Planning worksheet

Use this worksheet to determine the questions to ask and the tasks that must be completed before you start installing your system. The questions are addressed in more detail, with information to help you answer them, in the chapters of this guide.


Step	Question	Tasks
1	What is your corporate structure? What hierarchical structure is required for financial reporting, for sharing of data and for transfer of materials?	Draw a preliminary flowchart in pencil or using a computer modeling tool like Visio®. You will probably change the flowchart several times. Create a SiteEntity spreadsheet containing a preliminary list of the site names and types.
2	Multi-site or multi-warehouse? Understand the differences between using sites and warehouses in SyteLine.	Decide whether your company really requires a multi-site setup. If not, skip the rest of this document. In a cloud environment, all sites are in the same database.
3	If multi-site, should you use separate site databases or combine them in a single database?	Decide how to set up sites in application databases.
4	Do you need separate entities? If yes, then how many different entities do you need?	Update your flowchart with any changes to the site/entity reporting structure. Update your flowchart with any changes to the site/entity reporting structure.
5	How many sites do you need? Determine the optimal number of sites for your system. Then determine some basic information about each site.	Update your flowchart with any changes to the site reporting structure. If your system will have sites/entities with different base (domestic) currencies, make a list of the 3-character currency codes to be used for those base currencies. Update your SiteEntity spreadsheet with any changes to the list of sites. For each site, specify the time zone, SQL server name or local node name, computer and domain name. Also specify the base currency for each site. Update your SiteEntity spreadsheet with any changes to the list of sites. For each site, specify the time zone. Also specify the base currency for each site.
6	Can you use the same Forms database for multiple sites? Do you need multiple Forms databases, and if so, which application databases should each one be linked to?	Update your SiteEntity spreadsheet to specify the Forms database used with each site.
7	Can you use the same Objects database for multiple sites? Do you need multiple Objects databases, and if so, which application databases should each one be linked to?	Update your SiteEntity spreadsheet to specify the Objects database used with each site.
8	How should sites be grouped? Do you need multiple groups for different multi-site functions or users?	Create a list of potential Site Groups. Update the SiteEntity spreadsheet to specify which Site Group the site should reside in initially.
9	What configurations do you need? Do you need different sets of configurations to be available to different sets of users? Will you need multiple servers and thus a designated configuration server?	In the SiteEntity spreadsheet, add the configuration name and application database name for each site - or else create a Configuration spreadsheet. Determine what configuration groups you need. Decide which server is the Configuration Server.
10	How many SyteLine intranets do you need? Review your physical requirements: application/web servers, database servers, etc. Decide on the intranet names, and which sites will belong to each intranet.	Update the SiteEntity spreadsheet to indicate the name of the SyteLine intranet to which each site is connected.
11	How do you want to use web rendering?	Decide which server you want to use for the Web client, and determine the URL to access the Web client.
12	Which data needs to be shared between sites? What categories of data need to be replicated? Which sites need to share that type of data? Does data need to be shared in both directions?	Update the flowchart with arrows indicating the categories of data being shared, and the directions the data is flowing. Create a ReplicationRules spreadsheet listing each of the categories you think you will need, in each direction, from each site.
13	Should some data be shared through a master site and SQL views rather than through replication? You might decide to set up master sites and shared views for some areas of your system.	Update the flowchart with boxes indicating master sites, if used. For data flowing to a master site from using sites, use a different type of arrow. Update the SiteEntity spreadsheet to indicate any sites that are master sites. Create a list of the tables that are controlled by the master site. If some of the rules you thought you would need have been replaced by the use of a master site, remove the rules from the ReplicationRules spreadsheet.
14	If you will replicate data, how often? Should you use transactional or non-transactional replication?	Update the ReplicationRules spreadsheet to indicate which rules are transactional or non-transactional. If using non-transactional rules, specify the interval type and timing.
15	Will you be using the event system?	Consider how event data might be replicated. Create an Events spreadsheet listing the configurations to monitor.
16	What modules or products will interface with each site? Will you be interfacing SyteLine to an external financial interface, EDI, an Infor BOD-enabled application, etc.?	Update the flowchart and spreadsheets as needed, if you decide to rearrange your sites due to add-on product requirements. If a site interfaces with an application via Infor BODs, update the SiteEntity spreadsheet with the logical ID.
17	In an on-premises environment, which license modules do you plan to use? Determine which users - and how many users - will need to work in multiple sites. In a cloud environment, determine how many users plan to work in specific forms/IDOs that are monitored by the different license modules.	Create a License spreadsheet listing the sites and the license modules and number of licenses required for each site. Create a License spreadsheet listing the license modules and number of users expected to concurrently use each module. If some sites use intranet licensing, note their intranet’s master site in the spreadsheet.
18	Is your naming scheme logical? Name sites, configurations, intranets, and site groups to indicate the logical structures and relationships.	Update the flowchart and spreadsheets with any name changes.
19	How easily will your structure incorporate later changes? Think about how radical changes to your company hierarchy may affect the structure.	Revise your flowchart and spreadsheets if you decide to rearrange your hierarchical structure.

Caution:

Planning and implementing a multi-site system is not a simple task. We recommend that you discuss the process and the results of your planning decisions with Infor Consulting Services prior to implementation.