With a focus on manufacturing, Infor was launched in 2002 with the acquisition of a single industry-specific ERP technology. This served as the core for a flurry of additional purchases of ERP solutions that complemented one another seamlessly. The New York-based company grew exponentially, and by 2010 had begun to identify additional target markets – energy and natural resources, for instance, and service industries, among many others – using its experience serving the industrial manufacturing sector as a model. Today the company is a global entity, employing approximately 17,000 professionals worldwide.
According to Nick Castellina, senior director of industry and solution strategy, “Each vertical is supported by its own sales, marketing, and associated teams, and all associates are required to possess prior related experience in the areas to which they are assigned,” he says. “The majority of these individuals are dedicated Infor employees.”
Castellina goes on to describe its manufacturing customer base – which represents 35-40 percent of its current business activities – as companies running the gamut from modest operations to some of the largest manufacturers on the planet. “Our ERP software and other solution sets are structured in a way that we have offerings tailored for companies of any size,” he says. “For smaller companies, we can suggest packages that perfectly suit their needs, which goes for large manufacturing operations as well.”
In addition, once these smaller companies grow, the ERP packages they’ve already invested in are “upwardly compatible,” meaning new software can easily be added to existing applications allowing previous capital expenditures to continue providing an ROI. For larger operations just introducing Infor technologies into an existing system, Infor software has been designed to integrate seamlessly with all the major systems that are currently available on the market. This is achieved in a number of ways, primarily through a plethora of collaborative relationships with major industrial software developers, and also due to Infor’s cloud architecture. Not only does the cloud allow Infor to fine-tune system integration for larger companies, it’s also ideal for smaller manufacturers lacking IT departments since it offers a wealth of training and educational resources. Castellina emphasizes that Infor is known for its dedication to building lasting relationships with its customers whatever their needs, requirements, or geographic locations.
This commitment is supported by ongoing educational offerings including webinars, virtual summits, and white papers and case studies that are available online. This allows potential customers to research the available technologies prior to contacting Infor, and for existing end-users to learn more at their own pace, in addition to being able to connect with technicians whenever their assistance is required.
Constantly looking toward the future, Infor is prepared to help industrial manufacturers – indeed, all its customers in various market industry verticals – to meet the challenges to come. “We can’t wait until they arrive,” Castellina says, “we’ve got to be prepared in advance.” These areas include streamlining the global supply chain, continuing to learn how to do more with the data we’ve learned how to gather, and applying machine learning in ways that will allow manufacturers to get a clearer view of their operation in its entirety in order to reduce process costs.
“The core of our mission is really about leveraging data through AI to help manufacturers create a seamless and transparent environment, where all the information they require is right at their fingertips,” Castellina says. “And we design our ERP and related software solutions to be stored in the cloud for ease of implementation without the need for customization.”
