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Epicor Kinetic for Manufacturing, Autumn Release 2022

Latest Release of Epicor Kinetic for Manufacturing Delivers New Industry Features and Connected Services

Released by Epicor: Austin, TXOctober 20, 2022

Epicor, a global leader of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth, today introduced a variety of features in its Fall 2022 release for Epicor Kinetic for Manufacturing, part of the Epicor Industry ERP Cloud portfolio. The updates will help manufacturers better compete with deep industry-specific functionality, connected services to integrate and optimise workflows, and deliver a smoother user experience journey.

“Now more than ever, manufacturers need people-centric, open, and connected technologies to gain visibility across their business and optimise supply chain processes,” said Vaibhav Vohra, Chief Product Officer at Epicor. “The latest release of Epicor Kinetic empowers our customers with a variety of fit-for-purpose features and integrations that deliver on that, helping them grow their business and compete in today’s global marketplace.”

New capabilities across the latest release of Epicor Kinetic for Manufacturing include:

Deep Industry-Specific Functionality

  • The ability to track inventory by part and revision allows customers to reduce part number maintenance time, ensure component compatibility, and have full visibility into inventory segmentation
  • Improved API connection between Epicor Kinetic and Epicor Advanced MES that includes passing of Downtime and Scrap codes
  • Embedded electronic signature capability that can be used with Business Process Management (BPM) on any business object to support compliance and quality management needs
  • Enhancements to fulfilment improve visibility of Make-to-Orders, streamlining the release of sales orders to picking
  • Improved financial reporting capabilities, aligning the Procurement to pay trackers and GL reporting showing valuable data that will help customers easily reconcile their data across different areas

Connected Services to Optimise Workflows

  • Epicor Commerce Connect customers can rate shop at checkout by pulling the best freight rates from Quick Ship, eliminating the need to maintain shipping rates in both applications
  • Deeper integration between Epicor Kinetic and Epicor CPQ, including new features such as 3D Sketch & Extrude and a MoM Viewer Widget to view MoM calculations in real-time while users are configuring

Smoother User Experience Journey

  • Built to engage employees across the enterprise with a digital messaging and notification engine
  • Enhanced collaboration offers an optimised mobile experience

For more information on the latest release of Epicor Kinetic, get in touch.

Contact

Paul Egan

Paul.egan@asperasolutions.com

 

Epicor Industry Insights Report 2022

Key Findings of the Epicor 2022 Industry Insights Report

What do companies really need from their ERP partnerships?

In 2022 Epicor asked 1,350 technology decision makers (principally in manufacturing & distribution in the USA & UK) about their cloud ERP.

  1. How satisfied were they with their current situation?
  2. What would they look for in a new solution?
  3. How was their ERP journey as customers and how could their experience be improved at every  stage—from first contact through evaluation, onboarding, go-live, and ongoing support.
  4. Finally, how do they feel about their transition to cloud technology? What’s important to them, and how can partners accelerate value at every stage of the journey.

This report details their answers.

Read the full report here.

Read the Andy Coussins, SVP & Head of Epicor International, interview with ERPNews, here.

EUG Conference – Nov 16-17

Welcome Back – EUG Conference 2022

After a long hiatus, the Epicor User Group (EUG) conference makes a welcome return this week, and we hope to see you there.The event is always a fantastic opportunity to network with other Epicor users, to discuss issues and tips, and find out what’s new within the software – so it’s always a really worthwhile event.The Aspera team will be there, and are presenting  with others on subjects such as:1) Multi-Site Implementations – What Should You Look Out For?2) Project Management in Upgrades & Implementations – Best Practice Tips and Insights from the Customer Perspective3) Automating Epicor &4) What’s New in Epicor for 2023

Details:

Date: November 16-17thVenue: Leicester Marriott Hotel, UK

Register here!

Aspera Appoints New CEO – Fergus Doyle

Oct, 2022

Aspera Solutions Announces Two Significant Management Updates

Aspera is delighted to announce two developments at senior management level within Aspera Solutions Ltd.

Lonan Byrne, founder and Managing Director of Aspera for the past 30+ years, has taken up the role of Executive Chairman. As board chairman, Lonan will continue to maintain an active role in the development of Aspera, with a focus on investment and supporting international growth.

We are also delighted to announce the appointment of Fergus Doyle as Chief Executive Officer at Aspera Solutions. With a background in mechanical engineering and extensive international industry and business managerial experience, Fergus joins Aspera with a focus on strengthening customer relationships and the growth of Aspera’s business internationally in enterprise software services.

Speaking on the announcement, Lonan Byrne commented, “It has been a privilege to lead Aspera over the past 36 years, and to witness the significant changes in IT and ERP technology in that time. We greatly value the relationships we have developed with our customers, and the opportunities they present to enhance and grow our service offerings. I fully support Fergus and the Management Team in Aspera’s customer engagements into the future.” 

“Over the next few months I look forward to connecting with our customers, prospects & partners to learn more about their specific goals, experiences, and challenges. I’m excited to take on this role and embark on this exciting journey to continue Aspera’s development as a world-class ERP solutions provider.” Fergus Doyle, CEO, Aspera Solutions

Email: fergus.doyle@asperasolutions.com

October 2022 Global Partner Spotlight on Aspera Solutions

October’s Epicor partner spotlight features our International Partner of the Year, Aspera Solutions – Epicor ERP Kinetic Expertise.

Based in the UK & Ireland, Aspera delivers world class Epicor Kinetic and Epicor Prophet 21 expertise through local, knowledge-based consultants and an exemplary support team.

Aspera helps its customers grow, innovate, automate and compete; particularly in the sectors of manufacturing and distribution, where it has decades of experience.

To learn more about how Aspera Solutions work within EMEA, get in touch: https://bit.ly/3CiZd6E

 

Epicor Cloud ERP for Product Centric Manufacturers

Epicor Recognised as a Challenger in the 2022 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Cloud ERP for Product-Centric Enterprises

AUSTIN, TEXAS, September 29, 2022

Epicor, a global leader of industry-specific enterprise software designed to promote business growth, today announced the company has been named a Challenger in the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cloud ERP for Product-Centric Enterprises.

“We view our Challenger positioning as strong reinforcement of the company’s ability to execute on our Industry ERP Cloud roadmap and deliver best-in-class integrated experiences that help our customers succeed in today’s complex market,” said Vaibhav Vohra, Chief Product Officer of Epicor. “We are committed to continued innovation for our customers in the make, move, and sell economy, delivering advanced capabilities including predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, and automation that puts people at the center.”

As companies contend with an array of challenges, including operational efficiency, supply chain disruption, workforce complexities, and changing customer expectations for digital connectedness, the need for flexible, insights-driven industry productivity solutions has never been greater. The Epicor Industry ERP Cloud portfolio is built to deliver a variety of integration, automation, and performance capabilities that help customers stay ahead of these challenges and maximize the power of their data.

This includes the recent introduction of Epicor Automation Studio, a low code integration and synchronization tool embedded natively in Epicor Kinetic and Epicor Prophet 21 that empowers users to connect their data and automate workflows both within their Epicor solutions as well as with more than 1,000 applications and databases.

Epicor partners with its customers to curate right-sized, right-fit solutions to meet their unique challenges. The company’s deep industry expertise sets Epicor apart in its mission to be the essential partner for the world’s most essential businesses.

Download a complimentary copy of the Magic Quadrant report from Epicor here.

Epicor – The Powerhouse Behind the Scuderia Alphatauri Powertrain

“Any technical Partnership is crucial for us and especially the partnership with Epicor. 

Because nowadays, Epicor manages the team”.

 

Franz Tost, Team Principal
Scuderia Alphatauri

“The main improvements are the communication, the time saving and at the end the performance, because people aren’t spending time entering the data into they system or to look for the data within the company.

So at the end we gained a very good team performance using Epicor kinetic software”.

Giovani Cattarina, ERP Engineer
Scuderia Alphatauri

“For sure you can see a better performance in the car. More parts in a shorter time, with more reliable data”.

Simone Balilla, Production Planning Manager,
Scuderia Alphatauri

Part 3: BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL ERP BUSINESS CASE – (3 of 3)

In this third and final instalment of “Building a Successful ERP Business Case in 3 Key Steps” we’re finally sharpening our pencils and getting to the nib of the issue.

What info to include in your report to successfully ‘green light’ your ERP project!

Note: In part one of this blog series we spoke about the importance of completing the right kind of homework before putting your ERP business case before a decision committee. The primary take-away from this step was to stop generalising about the results of an ERP project and get really specific about its impact on your company. 

Part two, highlighted the importance of identifying at least one ERP champion on the decision committee that will advocate for your project behind the scenes. The key take-away here is to solve your champions pain points with ERP, and then furnish them with all the details and company specific anecdotes they’ll need to advocate on the projects behalf during the decision making process.

See links below to Step 1 & 2 in case you missed them.

Building An ERP Biz Case: Step 1
Building An ERP Biz Case: Step 2

STEP 3: Craft Your ERP Project Case Correctly

Once you’ve done the right kind of research and established your ‘champion’, it’s time to concentrate on crafting your ERP business case / proposal.

The key thing here is to remember your audience, be succinct, and focus on answering one fundamental question – Why Now?

Time and time again, companies decide to stall an ERP implementation because of the imbalance between what they know, versus what they don’t. They know it’s a risk. They know it’s going to be costly. They also know that it’s going to take months of work. 

What they don’t know is whether the rewards will be worth it!

So, admit that there are concerns. Address the anticipated risks (ROI timing / operational disruption / 3rd party integration/ security / etc.), and counterbalance each risk with details on the return.

Articulate the rewards by bullet pointing specific reasons why the project is needed NOW.

For example:

  • We’re all drowning in spreadsheets. It’s causing errors and wasting valuable time (cite examples/facts/figures). With ERP all key data would automatically be pulled through our systems, eradicating the need for spreadsheets and duplication of efforts.

  • The current system is preventing scale and growth. Last month we had to turn away a project because we couldn’t fulfil it. ERP will allow us to improve decision making, giving us visibility on stock flow and labour costs that we currently don’t have.

  • Poor data flow between departments is causing errors (cite examples) and costing the company money (again, examples!).

  • Current [named] competitors/suppliers have the edge over us because….,

  • Customers are sourcing elsewhere because…insert specific facts/examples.,

Clearly answer the ‘What Does Our Company Gain?’ question. 

Cite specific improvements / value that will be delivered through ERP and (again) remember to include specific facts / figures for your company wherever possible.

Examples:

  • We’ll have more competitive advantage because…

  • We will be able to offer more services such as…

  • Decision making will improve because we will have real time information on stock levels, x, y, & z.

  • By getting things right 1st time, every time, we’ll decrease costs, improve customer satisfaction &… etc.

  • An integrated business system will provide us with new operational capabilities to…. (include specific examples).

Next, include baseline information around the potential solutions you’ve identified, but don’t make the mistake of prioritising solution specifications over the reasons WHY you need the solution in the first place.

Taking up your audience’s valuable time with an overload of data on the differences between Epicor V’s SAP V’s NetSuite V’s whatever, will only serve to confuse and augment perceived risk at this early stage of the process.


Answer
the
Question
-

What
Does
Your
Company
Gain?

So, with all that said, inclusions in your ERP business case should include:

  1. Why [insert company name] Needs ERP Now

    Summary of why the lack of ERP is hindering current process and future growth.

  2. Internal & External Factors Driving the need for ERP

    Specific, data driven commentary on both the internal and external factors /pain points driving the need for ERP.

  3. What [insert company name] will Specifically Gain from ERP

    Scope out the project requirements and develop a data driven list of how ERP will improve your company’s specific operations, increase sales channels, improve supplier & customer relationships, and reduce CAPEX / OPEX in the long term.

    Take care to include improvements that will resonate with each stakeholder and decision maker.

  4. Solution Options

    Briefly outline your top 3 – 5 ERP solution offerings. Cite the pro’s and con’s of each solution when set against your core requirements, and include ballpark upfront, recurring and TCO cost estimations.


    Don’t get bogged down in technical data (include this in the document appendix if required) or cut and paste information from the vendors website or sales collateral. Technical data and sales spiel will only serve to clog your plan with information that’s irrelevant to this stage of the process.

    Think about ranking each solution against the same set of criteria so that you, and your audience, can easily discern differences. Make sure to rank for costs, core, and bonus functionality, references, support, and the providers local or global reach (as this will be important as your company grows).

  1. Next Steps

    List the steps needed to drive the project forward and make sure to include a proposed timeline. (Note: I’ll be posting a blog soon with recommendations on this) 

  1. Why Now (Conclusion)

    Conclude with a detailed list of the improvements and benefits that the ERP implementation will have on the company, making sure to include a short-medium-long term timeline, and improvements within each of your stakeholder functions. 
  1. Appendix
    To include your research sources, solution specifics, etc.

Written by Leeann Matthews, June 2022

Step 1: Start with the Right Kind of Homework
Step 2: Gather Your Champions
Step 3: Craft Your Case Correctly
Contact Aspera For More Information

Part 2: BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL ERP BUSINESS CASE (2 of 3)

In this second instalment of “Building a Successful ERP Business Case in 3 Key Steps” we’re talking about CHAMPIONS. 

You won’t find details about wonder horses, Katie Taylor, or league finals here; but what you will find is advice on the type of person you should approach to be your ERP champion, and tips on how to rally them as an advocate for your project.

NOTE: If you missed part one of this blog series, you’ll find it here.  

Building An ERP Biz Case: Step 1

In step one of this blog we spoke about the importance of completing the right kind of homework before putting your business case for an ERP project to a decision committee. The primary take-away from this step was to stop generalising about the results of an ERP project and get really specific about its impact on your company. 

Now, lets move on to Step Two.

STEP 2: Gather Your Champions!

Someone told me once that they felt like Sisyphus when it came to getting their ERP project off the ground. They were forever trying to roll that project up the hill only to have it roll right back down again because senior management looked upon ERP as a costly technical issue, not a value driving company necessity.

So let’s be realistic,  you are never going to get sign off on a project if it is not championed by senior management, and I use the word ‘championed’ very deliberately.

Your project needs at least one advocate with decision making power, that will entice/cajole/demand that all the other key stakeholders are on board.

So, if you don’t already have a senior management ‘champion’, make it your business to identify (at least) one within your organisation and get them working on your behalf.

Get them on board by sharing your findings  (from step one).

  • Ask for their council on approaching other key stakeholders,
  • Decide what language would resonate with each decision maker,
  • Identify what pain points concern them most, and
  • work with them to sow the seeds of requirement within other departments.  

That way, when your proposal / business case comes before the decision committee, they’ll already know what value the project will deliver for them specifically, and they’ll be more open to the discussion.

Next, in Step 3, you’ll need to craft an ERP Project Case that sticks to the Be Bright, Be Brief, Be Gone theory of reporting!

Read more here.

 

Written by Leeann Matthews, June 2022

Step 1: Start with the Right Kind of Homework
Step 2: Gather Your Champions
Step 3: Craft Your Case Correctly
Contact Aspera For More Information

Part 1: BUILD A SUCCESSFUL ERP BUSINESS CASE IN 3 KEY STEPS

If you are struggling to get budget for an ERP project within your company, read on.

This 3 part blog series cites key advice that has proved successful for your peers, irrespective of whether you work in the manufacturing or distribution sector.

Over the years, I’ve had countless conversations with managers that need ERP in their business but can’t get a project off the ground.

Interestingly, it’s not usually the cost of a project that is stalling progress, most ERP projects get benched because of deficiency in two primary areas – stakeholder buy-in, and time.

Simply put, if those with the power to green light an ERP project don’t understand the company-wide value of it, you will never get budget. And, if you can’t articulate why now is the perfect time to start, decision makers will keep kicking that ‘can’ down the road, letting other priorities override progression on a project that you know would positively transform the company.

If that sounds familiar, and you’re keen to learn ways to overcome these issues and get the green light on your ERP project, read on. This blog series cites the 3 key things you need to do in order to build a successful ERP business case.

Step 1 (below): Start with the Right Kind of Homework

Step 2: Gather Your Champions!

Step 3: Craft Your ERP Business Case Correctly

Lets get started. 

STEP 1: Start with the Right Kind of Homework

Writing a business case that states you want to implement ERP in order to boost productivity / automate tasks / decrease costs / etc., simply doesn’t cut it anymore.

These terms are bandied around so frequently that they’ve become generic ‘noise’.

To put it bluntly; you could state, “we need to implement ERP to boost productivity, drive efficiencies, and increase competitive advantage”, but your decision-making audience only hears “yada, yada, everyone wants budget for the same thing, yada!”.

To overcome this, stop generalising about the results of an ERP project and get really specific about its impact on your company.

Take time to identify and list all the areas of the business that will be affected by an ERP implementation (finance, operations, manufacturing, warehousing, etc.).

Identify the key people in these areas (i.e., the people that the business can’t afford to lose), and then put your investigative hat on in order to gather details from them about:

  1. Their specific pain points & bottlenecks (including facts and figures wherever possible),
  2. What they’ve heard competitors are doing better,
  3. What improvements they know customers/suppliers are looking for, and
  4. What they’d love to automate in order to make their everyday job more enjoyable/easier/more productive.

This information is golden for two reasons. Firstly, its coming directly from key staff that are integral to the business. And secondly, it relates specifically to your company and its current operations, so decision makers can’t ignore its impact or pretend that the information doesn’t relate directly back to the bottom line.

For added impact, consider compiling a short video (simply taken with your phone) showing peoples responses to the question, “What would you most like to automate to make your job easier?”. The visual impact of watching staff / colleagues / friends talking about what would make their life easier is hugely powerful. And humanising the impact of an ERP implementation could go a long way to getting sign off on budget.  

Next, you’ll need to identify at least one champion in senior management (or the Board of Management) that will advocate for your project.

Read STEP 2 of this blog series for tips on how to identify an advocate and get them on-board. 

 

Written By: Leeann Matthews, June 2022
Step 1: Start with the Right Kind of Homework
Step 2: Gather Your Champions
Step 3: Craft Your Case Correctly
Contact Aspera For More Information