# 124 - In This Episode

In this episode, Steve and Sam are joined by Jennifer Noonan, Vice President and General Manager of CX and IPMC business units at Infor.

The conversation begins with Jen offering a refreshingly clear overview of Infor’s mission to deliver industry-specific software solutions, particularly for sectors such as manufacturing, distribution, and healthcare. She outlines how Infor CRM SLX (formerly SalesLogix) has evolved to meet the needs of modern businesses, focusing on delivering deep functionality without requiring extensive customization.

Jen dives into Infor’s vertical-specific go-to-market strategy, emphasizing the importance of tailoring solutions to distinct industries and micro-verticals. The group discusses how Infor CRM fits into this approach, serving as a matrix layer that spans multiple industries while offering nuanced capabilities depending on the operational focus, whether it is manufacturing, distribution, or services. Jen shares insights into the complexity of determining the best ERP fit, especially in hybrid organizations, and how Infor addresses this through core ERPs supported by integrated modules.

One major highlight is the role CRM plays in unifying customer relationship data with operational systems, such as ERP. Jen talks about how integrated solutions reduce friction for users—particularly sales and customer service reps—by putting everything from sales order history to pricing at their fingertips. She emphasizes that CRM should act as the system of engagement, capturing leads, communications, and customer interactions. At the same time, ERP retains its role as the system of record for financials and fulfillment.

The episode concludes with a look at Infor’s innovation strategy under Koch Industries, which has enabled the company to adopt a long-term perspective on product development. Jen reflects on the rebranding of Infor CRM, which now includes ‘SLX’ as a nod to its SalesLogix heritage, and how cloud transformation has retained the platform’s robust customization capabilities.

The discussion encompasses a range of topics, from marketing automation to CPQ integration and the importance of thoroughly rethinking business processes during CRM implementations.
Published on: April 18, 2025 Posted in: , , , ,

About the Hosts

Sam Biardo

Sam founded Technology Advisors in 1991 to help businesses improve sales, marketing and customer service performance. Representing some of the top CRM products in the world, Technology Advisors has since grown to include the full range of CRM services--business advisory, implementation, customization, training and support. Sam’s 35 years of experience in both the business and technical sides of Customer Relationship Management make him a proven expert in this field. Sam the co-author of “Getting Started with SugarCRM”. He is on the partner advisory board of a half-dozen CRM companies. 

Steve Chipman

Steve has been working with CRM technologies since 1999. He and the team at his previous company helped hundreds of companies across a wide range of industries find success with a number of CRM applications, including SalesLogix, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Sage CRM, and Salesforce. In 2013, Steve shifted his focus, co-founding a vendor neutral consulting practice called CRM Switch. CRM Switch helps companies become more successful with sales, marketing, and customer service technologies, no matter which vendor they ultimately select. Steve is the primary author of the blog at CRMSwitch.com, which was rated a “Top 20 CRM Blog for 2015” by CRM Buyer.