ERP Implementation Archives

RPA DNA – What is Robotic Process Automation?

by EstesCloud | May 16, 2023 | Business Consulting, Cloud, ERP, ERP Consulting, ERP Implementation, Hosting, Managed IT Services, Software

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a new software technology that has the potential, in conjunction with AI technologies, to transform business processes, policies, and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.

RPA removes workers’ mundane, time-consuming tasks so that they can alternatively focus on innovation and creation. With RPA, software robots, rather than humans, quickly and efficiently perform data system tasks. Simple software robots can log in to data systems, locate and move files, insert and alter information in data systems, and assist in analytics and reporting.

More advanced software robots, especially if they have AI technology, can interpret, organize, and make decisions in a cognitive, human-like way. Businesses will discover that RPA technology is relatively inexpensive to implement, and it is business-ready and scalable.

A variety of different industries — in manufacturing, finance, and healthcare — can benefit from adopting RPA technology into their business operations and processes. The benefits of RPA technology are expansive, and these benefits carry over into ERP system implementations and ERP processes. Ultimately, with RPA, businesses can focus on improving their workplace atmospheres so that they are more efficient and productive.

What are the benefits of Robotic Process Automation (RPA)?

As businesses seek to automate their work flows to become more efficient and productive, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) will continue to transform workplace atmospheres and advance processes and operations while increasing production and profits. By implementing RPA technology, businesses will realize the following benefits:

RPA is initially inexpensive to implement and is ready for use, with minimal coding, by most data systems.
RPA eliminates some of the monotonous, arduous tasks that fatigue workers.
RPA eliminates human error and encourages speed, efficiency, and accuracy of repetitive tasks.
RPA adapts to meet increased production needs and ultimately reduces costs and increases production.
RPA creates a happier working atmosphere in which employees can focus on customer relations and innovation rather than mundane tasks.
RPA encourages a strong increase in rate on investment (ROI).
RPA promotes consistent compliance with industry and government standards.
RPA enhances security by eliminating human interaction with sensitive, private information.
RPA can automatically generate reports and analytics that businesses can use to improve their processes and operations.

How does Robotic Process Automation (RPA) integrate with ERP systems?

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are essential for businesses to tailor their workplace atmospheres, and by utilizing Robotic Process Automation (RPA), businesses can automate and reappropriate mundane tasks to software robots rather than humans.

Users will be able to realize the full benefits of ERP systems and focus on more foundational tasks while RPA accomplishes lower-skilled, mundane tasks. ERP systems will experience similar benefits that businesses have when integrating Robotic Process Automation (RPA). Some areas that ERP operations can utilize and benefit from RPA include:

Accurate data capture and transfer
Assistance with and automation of data migration
Inventory and supply chain management
Real-time data sharing
Real-time analytics and reporting necessary for compliance

Why should businesses integrate their ERP systems with RPA technology?

Many companies are hesitant to implement Robotic Process Automation (RPA) or fear that RPA will eliminate workers. RPA is cost-effective and easy for businesses to implement and integrate into their ERP systems. RPA software increases speed, productivity, and efficiency of processes and operations while encouraging a happier workplace atmosphere.

RPA doesn’t replace humans. It certainly is more consistent and reliable, but there will always be a need for human interaction. Although RPA will eliminate many of the lower-skilled, mundane tasks that humans must perform, workers will still be responsible for higher-skilled, fundamental tasks. As RPA streamlines workplaces and ERP systems, humans will be able to focus on more complex, meaningful tasks that will help businesses grow and maximize profits.

Combining an ERP system with new cloud-based technology allows businesses to experience all the benefits of both while approaching the future with automation and efficiency. Businesses will see cost reductions and great increases in rate on investment (ROI).

ERP systems with integrated RPA technology encourage streamlined workplace atmospheres, innovation, competitiveness, and ultimately, business growth. RPA lets workers enjoy their coffee, innovate, and communicate with customers while it does the grunt work.

Looking for answers to questions about how new technology can help your business? Fill out the form to meet with our team to learn how cloud-based solutions and services can help you achieve your goals!

5 Ways Cloud Deployment Changes SYSPRO ERP

by EstesCloud | Feb 16, 2023 | Cloud, Distribution, ERP Consulting, ERP Implementation, Hosting, Managed IT Services, SYSPRO

SYSPRO ERP Cloud Deployment vs. On-Premise Infrastructure

Top manufacturers and distributors are choosing private or hybrid cloud deployment for enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. This is especially true for cloud-ready ERP systems, like Epicor Prophet 21 and SYSPRO ERP. On-premise deployment can be limiting in the fast-paced world of manufacturing and distribution. Competition is fierce, cybercrime is rampant, and compliance regulations demand visibility and competition.

Fortunately, cloud deployment of ERP systems like SYSPRO offers you a competitive edge with increased visibility, improved growth potential, enhanced control, long-term scalability and affordability. Moreover, fully managed ERP hosting in a data center gives your business speed, reliability, and a written 100% uptime service level agreement (SLA).

SYSPRO cloud-ready ERP helps your business leverage data while protecting it, and a private or hybrid cloud deployment ensures scalability, security, and long-term success. For instance, you can increase control and scalability while gaining valuable insights into every part of your manufacturing or distribution business. You gain insight into everything from inventory management to customer relationship management.

Are you cloud-ready but not fully in a cloud of your own? Read on to learn more about why cloud computing is the top trend for companies running ERP software systems like SYSPRO. Business owners, leadership teams, and steering committees continue to look to managed cloud hosting partners like EstesGroup. Why? Most importantly, you can get the ERP consulting and cloud services you need with a 24x7x365 support team ready to serve you throughout your ERP deployment or cloud migration journey. This ensures a good foundation for long-term success with both your software and your technology.

What a Private or Hybrid SYSPRO Cloud Looks Like

Manufacturers and distributors are constantly looking for ways to increase visibility, growth, control, and long-term success. One of the most effective strategies for achieving these goals is to invest in a managed hosting solution for your ERP system. SYSPRO managed hosting provides an array of benefits that can help manufacturers and distributors reach their business objectives.

Benefits of an Estes Cloud Deployment for SYSPRO ERP

An on-premise deployment might be the right decision for your business. However, EstesGroup has seen the following outcomes for manufacturers and distributors that choose to shift to managed hosting solutions. In addition to SYSPRO, we have created success stories for many other complex enterprise resource planning systems. Talk to us to learn more about successful cloud migrations in Epicor Kinetic, Epicor Prophet 21, and Sage ERP.

You can stay competitive in your industry by keeping up with digital transformation trends.
You get instant access to valuable tools that let you control and analyze security and compliance.
You can now gauge success with improved KPI tracking, benchmarking, and monitoring.
You can easily customize your business strategy with new access to remote worker enablement tools, offering employees ultimate portability.
You can quickly increase or decrease your cloud complexity with consumption-based pricing with no ingress or egress costs.
You will instantly gain a valuable external team of SYSPRO enterprise resource planning consultants and technology experts. Your internal team gets everything you need to support both immediate and long-term business goals.

What is SYSPRO in EstesCloud?

EstesCloud hosting (ECHO), also known as a private cloud for SYSPRO or hybrid cloud solutions for any ERP system, is a cloud-based service that provides businesses with the ultimate access to enterprise resource planning software and its related services. SYSPRO is a cloud-ready ERP and is easy to deploy in an external data center. Your EstesGroup data center meets your needs for everything from cybersecurity to backup and disaster recovery. EstesCloud managed cloud services help your business by taking care of your technology while also providing ERP consultants that are always just a phone call away.

With SYSPRO managed hosting, customers can enjoy the benefits of having their own dedicated server without the need to purchase or maintain hardware. The service also includes 24/7 support, automated backups, and scalability options so businesses can easily scale up or down as needed.

1. Increased Visibility

The first benefit of managed ERP hosting for SYSPRO ERP is increased visibility. Access to real-time data on operations, customers, suppliers, and inventory levels, gives manufacturers and distributors good data. You can make informed decisions quickly and accurately. This allows you to respond quickly to changes in the market or to customer demands while also staying ahead of competitors.

Additionally, with SYSPRO’s cloud-based platform, they can access this information from anywhere at any time – giving them greater flexibility when making decisions or responding to customer inquiries.

2. Improved Growth Potential

Another advantage of a hybrid cloud deployment option is improved growth potential. With a cloud-based ERP system like SYSPRO, manufacturers and distributors have the ability to scale up or down as needed. Basically, you won’t need to purchase additional hardware or software licenses. This allows you to save money while still being able to expand your operations as needed.

3. Enhanced Control

SYSPRO managed hosting also brings enhanced control over operations. Manufacturers and distributors gain complete control over their data security measures. This includes encryption protocols that help protect sensitive information from unauthorized access or misuse.

Furthermore, with its built-in disaster recovery capabilities, you can ensure that all data is backed up regularly. If there were ever an issue, your systems could be restored quickly without any disruption in service. This keeps operations running smoothly, even during unexpected events such as power outages or natural disasters.

4. Long-Term Success

Finally, one of the biggest advantages associated with a private ERP cloud is a long-term success thanks to scalability and affordability. Many private or hybrid cloud solutions operate on a pay-per-use model, enabling you to only pay for what you need when you need it. That way, you can avoid dealing with the massive upfront costs associated with purchasing the hardware and software licenses needed to maintain your own cloud network.

5. An EstesGroup Partnership

Ready to get started with a partnership that will bring you immediate access to the best SYSPRO consultants and technology experts in the nation? If you’re ready to get started with your own private or hybrid ERP cloud deployment, EstesGroup can help. We provide fully managed IT and cloud services to all companies across all industries that are using enterprise resource planning software. Connect with us and get access to a team of ERP consultants with years of experience in cloud services and managed IT. We are dedicated to helping you succeed with your ERP project.

Let's Talk. Schedule a Free Consultation Today.

License to Go Live: Accessing Epicor License Info

by Brad Feakes | Jan 9, 2023 | Epicor, Epicor 10, Epicor Kinetic, ERP Consulting, ERP Implementation

Manufacturing a License to Be Different

No two Epicor implementations are quite the same.

One of the primary reasons for the differences between the configuration of two Epicor® Kinetic environments has to do with licensing. The Epicor® application has a broad suite of licensed modules, and most customers do not license the exact same Epicor® modules. So, how do you decide how to drive your Epicor® license?

Epicor License Info Epicor Kinetic Data Management

Considering the complexities and capabilities of manufacturing and distribution companies, Epicor® has created ERP systems for these industries that are ready for the unique challenges business owners face, from office to factory to customer. Each Epicor® application is a many-headed hydra, and with each head comes different modules and different capabilities. The number of heads determines the character of the monster.

If you are an enterprise resource planning (ERP) consultant, it is important to understand which modules are licensed, as this affects your options for helping a customer solve its many business problems.

If you are an ERP system user, it is similarly helpful to understand which Epicor® Kinetic modules are licensed, when working with support and troubleshooting unexpected behavior.

As you will see, the modules you license impact the behavior of the system, and unexpected behaviors might actually be explained by the underlying Epicor® license.

In the past, accessing Epicor® licensing was a bit of a pain. You needed to be able to access the Kinetic application server’s admin console to be able to gather licensing information. This required additional access levels and many additional steps.

Epicor Admin Console Epicor License Info

Now, as a function of Epicor’s more recent versions, you can access licensing information directly from the application.

When logged into the application itself, you can access Epicor® license information through the Epicor® Company Configuration module by simply navigating to the “License” tab and clicking the “Retrieve License Info” button to load the Epicor license information that would previously be retrieved via the Epicor® Admin Console:

You no longer need access to the Epicor® Application server to extract this information. All you need is the appropriate Epicor® security permissions to access the Epicor Company Configuration screen.

As with any Epicor® grid, you can also export the license into a spreadsheet format, using the “Copy to Excel” or “Copy All Include Labels” commands.

This new functionality makes it much easier to get licensing information at the tip of your fingers, when working with Epicor® support or your customer account manager.

Do you need to get your Epicor® Module list in a hurry? Are you chasing down an issue with support and need the details now? Look no further than the Company Cig screen, and be on your way to fast and good answers about your system.

GET HELP WITH YOUR EPICOR LICENSE & MORE NOW

How to Use Technology to Manage Freight Costs

by Brad Feakes | Nov 23, 2022 | Distribution, Epicor, ERP, ERP Consulting, ERP Implementation, Prophet 21

Freight costs are more important than ever in our turbulent times. With ongoing inflation, and the possibility of a recession looming, runaway freight costs threaten to take distributors’ profit margins for a ride.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions often lack proper tools within the base software for managing freight costs and often must rely on third-party applications and web sites to manage and execute carrier pricing. With a potential recession on the horizon, it is more important now than ever to recover costs and protect profits. Companies go to great lengths to negotiate freight rates with carriers but often fall short on execution of the rates resulting in paying higher costs. A better solution is needed, especially in light of the challenges that a recession will bring.

Freight Costs business concept: Small cardboard boxes with a plane flies above world map. Concept of transportation, international freight, global shipping, goods or services remotely. overseas trade, regional

November 30th @12PM – 1PM (EASTERN)

ShipSource: Using Technology to Manage Freight Costs During a Recession

On November 30th, at Noon (Eastern), Ron Cope of ShipSource will discuss the techniques necessary when using technology to manage freight costs during a recession. The session will focus on things you can do to improve freight execution and become more efficient to control spending.

Companies spend significant time, resources, and money to license and install shipping software. Efficient and fully-functional shipping solutions are a must in the distribution industry in general and in the Epicor Prophet 21 community, in particular. Moreover, there is a need in the P21 industry for custom platforms that meet clients’ needs, that are integrated immediately, and can go live within days.

ShipSource is an authorized distributor of the ShipVia multi-carrier transportation management system, and has been providing Prophet 21 shipping solutions since 2005. ShipVia was created to meet the Prophet 21 shipping needs of the P21 distribution community, by providing a robust rating engine that can be deployed quickly at affordable pricing.

Tailored to fit the corporate growth initiatives and financial strategies, the solution supports a robust solution and a rapid implementation. If you are looking for a solution that supports rating for all your carriers and can be fully implemented within days, then ShipSource has the system for you.

Meet Ron Cope of ShipSource at ESTES INTEGRATE 2022

Ron Cope has more than 35 years of experience with transportation management. Currently, Ron is the President of ShipVia, the manufacturer of the ShipVia transportation management software program and ViaDUCT integration software. Ron is also the Managing Partner of ShipSource that is licensed to distribute the ShipVia software products.

Ron Cope, ShipSource

Ready to keep your freight costs in your control?

Boosting P21 Sales Through CRM

by Brad Feakes | Nov 18, 2022 | Epicor, ERP Consulting, ERP Implementation, Prophet 21

If you’re in the distribution industry and planning for 2023, you might be asking, “How do I land more accounts and close more deals?” Leveraging CRM as the customer-facing side of your ERP system can help answer these questions. But ERP systems routinely fall short when it comes to natively providing best-in-class CRM capabilities.

Successful Prophet 21 CRM processes are most often supported by a best-of-breed third-party solution. White Cup’s solution for P21 is one such system, that can help extend the capabilities of your Prophet 21 ecosystem. But successful Prophet 21 CRM is best paired with Prophet 21 Business Intelligence, and White Cup complements their CRM offering with a robust BI platform, allowing users to mine the sales funnel with precision.

Within the context of P21 BI and P21 CRM, just what does a “day in the life” look like for a P21 salesperson?

On November 30th, Steve Hesson of White Cup will be presenting at 1:00 ET, on the subject of Driving P21 sales using White Cup CRM and BI. White Cup can take your P21 data to a new level of sales success.

Drive more sales from your P21 data with White Cup. In this session, White Cup’s Steve Hesson will cover the tactical ways that P21 integrates with White Cup CRM and BI (formerly MITS BI) to help create more sales opportunities and close more deals.

Increase existing customer sales using business intelligence
Speed up sales cycles with automated CRM workflows
Win new customers by responding to opportunities faster than the competition

White Cup turns a distributor’s sales pains into profit gains. Their CRM, Business Intelligence (BI), and Pricing software make it easier for you to sell more, keep more profit and beat the competition. With over 20 years of experience, White Cup is trusted by more than 1,000 customers globally.

Meet Steve Hesson at ESTES INTEGRATE 2022

Steve Hesson is White Cup’s Regional Sales Manager. He’s worked with distributors and manufacturers for the last six years and is passionate about selling technology that makes it easier for sales reps to crush their quotas and grow businesses.

How to Prepare Your Supply Chain for 2023

by Brad Feakes | Nov 17, 2022 | Business Consulting, Distribution, Epicor, ERP, ERP Consulting, ERP Implementation, ERP Risks and Challenges, Prophet 21

Over the last few years, I’ve seen companies perform every possible inventory management tactic to mitigate the supply chain challenges that afflicted the nation as a function of the pandemic. Some strategies proved to be detrimental, with manufacturing and distribution companies burdened at times with massive quantities of low-turn product.

That is to say, if you are a distributor recovering from stressors due to the pandemic, optimally managing your Prophet 21 inventory levels is of utmost importance as you head into the new challenges of 2023. COVID-19 and other recent global events are testing the resilience and flexibility of supply chains.

Supply Chain Challenges International freight or shipping service for online shopping or ecommerce concept : Paper boxes or carton put in circle around a clear crystal globe with world map on a computer notebook keyboard.

How Can You Prepare Your Supply Chain for 2023?

Slimstock is one company that can show you how to be ready for the possible supply chain rollercoasters of the new year. Slimstock’s forecasting, planning, and purchasing solution integrates with the P21 application to bring you to the next level of P21 efficiency and P21 optimization.

Slimstock is the market leading AI-powered inventory optimization software. Slimstock helps companies using Epicor Prophet 21 by enabling the delivery of the right stock to the right place at the right time.

Slimstock does this by all-in-one P21 integration of Inventory Forecasting, Demand Planning and Purchase Optimization, with machine learning capabilities.

Over the last 25 years, Slimstock has helped thousands of companies to boost profitability and unlock working capital by improving availability, increasing efficiency, and eliminating waste with guarantee on ROI within a year.

Since their inception in 1993, they have worked in collaboration with business leaders, domain experts and academics and the P21 user community to develop their award-winning inventory optimization platform, Slim4.

Join Jeff Steinecker, Dennis Weir, and Ryan Shanks, on November 30th at 4:00 (Eastern), as they work to help Prophet 21 companies in supercharging their P21 supply chain strategies and practices.

Meet Slimstock at ESTES INTEGRATE 2022

Jeff Steinecker (Strategic Accounts Executive at Slimstock): Jeff has an extensive experience in helping customers realize gains in productivity, efficiency, and fun. He is a knowledge expert in supply chain and can align, lead, and grow supply chains with assured returns.

Dennis Weir (Business Development Executive at Slimstock): With a strong background in supply chain, Dennis is your Knowledge Partner for Demand Planning and Inventory Optimization. He is excited to represent Slimstock and answer any questions you may have.

Ryan Shanks (Pre-Sales Demonstrations & Solution Architect at Slimstock): Ryan has a background in Supply Chain, primarily focusing on Logistics, Distribution, and Sourcing. He enjoys sharing knowledge with others and thus is delighted to be a part of the webinar.

WATCH A VIDEO INTERVIEW NOW