If you’re managing a manufacturing business and evaluating CRM platforms, there’s a good chance you’ve narrowed it down to two names: Infor CRM and Salesforce. Both are powerful. Both are widely used. So which is right for your business?
Let’s break it down honestly: features, flexibility, integrations, and pricing. Then we’ll see how these two platforms stack up. By the end, you’ll know which CRM is the smarter choice for your operation.
What Both Platforms Aim to Do
CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, isn’t just about tracking contacts anymore. Whether you’re in manufacturing, retail, or tech, a CRM should help you:
- Manage and nurture leads
- Streamline the sales pipeline
- Improve customer service
- Forecast sales and demand
- Connect with marketing, ERP, and customer support
Salesforce and Infor CRM both check those boxes. But how they go about it and who they’re built for makes all the difference.
Salesforce: The CRM Giant With Universal Appeal
Salesforce is a household name in CRM, and for good reason. It’s highly customizable, cloud-native, and built to serve a wide range of industries.
Strengths of Salesforce
- Highly Configurable: Salesforce is like a blank canvas. With the right developer resources, you can customize workflows, dashboards, and even the data model to fit just about anything.
- Massive Ecosystem: Thousands of third-party apps and integrations through the Salesforce AppExchange.
- Powerful Automation Tools: Its Flow Builder and Process Builder allow you to automate almost any business process.
- Robust Reporting: Real-time dashboards, advanced forecasting, and AI-powered insights via Salesforce Einstein.
Salesforce Drawbacks
- Generic Out of the Box: Salesforce is built for broad use. Manufacturing-specific features? You’ll need to build or bolt them on.
- High Total Cost of Ownership: The base price may seem fine, but real value comes through customization, and custom work adds up fast.
- Heavy Implementation Lift: You’ll likely need a partner or team just to get it running the way you want.
- Disconnected from the Shop Floor: Salesforce doesn’t naturally integrate with ERP or manufacturing execution systems (MES) without significant effort or middleware.
Who Salesforce Is Best For
- B2C or tech-focused companies
- Businesses with deep IT or dev teams
- Sales and marketing teams looking for extreme customization
- Companies without tight ERP-MES integration needs
Infor CRM: Built With Manufacturers in Mind
Infor CRM is part of the broader Infor ecosystem, which includes CloudSuite Industrial (SyteLine), Infor OS, and other ERP tools designed specifically for manufacturers. This alone changes the game.
Strengths of Infor CRM
- Built-In Integration with ERP: Infor CRM plugs directly into Infor CloudSuite Industrial. That means no workarounds to get customer data, order history, and forecasting aligned with production planning.
- Manufacturing-Centric Design: The workflows, language, and logic match what manufacturers actually do—quoting, parts tracking, service contracts, warranties, multi-site operations.
- Sales + Service + Support: Manage complex B2B relationships, from quoting and engineering to field service and product lifecycle tracking.
- Flexible Deployment Options: Cloud, on-premise, or hybrid—you choose what works with your infrastructure.
- Lower Cost, Less Complexity: You won’t need to rebuild the system from scratch to get real value. It’s ready for manufacturing out of the gate.
Infor CRM Drawbacks
- Smaller App Ecosystem: You won’t find thousands of third-party add-ons like you will with Salesforce.
- Less “Shiny” UI: It’s built for function more than flash. The interface is straightforward and industrial, not flashy or overly modern.
Who Infor CRM Is Best For
- Discrete manufacturers
- Companies already using or considering Infor Syteline ERP
- Teams that need CRM to integrate tightly with production and supply chain
- Manufacturers looking for field service and product lifecycle support
Feature Comparison: Infor CRM vs Salesforce
Here’s a side-by-side to simplify the differences:
| Feature | Infor CRM | Salesforce |
|---|---|---|
| ERP Integration | Native with Infor CloudSuite | Requires third-party tools or custom dev |
| Manufacturing Workflows | Pre-configured | Must be built or adapted |
| Field Service Tools | Built-in | Available, but may require additional licensing |
| Customizability | Moderate, focused | Extensive, but dev-heavy |
| Deployment Options | Cloud, on-prem, hybrid | Cloud only |
| Cost to Deploy | Lower (fewer customizations) | Higher (customization is key) |
| Learning Curve | Easier for manufacturing teams | Steeper, especially without dev support |
Why Salesforce Isn’t the Right Fit for Most Manufacturers
Salesforce thrives in environments where the product is digital, the customer journey is linear, and the sales cycle is short. That’s not manufacturing.
Manufacturing is complex. It’s engineered orders, BOMs, long lead times, multi-stage sales, and field service. It’s about real parts, real people, and real shop floor needs. Salesforce can handle that, but only if you invest time and money building it up to do so.
If you’re a manufacturer trying to avoid scope creep, budget overruns, and weeks of customization calls, Salesforce is going to feel like trying to retrofit a consumer sedan into a heavy-duty truck.
Why Infor CRM Just Works for Manufacturers
Infor CRM was built in context: real manufacturers, real challenges. It’s not trying to be everything to everyone—it’s trying to be the right tool for the job.
With Infor CRM, you’re getting:
- Complete visibility from quote to cash
- Customer data that talks to your ERP in real-time
- Sales forecasting that actually connects to production planning
- A support team that understands your parts, assemblies, and warranties
This isn’t just a CRM. It’s an extension of your operations. That’s a different mindset than Salesforce, and it’s what makes all the difference.
One Last Thought: Future-Proofing Your CRM Investment
When choosing a CRM, you’re not just picking software. You’re committing to a system that will become part of how you operate. You want that system to scale with you, not become a silo or an expense line that constantly needs patching.
Infor CRM was designed with this in mind. It’s already integrated into Infor’s broader suite of industrial tools, and it’s built to grow with your manufacturing business, not fight against it.
Ready to Find the Right CRM for Your Shop?
If you’re a manufacturer trying to choose between Salesforce and Infor CRM, the decision comes down to fit.
- Salesforce is impressive, but it’s built for everyone, and that means extra work to make it fit your world.
- Infor CRM is engineered for manufacturers. If you want your CRM to work with your ERP, shop floor, and service teams out of the box, it’s the clear winner.
Godlan has been helping manufacturers succeed with ERP and CRM for over 40 years. If you’re considering your next move and want real guidance—not a sales pitch—let’s talk. Schedule a consultation and we’ll help you figure out what’s best for your business.
Contact us today and take the guesswork out of your CRM decision.
