Infor OS App Designer: How to Build Apps and Homepages
infor os app designer
Also searched as
- infor os homepage designer
- how to create a homepage in infor os
- infor os build custom app
Short answer
In Infor OS, apps and homepages are assembled in the portal: you register an app (a URL, launch parameters and an icon), place it in a role-based set of apps, and compose homepages from widgets and links. The tooling and menu names differ by release, so confirm them in your tenant, but the process and the governance below hold.
Applies to: Infor OS Portal in CloudSuite and OS enabled on-premise installations; menu names and designer capabilities vary by release and by what your administrator has enabled
How to create an app and a homepage
- 1Sign in as a user with the administrator or designer role for the Infor OS portal and open the administration or designer area.
- 2Define the app: a name, an icon, the launch URL or application reference, and any launch parameters such as the company or the form to open.
- 3Assign the app to security roles or user groups so it only shows for people who should have it.
- 4Create a homepage and add widgets: links, key figures, lists, or embedded content from the application.
- 5Arrange the layout for the audience, with the five or six things that role does most at the top.
- 6Publish to a test group first, review on desktop and mobile, then release to the target roles.
- 7Document the app, the owner and the change process so it does not become orphaned.
Think in roles, not in apps
The mistake in portal design is to expose every function to everyone. A buyer, a planner and a controller need different starting points. Define a short list of roles, map the ERP security to them, and design one homepage per role with its daily tasks and a handful of figures.
Because security is enforced by the ERP behind the link, the homepage is a convenience layer, not a control. Do not rely on hiding a link as protection. Make sure the underlying application roles are right.
What belongs on a homepage
Good homepages hold actions and exceptions: tasks awaiting approval, late orders, items below safety stock. Poor ones hold decoration. Each widget should answer a question the user asks every day, and link to the place where they act on the answer.
Keep data widgets light. A widget that runs a slow query on every page load will make the whole homepage feel broken. Where a number is expensive, source it from a scheduled extract and show its refresh time.
Governance and change control
Designer access is a privilege. Limit it to a small group, require a test-first process, and keep a record of what was changed and by whom. An accidental change to a shared homepage affects every user at once.
Plan for upgrades. Custom apps that depend on hard-coded URLs or undocumented parameters break when hosts or versions change. Prefer supported launch methods and record dependencies.
Try it here, free
IBM i OS Upgrade Readiness Checklist
A grouped checklist covering planning, backup, compatibility, the upgrade weekend and validation for an IBM i operating system upgrade.
Common pitfalls
- !Treating a hidden link as a security control.
- !Building one giant homepage for all roles.
- !Putting slow live queries in widgets that load for everyone.
- !Giving too many people designer rights.
- !Hard-coding environment URLs, which then break at the next move or refresh.
How an ERP-grounded AI assistant handles this
A natural-language entry point can sit beside the homepage: instead of navigating to a report, the user asks the question. ERPray provides grounded answers and dashboards over the ERP, read-only and role aware, and can be offered as an app link from the portal. For on-prem estates, the model and data stay inside your network.
Frequently asked questions
What is Infor OS App Designer?
It is the tooling in the Infor OS portal for defining apps and composing homepages. The exact name and features differ by release, so check which designer capabilities are enabled in your tenant.
Who can create apps and homepages?
Users with the designer or administrator role in the portal. Keep this group small and use a test group before publishing to everyone.
Does hiding an app link secure the function?
No. Security is enforced by the application and its roles. Hiding the link only changes what users see, so confirm the underlying role design.
Can I build a homepage per role?
Yes, and it is the recommended approach. Assign homepages to roles so each group gets its own tasks and figures, and review them regularly.
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