M1

Pluspunten: M1 is incredibly visual; whether you prefer traditional forms or spreadsheet views, you can customize the navigation and data forms with ease. Search features are robust in the spreadsheet style views. M1 is also fairly flexible for customization regardless of programming skills. We can easily add fields to any module and forms can be manipulated to match our information flow. In our business every order is a custom order yet the straight forward manufacturing module makes planning and scheduling simple. Dashboards on the start screen are great to monitor daily activities. While most ERP implementations require significant work, the visual nature of M1 really helped us keep the project on track. The M1 implementation specialist spent time to learn our business and specific information needs. 9 months running and we are very happy. We have added several additional modules since the implementation and have linked M1 to our sales tax service provider. The suite of included reports are handy, though they need some customization when you start up. Export to Excel is very easy. We added Spreadsheet Server option to really increase the capability to share data with Excel. Security controls are very robust.

Minpunten: At times customer service response is a bit longer than we would like though once they are working on an issue, they are great at resolving. Some of the included reports are fairly complex yet require customization in Crystal Reports. Best to have some working knowledge of Crystal reports. Some modules in M1 are not consistent with others - probably different programmers or different schedules for upgrading - however that slows the process just bit when you move module to module.

Opmerkingen: They installed the core system for one company to test, then couldn't get their optional modules to work, but still performed the agreed work to customize our installation (and charged us)... then finally gave up trying to get THEIR optional module to work in version 8, and told us that we had to upgrade to version 9 to get those modules to work. Then after we upgraded to version 9, they said that version 9 now no longer supported that optional module, or the custom work they had already been paid for. We have been promised repeatedly by their support team and management that they would fix the issues and get this up and working as soon as possible. Please don't fall for these lies like we did. Instead of trying to fix anything, their support department literally just 'solved' all of the 30+ support tickets in their system on with the same day with the message 'SOLVED: This function or a component that it relies on is no longer supported' with no option for further discussion... no refund for the optional modules or custom work we had done... and then they have the hide to say that they need to get us to sign off and accept the fact that they can't make that company work before they even install the core systems for any of the 6 other companies.

Pluspunten: Their sales team made a really good pitch, then went radio silent the moment we signed up, and quit 6 weeks later. Based on their pitch, we engaged them to provide version 8 of the core system seven companies, and a couple of optional modules for a couple of those companies, and a few custom modifications, we were assured this would be straight forward and ready to use in 8-12 weeks. It has been over 2 years and they been unable to even get one of those companies up and running as per the our agreement with them.

Minpunten: The worst part about this experience? Everything that happened after they had our money... In all of my professional life I have never before experienced such intentionally dishonest behavior in a professional setting. Deciding to use ECi M1 has been the worst business decision that we have ever made. If you are in Australia, or if you intend to rely on the Australian support team, I cannot urge you strongly enough to stay away from ECi M1. They have repeatedly proved themselves incompetent and dishonest.