What Is DEM (Dynamic Enterprise Modeling)?
Also known as: Baan DEM, Enterprise Modeler, Dynamic Enterprise Modeling
Definition
DEM (Dynamic Enterprise Modeling) is Baan and Infor LN's business process modeling layer. It captures an organization as enterprise structure, business function, business process and organization models, then generates role-based menus so each user sees only the sessions their process steps require.
DEM (Dynamic Enterprise Modeling) Explained
DEM was one of the distinguishing ideas of the Baan product line: rather than configuring menus and authorizations independently of how the business actually works, you build a model of the enterprise and let the software derive the user experience from it. The model is layered. An enterprise structure or business control model describes entities and their relationships, a business function model decomposes what the organization does, a business process model diagrams the flow of steps, and an organization model assigns roles to those steps.
The link between the model and the running application is the process step. Each step in a business process diagram can point at a specific session, so once a user's role is known, the runtime can present exactly the process diagram and session set that role needs. Users navigate a picture of their process rather than a package and module tree, which is a meaningful difference for occasional users such as shop floor supervisors or project managers.
Implementations typically start from a reference model supplied with the product or by a partner, then create a project model that is edited to match the target business. Because parameter settings and optional functionality can be attached to model elements, the model doubles as configuration documentation: what was switched on, in which process, for which role, and why. That artifact is often the only surviving design record years after go-live.
In practice DEM adoption is uneven. Some organizations model rigorously and get durable value, particularly where audits require documented processes. Others build a model for the implementation, never maintain it, and quietly fall back to standard menus while the stale model remains in the environment. Neither outcome breaks the ERP, but the second one destroys the documentation benefit that justified the effort in the first place.
Why It Matters
- A maintained DEM model doubles as living process documentation, which shortens audits and onboarding considerably.
- Role-based process navigation reduces training time for occasional users compared with raw package and module menus.
- Model drift is a real risk: an unmaintained model misleads new staff and auditors about how the business actually runs.
- Migration projects can mine the DEM model to recover as-is process definitions that exist nowhere else in writing.
In Practice
Before any Baan or LN upgrade, check whether the DEM model still matches reality. Teams commonly discover that half the modeled process steps point at sessions users no longer run, while the sessions people actually use are missing from the model. Reconciling the model against session usage statistics is a cheap way to build an accurate as-is process inventory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DEM required to run Baan or Infor LN?
No. DEM is optional. You can run the application entirely through standard package and module menus and conventional authorization roles. DEM adds process-driven navigation and documentation on top. Organizations that value documented, auditable processes tend to use it; those optimizing purely for speed of implementation frequently skip it and manage menus and authorizations directly.
What are the main model types in DEM?
DEM works with a small set of connected models: an enterprise or business control model describing the organizational structure, a business function model decomposing what the organization does, a business process model showing the sequence of steps with sessions attached, and an organization model mapping roles and employees to those steps so menus can be generated per role.
Related Terms
Baan Session
A Baan session is the atomic executable unit of Baan and Infor LN - one screen, report or batch program - identified by a coded name such as tdsls4101m000, where the letters give the package and module and the digits give the session number.
Infor LN
Infor LN is Infor's enterprise ERP suite for complex discrete manufacturers, descended from Baan IV and Baan V. It is deployed as on-premises LN 10.x or as an Infor CloudSuite edition, and covers manufacturing, warehousing, projects, service and multi-company finance.
Baan IV
Baan IV is the mid-1990s release of Baan Company's ERP suite, built on the bshell runtime with 3GL and 4GL development tools, package-based modules such as td, ti and tf, and multi-company table sharing.
Go Deeper
Baan to Infor LN Migration Readiness Assessment
Score your organization's readiness to migrate from Baan IV or Baan V to Infor LN across ten dimensions, from data quality to executive sponsorship.
Baan ERP: History, Versions, and Modern Migration Paths
Baan ERP history from Triton to Baan IV, Baan V, and Infor LN, plus practical migration paths for manufacturers still running Baan today. Get a proven roadmap.
Infor LN Implementation Cost: What to Budget
Infor LN implementation cost typically runs $500K to $5M+. See budget breakdowns by phase, license-to-services ratios, and the cost drivers for 2026 projects.
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