M3 USER ASSOCIATION
M3 User Association is an independent non-profit user association for organisations running Infor's M3 ERP, providing annual UK and Benelux conferences, special interest groups, Q&A forums, and a coordinated channel into Infor's M3 Enhancement Request Process through corporate annual memberships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersBasingstoke, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What M3 USER ASSOCIATION does
M3 User Association (M3UA) is an independent, non-profit user association founded in 1995 for organisations running Infor's M3 ERP system, operating on the principle of being "run by M3 users for M3 users." It is governed by an unpaid committee drawn from corporate members, with a paid General Manager providing operational continuity, and currently chaired by Patrick Verlee of Victaulic following his appointment in 2019; the GM role transitioned from Trevor Howard to Martin Hill in 2018.
Its core offerings are community and influence products rather than technology: annual UK and Benelux conferences drawing close to 200 attendees each; Special Interest Groups organised around functional and technical themes; online Q&A forums; and the formal channel into Infor's M3 Enhancement Request Process, giving member corporates a structured route to influence product roadmap priorities. Sponsorship from vendors such as Fortude, Medius, Stratscape, Infor and others underwrites the events and broader programming.
The business model combines two revenue streams. The first is corporate-level annual subscriptions — £600 + VAT for UK members and roughly €750 for European members — which grant unlimited employee access to forums, SIGs and conferences; subscriptions were held at £500 from 2004 until being reset to £600 in mid-2019. The second is tiered vendor sponsorship (Diamond, Gold, Silver and associate levels) tied primarily to the annual conferences and webinars. Membership reportedly doubled between 2015 and 2018, and the association coordinates with the global GAM3 M3 association network to extend reach into the Nordics and Americas.
M3 USER ASSOCIATION firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- M3 USER ASSOCIATION
- Legal name
- M3 User Association Ltd.
- Website
- https://m3ua.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- M3 User Association is an independent non-profit user association for organisations running Infor's M3 ERP, providing annual UK and Benelux conferences, special interest groups, Q&A forums, and a coordinated channel into Infor's M3 Enhancement Request Process through corporate annual memberships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where M3 USER ASSOCIATION is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Basingstoke
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
M3 USER ASSOCIATION business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Member Subscriptions: Annual membership fees charged to user member companies for access to conferences, SIGs, Q&A forums, member-only content, and the ability to influence the Infor M3 roadmap through the Enhancement Request Process. Subscription fees are company-level, not per-seat.
- Event Sponsorship: Vendor member companies sponsor annual conferences (UK and Benelux), SIG webinars, and other events. Sponsorship tiers include Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Bronze, with corresponding exhibitor and speaking privileges. This provides revenue and supports the free conference model for user members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Company Membership – UK Sterling |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Company Membership – Euro |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
M3 USER ASSOCIATION product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The M3 User Association provides annual company-level membership to organisations running the Infor M3 ERP, giving member employees unlimited access to the UK and Benelux annual conferences, Special Interest Groups, members-only Q&A forum, Vendor Showcase sessions, and the coordinated Infor M3 Enhancement Request Process. Vendor members additionally gain sponsorship/exhibition rights at events to reach M3 decision-makers. The association does not develop or sell software; its core deliverable is curated knowledge exchange and a collective voice into Infor's M3 product roadmap.
Product overview
The M3 User Association (M3UA) is an independent non-profit user association (not a commercial product company) that serves users of the Infor M3 ERP Solution. Founded in 1995 and run by M3 users for M3 users, the association offers a unified membership service comprising conferences (UK and Benelux), Special Interest Groups (SIGs) covering topics such as Reporting & Analytics, Data Strategy, Supply Chain, Integration, eCommerce/CRM, and Tips & Tricks, coordination of the Infor M3 Enhancement Request Process, a Members Q&A Forum, and Vendor Showcase events. The association does not develop or sell commercial software products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- M3 User Association Membership Annual company-level membership providing unlimited participation for all employees, including access to the annual conferences, Special Interest Groups, the members-only Q&A forum, member-only content, and the ability to influence Infor's M3 product roadmap through the coordinated Enhancement Request Process.
- M3UA Annual Conferences (UK and Benelux)
Quantifiable outcome
- Membership approximately doubled during Trevor Howard's tenure as General Manager (2015–2018), indicating growing perceived value.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use M3 USER ASSOCIATION
Customer profileNamed customers24 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
M3 USER ASSOCIATION technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
M3 USER ASSOCIATION partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- InforcoreInfor is the vendor of the Infor M3 ERP solution that the M3UA represents. The association coordinates the M3 Enhancement Request Process for members, linking enhancement requests from around the globe into a prioritized list published and monitored by Infor. Infor representatives (product managers, industry strategists) regularly participate in M3UA conferences and SIG sessions as presenters and keynote speakers. The relationship is central to the M3UA's mission of influencing the M3 roadmap.
- Infor Gold Channel / Alliance PartnerscoreM3UA vendor members include Infor Gold Channel and Alliance Partners such as Anthesis Ltd, which is described as a global Infor Gold Channel, Services and Alliance Partner with customers in over 30 countries. These partners sell, implement, and support Infor M3 and CloudSuite ERP software, and participate in M3UA conferences and SIGs.
- Anthesis LtdcoreAnthesis Ltd is a global Infor Gold Channel, Services and Alliance Partner with customers in over 30 countries. It sells, implements, and supports Infor M3 and CloudSuite ERP software. Anthesis participates in M3UA events, sponsors conferences (Gold sponsor), and presented at the 2019 UK Conference on Data Archiving in M3.
- M3 User Groups (GAM3)coreThe Global Association of M3 User Groups (GAM3) connects regional M3 user groups including MAF (Sweden), Info Team (Norway), M3 User Group Denmark, MUGA (Americas), and SMoKy (Finland). M3UA is an active participant in GAM3, which coordinates global representation to Infor product management. The M3UA is a founding/active member of this global network.
- IBM i User Group (i-UG)minorM3UA members were invited to attend the IBM i User Association (i-UG) Annual Conference in 2017, given that the majority of M3 installations run on IBM i. The i-UG is a separate user group but shares a significant overlap in membership with M3UA.
- FortudeminorFortude is a global enterprise solutions company that delivers digital solutions across data, automation, AI, and cloud. It is a Diamond sponsor of the 2026 M3UA Benelux Conference. Fortude has offices in the US, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, and Australia.
- AvaapcoreAvaap is the largest systems integrator 100% dedicated to Infor, founded in 2006. European headquarters are in Barcelona, with offices in the UK, throughout the U.S. and a global center of excellence in Chennai. Specializes in Infor M3, PLM and strategic business applications. Platinum sponsor of M3UA conferences; sponsors cocktail events; presented on Birst BI and cloud migration topics. Avaap helped Ornua with their M3 go-live.
- ColumbuscoreColumbus is a Diamond sponsor of the 2019 UK Conference. A global enterprise solutions company providing Infor implementation services.
- LeanSwift SolutionsminorLeanSwift is an Infor M3 Marketplace partner providing eCommerce and supply chain solutions. Presented on Implementing M3 Cloud Edition. Sponsored cocktail events at Benelux Conference 2017. Gold sponsor at 2019 UK Conference.
- MRC (Maximum Results Consulting)minorMRC provides workflow decision trees and BOM data visualisation solutions for M3. Presented at the 2020 Vendor Showcase.
- Maximum Solution Consulting (MSC)minorMaximum Solution Consulting (MSC) brings M3 consulting experience to the M3UA community. Joined as Vendor Member in 2020.
- Mateq SolutionsminorMateq Solutions is an M3 service provider based in Vriezenveen, Netherlands. Joined M3UA after attending the Benelux Conference.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
M3 USER ASSOCIATION competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- COMMON (formerly IBM i User Group): User association for IBM i platform users. M3UA partners with COMMON given the significant overlap in membership (most M3 installations run on IBM i), and COMMON operates a highly analogous model: independent user association, conferences, SIGs, and collective vendor representation.
- SMoKy (Finland): Finnish M3 user group within GAM3. Directly comparable to M3UA as a regional M3 user community with the same member-driven structure and shared global coordination through GAM3.
- DSAG (Deutschsprachige SAP-Anwendergruppe): German-speaking SAP user group and one of the largest independent ERP user associations globally. Directly comparable to M3UA as an independent, member-funded user association providing conferences, SIGs, and collective influence over a major ERP vendor's roadmap.
- M3 User Group Denmark: Danish M3 user association within the GAM3 network. Directly comparable to M3UA in mission and structure: member-funded, run by M3 users for M3 users, providing conferences, SIGs, and Enhancement Request coordination.
- OATUG (Oracle Applications & Technology Users Group): Independent user group for Oracle Applications customers. Directly comparable to M3UA in operating model: independent, member-funded association running annual conferences, SIGs, and member-driven knowledge exchange for users of a major ERP platform.
- MAF (M3 Användarföreningen): Swedish Infor M3 user association and active GAM3 partner alongside M3UA. Directly comparable as a regional membership-based community for M3 ERP users offering SIGs, conferences, and Enhancement Request coordination.
- SAP UK & Ireland User Group: UK & Ireland user group for SAP customers — the most direct analogue to M3UA in mission (independent user association for a major ERP vendor's customers), funding model (corporate membership), and event programming (annual conferences, SIGs).
- Info Team Norway: Norwegian M3 user group participating in GAM3. Directly comparable to M3UA as a regional membership community serving M3 users with knowledge sharing, events, and collective representation to Infor.
Broad incumbents
- Infor Customer Communities: Infor's own customer community platforms serving M3 and other Infor ERP customers. Overlaps with M3UA's mission (knowledge sharing, enhancement requests, events) but is vendor-run rather than independent and serves the full Infor product portfolio rather than specializing in M3.
Regional players
- MUGA (M3 User Group Americas): Americas-based M3 user group within the GAM3 network. Operates the same user-association model as M3UA but serves a different geography (Americas) rather than directly competing in UK/Benelux.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
M3 USER ASSOCIATION social profiles
Digital presenceM3 USER ASSOCIATION compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
M3 USER ASSOCIATION financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
M3 USER ASSOCIATION leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
M3 USER ASSOCIATION funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
M3 USER ASSOCIATION M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about M3 USER ASSOCIATION
What does M3 USER ASSOCIATION do?
The M3 User Association provides annual company-level membership to organisations running the Infor M3 ERP, giving member employees unlimited access to the UK and Benelux annual conferences, Special Interest Groups, members-only Q&A forum, Vendor Showcase sessions, and the coordinated Infor M3 Enhancement Request Process. Vendor members additionally gain sponsorship/exhibition rights at events to reach M3 decision-makers. The association does not develop or sell software; its core deliverable is curated knowledge exchange and a collective voice into Infor's M3 product roadmap.
Is M3 USER ASSOCIATION a public or private company?
M3 USER ASSOCIATION is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was M3 USER ASSOCIATION founded?
M3 USER ASSOCIATION was founded in 1995. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is M3 USER ASSOCIATION based?
M3 USER ASSOCIATION is headquartered in Basingstoke, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does M3 USER ASSOCIATION make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Member Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are event Sponsorship.
Who are M3 USER ASSOCIATION's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are COMMON (formerly IBM i User Group), SMoKy (Finland), DSAG (Deutschsprachige SAP-Anwendergruppe), M3 User Group Denmark, OATUG (Oracle Applications & Technology Users Group), MAF (M3 Användarföreningen), SAP UK & Ireland User Group and Info Team Norway. Infor Customer Communities is listed as a broad incumbent. MUGA (M3 User Group Americas) is listed as a regional player.
Does M3 USER ASSOCIATION have an API?
No public API is recorded for M3 USER ASSOCIATION.