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IFS Cloud Platform vs Microsoft Dynamics AX comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024
 

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
30
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)
Microsoft Dynamics AX
Ranking in ERP
5th
Ranking in Activity Based Costing Software
3rd
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
55
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 Microsoft Dynamics AX is 6.7%, up from 6.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
ERP
 

Featured Reviews

Patrick Abi Habib - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Benjamin Mpolokoso - PeerSpot reviewer
A stable product that offers excellent ROI and reliable technical support
It is a good solution but quite complex, especially when integrating with other systems. Some simpler products like Sage are much easier to integrate with. I think it is because of the product’s proprietary database, MSSQL. Other databases are more open source. They use MySQL in the background, so it is easier to integrate with other products. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The workflow of the solution is very good."
"The product is quite flexible."
"Having a young talented programmer, during the six years of use, we were able to save around 75 000 EUR preparing simple modifications using customization rather than ordering them in IFS / Partner."
"Individual user profiles that can be configured as templates to minimize data entry."
"IFS has been completely rebuilt, modernized, and cloud-based so we don't need bulky software installations."
"The main reason for the ERP project was to bring together our fourteen sites, which had until then worked in separate silos."
"The solution overall is very versatile and flexible, especially compared to other products."
"IFS Applications' best feature is the user-friendly interface that has a .NET Framework application in the front end and an Oracle database and WebLogic middleware."
"From a developer's perspective, the architecture of Dynamics has a well-designed security layer, which prevents coding issues between different layers. This is a significant advantage."
"All its features are valuable."
"The accounting and inventory management features are valuable."
"The installation is extremely simple, and I have had no problems with it."
"It is a scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
"The most valuable features of Microsoft Dynamics AX are ease of use and performance."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Dynamics AX is material planning."
"It is flexible and cost-effective."
 

Cons

"The CRM was shaky and although this improves in Apps 10, there is room for improvement."
"IFS Applications is not robust enough to handle high-volume transactions, so it's not suitable for larger enterprises."
"Technical support could be improved."
"Some kind of bot assistance, some kind of artificial intelligence to help people solve the problems, would be interesting."
"The user interface can be improved. When you're clicking through the screens, there are some icons or symbols that really need updating and would be more useful and noticeable if they are aesthetically pleasing."
"Aspects of HR and payroll could be better."
"Ability to place approval check-points in the custom workflow, so clients can decide what they want it."
"There were initial difficulties when I started using the application."
"There are so many errors."
"There is room for improvement when handling various currencies within the current Microsoft Dynamics AX system."
"The product needs better admin control. There is room for improvement in flexibility, reporting, and dashboards. Artificial intelligence should be incorporated. I have concerns regarding partners, specifically in the implementation and deployment of Microsoft Dynamics."
"If I had to add something in the next release, it would probably be a mobile application for a sister application of Dynamics 365; not the ERP but the Dynamics 365 HR solution. It would definitely help if we could have Microsoft or a Microsoft partner introduce a mobile application for it."
"The general speed of the solution needs improvement."
"The implementation was completed within one month."
"It could be more scalable and stable. It would also be better if the interface were more integrated with the Microsoft ecosystem because 2012 is not really integrated."
"Microsoft could provide more flexible hardware requirements that can scale with the volume of data being processed rather than providing only a minimum requirement."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There's an additional yearly cost for support."
"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."
"Compared to SAP, the pricing for IFS Applications was very affordable. People using the solution would find that it's worth the money."
"There are varying license levels that you can purchase."
"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."
"Ask for all-inclusive pricing, as they are pretty flexible if you ask for custom models."
"Pricing is an area that could be improved. They could be more competitive."
"The product is reasonably priced."
"The tool's licensing model is based on user subscription. The pricing needs to be reduced for the Indian and South Asian markets."
"The platform's price offering is good."
"Licensing is stable, and overall, the users are satisfied with it."
"The product's pricing is expensive. The tool costs 210 USD per user for one month."
"One client was looking at a $5M SAP proposal and we got AX in just under $2M, and they were very happy with it as they have several sister companies that face $500K SAP upgrades/maintenance seemingly annually."
"The price of the solution could benefit from being less expensive."
"The product's license renewal cost could be better."
"Microsoft Dynamics AX is expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
7%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Retailer
6%
 

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.
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.
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...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics AX?
The 2012 version is obsolete, and we don't have any support for it.
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Dynamics AX?
My clients' use cases for the product cover domains like retail, manufacturing, IT communications, and HR.
 

Also Known As

IFS Applications, Assyst, IFS Cloud
Dynamics AX, Axapta, MS Dynamics AX
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

China Airlines, Electrolux Group, Babcock, Cimcorp, Sky, Multiplex, Veolia. 
ConQuaestor, D & H Distributing, Sunny Queen, Mesa Associates, Britax Childcare, Ibema, Arafa, Sabo S.p.A.
Find out what your peers are saying about IFS Cloud Platform vs. Microsoft Dynamics AX and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
824,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.