As we near the Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.600 Update, here are the important dates and enhancements you should know.

Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.600 Update Important Dates

  • Tuesday, April 7, 2020, New Kinetic forms are turned on in your pilot environment. Your systems will not experience any downtime during this simple enhancement, and your version will not change. Details can be found in the Epicor ERP Kinetic FAQ for Customers.
  • Wednesday, April 8, 2020 Deadline for Flex customers to submit an EpicCare ticket indicating their preference to defer their upgrade to one of the alternate upgrade dates. This has been extended from April 6.
  • Saturday, April 11, 2020, The new Kinetic forms are turned on in your production environment. Your systems will not experience any downtime, and your version will not change.
  • Tuesday, April 14, 2020, and Wednesday, April 15, 2020 Upgrade webinars are held live, recorded, and posted as documentation. Please plan to join or watch the replay so you are aware of the upgrade process. Registration information will be sent shortly.
  • Friday, April 17, 2020 – Saturday, April 18, 2020 Pilot system upgrade to 10.2.600. During this time, your pilot system will be unavailable while Epicor performs your upgrade, but don’t worry—your production system will not be affected by the new release. Once it is complete, log in to your pilot system and start exploring what’s new.
  • Tuesday, May 12, 2020 Pilot system update to 10.2.600.2 and UBC Opt-In Deadline. The final version that will be loaded into your Production system will be 10.2.600.2, so we’ll update your Pilot environment on this date. Also, if you want Epicor to move your UBCs from your Pilot environment to your Production environment, you must submit an EpicCare ticket to opt into the process. If you do not submit an EpicCare ticket to opt into the process, the UBCs from your Pilot environment will not be moved by Epicor to the Production environment.
  • Saturday, May 16, 2020 – Sunday, May 17, 2020 Production system upgrade to 10.2.600.2. Your upgrade weekend arrives! While Epicor upgrades your production system to Epicor Cloud ERP 10.2.600.2, your system will be unavailable for several hours during this time.

Note that dates are subject to change.

What’s New in Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.600

A few highlights include:

  • Multi-region Multi-company Cloud Transactions—Accelerate your growth plans. New in 10.2.600 is the ability to connect separate instances of Epicor ERP across Azure datacenters—or even across Azure datacenters to on-premises locations—through multi-company transactions to enable a distributed cloud or hybrid cloud business model.
  • User Experience—Ease of use continues to be a top priority. We’re introducing new personalization tools, enhancing Epicor Functions, and updating visuals throughout the application. You get new file attachment options with Google Drive and Dropbox. And for your mobile time and expense apps, get the ability to edit timesheets and expense reports in offline mode.
  • Epicor Collaborate—Get connected to get it done. Building on the first release of Epicor Collaborates in our last release, 10.2.600 features so much more. Epicor Collaborate will offer custom notifications, multiple channels and groups, filtering options, translation support for eleven more languages, and fit-for-purpose integrations with Epicor Data Discovery, Epicor Virtual Agent, Epicor IoT, and Microsoft Teams.
  • General Enhancements—This release features enhancements throughout the applications, including Epicor Advanced Project Management, Financials for Epicor Data Analytics, four new modules in Epicor Cash Collect, full cloud enablement for Epicor Quick Ship, and more.

How to Prepare Epicor will upgrade your pilot system one month before your production system so you have the opportunity to explore the updates in 10.2.600 without affecting your production system. As a best practice, please use this time to review and make any necessary changes to your Unique Business Components—custom reports, BPMs, User Interface customizations, etc.—to ensure everything continues to operate as expected. If you submit an EpicCare ticket for help with moving your UBCs from Pilot to Production, Epicor will do so for you during the upgrade weekend.

Flexing Your Upgrade Subscribers to the Epicor Public Cloud Flex Option can follow the same schedule, but you have the option to defer your upgrade to Epicor Cloud ERP 10.2.600. Below are the two date options for your flex upgrade.

Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.600 Upgrade Pilot/Production Schedule

Option 1: Week of Jun 22, 2020

Jul 25/26, 2020

Option 2: Week of Jul 20, 2020

Aug 22/23, 2020

If you choose to defer, you must submit an EpicCare ticket with your selected upgrade date (Option 1 or Option 2) and we will send you a personalized confirmation with your instructions. We must receive your deferral no later than Wednesday, April 8, 2020. If you do not choose to defer, we’ll keep you on cadence and automatically upgrade your system in April 2020.

Note: If you choose to defer your upgrade, you will not receive any 600.x updates after the 10.2.500.10 update, but you will continue to receive any planned Kinetic form enhancements that we turn on during the Flex period. We only host the upgrade webinars on April 14 and 15, but replays are accessible at any time afterwards as documentation on EpicWeb. If you defer, you are strongly encouraged to either attend or watch the replay so you are aware of the upgrade process.

About the Upgrade Epicor Cloud ERP, 10.2.600 is the first of two major upgrades planned for 2020, as part of our regular cadence and commitment to helping your business grow through innovation. Unlike the more frequent monthly updates that are minor yet enhance your daily experience, major releases like this bring you greater usability, performance, and strategic value in a single upgrade. That’s why we give you advance notice and the opportunity to test and explore the updates in the pilot before upgrading your production system.

Next Steps You are invited to join educational webinars on April 14 and April 15 to learn more about Epicor ERP 10.2.600, how to prepare, and ways to leverage the new functionality for driving business growth. Documentation will also be made available on the Epicor customer portal EpicWeb. And as a reminder, reach out to EpicCare anytime you have a question or need application support.

What’s New in Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.600 and How to Prepare Webcast Option 1

  • Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2020
  • Time: 9:30 am – 10:30 am CT

What’s New in Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.600 and How to Prepare Webcast Option 2

  • Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2020
  • Time: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm CT

We hope you are excited about the innovations coming soon in Epicor ERP 10.2.600.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm that specializes in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers and Distributors. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.


As we continue making progress through the Epicor Kinetic journey, more reports and processes are now available to our customers to test and provide important feedback that shapes Kinetic innovations. Providing early access helps drive user adoption among Epicor ERP cloud customers and gain interest from prospective users.

New Epicor Kinetic Design Reports And Processes

We have recently communicated to cloud customers that as part of the Epicor ERP 10.2.500.10 Cloud update, they will get access to the following reports and processes, which have been redesigned with the sleek Kinetic User Interface:

Kinetic Reports

  • Sales Order Backlog
  • Sales Order on Hold
  • Scheduled Shipments
  • Open RMA
  • Stock Status

Kinetic Processes

  • Build Project Analysis
  • Build WBS Phase Analysis
  • Capture Project Revenue Recognition
  • Capture WBS Phase Revenue Recognition
  • Project Invoice Preparation

Epicor Kinetic Design Introduction

Epicor ERP Kinetic Design FAQ

As one of the newest additions to the Epicor architecture, Kinetic delivers entirely new experiences to a system and users who have been utilizing Epicor software Products for decades. Here are the most common questions submitted regarding this new technology.

What is Kinetic?

Epicor Kinetic provides a clean, intuitive and easy to use experience for all ERP users. By utilizing modern research in user interface design, Kinetic delivers consistency in navigation, simplified visuals that reduce the clutter and noise from your daily tasks, and improved accessibility and productivity. Over time Epicor Kinetic design will be applied to all ERP forms.

What is the difference between the Kinetic and classic versions of forms?

Designed with the user in mind, Kinetic forms have a streamlined user interface with expandable and collapsible panels which provide easy access to information but only when you need it. Classic forms have a tab structure which requires you to click through tabs to get to the information you need, oftentimes requiring more clicks to access data. In most applications the functionality and business logic will not change. However, the layout and navigation will.

Can I still run the classic version of a form that has been converted to Kinetic?

Yes, you can choose to run the classic version of any Kinetic form. You configure the default form to use in Menu Maintenance for each form. The default value is to open the form in the Kinetic UI, with the ability to override globally by an administrator or by a user.

Can I still use classic forms that have not been converted to Kinetic during the
transition?

Yes, during the transformation you can use both classic and Kinetic versions of a screen. Forms not yet converted will open in the same smart client window. You will continue to log into one system from the same home page. When you select a menu item, the form will either open in Kinetic or the classic version depending on your settings and whether it was converted yet.

Can I customize a Kinetic Report or Process form?

Currently, you cannot customize a Kinetic form. Customization capabilities will be available in an upcoming release of Epicor ERP.

Can I personalize a Kinetic Report or Process form?

Currently, you cannot personalize a Kinetic form. The personalization toolset will be available in an upcoming release of Epicor ERP.

What if I currently have customization on a form that was converted to Kinetic?

You can still use your customized forms by launching the classic version. By default, the application opens any form in the classic UI when you have customization attached to it.

As an administrator, can I globally set access to Kinetic forms for all users?

Yes, as an administrator you can define Kinetic as the default form that launches for each form and user.

Can I still use a custom report type on a form that was converted to Kinetic?

Yes, you can still generate the same report output that you do today.

How do I submit feedback on the Kinetic forms?

We want your feedback! Please send your feedback to Kinetic-Feedback@epicor.com. If you run into an issue, please submit a support call just like you would do for any other issue in the software.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, NetSuite Solution Provider and Epicor Gold Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing the emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of Industry.


The second of two release upgrades planned for 2019, the Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.500 Update is part of the regular cloud ERP update cadence and commitment to helping businesses grow through the innovation of the Epicor Cloud ERP solution. Major releases like this bring greater usability, performance, and strategic value in a single upgrade. That’s why users are given 4 weeks to test in Pilot and explore the changes before upgrading the live production system.

Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.500 Update Highlights

The Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.500 update can be distilled into four different categories of change, Experiences, Industry, Analytics, and Cloud tools.

Experiences

  • Epicor Virtual Agent Skills
  • Kinetic Epicor Collaborate
  • Kinetic Mobile Warehouse
  • Enhanced Mobile Time & Expense
  • Epicor Kinetic Preview

Industry

  • Epicor Service Pro
  • Mattec MES 8.3 Integration
  • Finance Enhancements
  • Country-Specific Functionalities

Analytics

  • Enhanced Epicor Data Discovery
  • Epicor Data Analytics
  • personalization

Cloud

  • System Notifications
  • New Cloud Status Webpage
  • Canada Datacenters
  • Epicor Functions

Epicor Collaborate

A new offering from Epicor Software Corp., Epicor Collaborate provides enhanced cloud-based business collaboration. So, what does that mean for the end-user and business as a whole? Epicor Collaborate provides:

  • Improved communication and collaboration among your teams
  • Easy to use and intuitive interfaces
  • Engagement with colleagues using familiar social media concepts
  • Easy following of relevant ERP entities
  • Viewing of notifications and feeds in your homepage

Epicor Virtual Agent (EVA)

A unique AIexperience that improves the overall usability of the Epicor System from desktop and mobile devices, Epicor Virtual Agent (EVA) delivers intelligence personified for Epicor ERP systems. The tool made its first appearance in the Epicor ERP 10.2.400 update. EVA is a conversational digital agent available on Android and iOS devices. Utilizing Azure-enabled Natural Language Processing (NLP). In the 10.2.500 update, new skills have been added and the free-trial has been extended to December 31, 2019.

An image of the epicor virtual agent eva epicor erp cloud 10.2.500 update

Epicor Mobile Warehouse

Epicor Mobile Warehouse has received a facelift with the Epicor Kinetic design system. Epicor Mobile Warehouse is a modern and intuitive app. It provides workflow optimization for fast and accurate scanning. Time to process transactions is reduced alongside the instance of errors. Accuracy is also increased, as a result. The application provides bin-level validation as well as complex sorting and filtering options. What’s more, the application is fully integrated with Epicor ERP.

An image of the epicor mobile warehouse epicor erp cloud 10.2.500 update

 

Enhanced Mobile Time and Expense

want to increase efficiency and throughput for teams on-the-go? The Epicor ERP enhanced mobile time and expense module empowers teams with offline tools to get work done when unconnected. Then, when connections resume, automatic sync delivers the updates needed to communicate progress. Enhanced mobile time and expense allows users to:

  • create timesheets or expense reports in offline mode
  • Auto-sync offline changes when you go online
  • Leverage new file types to manage attachments in cloud
  • Add Time Reporting against Maintenance Jobs
  • Utilize enhanced mobile time and expense on both iOS and Android devices

An image of the epicor mobile time and expense epicor erp cloud 10.2.500 update

Epicor Kinetic Framework

The Epicor Kinetic framework transforms how customers interact with Epicor ERP software, making them more productive by simplifying everyday tasks. Kinetic is more than a modern look and
feel and intuitive user interface, it also aims to automate the most critical business process functions. The Kinetic design is a simple, intelligent, modern and consistent look and feel for your Epicor ERP system.

An image of the epicor kinetic framework epicor erp cloud 10.2.500 update

The Kinetic preview program is now available. Take advantage of this exclusive opportunity to gain early access to Kinetic and get:

  • Get familiar with its intuitive user interface and benefit from improved performance
  • Test drive 600+ high demand reports and processes at no cost
  • Provide feedback that will help shape the future releases of Kinetic
  • Once the preview period is completed, benefit from a faster installation of the full product with the 10.2.600 release

Contact your Customer Account Manager for more information.

New And Improved Epicor ERP Analytics Tools

Epicor Personalized Analytics Tools give you the power to gain more insights that matter. Additionally, Epicor Data Discovery has been “kineticized” for greater usability. Epicor Data Analytics now supports custom views and dashboards grids, as well.

An image of the epicor data analytics epicor erp cloud 10.2.500 update

Epicor Service Pro

Service work is never centralized and a constant source of hiccups for those businesses without a sounds system to keep everything organized. Epicor has advanced these tools for users to streamline services with a service-oriented architecture. In particular, Epicor Service Pro delivers the tools to:

  • Efficiently schedule work, dispatch, and track technicians
  • Integrate with inventory and financial systems
  • Incorporate time-saving automation tools that streamline service calls, quoting, work order management, service contracts, and more
  • Leverage easy-to-use mobile service app for field technicians

Epicor ERP Cloud and Mattec MES 8.3

The latest Mattec MES offers improved data integration for a seamless experience. The latest update includes a redesigned integration utilizing RESTful API services for greater performance, SSRS reporting and support for Epicor IoT. Additionally, Epicor ERP Mattec MES efficiency in scheduling, allocation of jobs to machines, and production reporting have been improved.

Epicor ERP Finance Enhancements

Increasing accuracy, speed, and security, Epicor ERP finance tools are among the best in the industry. With the Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.500 update, users can take advantage of:

  • CRE Support for Level 3 Compliance to optimize credit card payment validation with deep transaction security information
  • Resolve bank receipt file import performance
  • Enhancements in Electronic Compliance Engine

New Epicor Country-Specific Functionality

Several critical updates to ten countries’ functionality have been included in the Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.500 update. These countries are:

  • Argentina
  • China
  • Colombia
  • India
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Malaysia
  • Mexico
  • Portugal

New Epicor ERP Functions

The Next Evolution of Epicor BPM’s are here and users will be happy to learn they have enhanced tools with:

  • Familiar BPM Designer Experience
  • A new way of server-side customization
  • Eliminated copy and paste BPM logic
  • Integrations that upgrade seamlessly

Epicor ERP Standards REST-based approach couldn’t be easier to work with. That’s because the logic is not built on the client and is called via REST, any device, OS, etc can call the function (ie. a calculation, integration, etc.)

Epicor ERP Cloud Regions

The Epicor Cloud Infrastructure has added an additional data center in North America. Epicor-administered data centers include:

  • Australia
  • Canada (New)
  • Singapore
  • United Kingdom
  • United States x 3

An image of the epicor cloud data centers epicor erp cloud 10.2.500 update

Epicor Cloud Communication

Epicor strives for clear communication with customers through in-app or email communications. As a result, Email address on the In-app user profile is now where you enter your preferred communication email address. Need to update your notification preferences? Access your profile from the System Monitor, within the Action Menu.

Epicor ERP Cloud Status Webpage

As the name implies, Epicor has erected a Cloud Status webpage to communicate the status of cloud infrastructure on a global level. The status for all Epicor Cloud products can be found at https://status.epicor.com.

Embedded Education Courses

Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.500 Embedded Education features 40 new courses and several updated. This includes cloud-specific training on:

• Epicor ERP in the Cloud first steps
• Epicor Support and Cloud Operational Excellence
• Leveraging the Unique Business Component Tracker to Manage You Customizations During an Upgrade

For more information on the Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.500 update, connect with your Encompass Solutions Customer Account Manager.

Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.500 Webcast

Epicor ERP Cloud 10.2.500 Release Guide

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, NetSuite Solution Provider and Epicor Gold Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing the emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of Industry.


If you’re not already testing your Epicor Cloud ERP system in Pilot, you should be. There are just two weeks left to test Epicor Cloud ERP 10.2.500 changes in your Pilot environment. The Epicor Live (Production) environment upgraded to 10.2.500 will take place on October 12 – 13, 2019.

Testing Epicor Cloud ERP 10.2.500 In Pilot

Epicor upgraded customer Pilot systems September 13 – 14. This ensured customers would have time to explore the updates in 10.2.500 without affecting live data or transactions. As a best practice, please use this time to review and make any necessary changes to your Unique Business Components. This includes custom reports, BAQs, BPMs, User Interface customizations, etc. This testing will ensure everything continues to operate as expected after the update. Epicor will then move your Unique Business Components from Pilot to Production if you choose to opt-in*.

* Note: This is a change to the UBC process. Epicor moved UBCs files automatically in 10.2.400 and earlier unless you opted-out by requesting that they not be moved. In 10.2.500 and going forward, Epicor will only move your modified UBC files if you choose to opt-in by submitting an EpicCare ticket.

Epicor Cloud ERP 10.2.500 Resources

Several resources are now available in the Epicor ERP 10.2.500 folder and in the “announcements” section on the Epicor customer portal EpicWeb. As a reminder, reach out to EpicCare anytime you have a question or need application support.

Epicor Cloud ERP 10.2.500 Upgrade Important Dates

Below are the important dates related to the Epicor Cloud ERP 10.2.500 upgrade.

  • Tuesday, October 8, 2019
    Unique Business Components Opt-In Deadline. If you want Epicor to move your UBCs from your Pilot environment to your Production environment, you must submit an EpicCare ticket to opt-in to the process. If you do not submit an EpicCare ticket to opt-in to the process, the UBCs from your Pilot environment will not be moved to the Production environment.
  • Saturday, October 12, 2019 – Sunday, October 13, 2019
    Production system upgrades to 10.2.500. Your upgrade weekend arrives! Systems will be unavailable for several hours while Epicor upgrades your production system to Epicor Cloud ERP 10.2.500.

About the Epicor Cloud ERP 10.2.500 Major Release Upgrade

Epicor Cloud ERP 10.2.500 is the second of two major upgrades scheduled for 2019, as part of our regular cadence and commitment to helping your business grow through innovation. This update is not like more frequent minor updates that enhance your daily experience. Major releases like this bring you greater usability, performance, and strategic value in a single upgrade. That’s why customers have advance notice. This provides the opportunity to test and explore the changes in the pilot before upgrading your production system.

Epicor Cloud ERP Major Release Schedule

Epicor Cloud ERP Update ​Pilot ​Production
​​10.2.400.8 ​​N/A ​​N/A
​​10.2.400.9 ​13-Aug-19 ​17-Aug-19
​​10.2.400.10 ​​N/A ​​N/A
​10.2.400.11 ​10-Sept-19 ​14-Sept-19
​10.2.500.2 43722 ​12-Oct-19
(Release 10.2.500) (1 month to test)
​10.2.500.3 ​22-Oct-19 ​26-Oct-19
​10.2.500.4 ​5-Nov-19 ​9-Nov-19
​10.2.500.5 ​19-Nov-19 ​23-Nov-19
​10.2.500.6 ​N/A ​N/A
​10.2.500.7 ​17-Dec-19 ​21-Dec-19
​10.2.500.8 ​14-Jan-20 ​18-Jan-20
​10.2.500.9 ​N/A ​N/A
​10.2.500.10 ​11-Feb-20 ​15-Feb-20

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, NetSuite Solution Provider and Epicor Gold Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. We provide full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems. For businesses addressing the emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of Industry.

 


The Epicor ERP cloud framework is one that modern businesses are increasingly looking toward with an interest in more agile and efficient operations. Lending the environment necessary to deliver leading intelligent ERP software to businesses all over the world, cloud ERP systems are not a fringe fad, but the platforms of the future.

Epicor ERP Cloud Features

As with many other cloud-based technologies, Epicor ERP cloud deployments deliver access from anywhere, at any time. The impacts on productivity and performance can be realized almost immediately. Designed to fit a business’s unique needs and industry requirements, Epicor ERP Cloud users reap the benefits of modern tools built for a modern workforce.

Want to simplify your company’s technology landscape? Cloud ERP features a distilled technology profile to reduce the costs a business incurs with upfront purchasing and ongoing maintenance of in-house hardware. This leaves more room for IT teams to focus on internal projects and improvements. Not to mention, Epicor delivers one of the most trusted and secure ERP cloud solutions that are easy to deploy, use, scale, and extend.

an image of the epicor erp cloud and Microsoft azure logos

The Cloud ERP trifecta consists of security, performance, and innovation. Incorporating these essential three concepts continually, Epicor ERP on Azure keeps your business data protected and your competitive edge strong.

“Microsoft’s focus on the ‘Intelligent Cloud’ and ‘Intelligent Edge’ complement our customer-centric focus. We looked at several public cloud options. Microsoft Azure offers the best foundation for building and deploying enterprise business applications that will enable our customers’ businesses to adapt and grow. Today, we are seeing more than three-quarters of prospects ask about cloud ERP. As that deployment model becomes the norm, we are ready to enable our customers to move to the cloud with confidence leveraging the reliability, security, and scalability of Microsoft Azure.”
-Steve Murphy, CEO, Epicor

The Great Migration To Cloud ERP

By staying abreast of the most innovative and forward-thinking technologies available to businesses, it is more likely for a business to succeed in growth and remain competitive. Clinging to manual, disconnected processes makes it increasingly difficult for a business to do exactly that.

The great migration to cloud platforms is well underway and businesses leading the movement are already reaping the benefits. IT operations, inventory management, product manufacturing, and keeping mobile workforces connected are all part of the equation. The result is increased development in even more efficient and powerful technologies, including big data analytics, robotics, eCommerce, digitization, Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, and more. Microsoft Azure and Epicor ERP work together to deliver an enterprise-grade global cloud platform that is value-driven and cost-effective.

What Is Microsoft Azure?

Microsoft Azure is an open, flexible, and enterprise-grade public cloud computing platform. It serves more than 50 regions globally and leads the industry in security and privacy standards. With hundreds of data centers around the world and millions of servers, Microsoft Azure is the leading, most trusted public cloud platform for the enterprise. Epicor leverages this proven foundation to build and deploy enterprise business applications that enable your business to adapt and grow.

“Standardizing cloud deployment of its world-class manufacturing and distribution solutions on Microsoft Azure is a natural step for Epicor with its history of leveraging forward-looking technology to deliver the utmost value to its customers. With Epicor solutions running in the cloud, customers will reap the benefits of greater agility, faster innovation, and favorable economics of Azure as they embrace digital transformation.”
-David Willis, Corporate Vice President Microsoft

Learn More About Microsoft Azure And Epicor ERP Cloud Options

For a complete breakdown of the Epicor Cloud deployment options available with Microsoft Azure, download the free brochure: Download

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, NetSuite Solution Provider, and Epicor Gold Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.


2019 ERP Trends

2019 ERP trends and digital transformation strategies can take many shapes. However, an ERP solution may exist as the most powerful tool to empower businesses. These systems unify people, processes, and resources within a single environment, more importantly, one that provides a single source of truth (read data). With a modern ERP system in place, you can inject renewed vigor and capability into once disparate, siloed systems and departments within your organization. The ERP landscape is changing constantly alongside new and emerging technologies. Businesses are increasingly leveraging these technologies as they become more attainable than they have been in the past. New deployment methods also enable smaller organizations to do more with less. You can download a free PDF guide of the most essential ERP selection strategies, here.

Here are just some of the 2019 ERP trends we expect to see take shape over the next year.

More System Audits And Disaster Preparedness

Cybersecurity has long been brushed aside as a buzzword but, with ransomware and bad actors abound, it is a topic taking up more and more meeting time among IT professionals and C-suite executives. Maintaining systems is another topic that often gets put on the back burner, as businesses find a system that works for them and effectively ride it until the wheels fall off in many cases. however, failing to maintain modern infrastructure for critical systems is setting oneself up for disaster in the long run.

Last week I spoke with a newly-hired IT professional whose company manufactures products for the railway industry. Their company had been operating on an AS/400 system for more than 15 years. In all that time, it had been working without a hitch and the company could get by conducting business as usual without a second thought. Until they couldn’t. The system began freezing intermittently a few weeks ago. It eventually required a hard reset as many as three times a week, taking 2-3 hours to become operational in each instance. Eventually, it stopped responding altogether. It was then revealed that there were no backups of any kind and no disaster recovery plan in place. A mad dash to get something, anything done and resume operations ensued. However, the company was left in the dark with an in-house system on antiquated hardware with that left no quick recovery in sight.

an image of an IT professional wishin he had paid more attention to the 2019 erp trends and digital transformation topics sooner

Fortunately, the company was able to locate an AS/400 and data recovery specialist in Florida that had an intimate knowledge of their systems. They are now on the road to recovery. What’s important to note about this situation is that the subsequent events brought their systems to the forefront of just about every internal conversation. Moving forward, there will be a disaster recovery system in place and you had better believe they’ll be backing up their data religiously.

While anecdotal, the account highlights the need to be hyper-vigilant at a time when technology is moving faster than most businesses can. You should always be evaluating your systems and disaster preparedness plans, regardless of what technology you use. There will always be companies that won’t budge on setting aside the budget for regular audits of internal systems and disaster recovery plans. However, more companies are getting on board with the idea of ensuring they are safe from infrastructure failure from the inside out. Tech will earn more focused discussion not just in the server room, but in the boardroom, as well.

Cloud Deployment Of ERP On The Rise

The above anecdote leads into our next item on the list of 2019 ERP trends, whereby traditional deployment models of ERP systems fall by the wayside, and cloud deployment is elevated to top preference. This deployment method not only saves companies high upfront costs associated with traditional deployment models but also provides a significantly more capable data protection strategy to be adopted.

cloud erp as part of 2019 erp trends

ERP vendors that offer cloud deployment are already pushing for this method over on-premise and hosted options. These entities often have substantial budgets for the storage and security of client data that surpass anything small and medium-sized businesses can alone dedicate to maintaining their internal systems. While cloud deployments will certainly be on the rise, we expect traditional deployments will be offered and implemented less frequently if not entirely phased out, as a result.

More Failed Implementations

That headline is one you probably don’t want to read, but it’s a result that manifests all too often. As many as 2/3 of all ERP implementations fail. It’s a scary statistic. When businesses without the experience and teams they need try to implement an ERP system on their own, a menagerie of things can go wrong. With this push for digital transformation and the adoption of technology to stay relevant and competitive, we expect many small, medium, and even large enterprises will be lulled into a false sense of capability. On the other end of the spectrum, we anticipate many independent contractors and other tech professionals making moves to break into this competitive market of ERP integrations and consultations. The results will be many new operators faking it until they make or learn on the company dime

If you are considering an ERP implementation as part of your company’s digital transformation strategy, at the very least you should consult with the vendor directly about best practices. Additionally, there are value-added resellers (VARs), independent consultants, and project managers with decades of experience in the field who can ensure these projects are successful. Do your research and align your organization with a proven partner that can deliver effective strategies to make your implementation a success.

Accountability For Integrators

As ERP systems become more affordable and prevalent in small and medium business environments, we fully expect more failed implementations to result as more businesses adopt the technology without proper preparation. However, not enough can be said about the increased scrutiny that will be heaped on independent consultants and integrators. It’s understandable for a business to want to go it alone if they’re already paying the in-house staff carrying out the project. Bringing in external help can be costly. This is doubly so when the hired help doesn’t deliver on their contractual obligations.

increased accountability as part of 2019 erp trends

Unfortunately, there are a lot of less-seasoned professionals in the implementation space. With so many ways to conduct research, read unbiased reviews, and consult with former customers of integrators, businesses have plenty of resources at their disposal to find the right partners. They also have the right tools to let the world know when one hasn’t lived up to their promises in the past.

No More “Old Way” Of Doing Things

As with all new processes, integration needs to be approached with caution and a considerable amount of planning. Let’s say a business, not unlike the one mentioned earlier, decides to implement a new enterprise-wide system. Continuing to operate with the same processes that are decades old just doesn’t make sense. Businesses will have to adopt change not just at the technology level, but at structural and operational levels, as well.

new methods of achieving results as part of 2019 erp trends

With new technology, new ideologies need to emerge within an organization so that it may rise to operate on the same level as its innovative tools. Internal processes, organizational cultures, and business models will all need to be reevaluated. If change is deemed necessary, that change needs to be managed appropriately. This way, operations are not disrupted while these new approaches to how things get done take root.

Start On Your Path To Digital Transformation

If these 2019 ERP trends have piqued your interest in taking your organization to the next level of operation, we can help you get there with a few essential strategies to adopt in your ERP evaluation process.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm that specializes in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers and Distributors. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, or renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.


Manufacturers are implementing technological advancements to enhance automation processes every day. We call this latest wave of rapid development Industry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution. While modernization presents numerous opportunities for growth and process enhancement, experts are increasingly aware of their need for heightened security in an increasingly insecure digital landscape. Manufacturing and other industries are taking a closer look at cloud-based ERP and unified systems to address vulnerabilities.

IIoT Network Security Threats And How To Protect Operations

Over the last 10 years, system control integrators and industrial automation thought-leaders have sought to address what they’ve identified as the chief IIoT network security concerns. Manufacturing operations in the US and abroad have suffered a significant increase in disruption due to cyber threats and the trend appears to be steadily increasing. In 2013, of 257 total cybersecurity incidents, critical manufacturing comprised 15% of all attacks. That number rose by 12% in 2015, and another 6% to 33% of all incidents in 2015.

A picture of digital devices on a table connected through a chain of paper clips.

Manufacturing And Other Industries Are Taking A Closer Look At Cloud-Based ERP And Unified Systems To Address Vulnerabilities.

The proliferation of cyber-attacks, as evidenced in Triton, WannaCry, and Petya events, have left the executive suite on edge. According to a recent global survey, conducted as part of the Kroll Annual Global Fraud & Risk Report 2017/2018, 86% of executives put cybersecurity among their top anxieties, which the report refers to as a “new normal”. Seven in 10 of those surveyed in the manufacturing sector reported such an incident, either in the form of information/data theft, fraud, loss, or attack, has taken place within their operations over the last year. The report paid particular attention to organizations’ workforces, which routinely emerge as either paramount security assets or threats. This only highlights the importance of adopting comprehensive approaches to securing resources, equipment, and operational capabilities.

Cyber Arms Race: Cybersecurity IACS/IEC 62443-4-2 Certification

Among the reported incidents over the last 12 months, virus/worm infestations and email phishing scams topped the charts, at 36% and 33% of total incidents respectively. Examples of modern cyber threats, along with how they can be avoided, have been acknowledged by system integrators and cybersecurity professionals in a recent release of training resources from WoMaster, a networking and computing solution provider. Among the topics addressed are accidental unauthenticated access, common attacks experienced by system integrators, and intentional access by hackers who utilize specific skills and tools rank among the most critical concerns. Among these tools and skills are IP Source Guard, Dynamic ARP Inspection, DHCP Snooping, Denial of Service, and Distributed Denial Of Service exploits.

a picture of a hooded individual working at a desktop PC.

The Proliferation Of Cyber-Attacks, As Evidenced In Triton, Wannacry, And Petya Events, Have Left The Executive Suite On Edge.

The series seeks to educate critical manufacturing operators on the nuances of modern cybersecurity, the importance of adopting strict cybersecurity procedures, and conforming to the standards outlined in Cybersecurity IACS/IEC 62443-4-2 Certification. Such standards-based certifications offer economically efficient means of maintaining best practices when it comes to cybersecurity along with tangible benefits to operators and peace of mind for anyone whose data is stored in targeted digital systems.

How Cloud-based ERP Systems Address Security Expenses For SMEs

Cloud-based ERP systems are being relied upon by enterprises of every size more and more as time goes on.  Cloud-based security is perhaps one of the biggest topics surrounding the efficacy of modern ERP systems.

A picture of coworkers in a boardroom around a table.

SMEs Should Take Advantage Of This Highly-Secured Environment To Allow For More Focused Efforts On Growth.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which may not have had much experience with cloud-based software, are typically the most skeptical. This is not to say that security risks don’t exist in the cloud. Security risks are always present. Handling security issues for cloud-based ERP is a challenging and complex process, not to mention costly. However, Cloud ERP providers, such as Epicor and NetSuite, spend hundreds of millions of dollars erecting formidable security apparatuses and maintaining and updating these safeguards regularly. That said, large, international manufacturers tend to keep their ERP systems on premises, despite ERP providers offering high-level security for their cloud solutions. Solutions that SMEs are generally unable to implement themselves. As a result, it is advisable SMEs to take advantage of this highly-secured environment to allow for more focused efforts on growth. This way, SMEs can more readily compete in a marketplace where they are still considered the underdog.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm that specializes in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers and Distributors. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of Industry.


If today’s small and mid-sized manufacturer is to sustain growth and thrive in today’s global marketplace, they must evolve from some of the practices they used in their early stages. Case in point: the use of Intuit® QuickBooks. In this post, we cover the limitations of QuickBooks software for manufacturers, how to know it’s time to move on, and the benefits of a GAAP-compliant, cloud-based ERP solution for manufacturing industries.

A huge number of small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) adopted the use of QuickBooks to track the finances of their young businesses. However, many of these young businesses soon realize that to manage the business, the scope of business systems needs to go beyond finance. It needs to include the ability to plan, procure, produce, distribute, and sell, as well as to account. In addition, today’s business climate demands more complex transactions, requires more critical planning and tracking of revenues, greater visibility of customers, and involves more stringent accounting and regulatory standards.

The dynamics of today’s markets have changed the competitive landscape for businesses large and small alike. Competing in global and emerging markets, once the domain of large global multinationals, is now within the scope of virtually every commercial enterprise. Indeed, it’s difficult to imagine a manufacturer that doesn’t somehow interact with today’s global manufacturing supply chain.

Technology has broken traditional barriers and “flattened the world.” This flat, new world has sharp edges. Yes, opportunity is greater for all; but so, too, is competition. To compete successfully, companies must have the technical confidence to communicate, collaborate on, and record transactional activities on a scale heretofore unimagined.

Moreover, companies must accommodate an increasingly dispersed workforce, as well as complex, multi-tiered, nuanced supply networks that span continents and are subject to different regulations, taxes, currencies, and so on. While small and mid-sized businesses are empowered by these new market developments, they face greater challenges than their larger competitors because of capital and personnel constraints.

Historically, the transition from QuickBooks to a more robust solution was an agonizing decision for SMBs. The traditional path involved implementing costly, complex, user-challenging, on-premises software. Often these solutions required long and costly deployment cycles, new hardware purchases, and internal IT resources that simply weren’t readily available.

Today, that transition has been eased. The advent of cloud-based, on-demand solutions, often called software as a service (SaaS), has enabled SMBs to better meet the business requirements of the new marketplace. Now they can easily move beyond the simple financial functionality of QuickBooks to more effective and comprehensive solutions for the total business.

A decision to not embrace this new world, driven by both technical and business changes is for many companies a decision to not embrace their full competitive potential.

The Limitations of QuickBooks

QuickBooks has a number of limitations that can hamper SMBs looking to grow in today’s global marketplace, including:

  • Scalability
  • Point solution orientation
  • Narrow visibility
  • IT concerns and costs
  • Limited functionality, difficult integration
  • Access concerns
  • Difficult adaptation to change
  • Currency recording issues
  • Latency
  • Lack of deep industry capabilities

QuickBooks Lacks Scalability

QuickBooks’ lack of scalability can be an impediment to growth. Companies that implemented the solution as a start-up find that as they have success, the use of QuickBooks can become a limitation. Even enterprise editions of QuickBooks constrain the number of user licenses to 30, making access for all employees that need it difficult in growing businesses. Further, the pressures put on IT when forced to work with (or work around) inefficient software may close or limit opportunities for new business. Businesses that thrive and survive stay ahead of their employees need for technology, rather than struggle in trying to catch up to it. Efficient solutions scale easily as growth occurs.

Point Solution Orientation

QuickBooks accounting-only orientation provides little insight into business opportunities, decision support for client management, or full understanding of the quote-to-cash cycle. Other applications are needed to provide these needs. This proves problematic in a number of ways. Multiple applications are used in order processing, and multiple entry of information is time and cost consuming. Further, the reconciliation of client and billing information can be a serious hassle. Among the unwanted—billing, service, and forecasting problems; impeded cash flow; and unhappy workers and clients.

QuickBooks Provides Narrow Visibility

Since the data in QuickBooks is limited to financials, the information needed to make better-informed decisions across the business typically resides in other applications. The holistic visibility essential in today’s marketplace simply isn’t available through QuickBooks; there is no real-time view of operations. Often this results in excessive use of spreadsheets, a time-consuming and error-prone practice that fails to deliver a current picture of developments. By the time a spreadsheet is in hand, in today’s accelerating and often-volatile environment, the information is dated. This is not a prescription for good decision support. To have a clear understanding of how the business is performing, much more is needed than what QuickBooks provides.

QuickBooks has Limited functionality and a Difficult Integration

With QuickBooks, companies adapt their businesses to the solution, rather than having the application respond to the growing and changing needs of the business. Leading companies
are leveraging multiple applications, such as Financial Management, Product Management, CRM, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management and eCommerce, to automate and precisely track customer interactions in today’s dispersed markets. Rather than having to chase and input data from multiple sources, these applications are integrated to provide users within the business a global view of operations and customer relationships. QuickBooks’ limited integration capability does not easily adapt to this holistic approach.

Worse still, due to the limited and horizontal nature of QuickBooks functionality, best practices for critical manufacturing workflows aren’t provided by default, creating a burden on organizations to define manual processes that have become “norms” in the manufacturing space.

Access Concerns

Not only has the marketplace changed dramatically, so has the way workers engage in their jobs. Today, many companies must provide staff remote access to and input into financial information, which is not something QuickBooks lends itself to. QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions was designed to be deployed on-premise, and lacks built-in remote access capabilities and key security features to protect sensitive financial data.

Further, as companies grow, so does the need to track financial metrics (i.e., revenues, expenses, profitability) across multiple locations, and often multiple continents. QuickBooks lacks the ability to easily gather and consolidate this information. This typically results in multiple QuickBooks records that must be merged manually in spreadsheets, a time- and labor-intensive process that likely fails to yield a seamless financial view of business operations.

Another critical “access” consideration for most companies today is the scope and means of application access. The legacy of QuickBooks complicates providing real-time, online access to customers, suppliers, and partners. Further, the mobile nature of today’s workplace is such that your sales and field service staff likely require real-time access from tablets and smart phones, something not easily provided through legacy applications such as QuickBooks.

QuickBooks is limited in its Adaptation to Change

Today’s commercial marketplace is marked by rapid and often volatile change. Specifically with regard to increasing regulatory and compliance demands, SMBs must be able to trace
and demonstrate the history of transactions and correct them if they were entered improperly. However, QuickBooks only allows users to change history by selecting a single transaction, so auditors monitoring today’s more stringent regulatory demands are challenged by this limitation. It can also raise questions regarding prior adjustments, because they have to be made transaction by transaction, manually, increasing the likelihood of error.

QuickBooks has Currency Recording Issues

In today’s global markets, growing SMBs need to be able to do business in multiple currencies. QuickBooks isn’t designed for this. With the exception of a Canadian version that tracks both U.S. and Canadian dollars, users must create separate files to track multi-currency transactions. This complicates financial recordkeeping and makes it difficult to answer routine manufacturing questions such as “how much should a Canadian customer pay for this component assembled in America from Asian and European sourced components?”

QuickBooks Latency Can’t Keep Up with Real-time data

In today’s business environment, where real-time information is increasingly essential to respond to market developments, the difficulties QuickBooks presents in delivering immediate data across the business is another shortcoming. SMBs cannot afford to operate with dated information, constantly looking for spreadsheets (that no longer are current), or waiting for reports to print. Information must be available where it is needed, when it is needed, and more often than not that is “right now.” QuickBooks struggles with this capability. Paper trails, manual operations, and forecasts based on yesterday’s numbers will not cut it for today’s aspiring SMBs. If they are tethered to an outdated solution, they will soon realize that such solutions are “an enemy of growth.” Outsourcing such critical functionality to third-parties risks creating routine compatibility and support “finger pointing.”

QuickBooks Lacks Deep Industry Knowledge and Capabilities

QuickBooks scratches the surface for a wide variety of industries and chooses to leverage integration partners to offer second level functionality for specific industries such as construction, manufacturing, distribution, and others. For established and growing businesses in these industries, the business best practices offered in the marketplace by systems with deeper industry functionality can be leveraged for growth.

When it’s Time to Move on from QuickBooks

Financial management, revenue management, fixed assets, procurement, order management, billing, inventory management, and services delivery are all complex components of a business that simply cannot be addressed adequately with QuickBooks.

A unified and fully-integrated cloud-based ERP solution is required to address these complex business needs and scale alongside a business’ growth. Unfortunately, companies may not recognize the signs that QuickBooks is more of a hinderance than an asset to the successful management and growth of an organization.

QuickBooks, simply put, leaves too much room for issues that can result from manual processes, errors, a lack of real-time data, and the visibility needed to enact important business decisions. Here are five tell-tale signs that it may be time for your business to consider moving away from QuickBooks and adopt a cloud-based ERP solution:

1. Real-time business data is hard to find

QuickBooks was designed for companies that can afford to wait until month-end to review their financial data. That is not the case with most small and medium sized businesses today. Easily interpreted data that can be accessed in real-time is essential in ensuring a business is thriving, rather than barely surviving.

A small team housed in a single location might be able to manage without any integrated and automated systems because they are closely consolidated. However, once a company grows to include other locations, the speed of information exchange needs to ramp up significantly to ensure everyone is using the right information at any given time. Not only this, data is not easily accessed within the QuickBooks environment. Other systems your business may rely on, such as Salesforce, inventory and warehouse management software, and customer service or CRM systems may only add to the difficulty of dealing with data when time is on the line.

Here are some indicators that your QuickBooks reporting can’t handle your organization’s needs:

  • Hunting for spreadsheets is a regular occurrence. Businesses running on QuickBooks invariable reach a point where staff depend on spreadsheets for information they don’t have readily accessible. Namely, this is because siloed systems don’t speak to each other and cannot provide data between departments in an easy interface. At this point, your staff begin spending so much time looking for the right spreadsheet for the answers they need, that analysis and decision making takes less time than the search itself.
  • Reporting is full of errors or no longer relevant. QuickBooks requires numerous manual processes when it comes to customization. When it comes to processing sales orders, updating inventory, and other essential processes, the inevitability of errors grows exponentially. These potential errors ensure that the decision-making process is rife with out-of-date, incomplete, or inaccurate information.
  • QuickBooks reports take too long to run. Reports that take too long to run are indicative of data sets that are too large for the system to handle. If your reporting takes too long to run, you’re clearly outgrowing the system used to report on that data.
  • There is no view from 30,000ft/10,000m. A business’ financial data grows over time, often exceeding the confines established when QuickBooks is initially implemented. When doing business across zip codes, state lines, and even in a global sense, QuickBooks is not sufficient in keep all that data visible, compliant and actionable. Without a system that shows your true performance across all departments, there is no way to tell how healthy or unhealthy your business is at any given time.

2. Multiple Systems and Manual Processes are Used for Entering and Reconciling Data

The digital nature of daily life today demands that everything be networked and plugged in. Suppliers, customers, and business managers all need their questions answered on a first-in-line basis. While that may not be realistic in every scenario, we can deliver real and accurate data with the click of a button when systems are all linked into each other and utilizing the same data. QuickBooks lacks that essential functionality, leaving employees holding the bag in times of high-stress, scrambling to copy data between disparate systems and deliver on expectations. Here are a few unmistakable symptoms of a business’ need to transition away from QuickBooks:

  • Paper-based systems for processing sales orders, order entry, and invoicing. Your employees may spend hours every week manually entering order information into the invoicing system, while someone else copies invoice details into a sales compensation spreadsheet. Data entry errors produce issues that have to be resolved and if a business is piling on these errors over the course of weeks, month-end could mean crisis.
  • Poor data hygiene can cost supplier and customer relationships. Manual processes make for poor data hygiene. That is, data that is inaccurate and informing your internal processes. When that data is spread between QuickBooks and other siloed systems, all sorts of issues may arise, such as incorrect order details, invoice amounts, or simple contact information that keeps you from keeping in contact with those who need to be notified of updates.
  • Slow approval processes communicate inefficiencies. Nobody likes waiting on paperwork, particularly customers who are in a race to beat the clock on their own orders. A slow internal approval process can communicate that doing business with your organization is more trouble than it’s worth. As a result, customers may leave for competitors with more modern and streamlined business management systems.
  • Unnecessary labor leads to unhappy employees. One would think that generating weekly and monthly reports would be easy with a straightforward system like QuickBooks. Unfortunately, posting transactional data across multiple systems takes time to consolidate. Despite knowing what’s expected, other tasks and customer issues can interrupt your regularly scheduled programming. Oftentimes, management is less than understanding because they need their information when they need it, too. Working with a unified system can lighten the load, helps take the burden off of financial staff, and keeps both internal and external stakeholders happy.
  • Budgeting and forecasting are up in the air. Identifying trends and analyzing historical data is a time consuming process, but necessary for accurate forecasting. When that data isn’t readily available, employees can ballpark figures to give a rough estimate of demand planning in an effort to meet management’s expectations of expedience.

3. Delays in information gathering equate to lost sales

With the mass adoption of eCommerce by businesses across the globe, customers expect all associated inventory data to be available at their fingertips. Not only this, shipping acknowledgements, delivery confirmations and impeccable customer services for ad-hoc order amendments are non-negotiable. While we all wish we could deliver on these demands with unwavering accuracy and responsiveness, it’s simply not realistic with a system like QuickBooks. Scaling a business at the rate of Industry can’t take place unless the systems in which the business operates scale in equal measure.

These indicators may signal you’re outgrowing your QuickBooks system, which could be costing you sales:

  • Customer service agents struggle due to out-of-date information. Customers, whether new or existing, rely on your customer service team to address their queries, like processing orders or relaying order status. When the data in their system is out of data or non-existent, it reflects poorly on your business as a whole. Even if the data is there, but hard to locate, customer frustrations can come to a head when put on hold or have to wait for a call-back from customer service. This is an all too common result when information resides in another department or location. Whether customers are comfortable filing a formal complaint or not, churn rates and cart abandonment inevitably rise when your business is a chore to work with when compared to others using more modern and capable systems.
  • Accurate inventory levels are a chore to find. Without a system capable of seeing the big picture, your understanding of SKUs on hand is a shot in the dark at best. QuickBooks-based businesses may only run inventory tracking activities once a month, which can wreck havoc on an investment in departments like eCommerce or cost you the business of valuable enterprise accounts.
  • Lack of customer and vendor self-service opportunities create bottlenecks. These days, it’s not uncommon for customers or vendors to want to bypass your service department altogether and submit purchase orders or replenish stock levels on their own. Self-service capability allows them to view stock levels, place orders, or check status via the web. QuickBooks can’t accommodate this desirable functionality nor can it operate efficiently or securely day and night.
  • Consolidating customer data for sales campaigns is a pain. Email campaigns are by no means something new to the world of B2B and B2C sales. Utilizing a system with real-world sales requirements built-in is essential to remaining competitive. QuickBooks can’t capture customer data like an ERP system, leaving you with a wide net that has lots of holes when it comes to targeted marketing and sales activities.

4. Core accounting activities take place in QuickBooks, but a lot more takes place outside of it

QuickBooks wasn’t designed to handle more than the most essential accounting activities. As a result, your operations are limited by the capability of the system. As your business grows, you’ll need to expand your accounting and financial management activities according to liabilities and IRS requirements. With more vendors, customers, and SKUs, comes the need for more robust technology solutions to keep everything organized, accounted for, and running quickly in a streamlined fashion.

Audits, security risks, and system issues are exacerbated by QuickBooks’ lack of reporting an analysis, permissions, ability to address complex financial processes.

QuickBooks has limits and here are a few indicators you may have reached them:

  • Financial teams have to utilize use several disparate systems to achieve their goals. As a business grows, its financial management needs become increasingly complex. QuickBooks was built with a specific-sized business in mind. Eventually, relying on multiple software applications, scattered Excel spreadsheets, or cobbled-together solutions will erode the organization’s ability to function. If your financial teams have to maintain operational knowledge of multiple systems that are changing independently of one another, they’ve essentially taken on a second job in order to do the one they were originally hired to fulfill. As a result, processes become unnecessarily reliant on applications that pose an increased risk to your business’ smooth operation.
  • New locations, products, or sales channels are too difficult to bring to market. Businesses have to be adaptable to change. After all, change is the only constant. When your business needs to be agile, so do your systems. Unfortunately, QuickBooks can’t support even simple tasks like applying new tax rates, assigning BOMs, or automatically pull essential data into reports when your teams need.
  • Pivoting to address changing business conditions is nearly impossible. Unfortunately, no business has a crystal ball to foretell coming changes. As a result, businesses are reactionary and need to remain agile to changing business conditions. QuickBooks simply doesn’t have the functionality to support an organization when change needs to be enacted swiftly. Leveraging a modern, unified ERP system with industry best practices built-in to the solution can mitigate negative impacts of unforeseen disruptions.

5. You’re Spending More Time Fretting Technology Woes Than on Business Performance

With every new level of software added to a business’ technology stack, the organization grows in complexity. Hardware and software are costly to implement and maintain. If external resources are required to keep them operational or train new talent, the costs increase.

Cloud-based business management software designed to address all the essential components of a business do away with the headaches of hardware investment and upkeep, heighten security coverage, and ensure your business systems are unified, always current, and serve all your departments with a single source of truth.

Cloud-based ERP Benefits

Fortunately for SMBs, cloud-based and ERP solutions have rapidly emerged as enablers of growth in the new marketplace. These solutions eliminate the principle barriers that keep companies from implementing more powerful ERP solutions while overcoming the limitations of point solutions such as QuickBooks. Companies looking to replace QuickBooks have multiple options, but increasingly emerging as the best are cloud-based alternatives. In contrast, on-premises solutions require that customers purchase a perpetual license, as well as the hardware to support the software upfront. On the other hand, the advantages of cloud-based and SaaS solutions are significant. A recent post on the ERP Cloud News blog references eight key advantages:

  • Cost benefits—One of the major reasons for SMBs to turn to cloud-based solutions is to lower the costs of buying licensed software or developing applications in-house. Unlike legacy software, cloud deployment is normally offered on a monthly subscription basis. These charges are applied towards upgrades, ongoing system management, and customer services.
    • Source: ERP Cloud News

For more information on evaluating the suitability of cloud deployment for your business, refer to the Epicor white paper entitled “The Business Case for Deploying Epicor ERP in the Cloud.”

  • Easy deployment—Cloud-based applications are provided as web-based applications. Companies can therefore avoid the lengthy process of installation and integration that is common with licensed software.
  • Zero maintenance—With cloud solutions, issues related to maintenance and upgrade are normally taken care of by the cloud-based application provider.
  • Mobility—Since software is hosted in the cloud, it can be accessed on any Internet enabled device—and from anywhere.
  • Security—Cloud-based services typically offer better security than local data centers can usually provide. This ensures access to better security tools without affecting current IT budgets. Data security typically is included in a vendor SLA for SaaS services.
  • Better service—Often cloud providers guarantee that services are available on a real-time basis with minimum loss in production time. Terms and conditions related to outage and compensation, if a situation arises, are usually addressed in the SaaS provider’s agreement.
  • Stay current—Your business will always be running the latest technology available with automated upgrades.
  • Backups and disaster management—With cloud-deployed systems, data is automatically updated and stored on a daily basis.
  • Better adoption—Employees typically find it more convenient to use cloud software. Therefore, there is little learning curve for the solution, and organizations can save costs related to worker training.

For those hanging onto QuickBooks, these benefits should provide compelling reasons to explore more powerful solutions.

Advantages of Epicor Kinetic ERP in the Cloud

Cloud-deployed Epicor ERP is specifically designed for manufacturers and distributors looking to upgrade operations by moving from point solutions like QuickBooks to a more sophisticated and powerful solution tailored to meet business requirements in today’s rapidly changing global marketplace.

Epicor Kinetic is a Superior Tool for Financial Management

Epicor Kinetic is a GAAP, SOX, and ICA-compliant financial management tool. QuickBooks is essentially a ledger software. Epicor also enables double entry bookkeeping and Sub-ledger to General Ledger posting, reconciliation and interaction.

Epicor also enables businesses to bring your inventory online to accurately track and account for their assets and COS, rather than depending on expense tracking and sales.

At Encompass, we get frustration from them and comments like “no one told me that had to change” or “I didn’t have to do that in QB”, which can be an indicator that your financial staff don’t really know what true IRS driven business accounting is; they just know what the tax accountant who likes QB’s wants.

So, to start we make sure they have politely heard that Epicor Kinetic isn’t an accounting system, it is a business system and accounting is part of the business.

Epicor Kinetic ERP for Manufacturers

Epicor Cloud ERP leverages core functionality that has been in use and proven at thousands of manufacturers. With this solution, the manufacturer is provided with everything in one integrated system to manage the business. It eliminates the need for separate applications, spreadsheets, and manual processes, delivering the functionality to manage:

  • Customers and contacts
  • Opportunities and orders
  • Products and production
  • Shipping and receiving
  • Accounting and payroll

Whether the SMB is a job shop, custom make-to-order, or mixed-mode manufacturer, that serves a single industry or multiple complex (including highly regulated) industries—in whatever way the company accounts, costs, and manufactures—this on-demand, cloud-based system is flexible enough to support any discrete manufacturer’s needs. Modular in design, Epicor Cloud ERP offers scalability in implementation to enable growing businesses to expand functionality as needed without the overhead of functionality they may not be ready for initially.

The software is cloud-based, on-demand ERP and is fully multi-tenant, and based on a service-oriented architecture (SOA) in which a number of customers share the same application instance with their data kept separate from one another. They are based on an SOA foundation that simplifies integration with other systems and allows for modular deployments. Some of the capabilities found in the Epicor Cloud ERP solution include:

  • Centralized customer relationship management (CRM)
  • Cost-based estimating
  • Efficient sales and service management
  • Comprehensive production management and data collection
  • Quality and compliance management
  • Extensive product data management including product revision control
  • Embedded resource and equipment scheduling
  • Extensive materials management including cradle-to-grave serial and lot control
  • Support for lean initiatives
  • Comprehensive supply chain management
  • Embedded maintenance management
  • End-to-end management of complex multi-phase projects

Move to Cloud ERP for Manufacturers

Moving from a point solution such as QuickBooks to an integrated solution for today’s global marketplace is like moving from building things one at a time to the assembly line. Such moves are necessary, particularly in times where change is accelerating and often volatile, and the ability to respond to and anticipate change demands delivery of real-time data to the point of execution.
There used to be a serious capital barrier for small and mid-sized companies to adopt business systems; with the advent of the cloud, those barriers have been erased. Businesses failing to capitalize on this opportunity have only themselves to blame. The time for better and more responsive solutions is now. It is how we seize opportunity and move forward intelligently.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm that specializes in ERP systems, EDI, and Managed Services support for Manufacturers. Serving small and medium-sized businesses since 2001, Encompass modernizes operations and automates processes for hundreds of customers across the globe. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. By identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of Industry.

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