Mark your calendar for Epicor Insights 2019, taking place on April 15-18 at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. More than 4,000 Epicor users are expected to attend for education, information, networking, and fun during the world’s largest Epicor customer conference. You can download the preliminary agenda, here.
Attending customers have their choice of focused educational tracks to explore that cover their desired products and solutions. Further networking opportunities between businesses and industries present themselves at these events.
This is a tremendous opportunity to learn more about your specific Epicor solution while networking with peers at the world’s largest Epicor customer-focused event. Make the most of this occasion to leverage valuable insight on how to grow your business, better utilize your talent and resource, as well as increase your bottom line.
Epicor Insights 2019 Highlights
Education Courses are offered the Sunday and Monday before the conference and consist of four-hour training sessions on focused topics. Valued at $495, these sessions can be reserved now for just $275.
One-On-One Sessions offer an exceptional opportunity to get one-on-one face time with Epicor executives and product experts in individual meetings.
Additional features and benefits you can expect to find at Epicor Insights 2019 include:
Technical Insight – Gain a better understanding of how to drive costs down, boost ORI, and resolve compliance issues
Practical Insight – participate in labs directly with the technical staff from Epicor as they demonstrate practical software solutions
Peer Insight – Develop your professional network with peers in attendance, exchange experiences, and challenges, as well as solutions
Expert Insight – Receive updates and news on what’s coming from Epicor directly from its executive staff and through scheduled meetings with Epicor experts on-site
Education ROI – Go deeper into understanding the business systems you utilize daily with extended education sessions
Customer Stories At Epicor Insights 2019
Have an Epicor success story or challenge you’d like to share with the Epicor community? Present at the event and earn a substantial discount on the price of admission. You’ll get invaluable exposure as a presenter and the opportunity to take the stage, representing your business as an industry leader.
The discounts for presenters are as follows:
50% discount on regular registration for accepted single presenters
20% discount on regular registration for accepted presenters on 2 or more panels
10% discount o regular registration for accepted presenters on a single panel
If interested in presenting, submit your 500 words or less abstract for consideration. Topics include:
Best Practices
Case Studies
General Business
Technical
Tips and Tricks
Submit an abstract of how you have used Epicor to overcome business challenges and a member of the Insights team will contact you if you have been selected to speak.
Epicor Insights 2019 Hotel and Travel
The Mandalay Bay Resort is offering discounted group rates for attendees to Epicor Insights 2019. Discounted rates that can be utilized by attendees include:
Group rate: $179 (13.38% tax per night)
A Daily Resort fee of $20 plus applicable taxes will be added to each guest room rate
*Attention: Insights attendance is limited to current Epicor customers, authorized partners, and guests only.
Registration to the full conference will include all sessions meals and evening events, as well as access to the Solutions Pavillion. All Epicor Insights 2019 sessions and meals will take place at:
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas
877-632-7800
3950 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV, 89
Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, NetSuite Solution Provider, and Epicor Platinum 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.
It’s no secret that dealers face intense complexity. Juggling brands and customer expectations are a constant challenge on top of staying up-to-date on the latest e-commerce innovations. All of this results in fierce competition for manufacturers to craft the best experience for their dealers. This is where Epicor’s innovative Dealer Network Portal comes into play. Want to know more about this invaluable tool? Get in touch with our team of Epicor experts for more information on how you can leverage this integration on your Epicor system.
Portal Benefits
With the Epicor Dealer Network Portal, you can stand out and win business. This tool for sales and service personnel facilitates quick configuration, pricing, and quoting of orders. You can also manage service and warranty needs for all your products in one convenient place.
The solution integrates seamlessly into Epicor and offers huge benefits to manufacturers, including:
Streamlined Order Processing
Branded Experiences
Self-Service Portals
Service and Warranty Needs
Intuitive Dealer Experience
Stronger Dealer Relationships
Real-Time Data
Download The Factsheet
For more information on the Epicor Dealer Network Portal, contact us below.
Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, NetSuite Solution Provider, and Epicor Platinum 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.
With year-end right around the corner, there is no better time to leverage 2019 business promotions to boost your active and planned projects for growth in the new year. Are you in a spend it or lose it situation with your annual budget? Use your 2018 budget surplus on a block of consulting hours, waived managed services fees, and a host of other promotional offerings to give you a sizable advantage in 2019. These promotions can make your job easier with a reduced workload and clear results. The benefits don’t stop at our door, either. Encompass Solutions’ partners agree that businesses can use every advantage afforded to them in this competitive climate. Take a look below for services you can utilize in the new year for rapid expansion, digital transformation, or updating your essential systems and processes.
If you’re uninitiated when it comes to managed services, you can enjoy the benefits of this potent offering when Encompass Managed Services waives the onboarding fee if you sign up by the end of the year.
Want an even better return on your investment? Commit to a year contract and get onboarding waived as well as a 5% discount on Managed Services support from the experts at Encompass Solutions.
A Complete Business Process Review (BPR) – A full business process review can help you resolve bottlenecks, streamline processes, and identify key technologies that will enhance your business’ operational capabilities. This undertaking, conducted by our senior business consultants on-site, is typically a week-long process for small and medium-sized businesses. You can save thousands with a fixed-price BPR.
BPR-lite – Considered a service tune-up for active customers, we perform an expedited BRP consisting of 31hrs ( a 1-day on-site review + full report). Save hundreds on an expert review you can’t put off for another year.
Block Consulting Hours – Bulk discounts are rarely offered on our consulting services, but now you can obtain pre-paid blocks of 250 consulting hours for a significant discount.
EDI – As new budgets for the new year are being discussed, EDI might be one of the things to consider. A lot of people push off EDI until they are forced to do it by a partner or market influences. Don’t put off one of the most effective modern technologies e-commerce has to offer; EDI can propel you from being competitive to being the competition. EDI discounts depend on the size of the implementation and are applied on a case-by-case basis. Get in touch with Encompass for more details.
Our partners, the tax experts at Avalara are offering 40% off the list price for the Epicor integration for AvaTax (Tax Connect). Not only this, but you can earn 3 free months of service when entering into a 1-year agreement. That’s 15 months for the price of 12. Don’t miss out on this promotion that will only run through the end of 2018.
Looking for a way to boost your 2019 performance? Integrate the power of SigmaNEST fabrication software with the business smarts of Epicor. Contact us at Encompass for more information on end-of-year package deals from SigmaTEK.
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.
Year-end is almost here and tying up your loose ends can be a huge undertaking. If you haven’t started your business year-end checklist, now is the time to get busy. We’ve got you covered when it comes to completing a full physical inventory with an entire webinar detailing full physical inventory best practices. If you haven’t reserved your seat already, register for the Full Physical Inventory Best Practices webinar on Dec 13th, 2018 at 2:30 EST.
Conducting a full physical inventory only adds to a long list of tedious but necessary tasks. When you factor in financials, business planning, and forecasting for the new year, daunting is an understatement.
Fortunately, the experts at Encompass Solutions have some sage advice to impart. Follow our presenter’s suggested full physical inventory best practices to cut down on the time you have to commit to a full physical inventory while avoiding the pitfalls that expose you to incorrect counts, inefficient processes, and having an all-around drag of a time.
Full Physical Inventory Best Practices Topics
During the presentation, our speakers will discuss an array of topics relevant to full physical inventory best practices. These topics include:
Timing
Supplies
Physical Preparation
How to manage paperwork (if handheld scanners aren’t being used)
Job and Receiving processes
Physical DNI flags
How to print labels
Audit processes
Safety
How you can make it fun
Full Physical Inventory Best Practices Q&A
A Q&A portion will follow the presentation where attendees are encouraged to ask our experts. If a topic was not addressed during the presentation, feel free to ask about it during this opportunity. Our presenter will address your question then and there or offer a more thorough explanation via email or phone call.
Full Physical Inventory Workflow And Physical Inventory Checklist
Full Physical Inventory Best Practices Webinar Recording
To Learn More About Our Services And How We Can Help Grow Your Business, Click Here.
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.
When it comes time to seek out Epicor ERP consultants for your next project, you’ll want to partner with certified Epicor consultants that have a long history of successful implementations and quantifiable results. You can find a list of the most distinguished Epicor consultants on the Epicor Partners page, here.
Encompass Solutions Epicor consultants have been a staple feature on this list for years. If you’re ready to bring on an Epicor consultant for full-scale implementation, renovation of existing systems, or other process improvements, we are here to help. While we may be headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, we aren’t just North Carolina ERP consultants. We have resources all over the US and in many locations abroad. If you’re more interested in a demo or are evaluating new technologies and processes for your unique business needs, we’d love the opportunity to show you what we can do. Don’t hesitate to get in touch today.
Benefits of Hiring Epicor Consultants
Your resources are limited. whether you need a complete business system installed and customized for your needs or need routine maintenance, if you lack the capital or in-house talent to take on the project, an Epicor consultant may be the answer you’ve been looking for.
In-house resources lack the expertise. Let’s say have open tasks in Epicor maintenance. You know what needs to get done and you have the capital to invest in the project, but your team doesn’t have the experience in implementation, upgrades, or custom coding you require. This is where a consultant can step in and guide your team to success and then train your staff to the level of operation your business requires.
Learning from the best practices. There are potentially several ways to achieve your goals in Epicor. However, not every approach to a problem leads to a solution, you may take care of one need and end up causing issues elsewhere in the system. knowing the ins and outs of the Epicor system is where we excel. Our Epicor consultant team has been implementing Epicor best practices for decades in an array of environments. What’s more important is that we’ve seen the consequences when shortcuts are taken. Use our expertise so that you don’t have to learn the hard lessons of what happens when best practices and sound advice are not followed.
Protecting your technology investment. Protecting your technology investment and service satisfaction is our number one goal. Using a non-certified consultant could result in costly modifications that are not supported and jeopardize your ability to upgrade in the future. That is why you should only allow trained Epicor employees or authorized partners to perform Epicor application work.
What Can Encompass Solutions Epicor Consultants Do For You?
Simply put, the Epicor consultants at Encompass Solutions can do just about anything you need when it comes to the Epicor environment. We have experience in full-scale implementations, renovations or upgrades of existing systems, customizations for unique business needs, and even functional and technical IT support if you lack the in-house resources and dedicated staff.
As an Epicor Preferred Partner and Value-added Reseller, Our certified Epicor consultants:
Have completed the Epicor Certification Program for the highest level of product knowledge
Invest in their customers’ success with Epicor solutions
Are fully trained on the most recent product releases
Have direct relationships with Epicor product development, services, and support staff
Are informed about the latest product roadmaps, promotions, and incentives
Adhere to regulations set by Epicor for the protection of your business
Everyone on our Epicor consultant team, from analysts and developers to engineers and sales staff has extensive knowledge of the Epicor framework. We leverage the flexibility and power of the Epicor framework to deliver the right solutions to our customers, at the right time and the right price. We routinely leverage Epicor’s capabilities tointegrate the ERP system with specialized third-party applications or to customize dashboards, reports, and other functions to fit your business processes.
What Is Our Consulting Process?
Our consulting process begins the same in each case, we commit to a deep-dive discovery to identify where your operations are excelling and where they are costing you precious resources. Based on our findings, we’ll complete a thorough business process review (BPR) and deliver the report to you in clear language. The document will outline our findings, our suggestions, and the general cost of those tools and services will be. We proceed with demonstrations of the software in action and address the exact use cases that fit your business needs in detail. Our solution engineers will come in to draw out a plan of action, giving your team a clear direction that will lead to clear results. You can learn more about our approach to consulting and the Epicor signature methodology here.
The Encompass approach doesn’t stop once the plan is in place, when the work is underway, or even after implementation. We are with you every step of the way to ensure your project is a success from discovery to Go-Live and beyond.
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.
November is usually the month when businesses big and small are mobilizing in their effort to tie up loose ends and prepare for the new year with a business year-end checklist. Q4 is crunch time for year-end activities and the more room you leave your business to tackle those to-do’s before year-end, the better. Finish up this year and begin the next in good standing by getting a handle on more than just taxes for the fiscal year.
While financials are just the beginning of a proper end-of-year agenda; Inventory counts, marketing strategies, expansion plans, and IT evaluations are essential topics to visit in your business year-end checklist.
Looking for a helping hand during your year-end evaluation?
Don’t have time to read through the what’s and the why’s?
You can download the simplified Encompass Solutions business year-end checklist in PDF format, Here.
Financial Year-End Checklist
Admittedly, financials will likely be where you spend the bulk of your efforts come time to attend to your business year-end checklist. If you’ve been keeping meticulous records, you’ll likely be in a good spot and reporting won’t be as painful as it might be if the opposite were true. If you haven’t been keeping good records or any at all, this is likely your least favorite time of year. The best time to adopt good recordkeeping and accounting practices was last year, and the second-best time right now. So, try to identify where you’ve been slacking and invest in getting those processes up to snuff.
Running Standard Reports
It’s important to understand where your business is financially about previous years. You can access this information by reviewing past reports. Dig up those spreadsheets or reports in your accounting software. If you’re using an ERP solution like Epicor or NetSuite, you’re already in a good way, as these tools make financial reporting and analysis that much easier for a business. A typical financial report will consist of:
A Profit And Loss Statement – shows a company’s revenues and expenses during a given period.
A Balance Sheet – shows the assets, liabilities, and capital of a business at a particular point in time, detailing income and expenses relative to the preceding period.
A Cash Flow Statement – shows how changes in balance sheet accounts and income affect cash and cash equivalents with a drill-down into operating, investing, and financing activities.
Looking at your profits for the year is another easy way to gauge performance.
Cash Flow Analysis
Let’s break down your cash flow statement into the three components you’ll want to analyze as part of your business year-end checklist. Understanding how your money was spent throughout the year is essential for proper analysis, and the Cash Flow Statement helps you do just that. There are three components you’re going to want to look at:
Operating activities – This includes your business’ revenue and expenses
Investing activities – This includes any assets purchased or sold throughout the year
Financial activities – This includes any loans and repayments
Reconciliation Of Accounts Receivable
If you’re an active business, chances are you have invoices that remain unpaid or clients who owe you money for goods and services performed. Do your best to rein in these accounts and get those outstanding debts settled as part of your business year-end checklist. Don’t play catch-up. Get started next year with a clean slate and position your business for success.
Reconciling of accounts receivable (AR) requires a business to match their total outstanding customer billings to the AR total stated in its general ledger. There are two information sources from which this data is derived. They are:
General Ledger – the main accounting record of a company or organization.
Receivables Detail – the outstanding invoices a company has or the money clients owe the company.
These details should match, though inconsistencies may be apparent. There are a few reasons this may be the case, such as:
A general ledger journal entry was recorded but initially bypassed the subsidiary sales ledger.
A billing instance was posted to an incorrect account.
The general ledger balance and aged receivables report were run with misaligned dates.
Reconciliation is an important step in the financial year-end checklist because financial statements need to be issued without material inaccuracies. Any inconsistencies need to be identified and reconciled before a business’ third-party auditors examine those financial statements. Failure to do so could lead to a large-scale audit, a significant business disruption, and even charges of fraud from financial authorities.
Verify Vendor Information
During your business year-end checklist is the time to look at the vendors in your system. If you used any vendors this year, chances are you did, then you’ll have to collect W-9 forms for some of them. These are essentially a breadcrumb for the IRS to track your expenses and your vendors’. If you spent $600 or more on a vendor’s services, you’ll need to issue and complete a 1099 form. This form needs to be sent to the IRS by January 31.
Take the opportunity to verify the accuracy of the contact information, such as phone numbers, email addresses, and contact names. If outdated or inaccurate information is present, correct or removes those entries. Have time to make a few calls? Now would be a good point to evaluate whether it is worth reconnecting, setting up meetings, and drafting new contracts.
Address Payroll And Benefits
Every business must ensure payroll and benefit requirements are met at the end of the fiscal year as part of their business year-end checklist. The undertaking is no small effort and some of its tasks will carry on into the new year.
Initially, a business will need to verify all employee data, such as legal names, SSNs, and current addresses. This information should already be available to your accounting department when it comes time to issue W-2s. Failure to include all the correct data can lead to penalties.
A complete record of each employee’s payment throughout the year should be compiled, including paychecks, commissions, bonuses, and anything running peripheral to standard payroll activity. This includes any handwritten checks, be they cleared or voided. Double-check each employee’s benefits and deductions for consistency.
Audit all time off including sick days, vacation, or otherwise approved out-of-office time. What was used and what remains? Does your business allow vacation rollover or require employees to “use it or lose it”? Notify employees of their remaining balances if one exists and how they can use them based on your company policy.
You’ll have to buy W-2 and W-3 forms as part of the financial end-of-year checklist. These forms can be purchased directly from the IRS or any authorized provider. The W-2 forms will need to be distributed to employees and both federal and state governments at the beginning of the new year. The W-3 forms will be sent to state and federal governments as a summary of all W-2 forms.
New labor law posters for your locality will need to be posted by federal and state laws. This can also include the necessity for other legal documents to be posted, such as the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. You can find out exactly what your company needs to post by contacting the U.S. Department of Labor poster advisor. State and local laws may have additional requirements, too.
Check federal, state, and local tax rates, which are updated on an annual basis. These rates include:
Federal income tax
Federal unemployment tax (FUTA tax)
FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare taxes)
State income tax
State unemployment tax (SUTA tax)
Local income tax
Each year your employees are to evaluate their withholding allowances for federal and state tax systems. For federal withholdings, the W-4 form is used. An additional withholding allowances form may be used in the case of state income tax withholdings.
Determine your next year’s deposit schedule for federal income tax and FICA taxes before the new year begins. These taxes are paid on either a monthly or weekly basis. This schedule is based on a lookback period, a designated period that is used to measure how much you previously paid in taxes. This deposit schedule is fluid and can change with each new year, therefore it is important to determine before the beginning of the new year.
Your financial year-end checklist doesn’t finish when the year ends. Several tasks carry on into the new year. These include:
Updating payroll to reflect any new wage rates, withholding allowances, and other deductions.
Employee Form W-2 distribution (Must be filed by January 31).
Social Security Administration filings for all employees’ Form W-2. (Must be filed by January 31) Filing of Form W-3, the transmittal form. (Must be filed by January 31)
Filing FUTA taxes on Form 940. This includes your company’s Q4 FUTA taxes from the previous year. (Must be filed by January 31)
You must also file your federal income taxes and FICA taxes in the new year, Forms 941 & 944. (Must be filed by January 31)
Information Technology (IT) Year-End Checklist
An often-overlooked component of the small and mid-sized business year-end checklist, your hardware and software should be evaluated every year. This not only ensures the integrity of your business systems, but also the security of your business and customer data. Here are a few things you can do to ensure you’ve taken the right steps towards ensuring your IT infrastructure is ready to carry your business into the new year.
Back-Up Your Data
First and foremost, you should be backing up your data regularly. If you aren’t, there is no better time to begin this essential practice than right now. Get into good data-keeping habits and back up all your business’ critical information. Keep in mind if you don’t, you could be one outage away from ruin. All your files, including accounting, client files, creative collateral, and emails should be backed-up and secured. You should consider requiring your employees to do the same. Providing external hard drives for business use or access to a cloud-based system like DropBox or OneDrive will help ensure that important data is kept safe.
It’s not enough to keep your essential files updated, they need to be available if something should happen to your critical infrastructure. This will ensure you can continue to operate on good data while systems are being rebuilt. The best way to approach this is to keep a combination of digital copies of your critical files. Don’t settle for just one copy in a cloud-based filesharing site like Dropbox or leave your reports in the system that ran them. When it comes to backups, a ratio of 2:1 is ideal. That is, keep two digital copies of your files and store them in two separate places. Then, make an additional copy and store it on an external device, not connected to your business systems, and preferably in an external place.
Evaluate For Hardware And Software Upgrades
When was the last time you upgraded these two critical components of your business? You might not need to stay current with every new release of the latest tech or software versions, but keeping in tandem with the latest of each will go a long way. Ensure that you are abreast of the latest in data and systems security by utilizing modern equipment and software. Waiting too long to upgrade, what is referred to as being version locked, can spell disaster for you down the road.
Evaluate Filing And Naming Systems
Evaluate your system for naming files. This may seem like a small detail but using a unified system of data storage and look-up conventions can keep important files from being lost in the library of information your business retains. Create a set logic for filenames according to each type of file you store in your systems. For instance, when filing receipts, you can designate a convention like “Name/Company-Date-InvoiceNumber”. This is an especially important undertaking if your business operates at multiple sites and shares servers that are accessed by multiple employees. Being as clear and consistent as possible will ensure nothing slips through the cracks and your internal auditing processes go off without a hitch.
General Business Year-End Checklist
There are plenty of undertakings that fall into the category of general business, each of which can be as critical to your success as financial year-end checklist components by which every business has to abide.
Complete A Physical Inventory
Not every business will need to complete a physical inventory as part of their business year-end checklist. However, retailers, manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics companies certainly all need to complete a full-scale physical inventory at least once a year. This will provide accurate visibility into current stock, its value, cycle rates, capital currently tied up in inventory, as well as a host of other important metrics. These counts will also need to match your year-end balance sheet. This is one year-end checklist item that doesn’t have to be a bore. You can get the whole company involved, from the back office to those who are on the warehouse floor every day. Play music, order lunch, and get everyone working together towards a common goal. The task will go much faster this way and will allow your teams to build relationships.
Consider that this may be the best time for your organization to implement a cycle counting system for more efficient inventory tracking and control.
Examine Growth Trends And Plan For Hiring
As you enter a new year of operation, one thing you’ll want to take a close look at is growth. If you’re on an upward trend you will want to consider your staffing needs. Now is the time to determine if you’ll be hiring next year and for what positions. Be sure to budget appropriately and begin looking at your criteria for positions sooner, rather than later. Now is also a good time to evaluate and improve upon your processes for hiring, onboarding, training, and retaining employees. You want to capture the best candidates out there looking for new opportunities and keep the reliable talent you have in-house as you move into the new year.
Account For Accomplishments
Too often during the year-end checklist process, businesses get caught up in what’s gone wrong and where mistakes were made. It’s important not just for perspective, but for morale as well, to recognize and announce what you have accomplished over the last year. Your employees will appreciate knowing that their hard work has not gone unnoticed and the recognition they receive will invigorate them going into the new year.
Gather Feedback, Examine Goals, and Set New Ones
There are many components of a business that can lend insight into how processes and efforts can be improved. Using your financial statements, customer feedback, and employee input, you can evaluate how well you did in achieving your previous year’s goals. Didn’t have any clear goals last year? Now is the time to give the company a clear direction and work towards clear results. Use what you learned last year to set new, achievable goals in the year to come. This isn’t just for the profitability of the company. Consider what goals should be set for employees and how the organization addresses their needs, too.
Evaluate Your Website
Your company website is essentially your online storefront. It’s a way for you to introduce your company to prospects and provide a gateway for established customers to learn what you’ve been up to. Does your website address those groups and provide the information they come looking for? Now is the time to make sure the answer to both those questions is a resounding yes.
Check your links. Not just frontpage links, every link. Broken links not only keep your website visitors from finding the information they are looking for, but they are also punished by search engines when it comes to listing your web pages in search results pages.
Testing your contact us form, calling your support phone number, and ensuring the email addresses on your webpage are delivered to the appropriate inbox are all essential webpage testing you should complete before the year is over.
Reporting and search engine optimization may seem a bit advanced if your company doesn’t have a dedicated resource for these endeavors. However, with some basic knowledge, you can optimize your website and gain visibility into how effective your efforts are based on traffic and keyword reporting.
Sales And Marketing Plan
Chances are you came into this year with sales and marketing goals in mind. How well did you succeed in achieving them? Take a close look at your sales process and identify where you can make adjustments for better success in the new year with this business year-end checklist. Some key metrics to consider include:
Sales cycle time – from first contact to signed contract
Prequalifying processes for prospects
Upselling rates
Customer lifecycle and retention rates
Rates of lapsing or lapsed customers whom you haven’t heard from in a while
Marketing should support sales and the way you approach marketing will have a direct effect on your results in sales. Marketing is one component of a business that can easily get out of hand in terms of budget. Be sure that your efforts result in profitable sales, otherwise, your marketing is essentially cannibalizing your business.
Evaluating Business Processes
Every business is unique, but every business fails or succeeds in implementing sound business processes. This can include everything from the assembly of manufactured goods to invoicing. Take a look at your most highly accomplished competitor; how are they cutting waste and optimizing processes to maximize profitability? Identifying where you can make processes more efficient will deliver quantifiable results to employees, customers, and stakeholders in a big way. This business year-end checklist is just one of the many tools to help ensure your process improvement efforts are successful.
Budgeting
Now that you’ve looked at your accounting requirements, hiring needs, technological infrastructure, marketing efforts, and process improvement as part of your business year-end checklist, you’ll have to decide the number of resources each of the components of your business will receive in the new year. This doesn’t need to be a concrete figure, but you need some idea of where the money and talent are going to ensure success. After all, the business that fails to plan, plans to fail.
You can download the complete Encompass Solutions business year-end checklist in PDF format, Here.
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 the Industry.
Gartner recently published its brand new, cloud-focused 2018Magic Quadrant for Cloud ERP for Product-Centric Midsize Enterprises where Epicor is positioned as a Visionary player based on the evaluation of our Epicor ERP offering. You’ll find the News Release about this great acknowledgement by Gartner and here is a direct link to the News Release.
Epicor In Gartner 2018 Magic Quadrant for Cloud ERP
Cloud ERP offers customers improvements in responsiveness, agility, and costs to help businesses digitally transform and get fit for growth Epicor Software Corporation, a global provider of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth, today announced it has been positioned in the Visionaries quadrant of the first ”Magic Quadrant for Cloud ERP for Product-Centric Midsize Enterprises” by Gartner Inc1. The position is based on a full evaluation of the global enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, Epicor ERP. The Magic Quadrant for Cloud ERP focuses on ERP systems that are offered in a cloud services application deployment. It covers midsize enterprises across all geographies with annual revenue between approximately $50 million and $1 billion USD. The full report is available to access from the Epicor website.
“Our mission is to be the cloud vendor of choice in the markets we serve. We believe being positioned
as a visionary in the cloud ERP quadrant validates our strategy. We feel that customers trust us to
deliver solutions that helps them grow in an Industry 4.0 world,” said Steve Murphy, Chief Executive
Officer for Epicor Software. “The strength of Epicor solutions lies in our unique ability to deliver
industry-specific functionality and cloud technology that fit our customers’ distinctive ways of working.
With a deep understanding of the industries we serve, our solutions promote growth while easing
complexity. The result is powerful solutions that do exactly what our customers need and free their
resources so they can profitably grow their businesses. Just log in, and everything from daily sales reports to
product locations was right there for review. It’s the easiest system I ever used.”
Michael Schmitz, Chief Financial Officer, Epicor Software Corp.
1 Report: Magic Quadrant for Cloud ERP for Product-Centric Midsize Enterprises. By Gartner Inc. Analysts: Mike Guay, John
Van Decker, Christian Hestermann, Nigel Montgomery, Duy Nguyen, Denis Torii, Paul Saunders, Paul Schenck, Tim Faith.
Published 31 October 2018.
Gartner Magic Quadrant for Epicor Cloud ERP
In addition to industry-specific capabilities that drive improvements in responsiveness, agility, and costs, the cloud is helping businesses digitally transform and focus on growth. As businesses shift away from traditional on-premises systems to cloud-based ERP they are taking advantage of new capabilities to improve their business and optimize processes. What’s more, it’s enabling teams to access real-time information from across the business and use that data to make better business decisions.
About the Gartner Magic Quadrant
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other
designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
About Epicor Software Corporation
Epicor Software Corporation drives business growth. We provide flexible, industry-specific software designed to fit the precise needs of our manufacturing, distribution, retail, and service industry
customers. More than 45 years of experience with our customers’ unique business processes and operational requirements are built into every solution―in the cloud or on premises. With this deep understanding of your industry, Epicor solutions dramatically improve performance and profitability while easing complexity.
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.
Based on the communication regarding Altec support policy from December of 2017, you may be aware that we intended to discontinue the support of Altec for the ERP version 10.1.600 and above from November, 1st, 2018. If you have already migrated or signed an Altec migration order form with your Epicor account manager to migrate your solution from Altec to Epicor advance printing (APR) or to APR with DocStar solution, we greatly appreciate that, However, if you are on ERP version 10.1.600 or above and if you have not had a chance to discuss with your Epicor account manager and sign an Altec migration order form yet, we are pleased to inform you that we are extending the Altec support deadline for ERP versions 10.1.600 and above till October, 31st, 2019 to enable you to have some extra time to plan for the Altec migration. In case you did not see the communication from December of 2017, please see the details of the Altec migration program below. For more information on how this extension of Altec support affects your business, contact the experts at Encompass Solutions.
Altec Document Management And Epicor ERP
In January 2017, Epicor acquired DocStar, a leading enterprise content management (ECM) provider. Founded in 1996, DocStar provides collaborative ECM with automated Accounts Payable (AP) solutions to streamline business processes for organizations of any size. DocStar solutions are available either on-premises or as a cloud hosted service in the SaaS (software as a service) model.
DocStar customers gain control over documents, improve retention and increase efficiency with the ability to capture, store and manage any document, from any location, on any device. DocStar’s experience in providing powerful integrations with various ERP solutions, accounting systems or other lines of business applications gives companies an even better return on investment. Deeper business insights empower users to make smart decisions that positively impact the bottom line.
We are encouraging Epicor ERP customers on releases 10.1.600 or 10.2.x, or moving to 10.1.600 or 10.2.x that are also using Altec to migrate to DocStar for a number of reasons:
The DocStar solution is more comprehensive, providing an all browser-based UI, easy-to-use user experience, well-integrated single platform for capturing, storing, retrieving and collaborating with search engine-like document searching, viewing/annotation, scanning, intelligent data capture, version control, security and retention management along with a drag and drop graphical workflow and electronic form designers.
Why DocStar Over Altec For Epicor ERP
Now that DocStar is part of Epicor, there will continue to be coordinated development and innovation with respect to future Epicor ERP releases for tighter integration between the solutions.
With DocStar, customers now have the choice between a cloud or on-premises deployment with the same functionality.
A tighter integration between ERP and ECM solutions is key for a seamless user experience. DocStar and Epicor ERP 10.1.600/10.2.x (and all subsequent versions of Epicor ERP) are tightly integrated for document attachment management functionality (Epicor APR and Epicor APR with DocStar to store/retrieve documents from Epicor ERP). DocStar AP automation processes invoice through the DocStar workflow to validate and match against Epicor ERP 10.1.600/10.2.x data in real time and raise exceptions when needed before automatically creating invoice records in ERP 10.1.600/10.2.x. Using DocStar workflows, electronic forms, and scanning, various other processes within your organization can be streamlined and automated to continue to expand the usage of the DocStar solution suite.
DocStar is Epicor’s only go-forward integrated ECM and AP automation suite for Epicor ERP.
Altec To DocStar Migration FAQ
DocStar, Altec, And APM Document Management In Epicor ERP
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.
Whether you’re new to the world of IT or a bastion of knowledge for your organization in all things tech, there are exciting technologies poised to disrupt Industry in the very near future. the top 5 technology trends in 2019 are full of Innovation and advancements. These rapidly maturing and increasingly adopted technologies are some of the most exciting concepts you may or may not have heard of. Each example is poised to change the way we approach fortifying our systems and advancing our workforces to tackle the challenges of corporate and operational growth.
Here are what we think will be the top 5 technology trends in 2019 that will likely have a significant impact on businesses:
1.) Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI)
Hyper-converged infrastructure, or simply hyper-convergence, is a software-defined IT infrastructure. Counter to traditionally constructed systems that involve several components of on-premise hardware that may not speak to each other, HCI seeks to virtualize and combine systems that have traditionally been “hardware-defined”, like storage systems, servers, and networking switches. HCI seeks to modernize organizations through the virtualization of computing, SAN, and networking components of infrastructure into one unified appliance set. That means one source for all resources. The methodology comes in a few forms, including a standalone appliance, a reference architecture, and a software-only model.
What Does It Mean For Businesses?
By doing away with siloed physical hardware systems, HCI seeks to establish a business’ IT infrastructure in a purely software-defined environment that eliminates traditional data-center inefficiencies and reduces the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). It is a trend that seeks to marry the agility and versatility of cloud infrastructure without requiring companies to give up their on-premise systems.
When companies no longer have a need to rely on disparate computing and storage systems, management becomes simplified and resource utilization becomes much more efficient. To that end, operations become far less complex and scalability becomes easier to achieve, making HCI one of our first picks for the top 5 technology trends in 2019.
2.) Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD WAN)
To better understand that SD WAN is, it helps to understand standard Wide Area Network (WAN). A WAN is a telecommunications or computer network that extends across a large distance and is capable of transferring data across that distance. This distance can be between regions, countries, or reach across the globe. These networks are generally created with leased telecommunications circuits.
In the case of SD WAN, what you might also refer to as Link Load Balancing, organizations can expand their Wide Area Network to scale alongside requirements, such as increased bandwidth, media streaming, video conferencing, and VOIP calls, much more affordably and with improved performance. SD WAN is designed to address and avoid the pitfalls of networking maintenance and troubleshooting, such as network congestion, packet delay variation, packet loss, and service outages.
According to Gartner, a research firm, SD WAN carries with it four main qualities:
The ability to support multiple connection types, such as MPLS, frame relay and higher speed LTE wireless communications
The ability to do dynamic path selection, for load sharing and resiliency purposes
A simple interface that is easy to configure and manage
The ability to support VPNs, and third-party services such as WAN optimization controllers, firewalls and web gateways
What Does It Mean For Businesses?
Because SD WAN is a virtualized WAN, businesses reap the benefit of being able to utilize any transport protocol needed. Uptime is further ensured thanks to the utilization of multiple providers for failsafe and bandwidth allocation as necessary. This virtualization also lends the added security benefit of covering security protocols, like malware defenses and botnet intervention, for multiple branches and remote devices. Provisioning on the fly is another substantial benefit of SD WAN. You can send an un-configured device to a site and have all the required network certificates, keys, and policies applied upon installation, immediately implementing the necessary permissions, documentation of traffic patterns, and access of network users. The tech may not be as new as some of the others to make our list of top 5 technology trends in 2019, but it will no doubt become more prevalent.
3.) Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Connectivity
The Internet of Things (IoT) exists as a network of interconnected devices that communicates data to a central system that makes sense of it all.
This network consists of all edge devices connected to the many interchanges of an enterprise. From the deli counter to eCommerce platforms, the data gleaned from this network provides invaluable insight into what is successful and what is not in terms of the products and processes that form the inner workings of a business.
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) brings this interconnectivity and data-focused paradigm to the terminals, sensors, and other systems on the factory floor.
What Does It Mean For Businesses?
These data-fueled factories become “intelligent” environments, capable of informing enterprises from the top down of the efficiency and shortcomings of their factory processes and performance both in real-time and over time. In short, the IoT and IIoT data enables manufacturers further to refine and improve operations with relevant and up to date data for smarter, faster decision making. There is no doubt continued invetment in IoT and IIoT technologies and connectivity secure this concept as top 5 technology trends in 2019.
4.) AI-Enabled Security
As more and more data flows through digital devices and connections, the need for improved security protocol and tools increases in tandem. AI-enabled security is one way enterprise security teams and individuals can protect critical data and infrastructure, even when in-house resources are relatively scarce.
Did you know that malicious actors will typically spend 200+ days in a system before extracting critical and valuable data? Learning who the players are and who holds the keys to the most protected data takes time and malicious actors have the patience that pays off in the long run. However, AI has the potential to be infinitely more patient, resourceful, and vigilant.
What Does It Mean For Industry Businesses?
AI-enabled security makes the list as one of the top 5 technology trends in 2019 because by establishing baselines for normal behavior, traffic patterns, bandwidth allocation, permissions, and user access, system anomalies can be detected within seconds. Intelligent security systems can then act according to the parameters designed by security professionals.
5.) Augmented Reality (AR) And Virtual Reality (VR)
There are numerous applications for AR and VR. Take for instance training of new employees. If a business operates in a single location, managers can give hands-on training and face-to-face feedback with relative ease. What happens when a business operates in multiple locations and needs to onboard multiple resources in a finite amount of time. With the capabilities AR and VR present, managers can work and train remotely with staff. By using vision systems to see what they see, audio to hear what they hear and communicate clearly, and even present schematics, diagrams, and drawing in real-time, managers can to direct training programs from anywhere and at any time.
What Does It Mean For Industry Businesses?
Interactive walkthroughs, first-hand product demos, disaster preparedness, and a multitude of training simulations are only a handful of examples where AR and VR will be one of the top 5 technology trends in 2019 and a major game changer for businesses big and small.
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.
Epicor ERP 10.2.300 is now live and generally available to users. Epicor Software Corporation officially announced the release of their latest version of Epicor ERP (10.2.300) earlier this month. It was released to the public last week.
Announced at Epicor Insights earlier this year, the new capabilities provided in 10.2.300 deliver a better employee experience, improves package control, manages electronic (ACH) transactions in finance and leverage the power and agility of the Microsoft Azure platform to enhance the brands ERP cloud offerings. The Epicor Dealer Network Portal has also been released alongside Epicor ERP 10.2.300.
Epicor ERP 10.2.300 Features
When it comes to overall functionality, Epicor ERP version 10.2.300 brings a lot to the table in terms of capabilities found in the preceding releases of version 10.2. In its latest release, Epicor continues to build on its cloud-first architecture, provides new capabilities for users, strengthens its impact on business objectives, further develops ease of use and overall user experience, and improves visibility with relevant data insights. Leveraging the improved user experience, global capabilities, analytics, deep industry focus, performance and quality, more than 450 companies and 9000 users are utilizing the Epicor ERP 10.2.300 release in the cloud.
Epicor ERP 10.2.300 Kinetic UX Design And Framework
When it comes to usability and simplicity, Epicor ERP 10.2.300 extends across platforms and devices to drive growth and cultivate positive digital experiences. The workforce of today has come to expect device agnostic access coupled with intuitive interfaces. Epicor ERP 10.2.300 delivers on expectations with the best-in-class UX design and framework provided by Kinetic. Bringing a modern look and feel to the forefront, Kinetic goes further by improving system usability and performance.
Epicor ERP 10.2.300Business Intelligence And Analytics
Data visibility and analysis tools continue to draw significant investment from Epicor and, in the ERP 10.2.300 release, Epicor Data Discovery (EDD) brings even more advantages. Leveraging the data you need to make analyses for timely and accurate decisions has never been easier. Enhanced with new dashboards and an advanced version, EDD can be used to provide a standalone security mechanism across multiple solutions—with or without ERP.
Sales and Material Management benefit greatly from empowered Epicor Data Analytics views, as well. A new content pack, making it easier to align financial and operational data, has been released for Financial Statements, too.
Simpler is better When it comes to SRSS reporting and a new SSRS Report Design application delivers enhanced design, preview, and publishing capabilities.
Epicor ERP 10.2.300Dealer Network Portal
When it comes to Epicor users’ selling of products and services, a digital experience geared towards dealers is as important as the one provided to their own customers. Attract new levels of loyalty from dealers when leveraging the Epicor Dealer Network Portal, a component of Epicor Commerce Connect. The new Portal includes:
The Ability to leverage the Epicor Web Configurator
A focus on a dealer-centric experience
A dealer-dedicated channel through which to drive growth
“According to Forrester, direct-to-consumer (D2C) commerce is not a new approach to retail, but there is renewed interest for it among branded manufacturers. Epicor can help manufacturers transform the dealer experience through a modern eCommerce interface that dramatically elevates their brands to accelerate business growth. Dealer Network Portal works seamlessly with Epicor ERP and eliminates the cost of manual interactions and duplicate data entry, reducing errors, and overall operational costs.”
Scott Hays, Senior Vice President, Product Marketing, Epicor Software.
Epicor ERP 10.2.300Package Control Identification (PCID)
The platform’s Package Control Identification (PCID) component received a significant expansion resulting from Epicor’s investment. PCID is an essential component of ERP for any manufacturer with a requirement for superior traceability, such as medical devices and aerospace and defense. Those manufacturers intent on grouping products together and managing their location and path through the enterprise. This release signifies the largest investment in traceability of Epicor ERP in years.
Epicor ERP 10.2.300Field Service Automation (FSA)
Introduced with the initial release of version 10.2, Field Service Automation continues to make great advancements with four new integrations in:
Material Requests
Returned Material Goods
Expense Reporting
The Expansion Of Bi-Directional Contract Management
Additionally, enhancements for ease of use and to support international requirements across the product for both FSA Office and Field Mobile users including added functionality for call center, surveys and mobile pricing.
Epicor ERP 10.2.300Global Business Management
The release of Epicor ERP 10.2.300 continues to expand with 20 countries that have been enhanced to stay current with recent updates.
The US and Canada received a major feature update to support wider use of electronic payments through ACH. Further expansion regarding the capabilities of ACH include direct deposits for payroll and automatic withdrawals from customer accounts.
US-based business’ FIPS 140-2 encryption and compliance requirements for U.S. customers is been introduced for companies with ITAR compliance requirements. For international customers, release enhancements include:
Automatic matching of AP & AR payments
Lower of cost or net realizable value (LCNRV) reporting
Epicor ERP 10.2.300 Cloud And MS Azure
The partnership between Epicor and Microsoft continues to make expand with the Microsoft Azure platform. Epicor 10.2.300 further leverages a range of Azure technologies that include Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) to deliver ready-to-use, tailored-to-fit productivity and innovation solutions for midmarket manufacturers and distributors. Regardless of whether Epicor users’ deployment is in the cloud or not, the benefits of the partnership can be readily seen with the release of Epicor ERP 10.2.300. The capabilities of Azure include:
Epicor Cloud Upgrade Services is using cloud resources to move Vantage/Vista, Epicor ERP 9, and 10.0 customers to the latest release.
In-app messaging is now available to message to cloud users, bringing greater clarity around use of Epicor ERP in the cloud.
Online help and education are available to all users in the cloud, simplifying the installation and ongoing management of Epicor ERP for all customers.
Azure AD Authentication is used for single sign on (SSO) capabilities for both cloud users and Mobile CRM users.
Epicor ERP 10.3.300 Epicor University
New learning tools, content, and training tools are now available through Epicor University (EU). Users can leverage these new and exciting features to further achieve business goals. Beyond offering comprehensive training options The latest release can be more readily aligned with the different learning styles and needs of employees.
The Epicor ERP 10.3.300 release offers 75+ Upgrade Essentials courses that have been carefully designed to train users on the new functionality available to them. all users on maintenance and support have these courses available to them. Epicor’s Knowledge on Demand (KoD) service has been built directly into Epicor ERP 10.2.300, which includes several new short videos to help solve problems quicker and better understand the new functionality that can be used to great advantage. Ge the answers you need quickly and get back on task with simple search a function in the video library. Alternatively, you can access KoD video content through the Epicor ERP product directly. The Video Help icon on the program toolbar will assist in connecting you with the appropriate video content for your needs.
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.
Our partners, the tax experts at Avalara are offering 40% off the list price for the Epicor integration for AvaTax (Tax Connect). Not only this, but you can earn 3 free months of service when entering into a 1-year agreement. That’s 15 months for the price of 12. Don’t miss out on this promotion that will only run through the end of 2018.
Looking for a way to boost your 2019 performance? Integrate the power of SigmaNEST fabrication software with the business smarts of Epicor. Contact us at Encompass for more information on end-of-year package deals from SigmaTEK.
