How to optimize Sage X3 performance?

Inability to cope with transactional overhead is one of the major reasons for companies to change their ERP system. This could stem from the architectural limitation of the ERP system and/or how your ERP system is used and maintained. Specifically for Sage X3, it depends on how it is installed, set-up and maintained.

The following are a few things to look out for when faced with Sage X3 performance issues.

How do you know you are experiencing performance issue on Sage X3?

If you are experiencing one or more of following symptoms, you may be suffering from performance issues:

• Your system does not react promptly as it first did when freshly installed.
• Overall the system became slow.
• You are very often kicked out of X3 and you have to restart the software and log back in.
• You receive more and more error message when running some features.
• Programmed batches do not run systematically as scheduled.
• Over all your system does not behave like when it was initially deployed.

What could be the causes of performance issues with Sage X3 system?

The common causes of performance issues we have noticed from Sage X3 users are:

• Patch set and Add-ons versions level are not up to date. Patches bring enhancements, improvements, and corrections to your ERP system. For example users on patch prior to 27 with internet explorer version after IE9 may get an error message when they try to use the Export to Excel feature of X3. The lesson here is to check the system compatibility guide before making any updates/changes to the environment.
• The network connection is not stable. As with any ERP system, Sage X3 requires a stable network connection. A solid infrastructure set-up is key to enhancing performance of any application that depends on the network for effective communication between the user and the server.
• Server configuration is not adequate based on Sage X3 requirements.
• There is not enough disk space on the server where X3 is installed; some batches and function may not run if this is the case.
• The system has been customized without taking into consideration future Sage updates which will enhance, improve, and correct the system. There are some X3 users who are more than 5 patch levels behind. This can be because the system was customized in a manner that is not compatible with new patches.
• Recurrent batches, Workflows and Auditing tables are not setup based on the business requirements and/or the underlying hardware is not sized optimally. These elements consume a lot of system resources and database/disk space and should be used carefully.
• There are too many obsolete folders. That increases the size of the database and consumes resources.

How to address these issues and increase Sage X3 performance?

In order to prevent performance issues from hamstringing your business, you should constantly review your Sage X3 system and environment.

• Check current Patch set and Add-ons versions levels. It is recommended that Sage X3 patch set, Runtime server, X3 Client on the workstation, Web server and all add-on products should be compliant with the latest version. There are many ways to check the patch level of your Sage X3, the easiest is to click “?” (on the menu bar) and About and you will get a window like the following graphic. You can see the client workstation version, the application patch level and the process server version. Compare it to the latest patches (compatibility guide) on the customer portal at https://customers.sagenorthamerica.com related to your product and you will find out if you are up to date.

• Check the server configuration, making sure the hardware is configured optimally; check the operating system is installed and configured optimally including the configuration of disk arrays. Installation of the software and the hardware choices in the server can also impact the performance significantly.
• All changes and customizations should be documented and must take into consideration future Sage ERP product updates. It is recommended such tasks should be performed by a Sage X3 certified Developer.
• Check the user count and distribution of licenses.
• Check the database for elements that could be causing problems (fragmentation, obsolete folders, and table sizes). A good regimen of proactive database maintenance is essential in this context.
• Recurrent batches should be setup to run based on the business need and not all the time.
• Workflows and auditing table should be active only for the business requirements. We often find obsolete or unneeded components running in automatic modes that consume significant amount of system resources while providing no value. This overhead robs system resources from the heavy users of the system.
• Delete all obsolete folders. This should be done only after a full backup of your Sage X3 and by a certified consultant who knows what they are doing. To delete a folder:

– Unpublish the Folder

– Windows Explorer – Delete the Folder

– SQL – Remove the Database

– X3 – Delete the Folder

The full benefit of your Sage X3 can only be realized if it is set-up and configured to perform optimally. Sub-optimal performance of mission critical business systems is one of the main reasons for erosion of efficiency and profit.

In this article we reviewed how to detect Sage X3 performance issues, the most common causes of the same and how to reclaim the efficiency and restore the bottom-line. Most of the recommendations here are tasks that should only be performed by experienced, certified consultants and should be executed only after a full back up of Sage X3 system.

Since business needs are constantly changing, your ERP systems should anticipate and respond accordingly. We strongly recommend that organizations should implement best practices for proactively monitoring and reviewing their ERP system performance.