Infor M3 implementation partner scorecard

• Functional consultantOrganizationWe trade through several legal entities and sites. How would you structure companies, divisions, facilities and warehouses in M3, and what does that decision lock in?
• Functional consultantPlanningHow would you set up supply chain planning in M3 for us, and what master data must be right before MRP output is usable?
• Functional consultantFinanceHow do logistics transactions in M3 turn into general ledger postings, and how would you design our accounting dimensions?
• Functional consultantPersonalizationWhich requirements would you meet without code in M3, and which tools would you use for each?
• Functional consultantData migrationWhat data would you convert into M3, how would you load it, and how many rehearsals would you plan?
• Functional consultantWarehouseWe may keep an external warehouse system. How would receipts, picks and inventory flow between it and M3?
• Functional consultantReportingHow would you give our users lists, reports and analytics from M3 without building a custom report for every request?
• Functional consultantBatch jobsWhich M3 jobs would run in batch for us, and how would you schedule and monitor them?
• Technical consultantMI programsExplain M3 API (MI) programs. How do you find the right transaction for a requirement and call it from an external system?
• Technical consultantCustom APIsNo standard API returns the data we need. Compare CMS100MI and MDBREADMI and tell me when you would use each.
• Technical consultantXtendM3What can and cannot be done with XtendM3 in M3 CloudSuite? Give me the extension types and the limits you design around.
• Technical consultantXtendM3 approvalWalk me through getting an XtendM3 extension approved and into production. Who reviews it and what do they check?
• Technical consultantMAKWe run on-prem M3 with MAK modifications. How do you manage them, and what happens to them in a CloudSuite move?
• Technical consultantMECHow do you build and support an EDI or file integration in Infor Enterprise Collaborator (MEC)?
• Technical consultantEvents and BODsHow do M3 business events reach ION as BODs, and how would you add a custom event-driven integration?
• Technical consultantData LakeHow would you get M3 data into the Infor Data Lake and query it for reporting or an external warehouse?
• Technical consultantH5 scriptsWhen would you write an H5 script versus an H5 SDK application, and how are they deployed and governed?
• Technical consultantExperience DesignerWhat data sources can an M3 Experience Designer application use, and what limits have you hit?
• Technical consultantFixes on-premOn our on-prem M3, how do you apply fixes and feature packs, and how do you avoid breaking modifications?
• Technical consultantChange controlHow do you move personalizations, extensions, MEC agreements and Event Analytics rules from a test tenant to production?
• Technical consultantSecurityHow would you set up roles and secure API access for our M3 integrations and administrators?
• Project leadPlanShow me an M3 project plan you ran. Where are the conference room pilots, test cycles and cutover rehearsals?
• Project leadTeamWho exactly will be on our project, what percentage of their time, and what happens if one of them leaves?
• Project leadScope controlHow do you control extensions and scope changes on an M3 project?
• Project leadCloud migrationWe are on an older on-prem M3 (some still call it Movex). How would you plan the move to M3 CloudSuite?
• Project leadCutoverDescribe your M3 go-live weekend. What is converted when, and what is the rollback decision point?
• Project leadUpdatesHow do you keep our extensions, scripts and integrations working through vendor updates after go-live?
• Project leadCommercialsWalk me through your estimate. What assumptions would cause a change order?
• Project leadReferencesCan we speak to an M3 customer whose project had problems, and what did you change afterwards?

Red flags in M3 partner evaluations

• Senior people in the sales meeting, unnamed juniors on the proposal

  The team you interview should be the team you get. Ask for a key-person clause.

• No M3-specific answers on MI programs, XtendM3 or MEC

  Generalist ERP consultants learn the product on your budget.

• Plans direct SQL inserts or table reads to load, fix or extract data

  Bypasses M3 business logic, and is not available in multi-tenant M3 CloudSuite. Use MI transactions or the Data Lake.

• Says MAK modifications move to the cloud as they are

  Java changes to the M3 Business Engine are not possible in CloudSuite. Each one needs a new design or removal.

• No plan or budget for XtendM3 approval reviews

  Extensions need Infor's approval process before production, and review time is billed.

• Extension designs ignore XtendM3 timeouts and read limits

  Triggers have about five seconds and a 10,000-record read limit applies, so heavy logic belongs elsewhere.

• References only from other Infor products or more than a few years old

  M3 versions, tools and the cloud model change. Recent, same-product references matter.

• Low fixed fee with broad exclusions

  Exclusions such as data, reports and integrations usually return as change orders.

• No cutover rehearsal in the plan

  The first full data load should never be the go-live.

• Certifications claimed for the firm but not the named people

  Ask for each consultant's certification name, version and date and verify it.

• Partner keeps extension and script source in its own systems only

  Infor expects XtendM3 repositories to be owned or managed by the customer. You need the source.

• Unverifiable claims of exclusive status or guaranteed timelines

  Ask for written evidence. Real partners describe risks, not guarantees.