Time to Get Started on Your Fourth Shift ERP Year-End Review
Time to Get Started on Your Fourth Shift ERP Year-End Review

 

As 2025 approaches, it’s time to prepare for a fresh start by tackling a few essential tasks. To simplify this process and ensure a smooth transition, ICG is here to guide you every step of the way. For our valued ERP Managed Services customers, our dedicated Fourth Shift Team will meticulously ensure you’re ready to hit the ground running in the new year. For those not yet on our managed services, we’ve outlined key tasks designed to set your business up for ultimate success and growth.

Note: A full system backup should be completed and verified before starting any process. Follow proper change management processes to ensure all departments agree with any changes or resets.

 

Lot Trace:

  • Review Retest and Expiration dates for lot numbers and move them to the corresponding location
  • Purge Lot Trace history as needed, keep in mind compliance and retention requirements: LHIP (Fourth Shift Backup to be performed before any purge)

System Admin Tasks for ERP Systems:

  • Review Windows, IIS, SQL Security, and all directories supporting Fourth Shift. Clean up as needed and adjust documentation
  • Purge Statistics: VPFR, POYE, and COYE executions to clear Vendors and Customer statistics (Fourth Shift Backup to be performed before any purge)

Purchasing:

  • Review and update Vendor contracts, quotes (prices), and effective dates
  • Closeout and re-issue blanket purchase orders as required
  • Review and close out old purchase orders
  • Reset vendor performance score-carding statistics
  • Delete empty order headers

Update Number Sequence:

  • OACF for purchase orders, customer orders, and manufacturing orders
  • Review sequence numbers and AP checks and update, if needed
  • Typically, AR invoices, AR credit memos, journal entries, cash sets, and manual shipment sequence numbers don’t need to be updated, but a review can be suggested

SQL Backups:

  • Archive Year End Backups (after closing) of all databases for retention and audit purposes
  • Archive Year-End Reports
  • Review older archives in place (ARCHMOD) and purge old year’s files (review retention)

Shipping:

  • Purge old history: SREV (Fourth Shift Backup to be performed before any purge)
  • Review and close out old completed shipments still in Release status

Costs:

  • If using Standard Cost, review and update the fixed and variable overhead rates being applied for labor and materials
  • Review, simulate, and update costs, then if using standard cost, schedule year-end cost roll as per your processes (Fourth Shift Backup to be performed before exchanging to standard cost)

Financial:

  • Enter next year’s calendar, including GL Periods and Starting and Ending Dates
  • Review/update/add Recurring Journal Entries
  • Review and clear the following reports: APUV, APTB (small balances), and ARTB (small balances)
  • Purge old history: APPG, ARPG, CSPG, GLHP (Fourth Shift Backup to be performed before any purge)

Manufacturing:

  • Update shop calendar for 2024
  • Prepare and load next year’s Master Production Schedule; update planning parameters according to it
  • Perform an ABC analysis to update item class codes for cycle counting
  • Prepare/apply cycle counting
  • Review all OVARs for exceptions and resolve
  • Review OVAR parameters and determine if they are adequate for the current CO, MO, and PO processes. Note: OVAR does not purge data from Fourth Shift completely. The order data is retained in the history tables
  • Review and close out old manufacturing orders
  • Delete empty order headers
  • Clear and reconcile the Backflush report
  • Purge old item history as needed, keeping in mind compliance and retention requirements: AUDP (Fourth Shift Backup to be performed before any purge)

 

 

ICG can be a crucial ally in helping manufacturers smoothly navigate their year-end checklist and transition seamlessly into 2025. Manufacturers can streamline their year-end processes by harnessing ICG’s expertise in FourthShift ERP solutions with precision and ease. ICG’s team of specialists will assist in reviewing and refining workflows, generating insightful reports, and implementing best practices to boost operational efficiency. With ICG’s guidance, manufacturers can confidently tick off each item on their year-end checklist, minimize potential disruptions, and establish a solid foundation for a successful and productive year ahead.

 

Do you want some help tackling this to-do list?

Contact ICG today!