Prophet 21 Overview

Growing competition, higher customer expectations, complex supply chains—these challenges and more are taking a toll on modern distributors. Distributors must be faster and more precise than ever. Fortunately, leading ERP solutions are designed to help distributors do just that. 

Prophet 21, Epicor’s premier distribution software, is utilized by over 4000 distribution customers. Prophet 21 is designed around the needs of several verticals, including HVAC Wholesale, Fastener Distribution and Electrical Distribution. The platform goes beyond pick, pack and ship to serve as an end-to-end solution to support all your business processes.  

Below, we provide an overview of Prophet 21’s comprehensive modules and functionality. Find out how the ERP software can power greater distribution performance.  

Inventory Management

Lack of visibility into inventory is a far too common problem among businesses, resulting in destructive overstocking or understocking. Epicor knows that distributors can’t afford poor inventory management. That’s why it equipped its Prophet 21 solution with full visibility and flexibility, so you never lose sight of what’s in your warehouse.  

Prophet 21 Inventory Management includes:  

• Multiple inventory replenishment methods, giving you the flexibility to lower carrying costs, minimize excess inventory, increase customer service levels and improve cash flow
• Regional distribution center inventory management capabilities, enabling you to centralize inventory and reduce overall inventory levels
• Bin management and comprehensive tracking to keep tabs on your products
• Advanced demand planning and seasonal usage forecast to help you accurately plan ahead

Warehouse Management

Warehouse management is broad and complex, consisting of a wide range of time-consuming processes. To keep a variety of operations in order, it’s imperative to have a comprehensive software solution. Prophet 21’s warehouse management module provides real-time control from receiving to shipping, ensuring precision and efficiency.  

Prophet 21 Warehouse Management includes: 

• Features designed to manage a full range of processes, such as receiving, cross-docking, put-away, picking, inventory adjustments, real-time cycle counts, barcoding and label printing
• Automatic generation and processing of business transactions that affect the warehouse without re-entering data, saving time and reducing errors
• Alerts for warehouse personnel of customer pick-up at front-counter operations
• Fully-integrated Wireless Warehouse Management Solution (WWMS), a user-friendly RF tool to further enhance efficiency by connecting your warehouse with the rest of the supply chain

Shipping

Problems with tracking and logistics result in shipping disasters for distributors. When shipping goes awry, customers fail to receive their products, orders back up and your sales suffer. Prophet 21’s shipping module is a flexible, comprehensive feature designed to streamline processes and improve customer satisfaction.  

Prophet 21 Shipping includes:  

• Value-added benefits, such as tracking numbers and preprinted labels, to reduce order processing times
• Several shipping options, including multiple-carrier shipping and integration with single carriers, such as UPS or Federal Express
• Seamless coordination of order entry and shipping, enabling distributors to follow shipping procedures without navigating between modules

eCommerce

An online store is becoming a must-have for today’s distributors. An eCommerce site has the power to increase brand recognition and entice modern buyers. However, eCommerce can also complicate the last mile of distribution, preventing orders from making it into the hands of customers. Prophet 21 solves this problem with Epicor Commerce Connect (ECC). A robust eCommerce solution, ECC is tightly integrated with your ERP to reduce errors and increase efficiency. 

Epicor Commerce Connect includes: 

• Templates and tools designed to enrich customer experiences
• Ability to automatically transfer information from online transactions into ERP
• Access to real-time stock levels, allowing businesses to avoid overselling on their online store
• A single platform for eCommerce and ERP data, eradicating duplicate data entry and promoting greater precision and speed

Financial Management

No ERP solution is complete without a financial management module. With a general ledger, accounts receivable (AR), accounts payable (AP) and more in one place, Prophet 21 is no exception. Its comprehensive module provides the flexibility and real-time insights to facilitate enterprise accuracy and productivity.  

Prophet 21 Financial Management includes: 

• Financial reports with drill-down capabilities, making it easy to access historical data for rapid auditing
• Multicurrency functionality to support global transactions
• Integration of inventory receipts and purchase orders (PO) to streamline AP processes
• Outstanding invoices tracking and flexible posting methods to help you cut AR days
• Integrated credit card processing, allowing you to accept credit card payments and receive immediate authorization directly inside your ERP solution

Wrap Up

No distribution challenge is too much for Prophet 21. Epicor leveraged its 45+ years of distribution expertise to design the right solution for multiple verticals. The above modules and features are just some of the many tools at your disposal to maximize your business performance. 

A certified Epicor partner, Datix has served a variety of distributors and manufacturers for over 20 years. Our consultants know everything there is to know about Epicor’s ERP solutions. We work closely with each client to provide Prophet 21 implementations, customizations and upgrades that meet unique business needs. Plus, with our Unity integration solution, we can rapidly connect Prophet 21 with CRM, eCommerce or Marketing Automation software to fuel end-to-end visibility and efficiency.  

It’s time to transform your distribution business with software. Learn more about Prophet 21 by contacting us today!  

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