Today’s field service organizations are faced with the challenge of transforming decades-old business processes into efficient, cost-effective, and customer-centric practices using the complete set of technological tools available today.
Service organizations’ inability to execute these critical business processes is what we refer to as the field force execution gap. To bridge the gap, businesses must automate these processes with field service management software. When done correctly, this transition to automated processes provides a rapid, significant, and sustainable return on investment to your company
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, 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.
This discussion brief, together with its companion (The Economic Case for Deploying Epicor ERP in the Cloud) is designed to elevate discourse and provide guidance to organizations evaluating the best ERP deployment model (on-premises, single-tenant SaaS, or multi-tenant SaaS), unique to their business and technical environment.
It’s especially important to recognize that there is no universal answer to the question “Which deployment model is best?” as each customer presents unique business and technical requirements and abilities. The purpose of this document isn’t to provide absolute answers, but rather to arm readers with additional (and perhaps better) questions to assist in their internal evaluation of deployment options. This is an especially important conversation for potential (and existing) Epicor customers because of our unique position in offering Epicor ERP across multiple licensing and deployment options.
Except as incidental to framing conversations around cloud deployment, this paper makes no effort to explore core ERP features/functions, or traditional line-of-business topics. While analysis of the fit of the Epicor solution specific to your business needs is warranted as part of your product assessment, the reader is directed to content available at www.epicor.com on all matters of application functionality.
Key Take-Aways
1. The question “cloud or on premises?” presupposes an unnecessary tradeoff. The best answer is ‘both—and I reserve the right to change my answer over time as my business needs to change.’ Epicor encourages customers to demand absolute freedom of choice from their ERP vendor and to not find themselves artificially constrained to only one deployment option due to limitations imposed by their solution vendor.
2. The best ERP systems are ‘everywhere for everyone.’ Deploying in the cloud is (for most customers) the fastest want to tie together remote facilities and mobile employees, thereby streamlining enterprise-wide collaboration and access.
3. Your IT department is ready, willing, and able of doing so much more than ‘racking and patching’ your servers. Moving Epicor ERP to the cloud likely frees your IT resources to focus on more strategic, and mission-aligned tasks.
4. The topic of data security and residency is more nuanced than it may seem. In cloud deployments, the actual physical location of your data may not be obvious, and that may not (or may) matter to you. However the security and disaster preparedness of your Epicor ERP needs to be well thought out, and for many companies, passing that responsibility to Epicor may provide for an elevated level of security, reliability, and availability.
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.
As the manufacturing sector is poised to enter a new era—with additive manufacturing, cluster manufacturing, and near-shoring—and as digitization of the shop floor is creating new connections and new data streams, the need for responsiveness is more critical than ever.
Organizations must turn the explosion of data they have into intelligence and insights to support real-time decision-making, at every level and across every function in the organization, and the extended supply chain. But over time, the ERP system—originally intended to automate and integrate business activities for improved productivity—starts becoming a real drag dragging down operational performance.
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.
Epicor ERP version 10 represents a new technology age—not only for Epicor but for enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in general. The main reason Epicor invested in building Epicor ERP 10 was to dramatically simplify the solution—architecturally and operationally. Epicor believes customers will appreciate the improved performance and easier management of the ERP 10 solution. The cloud-enabled product architecture allows Epicor to accelerate the cadence of product releases, so both cloud and on-premises users can enjoy enhancements more quickly
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.
Clients who have already made the leap to the cloud (with their ERP or another enterprise workload), already know the answers to the “why cloud?” question are overwhelmingly compelling and undeniable. But for others who haven’t yet benefited from the cloud, questions remain—along with some occasional reluctance to embrace this change. After all, they ask, if the legacy model of ERP deployment (where end customers buy the software and the hardware upfront, then pay services staff to integrate it all, then pay even more to maintain and upgrade it) was good enough for the last three decades, what’s changed in the last 10 years?
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.
The subject of the future of the supply chain has come back into focus. What does the future supply chain look like, and what do we expect some of the essential characteristics to be? Although this requires a degree of speculation, there are also some trends and technologies that are having and will continue to have, an enormous impact on the supply chain.
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.
Encompass Solutions is a business and software consulting firm specializing 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.
Designed and fully integrated into Epicor ERP, the Epicor Mobile Warehouse is the next generation of handheld applications for the warehouse environment. A modern and intuitive application, Epicor mobile warehouse provides complex sort and filter options for users that include both part level and bin level validation. Scan validation is a configurable feature as well. Shortcuts to favorites and the frequently visited, as well as automated workflows triggered by scan events, improve the user experience.
Epicor Mobile Warehouse optimizes workflow for fast and accurate scanning, improves time to process transactions, increases accuracy, and reduces errors. It is compatible with the latest scanning devices running on Android® 5 or higher from Honeywell® and Zebra®. Simply download the application from the Google Play™ store into your device and start using it with minimal setup.
Epicor Mobile Warehouse Features
Receiving – Provides complete functionality to process an inbound container or purchase order, as well as intercompany and transfer order receipts. It provides users with effective and efficient serial and lot processing and multiple UOM scanning. Users can search for all open POs for a part by scanning parts’ barcodes.
Material management – Provides core warehousing functions allowing users to initiate adjustments and movements from the warehouse floor. Offers an increased efficiency with cycle counts and stock takes. Enables efficient entry with automated workflows triggered by scan events.
Material queue – Users can efficiently pick items assigned to their queue, grab items from the available queue, or return items to the queue. Users can select an outbound order and select all material queue transactions related to the order, to the users’ queue. Advanced sort and filter functionality allows users to save to a named query and dynamically add it to the sub-menu. Unpicking sales or transfer orders functionality is also included.
Shipping – Scan pick validation option included. Process outbound shipments direct from the device. Functions include creating Master Packs and standard Pick Lists for customers not licensed for Advanced Material Management (AMM).
Trackers – Trackers help shop/warehouse users in completing their daily routines. Powered by BISCIT Since its establishment in 2002, BISCIT has formed a strong relationship with Epicor and as a certified Partner is a proud expert in delivering successful Epicor ERP projects Australia-wide and overseas. BISCIT specializes in Epicor ERP services to deliver flexible, comprehensive, and value-driven business solutions.
Configurable MTR Software
Add Encompass’ MTR software to the equation and leverage a potent tool made for metal fabricators and distributors with an extensive library of Mill Test Reports and Certifications to manage. We make it easy for your teams to deliver the customer satisfaction and supplier relationships you need to thrive as a business.
Want to know more about Epicor ERP Mobile Warehouse or Configurable Material Test Report Software? Get in touch with an Encompass Solutions representative today using the contact link below.
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.
Join Encompass Solutions and Bezlio for an overview and demonstration of Bezlio, a low-code/no-code cloud solution that empowers teams and provides powerful mobility with Epicor ERP and Infor Visual ERP systems. The front-end architecture enables you to mobilize your workforce and sales force by accessing your secure, on-premises data sources in real-time, on any mobile device, from anywhere. The event takes place on August 7, 2019, at 2 pm EST. We hope to see you there!
Superior Mobility With Epicor ERP
Manufacturers and distributors all face a challenge: mobilizing enterprise data. Current ERPs either don’t have a mobile solution or lack the features and support companies need to derive value from it. Because of this, many companies continue to use spreadsheets or even paper processes to manage enterprise data — putting their customers and their businesses at risk.
Bezlio is the first and only solution to this industry-wide challenge.
What is Bezlio?
Bezlio is a mobile add-on to your existing ERP, helping to bridge the gap where it can’t be used on mobile devices. This allows employees to use ERP data beyond the four walls as well as on-site without the need for development or outsourcing.
Who is Bezlio for in your organization? The answer is simple, just about every employee in your organization can leverage the mobility Bezlio offers when accessing your secure data, including:
Field service workers
Field-based engineers
Field installation
Field maintenance techs
Sales representatives
Production shop floor workers
Isn’t it time you unchained your staff from their workstations and got more productivity out of your teams?
How Does It Work?
Bezlio sits on top of your existing ERP (legacy or current). Employees use their own mobile devices to manage customer data, inventory levels, job statuses, and more. Virtually anything can be viewed, accessed, updated, and reported on within Bezlio.
While cyber-security and data safety may or may not be a focus for your organization, Bezlio addresses this topic with a unique data transfer system to route information from your database to user devices. Only approved users can access data, and you can set granular permissions to control who sees what. All data features AES 256-level encryption.
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.
Your operations are scaling nicely at HQ, but coordinating with remote resources and even inter-departmentally in real-time is proving to be a significant hurdle. Most of your team is in-house, while any number of employees can be out on the road, on the manufacturing facility floor, or logging in remotely. However, you need everyone connected and on the same page to be functioning at 100%. A robust ERP system fro the likes of Epicor keeps everything in the pipeline and within arm’s reach, but you’ll be pinned to the desktop when making any significant maneuvers that rely on data from your ERP systems.
Bezlio Offers Mobile ERP Solutions To Users On The Move
Developed by Bezlio in 2016 as a response to a workforce that is increasingly on the move, the platform grants remote and secure access to the crucial data you need to reference or readjust, from anywhere.
With an agile approach to utilizing resources remotely, Bezlio delivers a modern solution to operations that provides stability and agility in a constantly shifting environment. Keep your sales team, warehouse procedures, and audits in line and on point with live data your workforce can access on their mobile phones and tablets.
Bezlio is not just a fancy interface for mobile devices. It is exactly what you want it to be, with the capability to take shape according to your needs. Robust and detailed dashboards can be created for every department, putting the data employees and executives have to see right in front of them for a streamlined process from every angle. You gain essential insights from everything, including parts inventory and payroll sheets all the way out to the big picture with quarterly trends, annual projections, and beyond.
Up And Running In A Fraction Of The Time
Compared to traditional ERP implementations, which can take months and even years to complete depending on the size of an operation, Bezlio can go from “in box” to “in action” in a day. Don’t know exactly what you want out of a dashboard or how to go about creating one? That’s OK: Bezlio has pre-made templates for your essential divisions to get them started straight away. Each template can be altered as you see fit. These exist for everything from sales to distribution, rapidly mobilizing your data for use in any direction the business day can take you.
Have existing software you need integrated? Bezlio already has direct compatibility with the most widely used enterprise tools. Plugins for Salesforce, Microsoft SQL Server, Epicor ERP, ODBC and Crystal Reports are already available.
Modern Security Without Compromise
Depending on who you’re talking to, ‘cloud’ can be considered a four-letter word. Security is on everyone’s mind, but with Bezlio you never have to compromise the integrity of your sensitive data when working in the cloud.
The platform utilizes a token-based entry system. Meaning, only those users, and their associated devices, that have been specifically granted access to the platform can access the data. Going further, admins can restrict exactly which subsets of data each user can access at any given time.
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.
