2” formula, here are Pam’s past blogposts exploring automatic journals: Exploring Auto Journals: The “V_” Formula Exploring Auto Journals: The Descriptions Exploring Auto Journals: The Journal Type Exploring Auto Journals: What Table is That? Exploring Auto Journals: A Post Update Review Exploring Auto Journals: Which Auto Journal will be Used? This seventh exploration will explore what is behind the “1=2” formula. Remember exploring is better done in our Test environment to avoid accidentally changing or deleing data. Our journey starts in Automatic journals (GESGAU) under Setup > Financials > Accounting interface. Where might we find “1=2” in our auto journal? We find the formula in the Condition section of an auto journal line. Hopefully, you’ll only find it in a custom auto journal indicated with its code starting with “Y” or “Z.” This is the preferred or standard operating procedure for naming and creating customizations. Let’s first talk about the Condition section (GADFORCND) under the journal lines. Here is what the Online Help tells us: This is one of three logical conditions relating to the values of the fields of the principal table, as well as the general table if it is a line of linked table type (this includes, if necessary, constants and functions). If these conditions exist, they must be verified for the line to be generated. In the case of the setup of a repetitive type line, these conditions can use the Index variable. The conditions differ depending to the type of line: Linked table: use the values of the principal and general tables. If these conditions exist, they must be verified for the line to be generated. Repetitive: use the index value in the conditions. If this condition, expressed in the form of a logical expression, is false, then the entry is not generated Why would you use this always false formula “1=2” in the conditions? The last line of the Online Help extract explains what we have with the formula “1=2.”  Every line in the condition must be true for the line to be generated. With the false statement in the condition, the auto journal line will not generate a journal entry line.  We’ve seen this used when the customer didn’t want transactions to flow through the Received not Invoiced process. Or, they made modifications by adding additional lines to the auto journal instead of changing the existing lines. For an auto journal line to be used all conditions must be met.  In this example, we will look at a stock auto journal line. The VCRNUMREG (journal adjustment) field in the STOJOU table can’t be blank.  The ACCDETSTK (Anglo-saxon stock accounting) parameter must not be equal 2 for the financial site in the FINRSPFCY field of the STOJOU table. The VARVAL (movement variance) field for the STOJOU table can’t be equal to 0. However, all that doesn’t matter because “1=2” isn’t true. This line would be skipped. Hopefully this satisfied your curiosity about the mysterious “1=2” formula. If you have any questions about auto-journals in Sage X3, or any other Sage X3 questions, please contact us.