SAP Business ByDesign vs Infor CloudSuite: Finding Your Best Fit
SAP Business ByDesign vs Infor CloudSuite: ERP Comparison Guide
Understanding the ERP Landscape
In today’s fast-paced business environment, selecting the right ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software is crucial for streamlining operations, increasing productivity, and achieving long-term success. Among the leading contenders in the mid-market and growing enterprise segment are SAP Business ByDesign and Infor CloudSuite. Both platforms are cloud-based ERP solutions designed to serve complex business needs, but their approach, strengths, and ideal use cases differ.
In this blog, we’ll compare SAP ByDesign and Infor CloudSuite, helping you identify the ERP solution that aligns best with your business goals.
What is SAP Business ByDesign?
SAP Business ByDesign is a cloud-first ERP suite tailored for mid-sized businesses and fast-growing subsidiaries of large enterprises. Delivered as SaaS, it integrates core business functions—including finance, supply chain, human resources, and customer relationship management—into a single platform.
What sets SAP ByDesign apart is its ability to scale seamlessly as businesses grow, without compromising on standardization or flexibility. It’s built with agility in mind, ensuring that businesses can adapt quickly to new challenges.
Key strengths of SAP ByDesign include:
- Real-time analytics and built-in business intelligence
- Pre-configured industry best practices
- Seamless integration with other SAP products and third-party systems
What is Infor CloudSuite?
Infor CloudSuite is a comprehensive suite of industry-specific ERP solutions designed to meet the unique needs of sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, retail, and distribution. Built on Infor’s robust cloud infrastructure powered by AWS, Infor CloudSuite combines functionality, scalability, and advanced user experience in one platform.
Unlike generalist ERP systems, Infor CloudSuite prioritizes deep industry customization and prebuilt analytics tailored to specific sectors. This makes it especially valuable for companies looking for industry-aligned features without extensive customization.
Key strengths of Infor CloudSuite include:
- Industry-specific capabilities out of the box
- Modern, intuitive user interface
- Deep integration with AI and automation tools
ERP Deployment and Customization: A Core Comparison
Both SAP ByDesign and Infor CloudSuite offer strong cloud-native architectures, but the customization and deployment approach varies.
SAP Business ByDesign follows a modular approach, allowing businesses to enable functions as needed. It’s designed to support global compliance, multiple currencies, and languages—making it a reliable ERP system for businesses with international operations.
Infor CloudSuite, on the other hand, emphasizes micro-vertical alignment. Each industry suite comes with preconfigured templates, reducing the time required for customization. However, some businesses may find that this specialization comes at the cost of flexibility when expanding across industries.
Integration Capabilities
Modern ERP systems must integrate seamlessly with other business tools. SAP ByDesign has robust integration capabilities, especially with other SAP solutions like SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP S/4HANA, and SAP Ariba. It also offers APIs and web services for third-party integration, supporting a connected digital ecosystem.
Infor CloudSuite also delivers impressive integration features, leveraging the Infor ION middleware platform. It supports APIs, workflows, and alerts, offering streamlined connectivity with third-party apps and Infor’s suite of cloud services.
User Experience and Accessibility
User experience plays a pivotal role in ERP adoption. SAP Business ByDesign offers a unified dashboard, real-time KPIs, and mobile access through native apps. The interface is structured but may feel more traditional compared to modern apps.
Infor CloudSuite provides a more contemporary UI design, powered by Infor’s UX platform called SoHo. The system is built with user-centricity in mind, offering role-based dashboards, personalized experiences, and AI-powered insights that make daily tasks more intuitive.
Reporting and Analytics
Analytics is at the heart of any modern ERP. SAP ByDesign integrates built-in analytics and real-time reporting across modules, enabling businesses to make faster and more informed decisions. It uses in-memory computing for superior performance.
Infor CloudSuite also excels in this area, providing contextual business intelligence through Infor Birst. This embedded analytics tool offers detailed, interactive dashboards tailored to industry-specific KPIs, which makes it ideal for companies looking for granular, actionable insights.
Ideal Use Cases
Understanding where each platform excels can help you decide which ERP system fits your needs.
- SAP Business ByDesign is ideal for:
- Fast-growing mid-sized businesses
- Global organizations with subsidiaries
- Businesses already in the SAP ecosystem
- Infor CloudSuite is ideal for:
- Enterprises in highly regulated or specialized industries
- Organizations seeking out-of-the-box industry functionality
- Companies looking to leverage AI-driven automation
Final Thoughts
Choosing between SAP Business ByDesign and Infor CloudSuite depends on your organization’s size, industry, growth goals, and existing technology stack. Both ERP solutions are powerful in their own right. SAP ByDesign shines with flexibility and scalability, while Infor CloudSuite stands out with deep industry focus and modern user experience.
Before choosing an ERP, clearly define your business priorities, evaluate long-term goals, and consider how each platform aligns with your digital transformation strategy.
FAQs – SAP Business ByDesign vs Infor CloudSuite
1. What industries benefit most from Infor CloudSuite?
Infor CloudSuite is best for manufacturing, healthcare, retail, and distribution due to its industry-specific configurations.
2. Can SAP Business ByDesign handle multi-country operations?
Yes, SAP Business ByDesign supports multiple currencies, tax systems, and languages for global businesses.
3. Is Infor CloudSuite suitable for small businesses?
Infor CloudSuite is better suited for medium to large enterprises due to its comprehensive and industry-tailored features.
4. How customizable is SAP ByDesign compared to Infor CloudSuite?
SAP ByDesign offers modular flexibility, while Infor CloudSuite provides deep, preconfigured industry customization.
5. Does SAP ByDesign support real-time analytics?
Yes, SAP Business ByDesign includes embedded real-time analytics and dashboards for faster decision-making.
6. What platform does Infor CloudSuite run on?
Infor CloudSuite is hosted on AWS and uses Infor’s ION middleware for robust connectivity.
7. Can I integrate third-party apps with SAP Business ByDesign?
Absolutely. SAP ByDesign supports open APIs and integration with external systems.
8. Which ERP system has a more modern user interface?
Infor CloudSuite generally offers a more modern, role-based UI compared to SAP ByDesign’s more traditional layout.
9. Is training required for using either system?
Yes, while both systems are user-friendly, proper onboarding and training ensure optimal use of their features.
10. Which ERP is better for AI and automation?
Infor CloudSuite leads in built-in AI capabilities and automation tools, especially for industry-specific tasks.
