image of man pondering the costof doing nothing when its time to upgrade software.

Doing Nothing Costs More Than You Think

Re-implementing new software, or even upgrading a system to the latest version may seem like a risky endeavor

Re-implementing new software, or even upgrading a system to the latest version may seem like a risky endeavor to most IT executives – why put a company that is “working fine” under the stress of an upgrade?

Let’s look at the return on investment on moving from a typical legacy system, to a modern system like Epicor ERP 10.

A Forrester Total Economic Impact TM Study showed significant productivity savings in invoicing and sales tax administration, and general accounting productivity increases related to creating, processing, and reporting numerous accounting entries using the Epicor ERP 10 Financials (TEI Case Study).  Epicor’s Supply chain suite provided a 15% reduction in average inventory levels, a reduction in headcount, and avoided future hiring associated with supply chain activities.

an image of man considering the cost of doing nothing when it comes to ERP software implementation.

It’s time to upgrade your ERP software and the cost of doing nothing comes at a higher price.

Many people are happy with the software they already have because it just works.  But these people do not know what they are missing out on when they opt out of modern upgrades for their software. For example – in older versions of Epicor, finding data could require navigating through multiple screens, whereas Epicor ERP 10 enjoys the sophisticated Enterprise Search built in, which is like Google for your enterprise.

Laser equipment supplier Access Laser Company recently moved from cloud deployed Epicor ERP 10 to the new version and “The move has been a smooth transition and we are already leveraging the new functionality. We especially like the enhanced Enterprise Search function, which enables us to locate sales orders and other data quickly and easily,” said Andrew Chamberlain, an information technology specialist at Access Laser Company. 

The Cost Of Doing Nothing Comes At A High Price

Concerned about the expense of provisioning hardware for an upgrade?  Leveraging modern Microsoft technologies, deployment for Epicor ERP version 10 will require substantially less (50%) hardware cost compared to earlier Epicor versions, and, of course, the hardware is not needed with SaaS/cloud Epicor ERP.

Once your business is on the latest version of Epicor ERP, whether by implementing it, or upgrading to it, Epicor has made it easier and faster than ever before for customers to take advantage of new release functionality, as evidenced by the hundreds of customers that are already up and running on the newest version of Epicor ERP in the cloud and on premises.

Boers & Co. Fine Metalworking Group, a developer fine mechanical parts, high precision assembly, and sheet metal products, went live on Epicor ERP 10.1 via a process that ICT Manager Jos Greeve characterized as “easy” and “straightforward.”   

“I’d definitely advise customers to upgrade to the latest version of Epicor ERP,” Greeve said. Boers is leveraging new functionality including the powerful new integrated mobile dashboards, which Greeve says are working very well across all mobile devices with good speed and responsiveness, and which are giving Boers the ability to understand vital real-time answers to questions around the status of Jobs, Shipments, Orders, and Shop Floor operations.

Once on the latest release, customers can take advantage of frequent service packs to the software, and, in addition, the ongoing new functionality being added with each new release.  With Epicor’s latest 10.1 release, up to date users have access to more than 300 enhanced features that build on Epicor’s core strengths across key manufacturing and supply chain functionality such as: inventory and material management, purchasing, shipping and receiving, quality assurance, project management and job scheduling, sales and CRM, quoting and order management, to name a few. Chief among these enhancements are expanded global and compliance capabilities. Broadened global capabilities include expanded country-specific functionality to enable companies to operate seamlessly in their geographies of choice. 

“Epicor ERP is architected to flex to easily accommodate and support growth — whether that’s an expanded user base, more product lines, or a broader market or geographic range,” said Malcolm Fox, vice president, product marketing, Epicor. “By providing the right technology, world‐class services and support, and an unwavering focus on driving improved business outcomes, Epicor is helping its customers’ realize their full growth potential.” 

The Cost of Doing Nothing

So what is the cost of doing nothing?  Missing out on swift service packs that can remove day to day headaches. Passing on cutting-edge technology that reduces your hardware footprint (and expenditure) and increases performance.  Losing out on the new functionality your competitors are receiving that will allow your business to compete in today’s ever more challenging environment.

Now is the time for you to stop doing nothing. Encompass is the EPICOR solution your business needs to upgrade or install the tools necessary to stay competitive, cut costs, and increase efficiency. Give us a call today and let’s get started on your next big something!

About Encompass Solutions

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

David Cranshaw
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About David Cranshaw

Dave has been supporting Epicor EDI implementations since 2007 and has a full understanding of both the standard transactions supported by the Epicor product, and due to his technical background has assisted with multiple non-standard transactions that require custom solutions to be built for unique industries. Dave also manages our internal development resources and high profile technical projects, and, as such, has had extensive experience managing Epicor projects over the last five years.