In today’s fast-paced business landscape, the efficient management of core operations is essential for success and growth. Fortunately, the Infor ERP Suite offers comprehensive capabilities designed to empower businesses across various industries to take control of their most important business processes, facilitate stronger collaboration across teams, and improve overall efficiency.
From financial management and supply chain optimization to manufacturing excellence and advanced analytics, Infor ERP solutions provide a powerful toolkit for organizations striving to streamline processes, enhance decision-making, and gain a competitive edge in their market.
In this article, we’ll discuss the world of Infor ERP, exploring its key capabilities and features, how they contribute to continued operational excellence and business success, and where our team of expert Infor consultants can come in to help.
Understanding Enterprise Resource Planning for Business
Modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions are agile and driven by comprehensive data insights, allowing businesses of all sizes and industries to digitize and manage day-to-day business operations, like inventory management, project management, financial management, and more.
With intelligent ERP systems and access to real-time data visibility, internal workforces are empowered to automate complex business processes, leverage in-context and enterprise-level insights to improve decision-making and accelerate time-to-value across their entire organization.
Here are a few features of an efficient ERP system:
Supply chain management:
Modern enterprise solutions allow companies to consolidate their core financial and costing activities with day-to-day supply operations for more efficient end-to-end supply chain management.
Finance and accounting:
Efficient ERP functionality makes it easier for companies to leverage the Lawson software they already own to coordinate financials and accounting tasks with other business operations for comprehensive business process management.
Project management:
Cloud ERP solutions allow users to manage all projects, tasks, and resources in the same place at the same time through a comprehensive user interface.
Planning and scheduling:
Intuitive ERP software allows users to use data to make better decisions, streamline core planning and scheduling options, and ensure the right people are in the right place at the right time.
Product lifecycle management:
ERP systems allow users to manage their entire product lifecycle from one place, gaining a 360-degree view of key stakeholders, their order history, and other pricing and buying conditions.
What is Infor ERP?
Infor offers industry-specific ERP software solutions designed to help both enterprise-level and smaller to midsized companies utilize a global cloud infrastructure to facilitate stronger integration between systems and enable quicker time-to-value through data-driven insights and other key metrics.
The Infor software uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for real-time business intelligence. Infor software products consist of human capital management (HCM) and customer relationship management (CRM) as well as Infor workforce management.
Infor’s ERP system is hosted through Amazon Web Services (AWS), providing an integrated Infor product suite and allowing users to focus on more strategic initiatives rather than spending unnecessary time completing manual tasks or conducting regular system operations.
Here’s a closer look at a few key features of ERP Infor solutions for business users:
Industry-specific solutions:
With pre-built industry-specific capabilities, companies in any industry can ensure all their most critical business needs and requirements are met and focus on aligning activities with both company and industry initiatives over time.
Cloud connection:
Infor ERP software leverages a global cloud infrastructure that supports core system integrations, functional workflows, artificial intelligence (AI), business intelligence (BI), and extensibility through the Internet of Things (IoT).
This way, companies can access cloud-based ERP products, like Infor CloudSuite, that ensure all their operational needs are met in one place.
Agility and scalability:
By providing the agility and scalability needed to develop new systems and capabilities within their entire suite of products, Infor ERP makes it easier for companies to accelerate time-to-value and improve productivity across their entire technical landscape.
And, with built-in Infor Implementation Accelerators (IA), they can quickly and easily add new capabilities and tailor their solutions to meet ever-evolving business needs and requirements.
Security and risk:
Up-to-date standards-based security offerings, risk management, and attack prevention capabilities allow Infor ERP users to streamline and advance their data security initiatives, ensuring their most critical business data stays secure, no matter what.
Data-driven insights:
With predefined departmental objectives and other key performance indicators (KPIs), Infor ERP enables companies to drive more data-centric decisions and ensure their core operational objectives are aligned with business needs over time.
Implementation Methods for Infor’s ERP Software
Infor ERP tools are available through both on-premise and cloud-based deployment, making it easier for organizations to ensure their most critical business needs are met, and their solutions are tailored to align with organizational objectives over time.
Regardless of the deployment option you choose, Infor ERP provides the advanced functionality and flexibility to streamline core business processes and improve efficiency across teams.
Here’s a closer look at the main features of each deployment option:
On-premise
With the on-premise option, Infor ERP runs on the customer’s existing server, providing connections between their internal system infrastructure and their critical systems, operations, and users. This option also requires users to host the data internally on their own servers rather than servers shared between multiple organizations or industry groups.
Cloud
Cloud-based deployment options simplify the overall deployment process and make it easier to implement new solutions or add on products or functionalities as needed.
Infor’s cloud ERP software is externally hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS), meaning that all software platforms, applications, data centers, and infrastructures are managed, maintained, and secured by the contractor or service provider.
Industry-Specific Infor Solutions for Your Unique Needs
Here’s a closer look at the main Infor ERP tools offered for specific industries:
1) Infor LN
Infor LN is a cloud-based ERP solution designed to help manufacturing companies in the aerospace and defense, industrial manufacturing, and automotive industries manage product quality more effectively, facilitate end-to-end supply chain management, and improve the efficiency of the complete product lifecycle.
- Seamless integrations with financials, quality management, order management, and partners
- Supported discrete manufacturing types: MTO, ETO, MTS, and Repetitive
- End-to-end supply management, from production to shipment, service, and return
2) Infor M3
By providing a cloud ERP solution that promotes better experiences, improves workforce productivity, and streamlines industry-specific processes, Infor M3 helps companies in the chemical, equipment, distribution, food and beverage, and fashion industries revolutionize their core operations.
- Better control over financials and business decisions
- Streamlined operational processes
- Unified platform for digital transformation and productivity initiatives
3) Infor SyteLine
SyteLine provides an end-to-end cloud ERP solution for companies involved with configure-to-order, engineer-to-order, process, repetitive, and service-based manufacturing, allowing them to automate complex manufacturing processes and improve efficiencies across the board.
- Consolidate supply chain operations in one location
- Streamline product, project, resource, and service management
- Leverage mixed-mode supply planning for various manufacturing methods
4) Infor Financials and Supply Management
With modern, cloud-based ERP functionality and fully integrated capabilities, the Infor Financials and Supply Management solution allows organizations to control their supply and order processes and meet the ever-changing needs of the public sector, healthcare, and service industries.
- Integrate finance and supply chain management operations
- Leverage unlimited ledgers to store adjustments, currency gains/losses, and allocations
- Ensure complex reporting requirements are met
- Base business decisions on accurate financial and non-financial data
5) Infor SunSystems
SunSystems provides an innovative ERP solution that consolidates core purchasing, inventory management, and sales processes into one unified platform, making it easier to maintain consistency across global or multi-locational companies and improve visibility into core business processes.
- Provide support for two-tier strategies and system restructures
- Manage multiple languages and reporting requirements across company locations
- Leverage real-time data, reports, and alerts to improve core business process efficiency
6) Infor Distribution SX.e
By offering broader visibility across the entire organization and facilitating stronger inventory tracking, Infor Distribution SX.e makes it easier for companies to control all their customers, suppliers, and transactions in the same place, leading to improved operational efficiency and enhanced satisfaction.
- Improve inventory management and control
- Maintain omnichannel processes and supply chains
- Streamline core business processes
- Enhance data visualization for key customer and order information
Main Advantages of the Infor ERP System for Business Users
Infor ERP offers several advantages for business users, helping them streamline operations, improve efficiency, and facilitate better collaboration across teams and systems.
Here are the top five advantages of Infor ERP for business users:
- Improved Operational Efficiency: Infor ERP automates and streamlines various business processes, reducing manual tasks and data entry errors. This efficiency improvement leads to faster order processing, reduced lead times, and enhanced productivity across the organization.
- Enhanced Decision-Making: Infor ERP provides real-time access to critical business data through intuitive dashboards and reporting tools. Business users can make informed decisions based on accurate, up-to-date information, helping them respond quickly to market changes and opportunities.
- Better Customer Engagement: With Infor ERP’s customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities, businesses can manage customer interactions more effectively. This leads to improved customer satisfaction, stronger relationships, and increased sales.
- Inventory Optimization: Infor ERP’s inventory management features help business users optimize stock levels, reducing excess inventory and carrying costs while ensuring products are available when needed. This leads to cost savings and improved cash flow.
- Compliance and Regulatory Support: Infor ERP is designed to help businesses meet industry-specific compliance requirements and regulatory standards. This ensures that business users can operate within legal and industry guidelines, mitigating risks associated with non-compliance.
How Can We Help?
Whether you need help implementing Infor CloudSuite Industrial or Infor CRM solutions for the first time, additional support navigating complex quality management issues across service and consumer industries, or an extra hand navigating the Infor Partner Network, Surety Systems can help.
Our senior-level Infor consultant team has the knowledge, skills, and experience to handle all your most important project needs — from first-time implementation to complex system integration, product enhancement, annual system upgrade, and more.
Getting Started with Us
Interested in learning more about how Infor software solutions can help revolutionize your core business operations or where our team of Infor consultants can fit in your organization?
Contact us today for more information!
