How Infor EPM (financial consolidation and planning) connects to Infor LN
ION with Business Vault
The snippet of Infor's CSAD add-on applications page describes EPM connecting to LN through ION using Business Vault, which is the data layer used to expose LN data to reporting and analytics consumers. Verify this against your LN and EPM versions.
Chart of accounts and dimension mapping
Whatever the transport, the real work is mapping LN ledger accounts, dimensions, companies and currencies to EPM entities and consolidation rules. This is design work, not configuration.
What data moves
| From | To | Data | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infor LN General Ledger | Infor EPM | Trial balances by company, period, account and dimension | Period close or scheduled load |
| Infor LN | Infor EPM | Intercompany balances and currency rates | Before consolidation run |
| Infor EPM | Planners | Budget and forecast versions | Planning cycle |
| Infor EPM | Infor LN | Approved budget figures if you load them back | Budget approval, only if designed |
Setting it up
- 1Confirm the supported pairingGet Infor's current compatibility statement for your LN and EPM releases, since the public page moved.
- 2Inventory LN companies and ledgersList the LN financial companies, fiscal calendars, currencies and dimensions that must consolidate.
- 3Design the entity and account mapMap LN accounts to the group chart, and decide how local-only accounts roll up.
- 4Stand up the ION and Business Vault pathConfigure the connection points and test a single company and period.
- 5Load and reconcile a closed periodCompare EPM trial balances with LN reports to the cent before anyone plans with them.
- 6Configure intercompany and FX rulesSet elimination rules and the rate types used for translation.
- 7Schedule loads around closeRun loads after subledger close and make late adjustments a controlled re-load.
What usually breaks
- !Restated or reopened LN periods that no longer match what EPM already consolidated.
- !Accounts mapped differently by entity, leaving the group P&L correct in total but wrong by line.
- !Intercompany mismatches caused by different posting dates between LN companies.
- !Currency rate types in LN not matching those EPM translates with.
- !Dimension changes in LN, such as a new cost center, that are not added to the EPM map before the next load.
- !Planning drivers built from LN actuals that include one-off items, distorting forecasts.
A private AI layer across both systems
Reconciliation narratives
An assistant reads the LN trial balance and the EPM load, lists the accounts that differ and drafts an explanation for the controller to review.
Variance commentary
It drafts first-pass budget versus actual commentary from LN transactions, with the supporting queries shown, for finance to edit.
Intercompany break finder
It compares intercompany balances across LN companies and highlights the postings behind each break.
Plain-language finance questions
Read-only questions such as which cost centers drove the overspend, answered from LN and EPM data inside your network.
Try it here, free
Financial Close Cycle Time Calculator
Quantify the labor hours and annual cost consumed by manual journal entries and reconciliations, and model a realistic automated close target.
When something else fits better
- Use LN's own financial reporting if you have one or two legal entities and no heavy planning needs.
- Use a spreadsheet-based consolidation for a small group, accepting the control risk.
- Use another EPM tool if your group already standardises on one, building the LN extract yourself.
Frequently asked questions
How does Infor EPM connect to LN?
Infor's add-on documentation lists EPM as connecting to LN, and a snippet of that page describes ION via Business Vault. The page now redirects, so ask Infor to confirm the method and supported versions for your release.
Is this suitable for on-prem LN?
LN is commonly run on-prem, but the supported deployment combinations of EPM, ION and Business Vault depend on release. Confirm the topology with Infor before design.
What is the hardest part of the project?
Mapping accounts, dimensions, currencies and intercompany rules across LN companies to the EPM structure. The connection itself is usually quicker than agreeing what the group chart should be.
Can AI help with close?
Yes, for reconciliation explanations and variance drafts, as long as it is read-only and a person approves. It should not post journals or change consolidation rules by itself.
Pairing documented at docs.infor.com/csad/2024.x/en-us/csadpov/wvh1454403650032.html . Infor EPM (financial consolidation and planning) is a product of Infor; Netray is independent and not affiliated with either vendor.