Association of object types to attributes

An object type identifies where you can use an attribute. You must associate each attribute with at least one object type. Object types are Lawson-defined. This table lists the object types that can be associated with attributes in Inventory Control:

Note: You can associate an attribute with more than one object type.


Object type	For attributes assigned to
ITEM	Items
ACCNT	Accounts
ACCTU	Accounting units
ICLOC	Inventory locations

Note: Ignore these object types: AMBKS, AMITM, APVND, ICLOC, ICITM, and POBUY. Only Lawson-defined data mart attributes use these object types and cannot be assigned by users.

These additional object types are available to be associated with attributes in other Lawson applications:


Object type	For attributes assigned to	In this application
ASSET	Assets	Asset Management
ACCNT	Accounts	Accounts Payable, General Ledger, Inventory Control, Purchase Order
ACCTU	Accounting units	Accounts Payable, General Ledger, Inventory Control, Purchase Order
CSHCD	Cash Code	Accounts Payable and Cash Management
CUST	Customer	Accounts Receivable, Order Entry, Billing, Warehouse
GLTRN	General Ledger transactions	General Ledger
ITEM	Item	Inventory Control, Purchase Order, Order Entry, Warehouse, Production Order, Requisitions
LEASE	Leases	Lease Management
ANLYS	User analyses	Strategic Ledger
SLTRN	Strategic Ledger transactions	Strategic Ledger
VENDR	Vendor	Accounts Payable, Invoice Matching, Purchase Order

Using attributes with items

When you use attributes with items, you have the flexibility to store additional information and select specific items for reports, inquiries and processing. The previous example shows how you can run reports and sales analysis based on items from a specific sales region.

Using attributes with accounts

You can use attributes to classify and group accounts. For example, you may want to determine how well your organization can meet its immediate current debt obligations. To do this, you want to look only at assets that can be converted to cash quickly. You can classify select asset accounts with an attribute of Liquid Asset and compare just those accounts to your liabilities.

Once attributes are assigned to detail accounts, the attributes can be used with data marts for analysis purposes. See the Organizational Effectiveness: Data Mart Setup Guide.

An alternative to using attributes with accounts is to use account groups. Account groups let you combine sequential or nonsequential account ranges into a group for reporting and inquiries. For example, to define a report on the consolidated totals of accounts 4000 through 4999 and 6000 through 6999, you can define an account group to include just those accounts. If you would select the sequential range of 4000 through 6999, all account would be included.

When creating account groups, you can only select accounts by account number. In contrast, using attributes lets you group accounts using a wide range of characteristics for selection.

Using attributes with accounting units

When you use attributes with accounting units, you have the flexibility to view your organization from different perspectives without actually changing your company structure. The previous example shows how ABC Company used attributes to view their profitability based on the region in which a store was located. They can associate additional attributes with each accounting unit that will allow them to view profitability by store size, by person responsible, and more.

Once attributes are assigned to accounting units, the attributes can be used with data marts for analysis purposes. See the Organizational Effectiveness: Data Mart Setup Guide.

An alternative to using attributes with accounting units for grouping is to use level groups. Level groups let you combine sequential or nonsequential level ranges into a group for reporting and inquiries. For example, to define a report to show the consolidated totals for accounting units with a level addresses of 01-101, 01-103, and 01-109, you can define a level group to include just the three ranges representing each accounting unit. If you would select the sequential range 01-101 to 01-109, the range includes values from other accounting units.

When creating level groups, you can only select accounting units by level address. In contrast, using attributes you can group accounting by a wide range of characteristics for selection.