ERP-One vs Inform ERP

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Our analysts compared ERP-One vs Inform ERP based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Distribution Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

ERP-One+, by Distribution One, offers a complete, cloud-based suite for managing the various business processes of wholesalers and distributors. It provides automation of some processes, access to custom reports and insights, connectivity and flexibility for ease of communication and much more. Built with industry best practices in mind, it aims to reduce inventory, offer a competitive edge and increase efficiency and profitability. Services for consulting, installation, training, data transfer, go-live and support are available.

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Inform ERP is a software solution that helps with distribution, production and financial activities. It integrates these processes to automate and streamline operations across various aspects of a business. Its financial management tool coordinates with production workflows so that as transactions are made, they are automatically inputted to the general ledger. It also allows users to plan transportation logistics and look at factors such as volume and necessary stops when planning routes.

This program further enables users to optimize the supply chain through visualization and control of a variety of processes. Users can benefit from personalized dashboards that leverage real-time data so that quicker and more relevant insights can be developed.
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Product Insights

  • Efficient Business Processes: Run efficient business processes in accordance with strategy, planning and access to real-time information. Automate inventory processes and eliminate the need for hand-written orders to deliver an exceptional customer experience. 
  • Impart a Competitive Edge: Users can access current and historical information from the process workflow across multiple departments. Users can view critical information on the go and in real-time. It ensures making effective, data-driven decisions to impart a competitive edge to the business. 
  • On-Site Training: The solution experts conduct thorough on-site training for users to get accustomed to the software. It ensures the users are ready to use the solution without much effort. 
  • User-Interface: An intuitive, easy-to-navigate user interface delivers an exceptional user experience. It ensures users can drill-down critical information effortlessly, access automatically generated invoices and reminders and send them via fax or email. 
  • Custom Reporting: Review real-time data to create custom reports required for offsite strategy sessions or customer sales meetings. Users can create reports with custom mobile apps. It ensures reports are dynamic and up-to-the-mark with access to real-time information.  
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  • Paperless Workflows: Inform ERP includes electronic signature and electronic document scanning functionality. The system can also store documents such as product images, material safety data sheets (MSDS) and descriptions. 
  • Increased Productivity: This program can increase productivity through its demand planning tool, which forecasts material and production needs. The system also contains the ability to make orders into quotes and to create price inquiries with just one click, therefore reducing the amount of time that employees spend on these tedious tasks. 
  • Automation: Automation is a driving factor of increased productivity and, by extension, increased revenue. An example of how Inform ERP uses automation to its benefit is through its financial management tool, which archives important documents and posts transactions to the general ledger automatically. 
  • Improved Customer Relationships: The Embedded CRM tool allows users to keep track of important customer information. By using and sharing this data, employees can hone their sales tactics and improve customer relationships through more personalized and targeted conversations. 
  • Insight Development: This program uses real-time data and customizable dashboards to help users manage workflows such as sales and production. It includes drill-down functionality that allows users to find the specific data that they need to access. 
  • Accessibility: Inform ERP is available both on-premise and as a cloud-based solution. This makes the program accessible to a wide variety of businesses. If cloud deployment is opted for, the program can be accessed anytime and anywhere as long as there is an internet connection. 
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  • Order Management: The order management feature comes with tools for sales order entry, sales analysis and item sales and contracts pricing. Sales analysis capabilities allow users to take business trends into account, and contract pricing offers a multi-bracket price book that can handle virtually any pricing situation. 
  • Financial Management: With the financial management feature, users have access to a general ledger, cash management and accounts receivable, vendor and accounts payable and invoicing and billing. The vendor and accounts payable tool aim to cultivate healthy business relationships with suppliers through a wide variety of billing options. 
  • Warehouse and Inventory: Inventory and warehouse management, inventory replenishment, wireless warehouse and kitting/assembly complete this feature, supporting single or multiple warehouses. Built on industry best practices, the system can make suggestions on how to best handle warehouse and inventory management. The wireless warehouse tool is Bluetooth-enabled and recognizes user-originated disruptions to drive employee productivity and company efficiency. 
  • Customer Relationship Management: Tools for call activity tracking, calendar management, one-touch order for quote entry and quote duplication, unlimited company contacts and freeform notes, order source tracking, prospect tracking and more are included in the CRM. It provides salespeople with a sales pipeline and the ability to contact customers and prospects easily. 
  • Purchasing: With the purchasing feature, users can access automated purchase order (PO) creation, PO audits, drop shipment, automated emails, goods tracking, barcode receiving, expediting report, backorder, vendor performance and purchase order to sales order linking. It leverages the concept of intelligent purchasing and provides robust reports to help users make the best purchasing decisions. 
  • Document Management: The document management system allows users to save any document as a PDF, and the system can email or fax any form. This tool aims to reduce paper usage and provide flexibility for customers. 
  • Analytics and Reporting: A dashboard with data analytics contains KPIs and alerts to provide insight into business health. Interactive management reporting allows users to configure reports to generate the desired view and export reports using Excel or Word.  
  • Electronic Data Interchange: EDI services enable users to share data such as invoices or purchase orders with other systems. It comes with a turnaround feature, trading partner options, advanced ship notice and user roles. 
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  • Financial Management: Inform ERP contains accounts payable, accounts receivable and bank reconciliation functionality. It gives users access to financial reports and allows them to perform tasks such as posting transactions to the general ledger as they occur. The program also contains the ability to archive documents such as invoices, financial reports and statements automatically. 
  • Inventory Management: This feature enables users to visualize inventory information such as purchase orders, availability, returned goods and open orders. It also allows for adjustment to sporadic demand and can balance warehouse overstocks. The advanced demand planning and forecasting tool contains a real-time replenishment calculation that facilitates adjustment to actual demand. 
  • Order Fulfillment: Inform ERP lets users make quotes into orders with the click of a button. Defective parts can be tracked through the system along with vendor reimbursement claims. The customer checkout process is streamlined through PCI-compliant card processing. 
  • Embedded CRM: This program enables users to gather relevant customer information such as purchase history, order status and personal notes to assist in the personalization and improvement of the customer experience. It can also create order entries and price inquiries with one click. Individual and group calendars are included in the program so that staff can look at operations and sales opportunities in real-time. 
  • Analytics and Reporting: Inform ERP’s reporting dashboards are customizable and can be segmented by user level. The Inventory Pivot Table Cube Editor allows users to manage stock transfers. The program also leverages real-time data and includes drill-down menus so that users can find relevant information. 
  • Warehouse Logistics: With this tool, users can assign transportation to orders. Delivery routes can also be created while keeping factors such as weight, volume and necessary stops in mind. Additionally, users can create and print manifests and shipping documents through this feature. 
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Product Ranking

#18

among all
Distribution Software

#124

among all
Distribution Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

77
88
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100
59
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Accounting and Financial Management
Mobile capabilities
Inventory Management
Reports, Dashboards and Business Intelligence
Purchase Order Management and Procurement
Accounting and Financial Management
Customer Relationship Management
Inventory Management
Mobile capabilities
Purchase Order Management and Procurement

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

ERP-One
Inform ERP
+ Add Product + Add Product
Accounting And Financial Management Customer Relationship Management E-commerce Capabilities Integrations And Extensibility Inventory Management Mobile Capabilities Purchase Order Management And Procurement Reports, Dashboards And Business Intelligence Sales Order Management Warehouse And Transportation Management 100 59 45 22 92 97 87 90 66 80 100 99 50 39 99 97 97 94 80 96 0 25 50 75 100
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40%
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100%
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22%
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78%
33%
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67%
94%
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6%
100%
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100%
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90%
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91%
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81%
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19%
81%
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94%
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6%

User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 34 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 72 reviews
91%
of users recommend this product

ERP-One has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 91% when considering 34 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

91%
of users recommend this product

Inform ERP has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 91% when considering 72 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

4.4 (6)
3.7 (5)
n/a
4.6 (67)
4.6 (28)
n/a

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated ERP-One and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Accounting and Financial Management. ERP-One stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Accounting and Financial Management Award

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Inform ERP and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Accounting and Financial Management and Customer Relationship Management. Inform ERP stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Accounting and Financial Management Award
Customer Relationship Management Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Improved Reporting and Analytics: Users praise ERP-One for its robust reporting features, enabling them to generate detailed financial statements, track key performance indicators, and gain better insights into their business operations.
Streamlined Inventory Management: ERP-One's inventory management capabilities are highly regarded by users, who appreciate the system's ability to track stock levels, automate purchase orders, and optimize warehouse operations.
Enhanced Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Users value ERP-One's CRM functionality, which allows them to manage customer interactions, track sales leads, and provide efficient customer support.
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Comprehensive Functionality: Inform ERP provides a wide range of features that cater to various aspects of distribution businesses, including inventory management, order processing, financials, and customer relationship management. This comprehensive functionality eliminates the need for multiple software solutions, streamlining operations and reducing complexity.
Industry-Specific Focus: Inform ERP is specifically designed for distributors, with features and functionalities tailored to their unique needs. This industry-specific focus ensures that the software aligns with the workflows and processes of distribution businesses, providing a more efficient and effective solution.
Scalability and Flexibility: Inform ERP is a scalable solution that can grow with the needs of a business. It offers flexible deployment options, including on-premise, cloud-based, and hybrid models, allowing businesses to choose the best fit for their infrastructure and budget.
User-Friendly Interface: Inform ERP features a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and learn. This intuitive design reduces training time and allows users to quickly become proficient with the software, improving productivity and user adoption.
Strong Reporting and Analytics: Inform ERP provides robust reporting and analytics capabilities, enabling businesses to gain insights into their operations and make data-driven decisions. Users can generate custom reports, track key performance indicators (KPIs), and analyze trends to identify areas for improvement.
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Difficult to Use: Many users find the interface clunky and unintuitive, making it a challenge to navigate and complete tasks efficiently.
Limited Customization: Users often express frustration over the lack of flexibility in tailoring the system to their specific needs. They feel boxed in by the limited customization options.
Reporting Issues: Generating reports is a common pain point, with users citing slow processing times and a lack of flexibility in report customization.
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Customization Challenges: Making modifications to Inform ERP to fit specific business needs can be complex and time-consuming, often requiring specialized developer skills. This can lead to frustration for businesses with unique workflows or industry-specific requirements.
Reporting Limitations: Generating reports and extracting data from Inform ERP can be cumbersome, with limited built-in reporting tools and a steep learning curve for creating custom reports. This can hinder data analysis and decision-making processes.
User Interface: The user interface of Inform ERP can feel outdated and clunky, leading to a less-than-optimal user experience. Navigating through the system and finding specific functions can be challenging, especially for new users.
Integration Complexities: Integrating Inform ERP with other business systems, such as CRM or e-commerce platforms, can be a complex undertaking. This can create data silos and hinder overall business efficiency.
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Is ERP-One the one to beat? User reviews from the past year suggest that while ERP-One might not be the undisputed champion, it carves out a niche for itself. Users consistently praise its intuitive interface, finding it refreshingly easy to navigate compared to the labyrinthine complexities of SAP or Oracle. One user even likened transitioning from SAP to ERP-One as "trading in a clunky tank for a nimble sports car." This ease of use makes it particularly appealing to smaller businesses with limited IT resources. However, ERP-One's simplicity comes at a cost. Users report that its reporting functionalities, while adequate for day-to-day operations, lack the depth and customization options of its more robust counterparts. This makes it less suitable for larger enterprises with complex reporting needs. Additionally, some users have expressed concerns about the limited integrations offered by ERP-One, particularly in areas like e-commerce and advanced analytics. For businesses heavily reliant on these functionalities, ERP-One might feel somewhat restrictive. In essence, ERP-One emerges as a solid choice for smaller businesses prioritizing user-friendliness over advanced functionalities. Its intuitive design and streamlined workflows can significantly boost operational efficiency for those who don't require the bells and whistles of enterprise-grade solutions.

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Inform ERP receives praise for its robust functionality and adaptability, particularly in managing complex distribution operations. Users appreciate its ability to handle diverse tasks, from inventory and order management to financials and reporting. Its strength lies in providing a comprehensive solution that streamlines processes and enhances efficiency. However, some users note that the initial setup and learning curve can be challenging due to the system's extensive features. Inform ERP distinguishes itself by offering industry-specific modules and customization options, allowing businesses to tailor the software to their unique requirements. This flexibility is crucial for companies with specialized workflows or niche markets. While Inform ERP excels in functionality, some users mention that the user interface could be more intuitive and modern. Despite this, the software's strengths in customization, scalability, and industry-specific features make it a valuable tool for mid-sized to large distributors and manufacturers with complex operational needs. Its ability to adapt to evolving business requirements ensures long-term value and supports growth.

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