Epicor Software Corp. has unveiled its vision for the future of enterprise resource planning (ERP) to help manufacturers simplify business processes and optimize operations.
The vision, unveiled by the Austin-based software company at its recent Insights Consumer Conference in Las Vegas, is designed to improve the flexibility of a manufacturer’s factory, warehouse and distribution network by delivering enhanced layers of digital information.
The key themes behind Epicor’s new platform strike a familiar note among ERP professionals: The harnessing of artificial intelligence, automation and analytic capabilities to drive efficiencies across all elements of a company .
Epicor’s says its new ERP platform will help a manufacturer improve the overall flexibility and effectiveness of its factory and distribution network, connecting its various operations digitally and analyzing the data collected across the enterprise. The network transforms into what Epicor calls the connected enterprise, which makes it possible for a manufacturer to initiate knowledge-enabled systems to enhance processes and make the best use of its people and machines
Epicor sees an enterprise making more use of data, analytics and automated control across the factory and warehouse and intelligently converging such insights with the requirements of customers and suppliers
That evolution will enable an enterprise to respond to changes and challenges rapidly. It will also help a company reduce costs, improve customer satisfaction, increase revenues and potentially gain a larger market share.
“With the increasing availability and affordability of IoT (internet of things) – connected solutions, and technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, companies now have the opportunity to enable dynamic coordination and automation between systems,†says Terri Hiskey, Epicor’s vice president for product marketing and manufacturing.
Hiskey says manufacturers stand on the brink of creating intelligent production environments within connected digital ecosystems in which systems like Epicor’s ERP will act as a digital core for a factory’s functions. As an example, Epicor IoT connects into the Microsoft Azure IoT hub, which allows companies to capture vast amounts of data from IoT sensors and analyze that data to gain insights for better decision making.
Epicor reports a range of modifications to its ERP, including user interface transformation that will make use of its Kinetic Design System to improve ERP ease of use and customer experience. This will create a new look for popular screens and applications. The enhancements include a new mobile time and expense application, a refreshed Gantt-based graphical project management boardOpens a new window , and a job scheduling board.
Key takeaways:
- A truly connected enterprise can link production assets and enterprise IT to deliver contextualized information and operational intelligence that can improve productivity and performance across the entire value chain.
- Epicor’s vision of the future of ERP is encompassed in the upcoming release of its latest platform this month, which seeks not only to improve connectivity but also to provide the pathway to smarter decision making for its customers.
- Industry analyst IDCOpens a new window has predicted that more than 40% of manufacturers will have enterprise-wide digital transformation initiatives in place by 2021.
- IDC also predicts that by 2024 more than 60% of G2000 manufacturing organizationsOpens a new window will rely on AI platforms to drive digital transformation across their supply chains, leading to productivity gains of more than 20%.