Matt’s Tips for Business Improvement 

As CEO of Datix, I’ve seen plenty of manufacturers and distributors misuse their ERP solutions. Though Epicor includes comprehensive functionality, it isn’t a magical cure-all for everything going wrong in your business. Maximizing ROI from your ERP software requires adherence to best practices and guidance from experts. 

At Epicor Insights 2019, some of Datix’s experts—including myself—will discuss our services, solutions and strategies for transforming businesses with software. Insights is Epicor’s annual user conference, designed to help attendees utilize ERP to elevate their business performance. In keeping with the conference’s purpose, I’ve put together a few of my guidelines for using Epicor to elevate your enterprise.  

Process Optimization 

Too many businesses go into a software project without fully understanding their requirements and current pain points. Without really knowing where your processes are falling short, you can’t gain a solution that fixes your problems and improves your operations. Furthermore, you might be mapping broken processes and workflows onto your new system, a strategy that won’t offer the benefits you were counting on.  

The only way to get your project started on the right foot is to undergo business process modeling. This entails diagramming current workflows, detecting issues and then diagramming new workflows that you’ll put in practice after your software implementation. Through this exercise, you’ll gain a deeper insight of your business performance and how software can give you a boost.  

Software projects require a delicate balance. On one hand, you can’t select a system that doesn’t support your business processes. Stripping out your current workflows just so you can work with the new software will cause widespread user panic and likely introduce a different set of problems into your operations. On the other hand, modern software usually supports industry best practices, and your current processes might not. Revamping some of your workflows is most likely a requirement for your ERP solution to drive value.  

Software experts play an integral role in handling this balance and identifying issues that slipped your notice. Our consultants have years of experience using or managing software in a variety of manufacturing and distribution environments. We fully understand each client’s business needs as well as software best practices. Think of us as a fresh set of eyes providing a different perspective on your processes.  

Enterprise Connectivity 

An issue we’ve come across frequently over the past 20 years is information silos. Many manufacturers and distributors take a best-of-breed approach to their enterprise software. In other words, they pick and choose systems from separate vendors. We often see businesses implement a top-of-the-line ERP system from one vendor and a robust CRM or Marketing Automation instance from another vendor, selecting the best software to manage each end of their enterprise. 

It’s a good idea—after all, don’t you want the best for your business? The problem is when these systems aren’t in communication. When that happens, your enterprise lacks a complete view of your processes and customers. Limited visibility results in errors, unmet goals and disjointed practices. Furthermore, managing separate platforms requires manually entering data in several systems. 

A software integration puts your entire workforce and datasets in alignment. Unity, our landmark integration solution, seamlessly connects Epicor with CRM or Marketing Automation software. With bidirectional data synchronization, any changes and entries in one system are reflected in the other. That means no more time-consuming duplicate data entries. Sales, marketing and services departments have all the back-end information they need to drive profits and deliver strong customer experiences. The back office has 360-degree customer insight, allowing better demand planning and product improvements. 

A connected enterprise is a smarter, faster, better enterprise. Software integration facilitates end-to-end visibility and efficiency to enable business growth.  

Full Protection 

You wouldn’t buy a car without getting it insured, right? Why wouldn’t you do the same for your ERP software? Your business can’t go without the sensitive data and process automation that keep your operations running smoothly. Like cars, ERP has gotten safer over the years with data backups and stronger security measures. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a disaster, whether it’s a fire, ransomware or server outage.  

Think of EverSafe! as a form of insurance for your software. This comprehensive DR solution includes backup, disaster recovery, ransomware protection, instant on-site and off-site virtualization and more. EverSafe! offers more frequent backups than cloud providers, allowing you to get up and running within minutes of a physical or virtual server going down. Backing up data in two bi-coastal data centers, EverSafe! can ship your backed-up information to you overnight in the event of a disaster. Whether cloud or on-premises, your ERP is safe with the extensive protection of EverSafe!  

Wrap Up 

Elevating your enterprise takes more than a simple plug-and-play of your Epicor system—it requires a cohesive strategy, one that brings together your business processes and applications. Any business can make its IT infrastructure secure, effective and connected when it teams up with an experienced consulting firm.  

Over the past 20 years, Datix has refined its strategies and created a full arsenal of advanced services and solutions designed to help each business reach peak performance. At any stage of your software journey, our consultants can work with you to maximize your ERP investment. An Epicor Gold Partner, Datix is committed to executing projects from start to finish. 

To learn more about transforming your business with software, visit me at booth four at Epicor Insights. The conference takes place at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas from April 15-18. Until then, reach out to us by clicking the button below.  

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Check out the rest of our Epicor Insights 2019 series:

• Epicor Insights 2019, Part 1: Visit the Datix Booth
• Epicor Insights 2019, Part 3: ERP Integration
• Epicor Insights 2019, Part 4: ERP Services
• Epicor Insights 2019, Part 5: ERP Best Practices