If you need a wedding cake, you are more likely to ask a master baker than your friend who said they could find a recipe on Pinterest. Your friend’s recipe could be great, and the picture of the cake could be beautiful, but you would have your doubts. The appearance, taste, portion size and a host of other factors need to be considered, especially for such an important event.
This metaphor can be applied to a company deciding between Infor ERP and NetSuite. Either way, you will end up with a cake, but you would prefer the option that delivers the best product instead of just ‘a product.’
Here are a few reasons why NetSuite takes the cake.
Infor ERP and more! Infor has a lot of products to manage and maintain.
The Infor ecosystem features more than 100 products in total, and there are over a dozen different Infor ERP products. Many of these products were obtained through acquisitions. This means separate data models, data architectures, upgrade cycles, and security standards. Some will have specific maintenance requirements.
That is a lot to keep updated and organized. This also leaves the door open for customizations to break or fail during the upgrade process.
NetSuite doesn’t have nearly that many products and all 36,000+ NetSuite customers are running on the same version. Plus, customers receive bi-annual upgrades, and all customizations are carried over through each upgrade. And, customers are granted access to demo and test accounts to optimize the upgrade process and ensure that nothing breaks.
Let SuiteCentric bake you the perfect NetSuite cake!
Infor ERP has different data models.
Another layer of icing on the Infor ERP cake is that it has different data models. The products obtained through acquisition have different data models than the Infor-originated products. This means that middleware is required to effectively and efficiently transfer and process data into a usable form.
Middleware is a common requirement when integrating your ERP with a third-party system such as an EDI or ecommerce solution, but not when working within the same software ecosystem. Infor’s Intelligent Open Network (ION) is the middleware used to connect internal and external systems.
This Infor reviewer highlights a few other challenges with different data models.
NetSuite has one data model, and it is a fully integrated system. ERP, CRM, ecommerce, WSM, and more are available under the same platform. All are native and share the same data, so you can run your entire business from NetSuite.
Infor ERP has different data models.
Another layer of icing on the Infor ERP cake is that it has different data models. The products obtained through acquisition have different data models than the Infor-originated products. This means that middleware is required to effectively and efficiently transfer and process data into a usable form.
Middleware is a common requirement when integrating your ERP with a third-party system such as an EDI or ecommerce solution, but not when working within the same software ecosystem. Infor’s Intelligent Open Network (ION) is the middleware used to connect internal and external systems.
This Infor reviewer highlights a few other challenges with different data models.
NetSuite has one data model, and it is a fully integrated system. ERP, CRM, ecommerce, WSM, and more are available under the same platform. All are native and share the same data, so you can run your entire business from NetSuite.
Reporting with Infor ERP requires batch updating.
Because Infor ERP and its other products lean so heavily on ION, data reconciliation can be required between databases and products. Reconciliation can be a time-consuming process, and that could have cascading effects on other areas of business.
In blunt terms, slower reporting and reconciliation can lead to slower decision-making. It can also delay other aspects of business, like automating processes.
In NetSuite, all data is updated in real-time. This factor can lead to greater reporting accuracy, streamlined automation of reports, and more. NetSuite’s real-time data and reporting are used by customers in over 217 countries.
Infor has a mixture of on-premise and cloud products.
Throughout its maturation as a company and various acquisitions, Infor has amassed a mixture of on-premise and cloud products. It offers on-premise, cloud, and hybrid packages. This adds another layer of complexity to the challenges mentioned in the previous section because version lock is a possibility for on-premise customers.
Physically maintaining, securing, and updating servers are taxing processes that can take a company’s IT resources away from higher-priority tasks. Ensuring a clean data transfer between on-premise and cloud systems can be tough too.
On-premise systems are costly and can stifle growth opportunities. Visit this page to see several other drawbacks of on-premise systems like Infor ERP.
NetSuite was born in the cloud, and customers can access it from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. All NetSuite modules are native and seamlessly connect with data updated in real time. It is a true cloud ERP solution.
Why are Infor ERP customers switching to NetSuite? Download this white paper to learn more.
