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One of the many reasons for implementing an ERP solution is to streamline productivity and business functionality. Perhaps your disjointed systems are clunky, incoherent, or have difficulty working in unison. An ERP solution provides unity and cohesion to an organization’s software systems, allowing for a smooth and integrated process amongst multiple departments.
Infor is the third-largest ERP solutions company in the world, making it a quintessential software solution for many businesses looking to streamline their processes. In this primer, we’ll take a look at some of the essential functions of Infor and explain how to get the most bang for your buck by taking advantage of its bountiful features.
Continue reading to explore what this ERP software can do right out of the box, and how custom infor development can take this solution to the next level.
What is Infor ERP Software?
Infor is a leading company that provides cutting-edge software solutions and services to enhance organizational processes, data management, and decision-making capabilities. Their customized applications and integrated systems cater to specific industries, elevating productivity, efficiency, and overall business performance. With their advanced technologies and industry know-how, Infor is committed to empowering businesses and driving digital transformation across diverse sectors.
Infor serves a wide range of business needs, and their Enterprise Resource Planning Software (ERP) allows businesses to more efficiently manage vital processes such as supply chain management, where clients can optimize operations like inventory management, supplier relations, and shipping/logistics.
Infor also provides software solutions for human resource departments, customer relationship management (CRM), and financial departments, including tools like financial management automation and planning tools, employee onboarding processes, analytics software, real-time reporting, and much, much more to help streamline the daily tasks of various departments.
What Type of System is Infor for?
Infor provides a foundation for continuous workforce performance. Its OS adapts to empower uninterrupted improvement as industries change and evolve. As such, Infor also seeks to combine information from various, often disconnected systems and streamline them into a singular, connected platform.
Infor provides cloud-based solutions as part of its software offerings, and in addition to on-premises installations, it also offers cloud-based deployment options for its software solutions. This allows businesses to access and utilize the software via the Internet, eliminating the need for local infrastructure. This, in turn, provides more flexibility, scalability, and ease of maintenance. Cloud-based systems also permit remote access, data backup, and updates delivered by the software provider. This is one way businesses leverage the benefits of modern technology without the burden of managing the underlying infrastructure that would otherwise be required.
Infor also offers three basic cloud migration options:
- Core-to-cloud, which is perhaps the most user-friendly while still providing teams access to the latest capabilities
- Edge-to-the-cloud, which offers enhanced workflows and greater collaboration tools
- AI-to-the-cloud, which provides more strategic business insights and planning options.
Each path offers different values to the client depending on their specific strategic needs and risk profile.
Infor Integrations
Infor offers a wide range of integrations to enhance and streamline business operations. Some of the critical integrations provided by Infor include:
ERP Integrations
Infor integrates with various enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to connect and synchronize critical business data, such as financials, inventory, procurement, and supply chain management.
Learn more: ERP Integrations Explained: Types, Benefits, and Challenges
CRM Integrations
Infor integrates with customer relationship management (CRM) platforms to consolidate customer data, improve sales and marketing processes, and enhance customer engagement and satisfaction.
HCM Integrations
Infor supports integration with human capital management (HCM) systems, allowing organizations to manage their workforce efficiently, including employee data, payroll, benefits, performance management, and talent acquisition.
SCM Integrations
Infor seamlessly integrates with supply chain management (SCM) systems to optimize logistics, inventory management, demand planning, and supplier collaboration, enabling organizations to achieve greater operational efficiency.
E-commerce Integrations
Infor facilitates integrations with e-commerce platforms to enable seamless online transactions. You can use it to automate order processing and inventory management, ultimately achieving real-time visibility into customer orders.
Analytics Integrations
Infor integrates with business intelligence (BI) and analytics tools to provide comprehensive data analysis, reporting, and decision-making capabilities, empowering organizations to gain valuable insights and make data-driven decisions.
IoT Integrations
Infor supports integrations with Internet of Things (IoT) platforms to connect and gather data from connected devices. This enables organizations to monitor and optimize operations, predict maintenance needs, and improve overall efficiency.
Additionally, Infor offers integrations with Systems, Applications, and Products (SAP), allowing organizations to connect and exchange data between Infor’s software solutions and SAP systems. These integrations enable seamless data flow and collaboration between the two systems, ensuring a more unified and efficient business operation.
By integrating Infor and SAP, organizations can leverage the strengths of both platforms, utilizing the specific features and functionalities they offer while ensuring data consistency and accuracy across systems. This integration capability helps organizations optimize processes and improve data visibility. The result is that it’s easier to make informed decisions based on comprehensive insights from combined data sources.
What Database Does Infor Use?
Infor utilizes a variety of databases depending on the specific product or solution you choose. Some of the databases commonly used by Infor include:
- Oracle Database: Infor applications often leverage Oracle Database as the backend database management system. Oracle Database is known for its reliability, scalability, and robust features, making it suitable for handling large volumes of data.
- Microsoft SQL Server: Infor also supports Microsoft SQL Server as a database option. SQL Server provides a secure and high-performance platform for storing and managing data, and it integrates well with other Microsoft technologies.
- Infor’s Proprietary Databases: In some instances, Infor has developed its own proprietary databases tailored to the requirements of specific applications. These databases optimize performance and functionality for the particular use cases they serve.
The type of database that’s best for your business may vary depending on your specific needs, such as personal preferences, scalability requirements, and integration demands. Infor also guarantees compatibility for their products by offering support for multiple databases. The database-agnostic approach allows organizations to select whichever best fits their needs.
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What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Infor?
Using Infor software has its share of pros and cons. One of the best benefits of using Infor is that it offers a wide range of industry-specific solutions designed to meet the needs of specific industries, such as manufacturing, healthcare, retail, HR, and more. Because of this, most of Infor’s software solutions come with pre-configured functionalities, making them easy to implement.
Furthermore, Infor is scalable enough to accommodate businesses of various sizes, from small startups to large enterprises. As a business grows, Infor keeps up with increasing demands, such as more extensive data volume and user workloads. Infor also provides user-friendly interfaces, emphasizing an easy-to-use, highly intuitive experience. In turn, the flattened learning curve boosts productivity levels. Many Infor solutions also come fully equipped with bountiful analytics features and reporting capabilities, allowing businesses to gather and analyze valuable data.
However, Infor may not be the right option for every business. Its software can be complex, especially when implementing it within a large-scale enterprise, as it may require extra time, resources, and technical expertise to customize. Additionally, keeping Infor up-to-date poses many challenges— upgrades and maintenance involve extensive planning and may require downtime and additional costs.
Likewise, integration can be complicated, especially when trying to implement Infor with preexisting systems and third-party applications. Organizations must ensure compatibility and seamless data flow between different software components, which may require additional infor development effort and resources.
Learn more: What is a Dedicated Development Team, and When Should You Hire One?
It’s also critical to note that relying exclusively on Infor software for essential business operations can create a level of vendor lock-in, meaning that switching to alternative solutions in the future may involve significant migration efforts and costs, impacting business continuity.
Alternative Software to Infor
There are several alternative software programs available in the market that offer similar functionalities to Infor. Some popular alternatives to Infor include:
SAP offers a comprehensive suite of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solutions that cater to various industries. SAP ERP provides robust features for finance, supply chain management, human resources, and more.
Oracle ERP Cloud is a cloud-based ERP solution that offers various applications to support financial management, procurement, project management, and other business processes. It is known for its scalability, flexibility, and advanced analytics capabilities.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a suite of integrated business applications that includes ERP functionality. It offers modules for finance and operations, sales, customer service, and marketing, providing a comprehensive solution for managing various aspects of a business.
NetSuite is a cloud-based ERP solution that offers a range of modules for financial management, order management, inventory control, and more. It is designed for businesses of all sizes and provides real-time visibility into operations.
Epicor ERP is a comprehensive ERP system offering industry-specific manufacturing, distribution, retail, and services solutions. It provides supply chain management, production management, customer relationship management, and financial management features.
Monday.com is a popular work operating system that provides teams with a centralized platform to manage and collaborate on projects, tasks, and workflows. It offers a range of features and functionalities designed to enhance team productivity and streamline work processes.
Acumatica is a cloud-based ERP solution that provides comprehensive financial management, distribution, manufacturing, and project accounting functionality. It offers flexible deployment options for small and medium-sized businesses.
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How Can I Get the Most Out of Infor?
There are several strategies you can employ to get more from Infor:
- Consider exploring additional modules and add-ons that Infor offers. These can enhance the functionality of their software and address specific needs or pain points your business may have. For example, if you require advanced reporting capabilities, there may be a reporting module or integration available to meet your requirements.
- Make use of the training and support resources provided by Infor. They offer user guides, documentation, online tutorials, and webinars to help users learn and maximize the software’s potential. By investing time in understanding the features and functionalities, you can optimize your usage and uncover hidden capabilities.
- Customization is another critical aspect to consider. Infor software is customizable and configurable, allowing you to tailor it to your organization’s unique needs. Take advantage of the customization options available, such as modifying workflows, adding custom fields, or configuring dashboards to display relevant data.
- Plan to stay up-to-date with Infor’s latest fixes and solutions and engage with the Infor community to learn the best tips and tricks to maximize your usage of Infor.
If your approach to Infor includes all four of the above, you’re well on your way to having a valuable ERP solution.
Learn more: How to Calculate ROI for Custom Software
Final Thoughts
Infor offers customized software solutions to streamline productivity and enhance business functionality. Despite the challenges associated with implementation, Infor’s cloud-based deployment options provide flexibility, scalability, and ease of maintenance, eliminating the need for local infrastructure.
With integrations spanning ERP, CRM, HCM, SCM, e-commerce, analytics, and IoT, Infor enables organizations to optimize critical processes and achieve operational efficiency. While customization and integration complexities should be considered, Infor’s user-friendly interfaces, extensive analytics features, and reporting capabilities make it a practical choice for increasing overall efficiency and business success.
Have questions about implementing Infor into your organization?
Designli can help with custom infor development!
With our expert team of software developers, we can help you to integrate Infor into your business. Need a custom solution?
That’s no problem either— schedule a call with one of our design team experts to find out how we can help.
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