Having the right ERP system can make all the difference. Deciding which will be best for you and your teams is often a layered task driven by a number of factors, including, you guessed it, cost!
For healthcare and public sector organizations, Infor CloudSuite is a popular choice. This is largely due to its ability to assist with streamlining business operations, but also because of its compliance, scalability, and industry-specific applications.
We could go on about the benefits of Infor’s cloud-based ERP solution, but instead, we’re going to talk about the pricing structure associated with the platform—as well as the implementation component that often influences the total price tag.
In this post, we’ll dive into the details of Infor CloudSuite pricing, including everything from customizations and user seats to the cost of installing it and the various mid-project factors that may drive up costs.
How Much Does an Infor CloudSuite Implementation Cost?
The short answer is that it depends. CloudSuite implementation projects have a range of effort from various different parties, and depending on the number of internal resources available, can drastically affect the overall cost.
On average, however, we typically see pricing for CloudSuite implementations hover between $500 thousand and $5 million.
This is clearly a huge window, but below we go into why CloudSuite pricing can vary so much.
Understanding CloudSuite SaaS Pricing
No CloudSuite implementation is the same, just like no organization is the same. With so many nuances, business needs, unique organizational processes, and workflows for maintaining your office back-end infrastructure, it can be difficult to baseline pricing.
There are several details that will impact the cost of the project though. And below are some of the major items to consider.
- Industry, size, & organizational makeup: Different industries require different needs, and as such may require either more functionality or user access. This coupled with the size of an organization plays a key role in determining the cost of the software. The bigger the business, the bigger the price tag.
- Number of users: Infor CloudSuite pricing often includes a user-based fee structure. This means that the number of users accessing the system can significantly impact the overall cost. Understanding your user requirements and selecting the appropriate licensing will drive up or down the total.
- Legacy system: Of course, the complexity of a project of this scale also hinges on the system you are migrating from. If, for example, your organization is operating on Lawson, the path to cloudSuite is markedly simpler, due to the fact that CloudSuite was built on a similar architecture and therefore makes migrating critical data and other infrastructure a cleaner lift.
- Module selection: CloudSuite is known for its modular design, allowing businesses to choose the specific applications that suit their needs. From finance and supply chain to workforce management and human capital management, organizations can choose which systems they want to integrate and when. Naturally, the more applications selected, the higher the cost of the software and the implementation. To keep costs in check, it’s essential to carefully assess which applications are necessary for your organization. Also consider staggering the implementation through a phased approach as opposed to a big bang one. This will help you better manage budget requirements over time.
What Factors Influence the Implementation Cost?
Now that we’ve discussed the software component of Infor CloudSuite pricing, it’s time to turn our attention to the other side of the equation—the implementation!
Implementation scope is arguably the biggest driver of CloudSuite pricing. Here are the three factors that influence it most.
- Customization: The level of customization required for your Infor CloudSuite implementation can greatly affect pricing. Highly customized solutions often demand more resources and, consequently, a higher price point. For example, organizations that have acquired businesses or maintain diverse operational structures have an added complexity during CloudSuite ERP implementations. Disparate data sources and processes across various business units can also significantly escalate customization requirements. Another organizational challenge to consider when implementing CloudSuite is accounting for the number of years of customizations that have been added to the existing system, as well as the quantity and quality of documentation that is available for replicating them in the new system. To compound the issue, oftentimes, organizations don’t have the original developers on staff, and as such will need to factor in additional time to reverse engineer the current state for ensuring compatibility during the migration. These areas can quickly increase the cost of the project. The good news is that CloudSuite is a sophisticated platform and a customization in your legacy system may be available as an out-of-the-box configuration, and that outcome would not only simplify your system for easier ongoing maintenance, but also lessen the lift during implementation.
- Integration complexity: If your business relies on multiple software solutions, the complexity of integrating them with Infor CloudSuite can affect pricing. The more intricate the integration, the more resources you may need. Another integration factor is where is your organization coming from? What version of the ERP are you migrating from? How modern is the solution you’re migrating from and to. The change in technology can be a monumental level of work. Integration between on-premise and cloud applications needs to be rethought for the new system. Every interface needs to be rethought and redesigned based on the business requirements.
- Data storage: Data is the lifeblood of any ERP system. CloudSuite pricing may be influenced by the amount of data storage your organization requires. It’s recommended that you assess your data needs and institute a process that supports them while also giving consideration to archival. This will help in determining what data needs to be carried over and what can be retired, which plays a part in the cost as well. Also consider the quality of your data, as a cleanup project, in addition to a migration project will certainly add to the total cost of the project.
Additional Costs to Consider
Software is not the end-all-be-all, nor is installing said software. When implementing an ERP, consider that the average lifecycle is nearly 20 years, and that inevitably means additional costs may be incurred throughout that timeline.
Below are additional expenses to weigh when determining a CloudSuite budget.
- Team training: Beyond the software subscription fees, CloudSuite budgets should also account for the costs associated with team training. CloudSuite implementations, and all ERP implementations, are disruptive projects by nature and require training. Moreover, core users from affected business areas should have a seat at the table to ensure business requirements are met. Afterall, these are the people who will be using the system every day. Preparing team members with formal training throughout the implementation, as well as after it is completed, will ensure your teams can fully leverage Infor CloudSuite’s capabilities, and as such will heavily influence the overall cost of the project. Change management measures should be introduced early on as well to ensure greater user adoption.
- Testing, support, & maintenance: Testing is a critical and often underestimated phase of any CloudSuite implementation. From unit testing individual configurations to integration testing across systems and user acceptance testing with your core team, each layer takes time and resources to execute properly. One factor that directly affects both cost and quality is the number of testing tenants your organization maintains. While it may be tempting to minimize tenants to reduce costs, having three dedicated tenants, typically development, test, and production, is strongly recommended. This separation ensures changes can be vetted thoroughly before reaching your live environment, reducing the risk of costly errors post-go-live. Organizations should also consider a solution like Dokimi, which streamlines script-based testing across tenants. Beyond accelerating the testing process itself, a tool like Dokimi doubles as a training resource. Test scripts can be repurposed to onboard new employees and support ongoing training as the system evolves. Skipping or compressing testing to meet a deadline is one of the fastest ways to drive up post-go-live costs. Beyond testing, don’t overlook ongoing support and maintenance costs. Ensure you have a clear understanding of what is covered in your subscription and what might incur additional charges. Organizational size and interface customizations will also play a role in determining the cost. An organization with 150 interfaces may need to consolidate and carry over those customizations over the length of the project and depending on their internal resources, will factor into the cost.
- Extended timelines: At the onset of a CloudSuite implementation, organizations may wish to implement everything at once. Rather than setting a “Big-Bang” timeline, organizations should instead look at the project through a phasing perspective. That way, your project management and IT teams can fully participate in the project and successfully adopt and maintain the system. Phasing also reduces the risk of delaying one area of the project influencing another area. It basically allows organizations to manage the project in the least disruptive, most cost-effective manner.
Get Infor CloudSuite Pricing for Your Organization
By now it’s clear that pricing for an Infor CloudSuite ERP implementation is complex.
With factors such as licensing, project scope, customizations, data migration, and training weighing heavily on the total cost, organizations need to be mindful when evaluating the system.
Despite these factors, CloudSuite is a popular ERP option, especially amongst healthcare organizations and public sector municipalities. In fact, RPI’s recent research report found that of the organizations on the cloud-based platform, most rate the system’s functionality and ease-of-use highly.
Due to the many moving parts required for a project of this scale, however, it’s advisable to consult with a third-party expert, like RPI Consultants.
With over 25 years’ experience guiding organizations large and small through complex implementations, we can help you evaluate which ERP applications make the most sense for your business, conduct a pre-planning exercise, and devise a timeline for implementing the system in the least disruptive, cost-effective way as possible.
To learn more about what is involved with implementing Infor CloudSuite, download our ebook A Guide to CloudSuite Success: Steps for a Smooth ERP Implementation below.
Frequently Asked Questions About Infor Cloudsuite
In our time as dedicated ERP implementation and optimization providers, we’ve received dozens of questions regarding CloudSuite costs. Below are the most common pricing questions.
1. Are there any discounts available for long-term subscriptions?
Infor may sometimes provide discounts to organizations that commit to long-term subscriptions. Be sure to inquire about available incentives during your discussions. Authorized software re-sellers, like RPI Consultants, may also be able to assist in securing any associated pricing adjustments.
2. Can I adjust the number of CloudSuite licenses as my business evolves?
Yes. Infor CloudSuite is designed to be scalable. You can adjust your subscription to align with your changing requirements. We often come across organizations that need to account for new entities acquired during mergers and acquisitions and thus require more licenses.
3. How long is a CloudSuite implementation project?
Like the price of the project, lengths vary greatly based on the resources available, scope of the implementation, the number of customizations, etc. However, we typically see projects range between 6 to 24 months in length.
4. Are there any additional costs associated with software updates?
Typically, software updates are included in your subscription. In fact, it’s one of the many benefits of a cloud-based ERP solution. However, it’s advisable to confirm with your services provider to avoid any surprises.
