There are tough choices for product-centric businesses that need an integrated backend for daily operations. Several robust ERP solutions serve the space, and selecting the right system is important because this platform will undergird the business for years to come.

Two ERP platforms that frequently make the shortlist for product-centered businesses are Infor CloudSuite and SAP Cloud ERP, formerly known as SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition.

Both solutions are cloud-based, end-to-end ERP solutions with industry-specific functionality, embedded AI and analytics, and extensibility for integrating with third-party software and cloud services. Both also come with robust security baked in by default.

While this core value proposition is the same, however, there are also some key differences between Infor CloudSuite and SAP Cloud ERP. These differences can help your business decide between the two competing platforms.

The Sweet Spot for Each Solution

Infor has made a name for itself among smaller manufacturers and product-centered businesses. The Infor CloudSuite therefore comes with strong functionality for industrial manufacturing firms, food and beverage companies, fashion brands and distribution businesses.

What sets Infor CloudSuite apart is its focus on deep, industry-specific solutions tailored for certain product-centered industries. It also has strong depth for specific micro-verticals. For businesses in one of these core areas, Infor CloudSuite often hits the sweet spot with processes and functionality that match what a business needs for operations today.

SAP Cloud ERP, on the other hand, brings more flexibility and a wider range of operating scenarios as a modular platform that comes with industry-specific functionality but can be configured for the needs of almost any business.

Just like Infor CloudSuite, an industry-specific edition of SAP Cloud ERP comes with the functionality and standard workflows needed for a given line of business. But SAP S/4HANA Cloud is more flexible and expandable as a business grows or adds new models and revenue streams.

So the sweet spot for SAP Cloud ERP is businesses that want industry-specific functionality and workflows today, but also wants the option to scale and go in new directions later as the business evolves.

A second sweet spot for SAP Cloud ERP are product-based businesses with subsidiaries spread across multiple geographies and compliance regimes.

Our Advice

Businesses with an eye for growth and expansion should lean heavily toward SAP Cloud ERP over Infor solutions.

Both Infor and SAP come with industry functionality and process support for product-based businesses, but S/4HANA Cloud is more flexible as business needs change and grow.

With Infor CloudSuite and its approach of building ERP solutions around a specific industry need, a business gets locked into a backend ERP solution that is very good at a given line of business but struggles when subsidiaries in other lines of business are added, or when additional functionality is needed.

SAP Cloud ERP also gives what a business needs today for its industry needs, but its modular structure supports a much wider range of potential business activity. The S/4HANA core is independent of any specific line of business, with specific functionality deployed through a wide range of applications, modules and integrations that are configured when needed. This makes S/4HANA Cloud both industry-specific and highly adaptable at the same time. 

The large ecosystem built around SAP S/4HANA Cloud also ensures that businesses can evolve and grow more easily both from a strategy standpoint and as technology changes. As one of the largest ERP providers, there’s a vast universe of developers and support partners that come ready with SAP solutions and support when needed, and develop new turnkey integrations and functionality as tech evolves.

With the SAP Business Technology Platform, an integration hub and online marketplace for SAP and third-party add-ons, businesses can grow operations and add capabilities without the need for systems migration later. S/4HANA is a platform that grows with a business.

What gives a business extra flexibility is that S/4HANA Cloud also supports any scale. A fast-growing smaller business can turn on the functionality it needs today, then add extra functionality later as it grows. It can lean on standard processes to start, then later reconfigure or customize these processes for heightened levels of customization and control as needed.

This mix of industry-specific functionality out of the box combined with broad capability support makes SAP Cloud ERP the best of both worlds. It is tailored for your industry while also being broad and flexible enough to handle expansion and changes within the business.

Get Help from Those Who Know

We’ve helped businesses choose and correctly implement more than 300 ERP installations over the past 20 years. During that time, we’ve learned what works and what doesn’t.

Leverage our deep experience with ERP and efficient business processes by talking with one of our knowledgeable consultants. You can get answers and advice to your specific questions by calling us at (801) 642-0123 or writing info@nbs-us.com.