ERP Product Review: Epicor

Jul 25, 2024

ERP Product Review: Epicor

Introduction

  • Event: Clients First ERP Shootout
  • Objective: Review and compare various ERP products. This session focuses on Epicor ERP from both technical and functional standpoints.

Agenda Overview

  1. Review vendor and product overview
  2. User interface and technical highlights
  3. Reporting and analytics capabilities
  4. Sales and order fulfillment
  5. Manufacturing and purchasing
  6. Finance and financial reporting

Epicor Corporation Overview

  • Companies Using Software: 20,000+ worldwide
  • Employees: 3,800
  • Countries: 150+
  • Annual Revenue: ~$1 billion
  • Market Focus: Small and mid-market to larger organizations or divisions of multinational corporations
  • Industry Focus: Manufacturing, distribution, retail, services
  • Primary Drivers: Manufacturing and distribution

Product Overview

  • Features: Depth and breadth, native capabilities
  • Advantages: Less integration issues, simpler upgrades, common user interface, common data model

Technology Highlights

  • Architecture: Service-oriented architecture (SOA)
    • Customizable without modifying source code
    • Common code for desktop, web, Windows applications
  • Modern APIs: SOAP and REST services
  • Advanced Features: Enterprise Search, composite applications, presence, RSS

User Interface

  • Version: 10.2 features the new active desktop browser-type interface
  • Personalized Home Page: Commonly used functions, favorites, social enterprise view
  • User Examples: Penny Lane (Customer Service Rep), Scott Popeil (Salesperson), Brian Howard (CFO)
    • Custom functions and views based on roles
    • Embeddable visualization (data discovery views)

Data Entry and Looking Up Information

  • **Sales Order Entry Screen: Common across system
    • Features: Change log, memos, phone call logs, emails, attachments
    • **Search Functionality: Various search types (quick, advanced, tag)
  • Grid Features: Reordering, sorting, grouping, summaries, copy to Excel, filtering
  • Universal Search: Enterprise Search
    • **Drill down capabilities (orders, invoices, etc.)

Business Process Management (BPM)

  • Customization Without Modifying Source Code: Workflow design, real-time updates
  • Example: Commission analysis and regulation on sales orders

Dashboards and Analytics

  • **Dashboards: Real-time data, manipulable
  • **Examples: Billing bookings and backlog, job cost exceptions, quote funnel

EPAQ's Financial Management

Accounts Receivable

  • Aged Receivables Report: Outstanding invoices, aging analysis, filters

Cash Receipts

  • Process: Enter group, cheque details, enter invoices paid against, print group edit list, post

Accounts Payable

  • AP Invoice Workbench: Manage invoices, hold/approval statuses
  • AP Payments: Group processing, select invoices by date/criteria, process payments, print and post

General Ledger

  • Segments: Department, division, dynamic segments
  • Journals: General and recurring journals, imports, allocations, multi-currency/multi-company journals
  • Trackers: Review transaction details, drill down capabilities (e.g., invoice tracker)

Reporting with Excel Connect

  • Integration with Excel: Real-time data connection
  • Examples: Executive dashboards, trend statements, rolling forecasts, balance sheets
  • Excel Connect 7: Expanded scope to most Epicor data, broadcasting and scheduling capabilities
    • Functionality: Financial statements, AR aging reports, customer analysis, sales analysis, consolidated financials
    • Excel Broadcast: Automated reporting and emailing dashboards/reports

Order Fulfillment

  • Fulfillment Workbench: Evaluate orders, picking, and packing processes
  • **Integration with handheld devices for optimized picking
  • **Customer Shipment Entry: Manage and print packing slips and shipping labels

Manufacturing and Supply Chain

Material Requirements Planning (MRP)

  • Run Options: Net change vs. regenerative, filters, scheduling
  • Monitoring Progress: System monitor, task logs
  • Planned Job Status Maintenance: Firming and releasing jobs based on MRP suggestions

Production Planner Workbench

  • Demand and Availability Management: View part shortages, job requirements, interactive filtering

Purchase Order Suggestion

  • MRP-Based Suggestions: Review and approve suggested purchases, create POs, advanced print routing
  • Supplier Communication: Automate related documents and specifications

Manufacturing Execution System (MES)

  • Ruggedized Kiosks: Real-time job tracking, documentation attachments
  • Activity Reporting: Clock-in/out, issue materials, track job progress

Summary

  • Technical Strengths: Customization, ease of use, integration, advanced features, DMS
  • Functional Capabilities: Comprehensive suite covering finance, sales, manufacturing, supply chain, and analytics
  • User Experience: Personalized UI, real-time analytics, powerful search and reporting tools
  • Versatility: Suitable for mid-market and divisions of larger organizations
  • Conclusion: Epicor ERP demonstrates a robust and flexible solution with a strong emphasis on manufacturing and distribution. Its focus on ease of use and comprehensive functionality provides businesses with the tools needed for efficient and effective enterprise resource planning.