How to add a mobile app to Infor LN
Short answer
A mobile app for Infor LN talks to LN through ION APIs or a thin service layer over LN business interfaces, handling barcode scans, receipts, inventory moves, labor and approvals. Decide early what must work offline, because LN transactions expect live validation.
Many LN users still do shop-floor and warehouse work from fixed terminals or through the Worktop and web UI on a desktop. That means receipts are keyed after the fact, inventory moves are done on paper, and approvers wait until they are back at their desk.
A mobile app moves those tasks to where the work happens. The temptation is to mirror LN sessions on a phone, which tends to produce a clumsy result. The better design is task-based: a receiving screen, a pick screen, a labor screen, each calling the right LN transaction behind the scenes.
This page covers LN's mobile and API options, the transactions worth mobilising first, and practical issues like scanner hardware, networks and offline behaviour.
What teams use it for
Goods receipt by scan
Scan a PO barcode, confirm quantities and lot numbers, and post the receipt against the open purchase order line, with over-receipt tolerance checks.
Inventory moves and counts
Scan locations and items to move stock between warehouse locations, or run cycle counts with variances routed for approval.
Shop floor labor and quantity reporting
Operators start and stop operations on a production order, report good and scrap quantities, and select reason codes from a short list.
Mobile approvals
Managers approve requisitions, timesheets or engineering changes with the key facts on one screen and an audit trail back in LN.
Field service reporting
Technicians view assigned service orders, log time and parts used, capture photos and customer signatures, and sync results back to LN.
Infor LN integration surface
- Infor ION API Gateway: OAuth 2.0 authenticated REST access for mobile backends, where the relevant LN APIs are enabled for your version.
- LN business interfaces and DAL objects wrapped by a thin service, giving mobile calls the same validation as LN sessions.
- Infor's own mobile and warehouse mobility offerings for LN, whose names and capabilities vary by version and licence, to be compared before building custom.
- LN warehousing data, such as inbound advice, receipts, storage locations and handling units, for receiving and movement screens.
- Read replica access for fast look-ups like item and stock, so that the live system is not queried for every keystroke.
How it works
- 1
Select the first two tasks
Choose high-frequency, narrowly scoped tasks such as receiving and inventory moves. Measure how they are done today to set a time-saving goal.
- 2
Pick the delivery model
Choose between a vendor mobile product, a progressive web app, or a native or cross-platform app. For rugged scanners, check the device OS and scanning API.
- 3
Build a backend for mobile
Create a service that exposes task-oriented endpoints and calls ION or LN business interfaces. Do not let the device talk to LN directly.
- 4
Authenticate users
Use single sign-on through your identity provider, mapped to LN users so that LN permissions and company access apply to every call.
- 5
Design for the floor
Big targets, scan-first inputs, minimal typing, clear success and error feedback, and handling for glove use and poor lighting.
- 6
Handle connectivity
Decide what may queue offline. Reference data can be cached; transactions that need live validation, like receipts against open quantity, should require a connection or be reconciled with clear conflict handling.
Example flows
Receiving a purchase order
Trigger: A truck arrives and the receiver scans the packing slip barcode.
- The app looks up the open PO lines in LN through the backend.
- The receiver scans items, enters quantities, and captures lot numbers where required.
- The backend posts the receipt through ION and returns the receipt number.
- Discrepancies against the order are flagged to the buyer.
Result: Receipts are booked at the dock in real time, so planning and accounts payable see current data.
Operation reporting on a production order
Trigger: An operator scans a production order traveler at a work center.
- The app shows the operation and current status.
- The operator starts the operation and later reports good and scrap quantities.
- The backend posts the hours and quantities to LN, rejecting invalid combinations.
Result: Shop floor progress reaches planning without end-of-shift keying.
Keeping data on-prem
A mobile app is easy to keep on-prem: the backend runs inside your network, devices reach it over corporate Wi-Fi or a VPN, and LN is never exposed to the internet. For field staff outside the building, use a reverse proxy with certificate-based device authentication or a managed VPN. Mobile device management should control which devices can authenticate, and sensitive data should not be cached on the device beyond the current task. If you add an AI assistant to the app, host the model locally so questions about stock or orders never leave your network.
Security checklist
- Never embed LN or ION credentials in the app; authenticate users and keep service credentials in the backend.
- Use device management, certificate pinning and remote wipe for shared and personal devices.
- Enforce LN company and warehouse scopes server-side per user.
- Log every transaction with user, device and timestamp.
Ways to get it done
Infor or third-party warehouse and shop floor mobility product
Effort: Weeks to months with configuration and scanner rollout.
Best when your needs match standard receiving, picking and labor flows and a product supports your LN version.
Custom progressive web app over ION
Effort: A few weeks for a first task, with ongoing support.
Fits narrow, custom tasks and teams that want one codebase across devices.
Partner build such as Netray
Effort: A pilot with two tasks at one site.
When you want task apps plus an on-prem assistant or document capture on the same backend.
Pitfalls
- !Copying LN sessions onto a phone instead of designing around tasks.
- !Underestimating wireless coverage in warehouses and metal-heavy plants.
- !Allowing offline postings against live quantities, which leads to conflicts.
- !Letting the device hold broad permissions via a shared login; every action should map to a person.
Frequently asked questions
Does Infor provide a mobile app for LN?
Infor offers mobile and warehouse mobility options in its portfolio, and what is available depends on your version, licence and deployment. Compare those with your needs first. Custom apps make sense for tasks the standard products do not cover.
Can the app work offline?
Partly. Reference data and drafts can be cached. Postings that need live checks, such as receiving against open order quantity, are better done online or reconciled afterwards with clear conflict rules.
Which hardware should we use?
Rugged Android scanners are common on warehouse floors, while tablets suit shop floor stations. Pick based on the scanning method, battery life and environment, and test the app on the actual device before rollout.
How does the app authenticate to LN?
Users sign in through your identity provider. The backend maps them to LN users and calls ION or LN business interfaces with their rights or a controlled integration user. The device itself never holds ERP credentials.
Can we add AI features to the mobile app?
Yes, for example voice entry of quantities, photo-based document capture, or asking about stock in plain language. For controlled data, run the models on your own servers and keep the app talking only to your backend.
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