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Infor M3 vs Microsoft Dynamics AX comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 3, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Infor M3
Ranking in ERP
12th
Ranking in Activity Based Costing Software
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
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 Infor M3 is 4.6%, up from 3.8% 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
 

Q&A Highlights

it_user550989 - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 21, 2017
 

Featured Reviews

Pravinkumar Bhandare - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
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

"Its ease of use is most valuable. Inquiries are transparent, and it shows good information on each screen. We don't have to go to 14 different screens to find out about one item, which is a big advantage."
"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."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the Infor GL tool that allows us to do our application support and development."
"The product's initial setup phase is easy."
"It's very stable, and it handles all types of industrial and manufacturing businesses in very good ways. I've found it to be easy."
"Infor M3 has tailor-made packages for each and every industry."
"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."
"The user interface and user experience were good."
"This solution's most valuable feature is its workflow for purchase orders and inventory."
"The most valuable feature is the workflow of the modules."
"It is flexible and cost-effective."
"The most valuable features of Microsoft Dynamics AX are field services and the vendor collaboration portal. Both of the features are very good."
"Technical support is very good."
"The tool's most important capabilities are for retail and finance. Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 doesn't have many integration capabilities, but Microsoft 365 has the most capabilities to integrate with any type of standalone software and has many more features."
"Dynamics AX provides a lot of functionality."
"Flexibility is the best feature. Because we have the source code, we can develop our ideas. It enables us to develop new functions."
 

Cons

"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."
"It would be great if Infor added some new workflows in the finance module. I'd also like to see better integration with third-party applications."
"The solution must provide more learning documents."
"Its initial setup was probably complex, but it is a very good system."
"The solution is stable but not agile."
"The implementation could be simplified, it's complex."
"Infor should create one product to handle the whole business. At present, they make ERP systems for each type of business, and then sell additional features. I would like to have one system handing all organizations or all the business in deep ways and not have to buy additional features."
"Sometimes, M3 alone cannot handle all the planning functionalities required by a customer. It has to be used along with industry-specific planning tools because M3 doesn't have all the features. However, no product can handle all the requirements of all the industries. There will be some shortcomings in all the products. Though this is an area for improvement, it is not a very serious shortfall or limitation. It can be covered by using third-party planning applications that integrate with Infor M3."
"The user interface could be better."
"Microsoft Dynamics AX should include more connectors for third-party integrations. It should also include more features that AI models can govern."
"There is no Arabic interface in Microsoft Business Central, which is a big weak point."
"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 on-premises and desktop versions are not user-friendly."
"The initial setup can be complex at times and has room for improvement."
"The solution in general just needs a few quality improvements."
"Our version has performance issues so it gets stuck and is slow."
 

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."
"The tool’s licensing is yearly."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"The tool's licensing model is based on user subscription. The pricing needs to be reduced for the Indian and South Asian markets."
"The product's license is expensive. My company is located in a region where we have to pay the most for the tool due to our currency and inflation scenario."
"I don't know how much this solution costs off the top of my head, but I know that the cloud and SaaS solutions are cheaper."
"The pricing is expensive."
"In relation to the cloud, it might be expensive for a longer duration. However, it's essential to consider the demands of enterprise users. While it's cost-effective in the short run, it becomes relatively costly in the long run."
"The price of the solution could benefit from being less expensive."
"Licensing is stable, and overall, the users are satisfied with it."
"One license costs $1,000."
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Answers from the Community

it_user550989 - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 21, 2017
Mar 21, 2017
Can you share the reasoning behind your consideration to switch? Which features are you looking for in a new/different solution?
2 out of 6 answers
it_user326337 - PeerSpot reviewer
Nov 15, 2016
Can you share the reasoning behind your consideration to switch? Which features are you looking for in a new/different solution?
it_user550989 - PeerSpot reviewer
Nov 16, 2016
Old installation M3 EOL soon. Manufacturing Economy customer orders Service Modern, scalable, cloudavailable and html5 solution Joakim
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Wholesaler/Distributor
8%
Retailer
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 Infor M3?
The product's initial setup phase is easy.
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 ...
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...
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

Infor Lawson M3, Lawson M3
Dynamics AX, Axapta, MS Dynamics AX
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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
ConQuaestor, D & H Distributing, Sunny Queen, Mesa Associates, Britax Childcare, Ibema, Arafa, Sabo S.p.A.
Find out what your peers are saying about Infor M3 vs. Microsoft Dynamics AX and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.