Ready to move your manufacturing ERP to the cloud? Discover 9 simple steps that make the transition smooth, secure, and future-ready for your future dominance as a competitive and profitable manufacturer.
As manufacturers look to stay competitive and future-proof their operations, migrating to the cloud is becoming a strategic necessity. Moving your manufacturing ERP to the cloud is all about what your new infrastructure doesn’t do: limit how you run your business.
1. Assess Your Current Environment and Plan for Cloud Migration
Before you even think about migrating an enterprise resource planning system like Epicor Kinetic, take a moment to assess your current infrastructure. What are your pain points? What’s working well, and what’s holding you back? And equally important—what are your future growth goals? By understanding both where you are and where you want to go, you can ensure the cloud environment you migrate to can scale with you.
2. Create a Cloud Migration Strategy for Your Manufacturing ERP
Now that you’ve assessed your current needs, it’s time to plan your manufacturing ERP migration strategy. This isn’t just about setting a timeline, it’s about understanding exactly what needs to be done and who’s responsible for each step. A thoughtful plan minimizes risk and ensures that your migration is completed on time and with as little disruption as possible.
3. Back Up Your ERP Data (Crucial Before Migration)
Data is the lifeblood of your business, and migrating your ERP system to the cloud shouldn’t come at the risk of losing it. Before making any major changes, back up your entire manufacturing operation database. This is your safety net, ensuring that should anything go wrong during the transition, you have a secure copy of your critical business data.
4. Sync User Accounts and Licenses for a Smooth Migration
Once your database is secure, it’s time to sync user names, licenses, and configurations. This is crucial for ensuring that your users will have the same access and functionality in the cloud as they had before. Syncing these elements will help avoid disruptions and ensure a smooth user experience after your manufacturing operations are in the cloud environment.
5. Test Your Cloud ERP Environment Before Going Live
It’s time to test your new cloud setup. Setting up a test environment in the cloud is one of the best ways to ensure that everything works as expected before the final cutover. Simulating your everyday operations lets you spot any potential issues and correct them before going live.
6. Test for Access and Functionality for Manufacturing in the Cloud
Testing doesn’t stop after the first phase. The second round focuses on critical areas like user access, connectivity, and the overall functionality of your manufacturing ERP system in the cloud. It’s essential to verify that your system is performing at the right speed and reliability to support your day-to-day business needs. When you look deeply into the process of how to move your manufacturing ERP to the cloud, you’ll see that good testing can ensure that you’ll maximize your return on investment (ROI) for both the ERP software and its deployment model.
7. Select the Perfect Cutover Date for Your ERP Migration
With the heavy testing behind you, it’s time to schedule your cutover date for moving your ERP to the cloud. Work with your team to identify the best time for this transition. Choose a time that offers the least disruption to your daily operations. With careful planning, you can make sure your cloud migration happens without operational disruption and on schedule.
8. Proactively Protect Manufacturing Data with Cloud Backups and Disaster Recovery
Even after testing, it’s essential to take one more step to safeguard your data. Backup your data to the cloud before the final migration to know for sure that everything is secure and recoverable. If something unexpected happens, your business can continue running without major disruptions.
9. Go Live: And Teach Others How to Move Your Manufacturing ERP to the Cloud (Successfully!)
Now, it’s time to go live with your new private or hybrid cloud. Your Epicor Kinetic ERP software, or other manufacturing ERP system, will now run in a secure cloud environment tailored to your industry and to your unique manufacturing operational strategy. Whether you’ve opted for a private or hybrid cloud, this is the time to experience the tremendous benefits of scalability, flexibility, and enhanced security. No hardware costs attached. It’s also time to recommend this way of deploying ERP to your friends.
The Result: Cloud Operations Made for Manufacturers
By migrating your ERP system to the cloud, you’re setting your manufacturing operations up for long-term success. Cloud environments offer unmatched flexibility, scalability, and security. These are key ingredients for future-proofing your business. Plus, with 24/7 support and robust disaster recovery, you can focus on what you do best: running your business, not managing infrastructure.
Ready to learn how to move your manufacturing ERP to the cloud? Sign up for a free demo today!
Duplicated data. Delayed reporting. Missing information. Missing opportunities. Even local distribution businesses are feeling the heat of global competitors winning the technology integration marathon. As tariff turmoil creates a supply chain fervor amongst procurement specialists, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software vendors and resellers push customers into solutions that challenge control, distributors are facing the chaos of digital dissonance. The distribution industry is especially vulnerable to tech stack fragmentation because the entire foundation of the business is built for mobility. This means the entire system, from ERP to IT to cloud, is vulnerable to breakage, to disruption.
The Solution
Read on to learn how distribution companies are leveraging ERP systems like Epicor Prophet 21 with third-party integrations to move, shake, and innovate−without the risk of breaking the business.
Table of Contents
ERP: The Digital Box Unboxed by IT Disconnects
CRM: Syncing Departmental Windmills or Hopping Sales Silos?
Business Intelligence: Data’s Untapped Tapped
Integration: The Great Chain of Tech Strategy
Distribution Tech Stack Tips
Rethinking Tech Stack Fragmentation
According to industry insights, 60% of mid-market manufacturing and distribution companies use more than five disconnected tools to manage core processes. Without integration, businesses struggle with duplicated data, siloed teams, and decision-making that’s reactive instead of strategic.
Mid-sized distributors typically operate with lean teams and legacy tools. Sales reps track leads in spreadsheets. Inventory lives in an ERP system. Customer data floats around in a CRM—or worse, email threads. BI dashboards are built once, then forgotten. None of these systems talk to each other.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
ERP software promises operational harmony, yet without integration, it often adds to the noise. Systems need to talk to each other intelligently.
ERP software promises profitability. But even with ERP in place, distribution companies still face costly digital risks:
Inventory management discrepancies
Long, profit-draining quote-to-cash cycles
Invisibility due to limited visibility into stock or order status
Takeaway for IT Leaders
ERP is essential—but not sufficient. Look for ERPs with strong API support and native integration options.
CRM
A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool can transform how sales teams manage leads, follow up, and retain accounts. But when it doesn’t integrate with ERP or BI systems, it contributes to tech stack fragmentation—becoming just another disconnected app that limits visibility and slows down the sales cycle.
Without integration, sales problems multiply:
Sales can’t see real-time inventory
Reps manually enter order data across platforms
Managers lack a unified view of the customer journey
Takeaway for Sales Leaders
A CRM is only as powerful as the data it connects to. Ensure it’s embedded in your ERP workflows—not floating above them.
Business Intelligence (BI)
Business Intelligence (BI) tools help distributors visualize data trends—if the data is accurate and timely. But many BI implementations pull outdated or incomplete information from siloed systems, limiting their value.
When fully integrated, BI tools can do the thinking for you:
Forecast demand and reduce overstock
Analyze customer buying patterns
Identify profit leaks across departments
Takeaway for Finance Teams
BI needs clean, connected data. Integration isn’t optional—it’s foundational.
ERP Integrations
A truly modern tech stack connects ERP, CRM, and BI platforms into a single system of intelligence. Integration doesn’t just reduce friction—it increases revenue potential by aligning every team around the same data.
When these tools are integrated:
Sales, finance, and ops share real-time data
Customer experience improves dramatically
Leadership gains visibility for better forecasting
Takeaway for Company Leaders
Integration isn’t just an IT team responsibility—it’s a strategic imperative for business agility and growth.
5 Tech Stack Fragmentation Tips
Map the Fractures: Identify all your disconnected systems and where data overlaps or is duplicated.
Simplify First: Choose tools that play well together—favor platforms with open APIs and distribution-specific capabilities.
Train Cross-Functionally: Don’t let departments optimize in isolation. Train teams on how data flows across the organization.
Partner Smart: Work with integrators and solution providers who understand the distribution space—not just generic software.
Measure ROI Early: Use KPIs like quote-to-order time, error rates, and customer satisfaction to track integration impact.
If your team is rekeying data, struggling with reporting, or working across multiple platforms without sync, your stack is fragmented. Ready to fix your ERP and IT problems? One hour could save hundreds. Schedule your free tech stack review with the EstesGroup team today.
Managing an ERP implementation is like setting out on a major expedition. The right guide can make all the difference between smooth sailing and getting stuck halfway to your destination (without a single fish!). Read on to make your Epicor® Kinetic or Epicor® Prophet 21 project easier today.
Fishing for You: Full-service Team Project Management Model
In traditional “Big ERP,” a fish-for-you method is often used. People in the industry sometimes call this “Big ERP,” and this approach was popularized in SAP implementations. In this case, the consulting partner comes in and extracts business information from your subject matter experts (SMEs), then uses that information to configure the system.
Often, the individuals who are extracting this information are quite different from those actually performing the system configuration. This model expects less of a time investment from your subject-matter-expert community, but it requires a significantly larger team of consultants and business analysts. As such, the consulting cost to an organization can be significantly higher. This model also tends to take longer to complete, which is typical for the big fish-for-them format.
In a full-service project management model, a consulting partner like EstesGroup takes the lead role. We handle the detailed planning, day-to-day management, and problem-solving so your team can stay focused on operations.
Teaching You to Fish: The Core Team Model
The other approach is often referred to as the core team model. In this model, a core team is assembled from the company’s subject matter expert community. These SMEs form a core team that operates in conjunction with the consultants’ core team. The core team is responsible for understanding and communicating the organization’s core requirements, and then working with the consultants to configure the system.
This model expects a much larger time investment from the subject matter experts — often requiring full-time commitment.
In the coaching model, your team stays deeply involved. A team like EstesGroup comes in to guide, mentor, and support, but you lead the charge. This approach focuses on building in-house ERP project management capabilities so your business isn’t just implementing a system—you’re growing internal experts who can optimize it for years to come.
How do companies decide between options when managing an ERP implementation?
The truth is, many successful Epicor® ERP projects use a blend of both approaches. You might start with full-service project leadership to hit critical milestones and transition to a coaching model as your team grows more confident. At EstesGroup, we tailor project management to your unique needs — whether that means handing you the fishing pole or helping you “reel in” the challenging bits and bytes, such as supply chain management or cybersecurity protocols.
What Full-Service ERP Management Looks Like
Project Planning and Roadmapping: Aligning system goals with business strategy.
Timeline and Milestone Tracking: Keeping all work-streams moving smoothly.
Task Management: Overseeing everything from system builds to user acceptance testing.
Risk and Issue Resolution: Proactively identifying and addressing roadblocks.
Vendor and Stakeholder Coordination: Managing communication so your leadership team stays informed.
Advantages of Full-Service Project Management
Faster Timelines: Seasoned project managers keep things moving efficiently.
Minimal Business Disruption: Your employees don’t have to juggle day jobs with project work.
Proven Playbooks: Experienced teams bring best practices honed across many ERP implementations and new risks like tariff volatility.
Considerations for Project Costs and Culture
Higher Costs: You’re paying for a complete service, start to finish.
Knowledge Retention Risk: Your team may feel less connected to the system if they weren’t hands-on during the build.
Culture disruption: Your team will be stressed by too much interference, which is why EstesGroup focuses on the partnership aspect of projects throughout every step.
Full-service ERP project management is a great fit if your team is bandwidth-constrained or if hitting a tight go-live deadline is critical.
What Coaching and ERP Partner Empowerment Looks Like
Collaborative Roadmapping: Your team helps design the project plan.
Training and Skill Development: We coach your team on best practices for project leadership.
Guided Execution: Your employees manage tasks, with access to expert advice whenever needed.
Ownership and Confidence Building: Your team grows into a force of independent ERP stewardship.
Advantages of the Core Team Model
Sustainable Success: Your organization develops strong ERP project management skills.
Lower Total Cost of Ownership: Consulting hours are often lower since your team leads key tasks.
Higher System Adoption: When users are involved early, change management feels more natural.
Considerations for Project Costs and Culture
Time and Resources: Team members must invest time to learn and lead.
Longer Implementation Timelines: Learning curves can extend project schedules.
Culture, Culture, Culture: Long-term internal expertise requires that employees are content and will stay to coach others.
Building in-house ERP project management capabilities is essential for organizations that want not only to implement a system successfully, but also to develop lasting internal expertise that drives continuous optimization over time.
When considering all options when managing an ERP implementation, why partner with EstesGroup?
Choosing the right Epicor® project management approach shouldn’t be overwhelming. Our team has helped businesses across manufacturing, distribution, and services industries implement ERP successfully — with flexible support models that build lasting success. We’re here to manage your project if you need a steady hand. We’re also here to coach your team to become future ERP champions if that’s your goal. Teaching ERP project management skills is what we do every day. We’re not only here to help you choose your path forward — we’re here at every step on your ERP implementation project. ERP implementation. On-premise or cloud deployment. ERP upgrades. We have the ERP expertise to help you know your options for every little detail of your Epicor® ERP implementation approach.
Want to explore your options for managing an Epicor® ERP implementation? Chat will us now, give us a call, or fill out the form below and we’ll email and call you faster than you can say ERP!
In today’s global economy, tariffs can shift overnight — and for distributors, those changes ripple quickly across pricing models, supplier relationships, and customer expectations. While tariffs are nothing new, the pace and complexity of trade updates in recent years have made it harder for teams to react quickly and plan confidently.
Strategy: Establish contingency plans for sourcing and logistics
Strategy: Collaborate closely with trade compliance experts and consultants
The Tariff Challenge: Limited Visibility, High Stakes
Tariff exposure often hides in plain sight. Vendor records might show countries of origin or product categories, but few ERP systems offer a clean, consolidated view of which suppliers are likely to be impacted by new tariffs — and what those impacts could mean financially.
Procurement and finance teams are often left piecing together spreadsheets, customs data, and supplier intel to make urgent decisions. And by the time a potential risk becomes clear, the cost implications may already be felt.
Oversight, Strategy, and Control: Three Ways to Get Ahead of Tariff Risk
1) Invest in Strategic Supplier Diversity
By diversifying your supplier base across multiple countries or regions, you reduce reliance on any one source that may become tariffed. Your ERP system should help track and categorize suppliers by region, and your team should regularly audit where your critical parts or products are coming from.
2) Improve Cross-Functional Visibility
Tariff risk isn’t just a procurement issue — it touches pricing, forecasting, inventory, and even customer experience. Integrating trade visibility into dashboards accessible to operations and finance leadership is key. This means making tariff exposure a regular part of your supply chain reporting, not a fire drill when changes hit.
3) Use Purpose-Built Tools for Trade Risk Management
Rather than rely solely on generic ERP reports, modern distributors are turning to specialized tools that augment their ERP environment. These tools often bring in external data, enrich vendor records with AI insights, and suggest actionable strategies like pre-purchasing inventory or temporarily shifting pricing models.
If you use Epicor Prophet 21, there’s a new solution available that may be worth exploring: the Recurrency Tariff Manager.
This lightweight dashboard plugs directly into your P21 system and uses AI to analyze your vendor list for likely tariff exposure. In under 15 minutes, it can show you where you’re at risk — and help you take action, whether that means sourcing alternatives, adjusting purchasing, or planning pricing changes.
It’s a smart way to bring clarity into a complex challenge — without requiring months of development or a full system overhaul.
Managing tariff risk isn’t just about compliance or cost control. It’s about building resilience into your operations — so that when change comes, you’re prepared. By improving visibility, sharing insights across teams, and using the right tools, you can turn tariff challenges into strategic opportunities.
If you don’t want to explore things like how to manage tariff risk in distribution ERP without industry experts helping you the mitigate risks, our team at EstesGroup is always available to help you make sense of your data and identify the right tools for your ERP and business strategy.
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As of version 2026.1, Epicor’s Kinetic ERP will no longer contain a smart client deployment, and the user base will communicate with the application exclusively through a web browser.
Depending on the extent of customizations to the UI and to components like dashboards, conversions may take a significant amount of time in modification and testing.
That said, what are key differences?
The user communicates with Epicor in a new User Interface (UI)
Runs in a browser instead of a fat client
Runs on web-centric devices—not limited to a traditional computer screen and now available on tablets, phones, etc.
Epicor components and business objects can be accessed through a mobile app—not limited to Epicor’s own apps
UI can be customized, but has no C# code, so heavy lifting must be off-loaded to BPMs and Functions
So you want to know more Epicor Kinetic UI tips and tricks for when the rubber meets the road? The EstesGroup Epicor Kinetic consulting team recently covered some technical areas of concern that can help you migrate to a better place moving forward.
In helping customers move to Kinetic, we’ve encountered countless requests for various items of the Epicor Kinetic UI “tips and tricks” variety—something like: “Can Classic dashboards be automatically converted to Kinetic?”
The answer is “yes, but…”
An easy way to generate the Kinetic application is via the Tools/Deploy Dashboard option. You can preview the dashboard or generate the application when you’re satisfied with it. This does convert a lot of things well, but you’ll notice something immediately with the trackers when you preview the Kinetic dashboard.
The filter field(s) in the very first tracker will appear in a slide-out panel when the dashboard opens. Filtering may or may not actually work. Notice there is no OK button in this example.
Other panels have had different issues. And once the panel is discarded, the user can never access it again until the dashboard is restarted. Also, if there are multiple queries/trackers on the dashboard, the subsequent trackers will never fire. It might seem disheartening at first blush, but there are workarounds.
A relatively easy way to do this is this procedure in Dashboard Entry:
Copy the dashboard to avoid changing the original, perhaps add a “K” to the end of the dashboard ID, or some other scheme
Load the new copy of the dashboard
Delete all trackers on the dashboard
Preview the dashboard and make sure it runs okay, other than the missing trackers
Save the dashboard
Create the Kinetic application (Tools/Deploy/Application)
Open the new Kinetic application and add the trackers back in
Adding the trackers manually may sound like a lot of work, but it’s not too bad. Plus, you can add some nice functionality.
Need more guidance? Sign up to get our Ultimate Epicor Kinetic UI Tips and Tricks Guide!
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