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Sage X3 ERP Software: The Pros & Cons for 2021

Posted in: Application Development, automation, Big Data, Business Intelligence, configuration management, customer support, Enterprise Apps, enterprise resource planning, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), ERP, IT Management, Project Management, quality control, Sage, Sage X3, Sage X3 ERP, scalability, UX/UI, Workplace - Jul 12, 2021

Sage X3 is a top player in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) software market, particularly for businesses searching for a usable interface with strong functionality and integrations at a reasonable cost. 

Like other ERP tools, Sage X3 makes it possible for businesses to combine software and operational needs, ranging from business intelligence (BI) to human resources to supply chain management to manufacturing management. 

See below to learn about the pros and cons of Sage X3 and some other resources your team can use to guide their ERP selection process.

Learn About Current Trends in ERP: Three Key Advances in ERP for 2021

A Closer Look at Sage X3 ERP

• The Pros of Sage X3 ERP
  • User-Friendly Interface
  • Scalability with Multiple Lines of Business
  • Fully Integrated and Automated Processes
• The Cons of Sage X3 ERP
  • Difficulty of Custom Configurations
  • Concerns with Customer Support
  • Limited Quality Controls
• Selecting the Right ERP for Your Business

The Pros of Sage X3 ERP

User-Friendly Interface

Many ERP users are not developers or technology experts, which makes it increasingly important for ERP software to be highly navigable and UI/UX-driven. Sage X3 receives high marks for its user-friendly interface, with many users noting its simple and streamlined dashboards.

Depending on the business operations segment you are looking at and your role in the operational infrastructure, your dashboards can be customized to the metrics you view most. You can easily navigate to other dashboards that aggregate related data in charts, graphs, and other visually driven analytics.

The dashboard interface is set up to aid in both navigation and self-service for troubleshooting, with guided prompts and a “Help” button found on every dashboard screen.

Scalability with Multiple Lines of Business

Sage X3 is built with scalability in mind, whether your business already includes several service lines or subsidiaries, or you plan to grow in the future. 

The software allows you to separate your subsidiaries under one corporate umbrella into stock sites, financial sites, and other platforms. You can run them all as separate brands with separate goals while also splitting internal dashboards from customer-facing sites. However, these sites can still share relevant information back and forth — such as customer, supplier, and general ledger (G/L) data — for additional analytics capabilities.

Presented as a platform-agnostic tool, Sage X3 makes it easier for businesses to acquire companies with different business models and tech portfolios over time. The software is known for its high customization as well. Given the right plan and experts to carry it out, the tool can be built out and adjusted to meet the needs of different business lines. 

Sage X3 already includes industry-specific modules. If you work in these particular industries, no additional compliance measures or customizations need to be added to the tool:

• Food & beverage
• Process manufacturing (specifically for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics)
• Discrete manufacturing
• Distribution
• Chemicals
• Services

Fully Integrated and Automated Processes

Sage X3 offers fully integrated web services, which makes it possible to derive useful customer and process analytics from all websites and customer databases in a company’s portfolio. The focus on web integration also makes step-by-step process automation possible across business operations. Some examples of integration and automation in action include: 

• Traceability for inventory, financial data, and manufacturing transactions across a product’s life cycle
• Order automation to the point of shipping and delivery
• Production management via bill of materials (BOM) planning, shop floor control, quality control, and project management features on X3 dashboards

The Cons of Sage X3 ERP

Difficulty of Custom Configurations

Although the tool is considered highly configurable, some users express frustration about how difficult it is to code custom configurations into the system. Out of 33 reviews on Gartner Peer Insights, approximately 28% of users comment on the difficulties of configuration and managing those configurations in Sage ERP software.

Some of the more specific configuration concerns from customers include the following:

• The difficulty of using and exporting Sage’s Crystal Reports leads many companies to do custom development for their reporting needs.
• Sage X3 focuses on six industry categories of operations, so many companies need to build custom tools for industries that go beyond those categories.
• Sage X3’s core language is a proprietary 4GL language. Few companies have the in-house experts to manage configurations in this language, leading them to seek out consultation and implementation from third-party vendors.

Concerns with Customer Support

With difficult customizations, some customers seek out strong customer support from Sage. However, user reviews have highlighted that the customer support offered by Sage is lacking in several key areas:

• Support tickets often go untouched by Sage experts for “days” and “weeks” at a time with no follow-up communication.
• Sage’s user community misses out on a forum approach for self-service and problem-solving.
• Sage customer service representatives often don’t have the technical, localized, or industry-specific expertise to provide the assistance customers need.

Because the customer service structure leaves some of Sage’s customers frustrated and lost in their configuration and implementation questions, they often hire third-party consultants to manage and troubleshoot within their systems.

Limited Quality Controls

With high levels of customization comes the potential for high levels of user error and diminished quality. 

Some customers comment on the limited quality controls in Sage ERP software, noting that vague error message descriptions complicate the troubleshooting process and often lead to additional user errors down the road. 

Other customers comment on how simple it is to change a code by clicking in the wrong section of the tool; they attribute this confusion and potential for error to the large number of X3 modules that overwhelm the average system user.

Selecting the Right ERP for Your Business

Sage X3 is a competitive solution in the ERP market, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best fit for your organization. 

Dozens of ERP software and consulting firms offer a wide range of capabilities and pricing packages. Unless your team is well-versed in ERP implementation and your particular business strategy needs, it can feel challenging to select software that actually fits your goals. 

Use the resources below to learn about other top players in the ERP space and how you can customize their platforms to work with your company’s existing business pain points.

Other Top ERP Tools to Consider 

Oracle NetSuite ERP: The Pros and Cons

SAP ERP Software: S/4HANA Cloud Review for 2021

Industry-Specific Features to Consider

Key Features of Healthcare ERP Solutions

Essential Features in Foodservice ERP

Helpful Resources for ERP Selection

TechnologyAdvice’s ERP Software Selection Tool

The post Sage X3 ERP Software: The Pros & Cons for 2021 appeared first on CIO Insight.

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Best ERP Software & Systems for 2021

Posted in: Enterprise, Enterprise Apps, enterprise resource planning, ERP, top ERP - Jul 12, 2021

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms have long been the backbone of the large enterprise. Back in the nineties, it was common to hear horror stories of years-long implementations, lawsuits, and a general lack of results. Nevertheless, the implementation process began to simplify over time. In particular, cloud-based ERP made these platforms more accessible to small and midsize enterprises. Today, the best ERP software and systems are central to the enterprise application space. 

Key Features 

ERP suites vary heavily in their emphasis, intended market, and functions. Even so, certain functions are key to most. These include:  

• Integration: The tentacles of ERP extend from top management to the factory floor. The ability to integrate easily is key. 
• Automation: The ideal ERP solution needs to facilitate reporting, interaction, alerting, and data transfer automatically or on schedules.
• Data Analysis: Most ERP tools include some form of analytics, but some are more basic than others. 
• Reporting: Flexible, infinitely customizable reporting is an essential feature for top management, financial managers, and compliance. 
• CRM: Many customer relationship management (CRM) tools remain free-standing apps or platforms. However, most ERP vendors now include CRM as part of their suite. 
• Accounting: One of the most vital functions for any ERP is dealing accurately with the money: ledgers, financial records, and more. 
• HR: Human Resource Management should integrate well into any ERP suite. 

Where is HRIS headed in 2021? HRIS Trends for 2021: The Future of HR Management

Product Selection Tips 

ERP projects are notorious for their complexity. Unquestionably, a wrong buying decision results in integration and implementation phases that last months — with only minimal business benefit. Therefore, rigorous selection is vital. 

Here are some key tips:

1. Favor ERP solutions with a proven track record in your own industry. Vendor promises to “figure out your industry” can easily run aground. As a result, the best ERP software often come with customized features that closely match existing processes.

2. Ensure your potential ERP solution easily integrates with existing platforms, operating systems, and business applications. If you already have a successful customer relationship management (CRM) application, and an ERP vendor says you need to switch if you use them, then strike that vendor off the list. 

3. Clearly define the functional areas you wish to improve and the business goals you wish to attain. The initial urge may be to seek one system to rule them all. Resist that urge and focus your evaluation of ERP options on mission-critical needs. Significantly, most ERP platforms allow additional integrations as your needs grow.
4. Skip the buzzwords like artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT). These features are often nice to have, but they’re typically not mission critical.
5. Don’t treat ERP the same as the roll out of a small SaaS application. From system specification to ongoing support, experienced project management is essential. In general, ERP implementation requires its own team with members that may have to stay on the project for months, if not years. 

Top Vendors 

CIO Insight considered many different ERP applications. Given that, here are our top picks in no particular order: 

SAP S/4HANA

Value Proposition: 

SAP S/4HANA Cloud is an ERP system with built-in intelligence, including AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics. Its aim is to help transform business processes with intelligent automation built for the cloud. Above all, this ERP platform runs on SAP HANA. Its in-memory database offers real-time processing speeds and a simplified data model.

Key Differentiators: 

• The big one is HANA, which SAP has been working on for more than a decade. 
• Solutions tailored to many different vertical markets and industries, including best practices and customized functions. 
• Available in public/private cloud, hybrid, and on-premise deployments.
• Embedded AI, analytics, and intelligent process automation.
• Consumer-grade user interface.
• Processes that support monetizing subscription-based business models.
• Universal parallel accounting allows companies to prepare and present financial statements according to different sets of accounting standards.
• Bot environment technology services with SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation 2.0. 

Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP

Value Proposition: 

Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning offers a set of enterprise finance and operations capabilities. Further, Oracle is directed towards touchless operations, continuous forecasting, and an enhanced user experience. Machine learning and artificial intelligence investments in each update are designed to enable CFOs and their finance teams to shift from an operational to a more strategic mindset. 

Key Differentiators:

• Oracle Cloud ERP is delivered as a service, which allows the company to ship hundreds of new features to its 7,700+ customers every quarter. 
• Recent innovations include Intelligent Account Combination Defaulting, Intelligent Performance Management, and additional digital assistants — including an expanded collaboration platform with Microsoft Teams.
• Native integration to the broader Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications Suite, which includes SaaS applications for supply chain, human resources, and customer experience. 
• Embedded analytics and reporting. 
• Industry-focused solutions.  
• Oracle and its partners offer tools to determine the financial advantages of a cloud ERP project. 

Infor

Value Proposition:

Infor offers industry-specific ERPs and Industry CloudSuites to manage end-to-end processes for enterprises seeking digital solutions. To that end, functionality for each industry (including best practices for operational workflows) is built-in, eliminating the need for modifications. 

Key Differentiators:

• Infor Cloud ERP solutions are deployed using Amazon Web Services (AWS).
• Infor LN is the enterprise ERP for discrete manufacturers in asset-intensive or mission-critical industries like automotive, aerospace, high tech, industrial, engineering, and construction. 
• Aimed at service-based organizations, Infor Financials & Supply Management is tailored for healthcare, public sector, and financial or professional services. 
• Infor M3 is for process and distribution industries such as chemical, distribution, equipment, fashion, and food and beverage companies. 
• The company also provides SMB cloud ERPs: SyteLine, Sun Systems, and SX.e. 
• Industry-aligned analytical content is embedded, including pre-built reports, dashboards, KPIs, and more. 
• Standards-based security, risk, and failover management, attack prevention, and processes. 
• Preconfigured industry Implementation Accelerators.  

IFS Cloud 

Value proposition:

IFS Cloud is a single product that delivers solutions across ERP, service management, and enterprise asset management. Moreover, IFS Cloud combines industry and functional strength with intelligent and autonomous capabilities whether it’s deployed in the cloud or in-house. 

Key Differentiators: 

• Used in browsers on Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android devices.
• Configurable dashboards provide a view of the information tailored to individual needs. 
• Native mobile apps are available for field service, maintenance, warehouse data collection, CRM, time and expense reporting, approvals, and more.
• Chat bot to perform everyday tasks using conversational voice or text. 
• The acquisition of Axios Systems IT Service Management (ITSM) capabilities extends IFS Cloud into Enterprise Service Management.

Microsoft Dynamics 365

Value proposition:

Microsoft Dynamics 365 unifies CRM and ERP capabilities along with purpose-built applications that help manage specific business functions. Additionally, Dynamics 365 simplifies the licensing of business applications with the primary licensing method by subscription.

Key Differentiators: 

• Optimized for midsize businesses with core business needs. 
• Helps organizations integrate their financials, sales, purchasing, inventory, projects, services, and operations. 
• Cloud and on-premises deployments.
• Via HoloLens, Dynamics 365 produces new environments and visualizations where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real time. 
• Multiple users can access Dynamics 365 applications through a shared device login.
• Multiple business applications are available at a reduced price. 

Acumatica 

Value proposition:

Acumatica delivers flexibility, efficiency, and continuity of operations to small and midmarket organizations. In fact, the entire team can access the platform from anywhere at any time. Integrate collaboration tools, conferencing solutions, and business applications with the platform. It features high availability, frequent backups, and multiple data storage locations to protect against disasters.  

Key Differentiators: 

• Acumatica’s pricing model offers flexible licensing and deployment options and is easily expanded for a growing organization. 
• The Acumatica ERP system includes integrated functionality for accounting and financial management, CRM, distribution and manufacturing planning management, retail, e-commerce, and field service.
• Core components operate in the background so users focus their attention on workflows, productivity, and business logic. 
• Customizable to the way you do business. 
• System functions manage administration and configuration settings such as security, multiple languages, and multi-tenancy, as well as integration with reporting, document management, user interfaces, and notifications. 
• Create custom reports and dashboards. 
• Automated workflows. 

Kinetic

Value proposition:

Previously known as Epicor ERP, Kinetic is a cloud-based enterprise resource planning system that launched in June. Epicor has long specialized in manufacturing, therefore its new ERP software offers advanced project and production management features focused on the needs of end-to-end supply chain industries. By and large, Kinetic’s browser-based applications simplify global supply chain management processes and regulatory compliance alike.

Key Differentiators: 

• This completely browser-based application is accessed from any device, offering the ability to manage contacts, leads, and customers from anywhere.
• Application Studio allows companies to create layers and add or change components, rules, and events in a drag-and-drop, low/no-code environment.
• Epicor EDI offers purpose-built API endpoints to support real-time connectivity and error messages.  
• Manage territories, teams, and forecasts from one place.
• Designed to meet the FDA software validation needs of medical device manufacturers, and supports CMMC regulations for aerospace and defense.

SYSPRO

Value proposition:

SYSPRO offers ERP software designed for manufacturers and distributors. It is deployed on-premise, in the cloud, or accessed via a mobile device. In particular, SYSPRO Enterprise Resource Planning is well suited to outbound distribution control activities, as well as inbound supply chain management.

Key Differentiators:

• SYSPRO ERP includes modules for financials, warehouse, and inventory management. 
• As well as the usual ERP functions, it includes CRM designed specifically for manufacturers and distributors. 
• Spans the supply chain and all business operations.  
• Decades of manufacturing experience provide a highly tailored application that integrates with MES and shop floor systems. 

The post Best ERP Software & Systems for 2021 appeared first on CIO Insight.

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