Sage X3 vs Prophet 21

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Our analysts compared Sage X3 vs Prophet 21 based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Distribution Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Prophet 21 Software Tool

Product Basics

Sage X3 is a comprehensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution designed to deliver industry-specific solutions for food and beverage, discrete and process manufacturing, distribution, chemicals, and services. Core features include integrated finance, production and supply chain management, as well as real-time demand forecasting and inventory monitoring. It also offers complete traceability and quality control.

Primarily geared towards businesses with complex needs and international operations, Sage X3 boasts robust multi-currency, multi-language, and multi-company capabilities. It also helps ensure compliance with regulatory standards. Its extensive customization, coupled with cloud and on-premise deployment options, allows businesses to tailor the software and environment to their specific requirements.

Some of the key benefits users highlight include improved financial control, optimized inventory management, enhanced project visibility, and streamlined collaboration. Additionally, the solution's intuitive interface and user-friendly features are frequently commended, making it easier for employees to adopt and utilize. While user experiences vary, overall sentiment leans positively towards Sage X3. Users appreciate its comprehensive functionality, scalability, and flexibility. However, some note the initial setup and configuration can be complex, requiring professional assistance.

Pricing for Sage X3 is based on factors like the number of users, modules selected, and implementation services required. It typically falls within the mid-range of ERP solutions, with costs varying depending on individual configurations.

Pros
  • Rich features and functionality
  • Flexible and customizable
  • Improved financial control
  • Streamlined operations
  • Enhanced business visibility
Cons
  • Complex initial setup
  • May require professional assistance
  • Mid-range pricing
  • Limited reporting capabilities (out-of-the-box)
  • Steeper learning curve
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Epicor Prophet 21, powered by Microsoft Azure, is a business management system for distributors. It streamlines distribution processes and helps overcome modern distribution industry challenges. It’s designed to grow with your business without making extensive modifications and is available for SaaS or on-premise deployment.

It has numerous capabilities, such as CRM, sales order management, e-commerce, inventory management, product management and wireless warehouse management. Other functionalities include financial management, manufacturing and production management, rentals, VMI, service and maintenance, SCM, business intelligence and analytics and enterprise content management.

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Scalable
  • Affordable
  • Cloud-based
  • Mobile app

Cons

  • Limited features
  • Not customizable
  • Poor customer support
  • Lacks integrations
  • Security concerns
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$24,000 Annually
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Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
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Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
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Videos
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Email
Phone
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FAQ
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Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
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24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Efficient Operations: Sage Business Cloud X3 gives users control over various phases of their business such as lead acquisitions, customer shipments and notifications. These processes automate workflows so users don't have to manually input data. For example, when a transaction is completed, Sage X3 crafts an invoice in accordance with that data and transmits it to patrons. 
  • Visualize Data: Create dashboards based on trigger events with this appliance. There are more than 400 standardized reports to choose from and even allows the filtering of predetermined information, permitting users to envision operations and swiftly obtain significant data. 
  • Maintain Compliance:  Remain compliant with various security standards such as LDAP, OAuth2 and SAML2. 
  • Mobile-Friendly: This program is available on Android and iOS devices and contains an HTML5 interface that allows users to modify it for their organization's needs. 
  • Streamlined Operations: Simplify your business with Sage X3's single database integrating all your information and processes.
  • Powerful Workflow: Achieve greater efficiency with automated tasks, optimized processes, and real-time information.
  • Enhanced Collaboration: Foster seamless communication and teamwork with real-time data access and collaborative tools.
  • Improved Adaptability: Stay agile and responsive to change with Sage X3's scalable and flexible architecture.
  • Reduced Costs: Eliminate waste and inefficiencies, optimize resources, and improve profitability with Sage X3.
  • Deeper Insights: Make informed decisions with rich data analytics and comprehensive reporting.
  • Increased Customer Satisfaction: Enhance responsiveness, improve service, and boost customer loyalty.
  • Competitive Advantage: Gain an edge with streamlined processes, real-time insights, and improved decision-making.
  • Future-proofed Growth: Scale confidently with Sage X3's robust platform and expand your business without limitations.
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  • Configurability and Scalability:  The system adapts to business requirements and needs using an application programming interface (API). This flexibility allows businesses to build on specialized functionality and increase efficiency and productivity by connecting business processes with the partners, vendors and customers they need. 
  • Flexible Deployment: The user can deploy the system on-premise or in the cloud and can then change the deployment down the road as their business evolves. 
  • Forecasting Capabilities: Advanced demand forecasting predicts how much inventory is needed, contact management tracks customers’ buying patterns and customer buying trend analysis anticipates customer issues. The business analytics module provides various reports through the executive dashboard, accounts receivable dashboard and sales rep dashboard.  
  • Increase Sales: Drive sales with e-commerce capabilities and pull in repeat business by responding to buying trends and providing excellent customer service. Additionally, mobile solutions allow for more sales because a business can serve customers from anywhere. 
  • Improve Margins:  Maximize profits with inventory management, analytics and pricing optimization. The integrated wireless warehouse solution allows you to take control of warehouse tasks. 
  • Drive Employee Productivity:  Build workflows, create mobile portals and leverage learning management systems. It also provides user personalization without having to work with source code. 
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  • Budgeting and Accounting: Sage X3 contains essential accounting functions such as accounts payable and receivable, general ledger, budgeting and fixed asset management. The system allows for an unlimited number of currencies to be used and contains exchange rates to help global companies centralize their finances. Tax management is also included in this tool. 
  • Purchasing: The purchasing tool includes supplier and product management features, purchase requests and supplier invoices among many other components. The tool allows users to monitor the quality of suppliers, manage product serial numbers, take requests for quotation into account and calculate reorder suggestions. 
  • Inventory Management: The inventory management tool has multi-warehouse, multi-company and multi-site support, meaning users may track and manage inventory across various geographic locations. The program also includes quality control features and can assist in the tracking and preparation of stock movements. 
  • Sales Management: Sage X3’s sales management tool enables transactions conducted across different sites to be done automatically. It allows for different prices and discounts to be applied along with also controlling sales quotes and shipment preparation. It assists in the creation of invoices and is compliant with the EU Exchange of goods declaration. 
  • BOM Planning: BOM management is a component of the production management tool that allows users to conduct changes for a product and BOM. With this system, users may control the use of a product in different flows, such as sales, manufacturing, subcontracting and stock issues. Mass maintenance and a view of current bills of material are also provided. 
  • Shop Floor Control: Sage X3’s shop floor control component accounts for direct and indirect labor. Users can also track actual and elapsed time spent working on various tasks. Important labor factors such as break time entry and attendance are included to help ensure that time is being used efficiently and appropriately. 
  • Quality Control: This system supports the management of expiration dates, quality control record creation and serial number management. Stock can also be marked as either accepted, rejected or inspected so items that don’t meet standards won’t get sent to customers. Re-inspection and sampling management are also included in Sage X3. 
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  • Customer Relationship Management: It contains multiple tools designed to manage and improve customer relationships. A mobile sales system, contact management, marketing management and lead and opportunity management are all usable for daily CRM tasks. 
  • Finance and Accounting: The system comes equipped with several financial and accounting tools, including a general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, Avalara Tax Connect and XL Connect and vendor rebates. Avalara Tax Connect manages sales tax compliance, and XL Connect allows users to generate reports in Microsoft Excel. 
  • Business Analytics: The Business Analytics feature comes with an executive dashboard, accounts receivable dashboard and a sales rep dashboard. It also has a customer buying trend analysis function that predicts future customer issues. 
  • Supply Chain Management: Manage the entire supply chain with a full range of SCM capabilities. Purchase management, sourcing and procurement, inventory management, advanced material management and warehouse management features are included.  
  • Enterprise Content Management: Manage content throughout its entire lifecycle. Document imaging converts paper documents into digital files. 
  • Contact Management: The CRM module supplies users with next-generation customer contact management. It tracks customers’ buying patterns, prospect and client information while displaying key information on one screen for easy access. 
  • Service and Maintenance: The service and maintenance module comes with tools to deliver an excellent customer experience. Service order management, service dispatch, preventative maintenance and warranty capabilities streamline service and maintenance processes are all available with this system. 
  • eCommerce Website Management: Manage multiple branded websites with the Epicor Commerce Connect feature. 
  • Epicor Virtual Agent: The EVA app allows users to interact with the solution via voice or text commands. 
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Product Ranking

#25

among all
Distribution Software

#8

among all
Distribution Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

91
88
98
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95
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96
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Inventory Management
Purchase Order Management and Procurement
Accounting and Financial Management
E-commerce Capabilities
Reports, Dashboards and Business Intelligence
Inventory Management
Customer Relationship Management
E-commerce Capabilities
Reports, Dashboards and Business Intelligence
Mobile capabilities

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Sage X3
Prophet 21
+ 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 98 95 98 56 100 84 100 96 85 91 91 96 96 50 98 95 86 96 91 76 0 25 50 75 100
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8%
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10%
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56%
33%
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67%
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89%
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11%
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81%
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19%
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6%
81%
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19%
69%
13%
18%

User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 71 reviews
Great User Sentiment 158 reviews
80%
of users recommend this product

Sage X3 has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 80% when considering 71 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

82%
of users recommend this product

Prophet 21 has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 82% when considering 158 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

4.0 (11)
n/a
4.0 (18)
3.9 (82)
n/a
4.4 (24)
4.3 (29)
n/a
4.4 (5)
n/a
2.6 (8)
4.3 (52)

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Sage X3 and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for E-commerce Capabilities, Inventory Management and Purchase Order Management and Procurement.

E-commerce Capabilities Award
Inventory Management Award
Purchase Order Management and Procurement Award

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Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Seamless Interface: Of the users who discussed the user interface, 45% said it was easy to use.
Vast Amount of Features: This software is equipped with an abundant amount of features including a dashboard, reporting, inventory management, accounting, and fixed assets, according to 76% of users.
Scalability: Sage X3 can grow with your business, accommodating increasing data volumes and user needs. This is crucial for businesses that anticipate significant growth in the future.
Flexibility: Sage X3 offers extensive customization options to adapt to your unique business processes and workflows. This allows you to tailor the software to your specific needs and avoid being forced to adapt your processes to the software.
Integration: Sage X3 seamlessly integrates with other business applications, streamlining data flow and eliminating silos. This improves efficiency and productivity by giving you a unified view of your business data.
Security: Sage X3 employs robust security measures to protect your sensitive data. This gives you peace of mind knowing that your information is safe.
Support: Sage provides comprehensive training and support resources to help you get the most out of your investment. This ensures that you have the resources you need to be successful with Sage X3.
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Comprehensive Customization: The solution offers extensive customization, according to 84% of users. It’s versatile and can customize many fields and screens.
Usability: According to 89% of users who reviewed this pro, the solution is easy to use. Navigating the system through the function menus is intuitive.
Integration: About 100% of users who mentioned this pro said it provides advanced integration capabilities. Integration with credit card processing and sales tax software enables the business to conduct financial analysis in a hassle-free manner.
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Old-Fashioned Design: Roughly 54% of users stated Sage Business Cloud X3 has a clunky implementation process and an old-fashioned design.
Unexpected Error Messages: According to 76% of users, vague and unexpected error messages appear far too often.
Complexity: Sage X3 can be complex and challenging to learn and use, especially for businesses with limited IT resources. This can lead to user frustration and errors.
Cost: Sage X3 can be expensive to implement and maintain, especially for small businesses. The initial licensing fees, ongoing subscription costs, and potential customization expenses can be significant.
Reporting: While Sage X3 provides basic reporting capabilities, some users find it to be insufficient for their needs. Advanced reporting often requires the use of additional third-party tools or customization.
Customization: While the extensive customization options can be a benefit, they can also make it more difficult to upgrade and maintain the software. This can lead to increased costs and system downtime.
Support: Some users have reported that Sage's customer support can be slow and unresponsive. This can be frustrating when you need help troubleshooting issues or resolving problems.
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Limited Scalability: While Prophet 21 offers robust features, its scalability may not be sufficient for rapidly growing businesses or those with complex distribution networks.
Steep Learning Curve: The user interface and features of Prophet 21 can be complex and require significant training for users to become proficient.
Customization Challenges: While Prophet 21 offers some customization options, it may not be flexible enough for businesses with unique needs or workflows.
Limited Third-Party Integrations: Compared to other ERP solutions, Prophet 21 may have a smaller selection of pre-built integrations with popular third-party applications.
High Implementation Costs: The cost of implementing Prophet 21, including software licenses, hardware upgrades, and consulting services, can be significant for small and medium-sized businesses.
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User reviews of Sage X3 reveal a powerful ERP solution with a strong emphasis on scalability and flexibility. Users praise its ability to adapt to specific business needs and grow alongside a company's expansion. One user highlights this strength, stating, "Sage X3 offers extensive customization options to adapt to your unique business processes and workflows. This allowed us to tailor the software to our specific needs and avoid being forced to adapt our processes to the software." This flexibility is crucial for businesses operating in dynamic environments. However, some users find the initial setup and learning curve of Sage X3 to be complex and challenging. One reviewer notes, "While the extensive customization options can be a benefit, they can also make it more difficult to upgrade and maintain the software. This can lead to increased costs and system downtime." These concerns are particularly relevant for smaller businesses with limited IT resources. Despite the complexities, many users appreciate Sage X3's superior reporting capabilities compared to competitors like Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. One user points out, "While Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central provides basic reporting capabilities, some users find it to be insufficient for their needs. Sage X3, on the other hand, offers deeper insights and flexible reporting options." This advantage enables businesses to make data-driven decisions with greater confidence. Overall, Sage X3 earns positive user reviews for its robust features, adaptability, and strong reporting capabilities. However, its complexity and potential cost considerations require careful evaluation before implementation. Choosing the right ERP solution depends on a company's specific needs, resources, and long-term growth plans.

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User reviews of Epicor Prophet 21 paint a mixed picture, highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses. Many users praise its robust features and functionality, particularly for sales, purchasing, and inventory control. One user describes it as "really easy to navigate and one of the better ERP systems out there." Others appreciate its deep functionalities and flexibility, noting how it can be tailored to specific business needs. One user commented, "The strong and multiple functionalities from P21 allowed us to address all aspects in a 'deep enough' manner." However, some users also raise concerns about Prophet 21's complexity and learning curve. One user found it "impossible to work with and antiquated," while another said it takes "a minute to understand" and requires patience. This complexity can be a significant drawback for smaller businesses or those with limited IT resources. Some users also criticize its scalability, suggesting it might not be suitable for rapidly growing businesses or those with complex distribution networks. Additionally, the limited number of pre-built third-party integrations compared to other ERP solutions can hinder integration with existing business applications. This lack of seamless integration can lead to manual data entry and inefficient workflows. Despite these weaknesses, many users believe Prophet 21's strengths outweigh its weaknesses, especially for mid-sized distribution companies. They particularly value its ease of use compared to competitors like Infor M3, which one user described as "too big for the business." Furthermore, users appreciate the exceptional partnership and responsive customer service offered by Epicor, which helps overcome initial challenges with implementation and customization. Overall, user reviews suggest that Prophet 21 is a powerful and flexible ERP solution, particularly for mid-sized distributors. However, its complexity and limited scalability may pose challenges for smaller businesses or those with rapid growth plans. Considering the trade-offs and carefully evaluating your specific needs is crucial before making a decision.

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