Infor M3 vs. Infor VISUAL

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Infor M3
Score 6.6 out of 10
N/A
Infor M3 is designed for medium to large global manufacturers, distributors, and after-sales service providers—delivering flexibility to manage mixed-mode and complex value chains. M3 is designed with industry-specific functionality and flexible deployment options, and presents a multi-company, multi-country, and multi-site enterprise resource planning (ERP) cloud solution platform. M3 was originally developed by Intentia, which merged with Lawson (2005), and which in turn was acquired by…N/A
Infor VISUAL
Score 7.2 out of 10
N/A
Infor VISUAL is an ERP software focused on manufacturing companies with business intelligence, planning and scheduling, and pricing, quoting, and estimating capabilities, among others.N/A
Pricing
Infor M3Infor VISUAL
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Infor M3Infor VISUAL
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Features
Infor M3Infor VISUAL
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.6
4 Ratings
18% above category average
Infor VISUAL
-
Ratings
Pay calculation9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration9.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Direct deposit files8.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.0
4 Ratings
10% above category average
Infor VISUAL
1.0
1 Ratings
152% below category average
API for custom integration8.04 Ratings1.01 Ratings
Plug-ins8.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.0
4 Ratings
2% below category average
Infor VISUAL
9.0
1 Ratings
10% above category average
Single sign-on capability8.04 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Role-based user permissions8.04 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.7
6 Ratings
22% above category average
Infor VISUAL
4.0
3 Ratings
54% below category average
Dashboards8.05 Ratings8.03 Ratings
Standard reports9.06 Ratings2.02 Ratings
Custom reports9.06 Ratings2.01 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.4
6 Ratings
10% above category average
Infor VISUAL
7.4
3 Ratings
3% below category average
Accounts payable8.05 Ratings9.03 Ratings
Accounts receivable8.05 Ratings9.03 Ratings
Global Financial Support9.04 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers9.04 Ratings8.02 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations8.03 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Configurable Accounting8.04 Ratings7.02 Ratings
Standardized Processes9.04 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.8
2 Ratings
11% above category average
Infor VISUAL
8.0
4 Ratings
2% above category average
Inventory tracking9.02 Ratings6.04 Ratings
Automatic reordering9.02 Ratings7.01 Ratings
Location management9.02 Ratings10.04 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.6
2 Ratings
10% above category average
Infor VISUAL
9.7
4 Ratings
22% above category average
Pricing8.92 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Order entry8.02 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Credit card processing9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost of goods sold8.02 Ratings10.04 Ratings
Order Orchestration8.02 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Subledger and Financial Process
Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.1
4 Ratings
9% above category average
Infor VISUAL
8.6
2 Ratings
15% above category average
Billing Management7.03 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Cash and Asset Management8.94 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Travel & Expense Management8.02 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting8.93 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Period Close8.02 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Project Financial Management
Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.4
2 Ratings
10% above category average
Infor VISUAL
7.2
1 Ratings
5% below category average
Budgeting and Forecasting8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Costing8.02 Ratings5.01 Ratings
Cost Capture9.02 Ratings8.01 Ratings
Capital Project Management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Customer Contract Compliance9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Revenue Recognition9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Execution Management
Comparison of Project Execution Management features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.3
2 Ratings
19% above category average
Infor VISUAL
3.0
1 Ratings
78% below category average
Project Planning and Scheduling8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Task Insight for Project Managers8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Mobile Functionality8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Definable Resource Pools8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Grants Management
Comparison of Grants Management features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.3
2 Ratings
9% above category average
Infor VISUAL
-
Ratings
Award Lifecycle Management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Procurement
Comparison of Procurement features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.4
2 Ratings
19% above category average
Infor VISUAL
-
Ratings
Bids Analyzed and Compared8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Contract Authoring8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Contract Repository8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Supplier Management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Risk Management
Comparison of Risk Management features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.7
2 Ratings
29% above category average
Infor VISUAL
-
Ratings
Risk Repository9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Control Management9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Control Efficiency Assessments9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Issue Detection9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Remediation and Certification9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Logistics
Comparison of Logistics features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.3
2 Ratings
19% above category average
Infor VISUAL
-
Ratings
Transportation Planning and Optimization8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Transportation Execution Management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Trade and Customs Management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Fulfillment Management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Warehouse Workforce Management8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Manufacturing
Comparison of Manufacturing features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
8.7
2 Ratings
14% above category average
Infor VISUAL
3.2
2 Ratings
81% below category average
Production Process Design9.02 Ratings2.02 Ratings
Production Management9.02 Ratings5.01 Ratings
Configuration Management9.02 Ratings5.01 Ratings
Work Execution8.92 Ratings2.01 Ratings
Manufacturing Costs8.02 Ratings2.02 Ratings
Supply Chain
Comparison of Supply Chain features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
9.0
2 Ratings
22% above category average
Infor VISUAL
2.0
1 Ratings
113% below category average
Forecasting9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Inventory Planning9.02 Ratings2.01 Ratings
Performance Monitoring9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Product Lifecycle Management
Comparison of Product Lifecycle Management features of Product A and Product B
Infor M3
7.9
2 Ratings
9% above category average
Infor VISUAL
2.0
1 Ratings
114% below category average
Proposal Management7.12 Ratings00 Ratings
Product Master Data Management7.02 Ratings2.01 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Infor M3Infor VISUAL
Small Businesses
Acumatica
Acumatica
Score 8.7 out of 10
Acumatica
Acumatica
Score 8.7 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Infor VISUAL
Infor VISUAL
Score 7.2 out of 10
Epicor Eclipse
Epicor Eclipse
Score 8.9 out of 10
Enterprises
SAP Business ByDesign
SAP Business ByDesign
Score 7.4 out of 10
SAP Business ByDesign
SAP Business ByDesign
Score 7.4 out of 10
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User Ratings
Infor M3Infor VISUAL
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(7 ratings)
10.0
(5 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(2 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(3 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(3 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
2.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Infor M3Infor VISUAL
Likelihood to Recommend
Infor
Manufacturing: Infor M3 is designed specifically for manufacturers and provides robust production planning and supply chain management features. The software can help optimize production processes, improve inventory management, and automate purchasing and order fulfillment.Distribution: Infor M3 offers advanced supply chain management capabilities, including inventory management and order tracking, making it an ideal solution for distribution companies.Large Organizations: Infor M3 is a scalable solution that can accommodate the needs of large organizations with complex supply chain and production requirements. The software's modular design allows organizations to customize their implementation to their specific needs.Global Operations: Infor M3 provides multi-language and multi-currency support, making it a suitable solution for organizations with global operations.
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Infor
I struggle to identify a scenario where VISUAL is an appropriate solution. We used VISUAL because it was a legacy system and the cost/complexity of changeover seemed daunting. The user interface is poor as is the interconnectedness of the various screens and menus. This might be an acceptable piece of software for a continuous manufacturing environment with little variation of basic design, but we have had to write multiple add-on macros in order to get VISUAL to work effectively for us.
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Pros
Infor
  • Very stable product. Some of its weaknesses are also its strengths. The lack of web services seems to actually increase stability.
  • No software vendor in this space is perfect. Lawson does perform as advertised.
  • Again, a weakness of this (limited functionality) is a hidden strength as well. In software there is a complexity/feature tradeoff. Where Lawson lacks in features, it does give you a more simple setup for your organization.
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Infor
  • Infor Visual has a standard way of addressing business operations: sales orders, invoicing, reporting. It is easy to train operators used to using a manual or other ERP system.
  • Material control is easy for production runs, R&D material lists and repairs. The process of receiving, issuing and returning material to inventory is facilitated by standard interfaces that are easily learned by material control operators.
  • Engineering changes to bills of material are facilitated by the "engineering Master" flexible editing capability. The version control for the BOM's can be as detailed or vague as the process designed dictates. One item of a BOM or the entire BOM can be changed quickly and approved for production that day.
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Cons
Infor
  • Not intuitive at all, difficult to learn.
  • System is archaic, seems to be largely unchanged since the early 2000's.
  • Reports are all in PDF form, which for financial reporting purposes is tedious to turn back into Excel sheets.
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Infor
  • VTA has been extremely unreliable. I would not recommend it. It is not customizable at all. There is no logical way to handle shift differentials which is a huge issue with a company that runs 24/7.
  • If you do not have a schedule set up, they cannot clock in. This poses a problem for anyone that gets called in on a shift they don't normally work on.
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Likelihood to Renew
Infor
No answers on this topic
Infor
Good Technical and Customer Support during and after implementation tasks. Good Project Plan and Management support for implementation and post implementation. Financial functionality could be more comprehensive particularly with Budgeting and Cash Management. Inventory Management capability was adequate but could be more comprehensive as well. "Out of the Box" functionality was adequate but requested add-ons and enhancements seemed to be a bit pricey.
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Usability
Infor
This is a highly configurable product. Where all available support provided by [Information] is very good and exceeds our expectations! The investment in this product by Infor continues to be significant and is showing results! Infor is going a long way and is here to stay! No doubt about that!
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Infor
Because of use cases and easy implementation and the vertical and horizontal scaling.
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Support Rating
Infor
The support is satisfactory, given the large user base of the product. We had no issues to meet our reporting deadlines with Lawson. The organizational support team internally are well trained and hence only on exceptional basis issues are escalated to Lawson support team. We had no negative experience so far with the support of Lawson.
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Infor
As we have seen the live environment and the use cases where we implement.
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Implementation Rating
Infor
No answers on this topic
Infor
Could have used more hands-on approach. There are multiple webinars and information sessions but until you actually use the system, these are not very helpful.
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Alternatives Considered
Infor
Lawson is comparable to the other ERP's I have used. Similar functionality and interface. Usability is comparable.
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Infor
We unfortunately did not evaluate any other ERP software. VISUAL was a legacy system and we determined that changing systems would be too difficult, and not cost effective. We reached out to our local VISUAL rep who knew how the software functioned, but not how to apply it more appropriately to our business model, so we continued on with what we had rather than looking elsewhere.
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Return on Investment
Infor
  • I wish Infor M3 (formerly Lawson Intentia) were more detailed. But, this actually may be a weakness of my employer and not Infor M3 (formerly Lawson Intentia).
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Infor
  • I cannot comment on business impact.
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ScreenShots