IFS Cloud Platform vs Infor M3 comparison

IFS and Infor are both solutions in the ERP category. IFS is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.0, while Infor is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.2. IFS holds a 2.4% mindshare in ERP, compared to Infor’s 4.6% mindshare. Additionally, 87% of IFS users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Infor users who would recommend it.

IFS Cloud Platform

Read 30 IFS Cloud Platform reviews

2,769 Views
1,786 Comparison Views

87% willing to recommend

Infor M3

Read 13 Infor M3 reviews

3,896 Views
3,009 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

IFS Cloud Platform

Infor M3

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024

IFS Cloud Platform and Infor M3 compete in the ERP market, with IFS having an edge due to its sophisticated Pricing Matrix and versatile warehouse capabilities, making it more suitable for diverse industries.

Features: IFS Cloud Platform’s strengths include a sophisticated Pricing Matrix that optimizes pricing models, extensive warehouse functionality supporting multiple businesses, and a seamless integration model utilizing open standards. Infor M3 excels in robust manufacturing processes, detailed planning functions, and specialization in industries like food and beverage.

Room for Improvement: IFS Cloud Platform could enhance usability and workflow design with better integration across modules. It also requires improved user guidance and streamlined user experience. Infor M3 needs better training resources, support for third-party applications, and documentation. Both face mobile compatibility challenges.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IFS Cloud offers Hybrid, On-premises, and Public Cloud deployment options but garners mixed reviews on customer support due to geographical constraints. Infor M3 provides stable On-prem and Public Cloud solutions but faces criticisms in support availability and quality.

Pricing and ROI: IFS Cloud adopts a user-based pricing model with competitive strategies, suitable for medium to large companies. It competes with SAP and Oracle, offering long-term investment benefits. Infor M3’s tiered pricing is affordable yet slightly more expensive than some ERP solutions, requiring upfront negotiation for ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed IFS Cloud Platform vs. Infor M3 Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

IFS Cloud Platform vs. Infor M3

December 2024

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Categories and Ranking

IFS Cloud Platform

Ranking in ERP

9th

Ranking in Activity Based Costing Software

7th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

CRM (12th), Customer Experience Management (7th), Field Service Management (1st), Help Desk Software (8th), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) (2nd), Local Government CRM (4th), IT Asset Management (8th), IT Service Management (ITSM) (6th), License Management (2nd)

Infor M3

Ranking in ERP

12th

Ranking in Activity Based Costing Software

8th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the ERP category, the mindshare of IFS Cloud Platform is 2.4%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Infor M3 is 4.6%, up from 3.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

ERP

Featured Reviews

Patrick Abi Habib

IFS Applications & Data Migration consultant at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

I like the connectivity and interfaces, but the reporting could be more user-friendly

IFS uses Crystal Report mostly, which isn't too user-friendly. Developing reports isn't easy and requires a lot of dev time. Since SAP bought it, Crystal Report has become more complicated to use on IFS. You have a dashboard for reporting that is good, but it's incomplete. Most of our clients use Power BI or some additional tooling for BI. I worked on a third-party system called Harmony Solution. This French company produces a reporting tool that I feel is better than Crystal Report for IFS. They could also improve the plugin for Excel data migration to clarify its use. Many clients use it for massive amounts of data, which affects their systems. There is no communication about that. Clients use the Excel plugin because they know it works, but it does not always work the way it should. They need to improve the plugin's performance or inform customers to limit their use. Migration jobs are often based on Excel inputs, particularly CSV files. That can cause issues when operating across several countries. For example, say I'm working on a French PC collaborating with someone in India who uses an Indian PC. Excel will transform the file based on the country's language, and the input data will be wrong. I believe they are trying to fix this with the smart data tool in the cloud.

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Pravinkumar Bhandare

Principal Consultant - Infor M3 at Merino Consulting Services

The solution is a reliable, stable, and cost-saving ERP

Different countries have different finance practices, but I believe they need to fine-tune their practices to match industry standards. Practices vary from country to country, for example, in India, it is different than in the US. Sometimes, clients require alternate processes that are not standard, but they claim that these are the standard practices in their industry. At those times, we feel that the option required is not available with the solution. This is not the case only for Infor M3. Other ERPs also have the same problem. We can't mold the ERP to fit the customer's requirements. There are some standards in place because many screens and programs are integrated into the finance process. We can't make modifications to fit the client's requirements. The customer needs specific screens for different users, so if that program is in place, we have one planning tool in Infor M3. Planners need to know all things related to manufacturing, purchase, and sales in order to make decisions about planning. In one of my clients, I came across the requirement that they were asking for user authority in the planning tool. This is not the case though, because all planners need to know all things. However, on the manufacturing side, we can say that the person who is working with machine operations only needs to know machine-related information and doesn't need knowledge of products or sales. That standard industry is available, so we can give access to the user as per their needs. If the maintenance people are there, we can give them limited access, but if the planner is there, we need to give them all access according to industry standards. However, this requirement from the client side is not possible with the standard Infor software, but Infor can consider implementing it if the need is larger for many customers.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"A high level of ERP can be handled in IFS."

"The solution overall is very versatile and flexible, especially compared to other products."

"Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine or ten out of ten since it is an extremely scalable solution that can be used for various use cases with thousands of users."

"Some of the strengths are Enterprise Management Solutions and the series of Management solutions which is number one in Gartner's report and has been for the last five years."

"The main reason for the ERP project was to bring together our fourteen sites, which had until then worked in separate silos."

"The best feature is the maintenance module, which is essentially an industry-specific workflow designed with a manufacturing module as per industry standards. It's very precise and specific without having complex functionalities. It's straightforward. Field Service Management is definitely a wonderful product that IFS has developed because it caters to field services. The energy and utility sectors can answer their business needs using the software."

"IFS has been completely rebuilt, modernized, and cloud-based so we don't need bulky software installations."

"What I like about IFS Applications is that it's easier to use and implement than SAP. I also like that the IFS Applications team is more flexible than the SAP team."

More IFS Cloud Platform pros

"The most valuable feature is the ability to cover different types of activities, and the requirement for maintenance and data is very low."

"M3 has several useful features for managing supply chains, production, and customer orders. It's an excellent system that helps me meet all my requirements for fixed costs."

"provides all modules, supply chain, HR - it's good for management."

"The most valuable feature of Infor M3 is the level of detail it has about the different manufacturing processes compared to other ERP solutions. Other ERP solutions provide the same level of integration as Infor M3, but Infor M3 specializes in several functions, such as planning and manufacturing."

"It's simple to use. You don't need any complex training to use it."

"The product's initial setup phase is easy."

"Infor M3 has tailor-made packages for each and every industry."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is highly customizable."

More Infor M3 pros

Cons

"The integration is a bit complex, and post-implementation support services need to be improved. They have a service center based out of Sri Lanka. The support aspect is good, but the response time is a little slower than we anticipated. In the next release, it would be better if Warehouse Management could be improvised. They have a product line that's a data warehouse management system, but it's still premature and requires a bit of enhancement."

"It would be ideal if, in the future, the product could incorporate IoT and blockchain elements. We'd like to explore more of these types of features going forward."

"The solution's reporting tools still require improvement."

"IFS Applications can improve the reporting capabilities and increase the speed of feedback time in the IFS Applications. This would help with the overall performance of the solution and provide better experiences for customers."

"Ability to place approval check-points in the custom workflow, so clients can decide what they want it."

"I'm a business analyst, so I do a lot of customer-facing work. I take calls from businesses I have to troubleshoot. One thing that bugs me is the error messages you get from IFS. If I get an error message, I have to dig to find the cause because, often, the error message doesn't precisely describe the problem. It'll hint about where the problem lies, but you have to work to find the root cause. It doesn't help in my situation. You expect an error message to point to the field or what is causing the issue."

"The solution's initial setup process was complex...The technical support my company receives from the implementation partners of the solution is not that great."

"IFS Applications is not robust enough to handle high-volume transactions, so it's not suitable for larger enterprises."

More IFS Cloud Platform cons

"We can't make modifications to fit the client's requirements."

"Its initial setup was probably complex, but it is a very good system."

"The solution's technical support is an area with shortcomings that need improvement, especially the support for the product named M3 rather than the support offered by Infor as an organization."

"The solution must provide more learning documents."

"The solution is stable but not agile."

"It should be improved in terms of procurement of the supply chain and business intelligence analysis. We have the Infor BI tool, but it's more complex to use than, for example, Power Pivot or QlikView in the market."

"The product's technical support has certain shortcomings. Sometimes, my company doesn't get a proper response from their end."

"An area for improvement in Infor M3 is training. There should be more training resources available for clients. Clients also find it challenging to get consultants or integrators for Infor M3. The product doesn't have enough resources in the market to help clients."

More Infor M3 cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I consider it to be a well-priced solution compared to other mid-range or high-end ERP solutions."

"The pricing of the solution may appear to be expensive for smaller companies with only tens of users; however, for larger and mid-size industrial companies, IFS is able to win deals and the pricing is competitive in the market."

"The additional cost that comes with the solution includes the overhead of the people who are trying to fix the tool issues. These people are trying to reproduce the issue and report it to the technical support and testing with them which is huge. It is the cost of quality in the end."

"Ask for all-inclusive pricing, as they are pretty flexible if you ask for custom models."

"Licensing is on an annual basis, with no additional costs."

"IFS Applications is expensive software, but it's on par with SAP and Oracle. It's for large enterprises and government entities and not for small and medium-sized enterprises. They have one licensing model, but if you want to have a module-specific license, they provide component-based licenses. Unlike SAP and Oracle, it doesn't have different levels of licensing. It's one level of licensing."

"The product is reasonably priced."

"IFS Applications are competitive in terms of pricing compared to other vendors, such as SAP, Oracle, and Epicor. They are generally cheaper, especially for licensing costs."

More IFS Cloud Platform pricing and cost advice

"I'm not part of the team that manages Infor M3 pricing, but it depends on the client, integration, ship-out, and training levels. You get the price from the solution provider, but it would be best to discuss it because nothing is set in stone regarding pricing."

"If you compare Infor M3 to SAP, Infor M3 is less expensive than SAP, but if you compare Infor M3 to Dynamics 365, Infor M3 is more expensive. It also depends on the model that you buy. It depends on whether you have the complete package or whether you have separate models."

"The cost is between $50 and $100 per user annually."

"Infor M3 is a tier-two product and is cheaper than tier-one products such as SAP and Oracle. However, it is more expensive than some other tier-two products. The licensing cost is dependent on the number of users. Also, if you purchase other tools from Infor as a package, then there may be other discounts offered."

"The tool’s licensing is yearly."

"There is a yearly licensing cost. The price is based on the modules you need. There are several modules, such as HR module, accounting module, sales module, scheduling module, etc., and the price will vary depending on the number of modules you choose. The customers always say that it's very expensive. It can cost a lot of money if your organization is huge. It's not implemented in a lot of organizations in my country because it's too expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Construction Company

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Wholesaler/Distributor

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IFS Applications?

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine or ten out of ten since it is an extremely scalable solution that can be used for various use cases with thousands of users.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IFS Applications?

The product is reasonably priced. The costs are justified by the value provided, considering the comprehensive features and minimal need for customization. I rate the pricing a seven out of ten.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IFS Applications?

The solution's reporting tools still require improvement. The current functionality could be more user-friendly and flexible, which can lead to increased reliance on service partners for custom cha...

See all answers

What do you like most about Infor M3?

The product's initial setup phase is easy.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Infor M3?

I haven't received any complaints from the customers' end related to the product. The product's technical support has certain shortcomings. Sometimes, my company doesn't get a proper response from ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Infor M3?

In my company, I use the tool for back-end data or to control the entries in the back-end database. My company also extracts data, after which it gets pushed to the data lake and data fabric, and t...

See all answers

Comparisons

SAP ERP vs IFS Cloud Platform

Compared 24% of the time

SAP S/4HANA vs IFS Cloud Platform

Compared 14% of the time

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs IFS Cloud Platform

Compared 10% of the time

IBM Maximo vs IFS Cloud Platform

Compared 9% of the time

ServiceNow vs IFS Cloud Platform

Compared 7% of the time

More IFS Cloud Platform Competitors

SAP ERP vs Infor M3

Compared 49% of the time

Infor LN vs Infor M3

Compared 20% of the time

SAP S/4HANA vs Infor M3

Compared 5% of the time

Infor CloudSuite vs Infor M3

Compared 5% of the time

Microsoft Dynamics AX vs Infor M3

Compared 4% of the time

More Infor M3 Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IFS Cloud Platform

December 2024

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Buyer's Guide

Infor M3

December 2024

Download Infor M3 product report

Also Known As

IFS Applications, Assyst, IFS Cloud

Infor Lawson M3, Lawson M3

Learn More

IFS

Infor

Overview

IFS is the world’s leading provider of Industrial AI and enterprise software for hardcore businesses that make, service, and power our planet. Our technology enables businesses which manufacture goods, maintain complex assets, and manage service-focused operations to unlock the transformative power of Industrial AI™ to enhance productivity, efficiency, and sustainability. Industrial AI is IFS.ai.

IFS Cloud is a fully composable AI-powered platform, designed for ultimate flexibility and adaptability to our customers’ specific requirements and business evolution. It spans the needs of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Information Technology Service Management (ITSM), and Field Service Management (FSM). IFS technology leverages AI, machine learning, real-time data and analytics to empower our customers to make informed strategic decisions and excel at their Moment of Service™.

Infor M3 offers ultimate flexibility in operations, technology, and scale. As a multi-site, multi-country, and multi-company solution, M3 empowers your organization to adapt to changing business needs. It provides flexibility in managing mixed-mode and complex environments, with the agility to make quick adjustments at any time. Written in Java, M3 also gives you platform independence and choice.

Sample Customers

China Airlines, Electrolux Group, Babcock, Cimcorp, Sky, Multiplex, Veolia.

Grosfillex, High Five Sportswear, L_derach, OTK Group, PHS Group, Propper International, Red Wing Shoe Company, Reynolds Catering Supplies, Saudi Diesel, Sheetz, Zeppelin, Zodiac Aerospace

Buyer's Guide

IFS Cloud Platform vs. Infor M3

December 2024

Free Report: IFS Cloud Platform vs. Infor M3

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