Visual South Insights

What is CloudSuite Industrial (SyteLine)?

Infor SyteLine ERP software (also known as Infor CloudSuite Industrial or CSI when deployed in the Amazon cloud) is Infor’s ERP offering for small and medium-sized manufacturers and distributors.

Why not a complete list?

ERP can bring many benefits to a company—I’ve used it to elevate companies I’ve managed, and other businesses implement ERP with great results. In short, I have a lot of experience with the perks of ERP—but creating a complete list of ERP benefits and features would be impossible.

Crane manufacturers are increasing their focus on integrated service and quality

Over the past few years, many manufacturers have sought to extend the capabilities of their crane ERP software. Engineer-to-order and project-based manufacturing tools, along with planning and scheduling modules, have always been essential parts of any ERP software for the crane industry. But increasingly, crane manufacturers are recognizing the need to have an integrated quality system to help them address and comply with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards. Additionally, integrated service management is becoming a critical part of ERP for crane manufacturers. In this article, we’ll explain why these trends are emerging and how they impact the industry.

ERP software assessments provide answers to your questions

Visual South assists companies with ERP assessments and implementations every day, and has since 1993. It’s what we do and we have been through the evaluation process hundreds of times.

However, companies typically only evaluate ERP software every 10 to 15 years (if that). The ERP selection team members may have never evaluated software, or may have done so only once before. This leads to the development of disparate processes -- some are good and others not so good. The Visual South team can help regardless.

Infor OS overview

The Infor Operating Service (or Infor OS) is a cloud innovation platform of Infor-built applications that significantly enhance CloudSuite ERP.

The Infor OS platform is included with the CloudSuite ERP subscription. Infor OS is composed of many applications that allow CloudSuite customers to maximize the use of their purpose-built ERP.

Project-based manufacturers have specific ERP functional requirements

To effectively address business needs, project-based companies must choose an ERP system that meets their specific functional requirements. This is critical for success. The first step is to assess whether the ERP you’re evaluating offers project-related functionality at all, in addition to its standard functionality.

Crane manufacturers have specific business system needs

What crane manufacturers have in common with other types of manufacturers is that they must plan for material requirements, schedule jobs, and execute the production of those jobs. However, crane manufacturers have many requirements and needs that are unique to their industry. In this article, we’ll review how those unique requirements can be addressed with crane industry software or crane manufacturing software.

Choosing between the types of ERP systems available

It can be an involved and complicated process for first-time evaluators to understand the types of ERP on the market and decide which meet the business requirements and objectives. There’s a significant research component when kicking off an ERP evaluation.

Some background before we begin

The process to evaluate and choose an ERP software is not a simple task; as a matter of fact, it is a complex task. Because of the risk and cost, it’s a big decision for a company, big or small, to find and implement an ERP. I have numerous conversations with companies that are going through this selection process, and if they don’t bring up the subject of cost in our first conversation, then I do because it is so important! To help you set a realistic budget for your new ERP system, read below for a list of costs you should plan for.

Is everything in your budget?

When companies are looking for a new ERP or reimplementing a system, they start with a budget. That budget typically includes standard implementation costs and estimates on service hours from vendors. But those vendor quotes are almost never inclusive of everything. While not hidden, these unexpected costs can be high enough that the budget is at risk.