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M1

M1

Overview

What is M1?

M1, from ECI Software Solutions headquartered in Ft. Worth, is an all-in-one manufacturing ERP software solution, built for small and medium-sized discrete manufacturers.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Users have found M1 to be a versatile tool for various business functions including accounting, finance, quotes, and sales orders. The …
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M1 ERP System Review

8 out of 10
March 26, 2024
Incentivized
We use M1 as our ERP system to run our company. We use it for accounting and finance, quotes, sales orders, production jobs, bills of …
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M1 Software Review

8 out of 10
February 26, 2024
Incentivized
We use M1 as our full enterprise planning resource business system. It is critical in every aspect of our business from Sales, Purchasing, …
Continue reading

M1 for Machinery

8 out of 10
November 06, 2023
Incentivized
I use M1 to monitor all users and activity. I utilize the KPIs and Reports in M1 to do this. Costing has been an issue for us, but we have …
Continue reading
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Popular Features

View all 58 features
  • Role-based user permissions (13)
    8.9
    89%
  • Dashboards (12)
    7.9
    79%
  • Custom reports (12)
    7.6
    76%
  • Standard reports (13)
    7.2
    72%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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N/A
Unavailable

What is M1?

M1, from ECI Software Solutions headquartered in Ft. Worth, is an all-in-one manufacturing ERP software solution, built for small and medium-sized discrete manufacturers.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Product Demos

Uncover Hidden Manufacturing Costs and Boost Profitability with M1 Job Costing

YouTube
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Features

Payroll Management

Provides for pay calculation and benefit plan administration, in addition to managing direct deposit, salary revisions and payroll tracking.

9.3
Avg 7.2

Customization

This addresses a company’s ability to configure the software to fit its specific use case and workflow.

8.6
Avg 7.3

Security

This component helps a company minimize the security risks by controlling access to the software and its data, and encouraging best practices among users.

9.2
Avg 8.2

Reporting & Analytics

Users can report on and analyze usage, performance, ROI, and/or other metrics of success.

7.6
Avg 7.0

General Ledger and Configurable Accounting

Financial management solution, including capabilities for general ledger and configurable accounting

8
Avg 7.6

Inventory Management

The ability to track and manage the flow of goods or materials into and out of an inventory.

7.9
Avg 7.8

Order Management

The ability to process orders, and track them from quote to cash.

8.2
Avg 7.8

Subledger and Financial Process

Revenue management solution including capabilities for subledgers and financial processes

7.8
Avg 7.4

Project Execution Management

Project execution management solution including capabilities for project scheduling, resource management, and team member task management.

6.9
Avg 6.8

Procurement

Procurement management solution with capabilities for sourcing, contracting, procure-to-pay and supplier management

8.3
Avg 7.0

Risk Management

Risk management solution with capabilities for managing controls, assessing control effectiveness, certifying controls, and addressing deficiencies

10
Avg 6.5

Logistics

Logistics solution with capabilities for transportation planning, transportation execution, trade compliance, customs management, warehouse management and warehouse workforce management.

8.6
Avg 6.9

Manufacturing

Manufacturing solution for managing manufacturing processes and costs.

7.5
Avg 7.5

Supply Chain

Supply Chain Planning solution with capabilities for planning, performance monitoring, change responses and execution.

6.7
Avg 7.2

Product Lifecycle Management

Product Lifecycle Management solution with capabilities for innovation management, product development

8.1
Avg 7.3
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Product Details

What is M1?

Specifically built for small and medium-sized discrete manufacturers, M1® software is designed to bring critical business processes together within a single ERP system. From quoting to shipping and everything in between, M1 offers real-time visibility into every facet of the business to help streamline processes to reduce costs and boost profitability.

M1 Screenshots

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M1 Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

M1, from ECI Software Solutions headquartered in Ft. Worth, is an all-in-one manufacturing ERP software solution, built for small and medium-sized discrete manufacturers.

Acumatica, Global Shop Solutions ERP Software, and Epicor CMS are common alternatives for M1.

Reviewers rate Single sign-on capability highest, with a score of 9.4.

The most common users of M1 are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(21)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Users have found M1 to be a versatile tool for various business functions including accounting, finance, quotes, and sales orders. The software's automation capabilities streamline documentation tasks and enhance project tracking, making day-to-day operations more efficient. Despite encountering challenges with implementation and customization, organizations use M1 as their primary ERP system to manage key functions like manufacturing planning, purchasing, and shipping.

Customization options in M1 allow users to tailor entry screens, grids, and reports to meet their specific needs. The software's ability to handle projects, inventory management, job tracking, costs, and labor makes it a valuable asset for companies. Additionally, features like KPIs and Reports assist in monitoring user activity and analyzing data effectively. Transitioning to M1 may involve a learning curve; however, online resources and training sessions support users in adapting to this powerful and customizable program.

Customization Flexibility: Users have praised the system for its high level of customization, allowing them to tailor entry screens, transaction reviews, and reports according to their specific requirements. This flexibility has been instrumental in enhancing user experience and meeting diverse business needs effectively.

Comprehensive Job Cost Analysis: Reviewers have highlighted the detailed job cost analysis feature provided by M1, which facilitates accurate determination of estimating, training needs, and efficiency issues when consistently utilized. This analytical tool has proven invaluable in identifying cost-saving opportunities and improving overall operational efficiency.

Efficient Inventory Management: Customers appreciate the ability to automate documentation processes and easily locate related documents, streamlining inventory management tasks effectively. The seamless integration of document automation has led to significant time savings and reduced errors in tracking inventory levels accurately throughout various stages.

Outdated User Interface: Some users have expressed the need for a more modern design in the user interface to enhance the overall experience. They feel that an updated and visually appealing interface would greatly improve usability and satisfaction.

Complex Invoice Management: Users highlighted difficulties with invoice creation and management. Users note the difficulty in making changes or fixing errors once an invoice is saved.

Challenges in Implementation Process: Several users reported negative experiences during implementation, citing delays, lack of structured onboarding, unqualified project managers, and a generic project plan.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-7 of 7)
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Score 3 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
As a consultant to a $36M manufacturing and printing company, we selected M1 as an MRP solution to replace the existing MIS system which lacked scheduling and customizable features that were needed. We looked at several options and went with ECI/M1 as an established company with many years of supporting manufacturing. They were also extremely confident their software could accommodate our customized production requirements.
  • Allows for component parts to be scheduled independently through the plant
  • Once parts are built, it is easy to duplicate/reuse parts across they quoting and ordering modules and customers
  • If used properly and consistently, M1 will provide accurate job cost analysis to determine estimating, training, efficiency and other issues.
  • M1 is not designed for short run/custom manufacturing. It is difficult to "change sizes" of parts used in production because you have to re-generate the part and recalculate the Unit of Measure
  • Configured parts (auto calculations to address the above point) are not easily understood and need to be custom coded by consultants. This can become costly very quickly and requires the client to create all of the calculations and possible variations before any coding can be completed.
  • My experience with their implementation left much to be desired. Despite claims of there being a "highly structured onboarding process", my project was 18 months past due, there was no onboarding tool or "what to expect from the implementation" session, the project manager assigned (and billed to my client) was not qualified/non-value add, the project plan was a generic task list template and included modules we had not purchased and did not account for various adaptations we required. There were no "best practices" implemented for our industry/custom manufacturing application. There were no project risk assessments or business requirements development sessions conducted despite multiple requests to do these exercises.
  • Escalation through ECI's customer experience office and to various Directors/SVPs yielded more meeting attendees with little to contribute. Little leadership/accountability/drive to resolution was demonstrated on the part of ECI. My client had to push for credit for 6 months of hosting services to cover some of the schedule overruns.
  • Several customizations/adaptations that were addressed repeatedly in the sales cycle were not effectively communicated to the implementation team. Even after these needs were clarified, numerous delays and resource reassignments (5 different outsourced contract developers were assigned during a 12 month period to address the one customization needed for M1 to communicate with our legacy MIS system), the implementation missed the (4th) GO LIVE target date. The customization was not completed for Go Live and may mean manually closing the division's Feb and March month ends.
Implementation is by far the weakest link in the ECI/M1 process. Although the tool is powerful, the client is expected to drive the process of learning the tool, planning the meetings with consultants, identifying risks and making mitigation plans, etc. without any samples, guidance or assistance on the part of ECI. The tool is best suited to high volume, standard product manufacturers who build to inventory or to order without much variation. The shop floor routing and time tracking are straightforward if you can master the convoluted Unit Of Measure calculations. The tool is either hosted locally or accessed through Remote Desktop. Shop floor is web enabled but the main desktop for M1 is still a relay which makes connectivity a potential issue. Moving this platform to a truly web hosted environment would substantially improve connectivity and eliminate compatibility issues with Apple products.
February 27, 2024

M1 works

Ted Bill | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
M1 is our primary ERP for our organization. We run all of our quotes, sales, manufacturing planning, purchasing, manufacturing execution, shipping, and all the associated accounting through M1. We do not use if for payroll, and we use a separate QMS and maintenance tracking system.
  • Open access DB makes it easy to customize the on-prem solution
  • Lots of built in data analysis and data retrieval that the average user can access
  • We use the 'lot tracking' ability for detailed material traceability
  • No alternate materials or operations concepts
  • Plant scheduling is hard to achieve in a dynamic manufacturing environment
  • There is no built in maintenance or quality systems
It is a good solution for businesses that are no ready to afford a larger scale application. For those looking to take their first step into a full-scale ERP M1 is simple enough to grasp quickly and has enough sophistication to grow with your business to an extent.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use M1 for inventory, quotes, sales orders, invoicing and financials and so much more I love the "where used" function and the ability to drill down to a specific record on reports. Having the ability to customize just about anything in the software is very beneficial to use. We have customized the entry screens as we do not use every field, we have customized the grids to only show the field we need. We have also modified quite a few reports to make them our own versus using the standard reports that are provided with M1. I would recommend the M1 software to anyone who is looking to have an easy to use platform.
  • Ability to customize entry screens
  • Ability to review all transactions on any given item id
  • Ability to customize reports
  • When an address is deactivated, it should not show up under the entry screen when searching for an address to add to an order
Customer support is top notch. Some of the tech support staff I have worked with are very knowledgeable and will work with you until a resolution is found. They are also very patient and explain issues very well. As far as the software, there are many areas our small company does not use, but is not a problem as we just customize the entry screen to move the fields we do not use out of the way.
February 26, 2024

M1 Software Review

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use M1 as our full enterprise planning resource business system. It is critical in every aspect of our business from Sales, Purchasing, Bill of Materials, Inventory, HR and payroll, Quality Control, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger and Fixed Asset Management. It is most helpful in maintaining and ordering appropriate stock levels based on Sales Order demand.
  • Inventory Management
  • Bill of Materials
  • Financial Accounting
  • Easier to create custom reports
  • More flexible when performing physical inventory counts
  • More user friendly scheduling function
In our case, as a small custom manufacturing company, M1 has been a very good solution to managing our day to day business. It is robust enough to serve as a complete ERP solution without being cost prohibitive. I'm not sure how appropriate it would be for larger size businesses. Also, it's very customizable out of the box. But it takes some time to figure out what works best for your particular business.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
The product is our first foray into an ERM. For us the learning curve is quite steep, as we ran on excel and Quickbooks before M1. The online learning resources are very good, and our live team training sessions are absolutely amazing. The greatest strength of M1 is also it's greatest weakness. The program is so powerful and customizable that there are more than one way to accomplish an action. Plus the ability to modify much of the program data screens is quite powerful. We have yet to go live (combing soon) but the support and training has been awesome so far. (Shout out to Rob!). My suggestion as the lead user at my site, is patience, practice, training, and practice.
  • Customization
  • Workflow Capture
  • Inventory
  • Hover Help. (Mouse over a field with automatic help or units display)
  • Easier Automatic Image Display on Parts Page
  • Much Longer Titles. Some are limited to 6 characters.
We are still in initial install phase
November 06, 2023

M1 for Machinery

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use M1 to monitor all users and activity. I utilize the KPIs and Reports in M1 to do this. Costing has been an issue for us, but we have been able to work with the team at ECI to resolve our issues. This has been done through customizations and support calls.
  • M1 does a great job in setting up securities as the permissions are not just blanket wide. You are able to give permissions down to the individual field which helps when duties blend between departments.
  • The general ledger tracking and setup work well.
  • The system does not appear to be able to be easily manipulated, helping prevent opportunities for fraud.
  • When going to v9 the purchasing manager was replaced by the purchase planner which has given us many issues. The time needed to purchase has increased significantly.
  • The email integration does not always work in my opinion.
  • The part allocation numbers are not always accurate between modules in my experience.
I believe M1 has great use for short term production. If you are working on long term projects, the costing can provide issues as well as the job setup. The finance and production teams will find the software use easy whereas the purchasing and inventory teams will have more struggles.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
M1 is currently a work in progress in our machine shop. The staff and customer support are very kind & helpful. They make sure you understand fully the ERP system before you go live on the shop floor. Everything on the software is interactive and makes transactions go over smoothly. The program even works well on my Macbook computer. Highly recommend to any company in search of a simple & flexible ERP system
  • Organize Data
  • Simplifies Company Transactions
  • Helps Monitor the Shop Floor
  • Fix Bugs in Software
  • Add Error Codes to Help Resolve Technical Difficulties
  • Inform Customers About Packages
+ M1 Helps organize the shop floor.
+Assists in scheduling jobs and making sure things are done on time.
+ Helps keep track of material and hardware.

- Lengthy start up time.
- Can be very buggy at times.
- Unknown errors can really slow down processes.
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