X3 is Sage's answer for businesses that have outgrown Evolution but do not want SAP pricing. It is aimed at the upper mid market: multi site manufacturers, process industries, larger distributors and businesses operating across several countries.
The strongest fit is process manufacturing, which is a genuinely different problem to discrete manufacturing. Formulas and recipes rather than bills of material, yield variance, potency and grade handling, co products and by products, and batch traceability. Food, beverage, chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers need this and most mid market ERPs cannot do it.
Capability
Multi site, multi company, multi currency and multi legislation in one instance. Quality control integrated into production rather than bolted on. Warehouse management with directed putaway and picking. Financials with proper multi legislation support, so a group operating in South Africa, Kenya and Mauritius runs one system.
Cost and effort
This is a substantial commitment. Licensing is quoted, implementation runs six to twelve months for a typical mid market manufacturer, and the partner relationship will last years. The South African partner base for X3 is smaller than for Evolution but the firms in it are specialised.
Total cost of ownership sits meaningfully above Evolution and meaningfully below a tier one ERP, which is exactly the space it is designed for.
The criticisms
The interface, consistently. It is dense and dated even by ERP standards, and user training is a real line item. Configuration is complex enough that changes generally need the partner rather than an internal administrator, which creates an ongoing dependency and an ongoing cost.
Who should buy it
Process manufacturers, multi site operations, and groups running across several African jurisdictions who need one system with real manufacturing depth. Discrete manufacturers below two hundred staff should look hard at Evolution first.
AM
South AfricaPretoria11 to 50 employees
