Kinetic is a decent product. All ERP's have their pros and cons. Kinetic has the right click navigation which is really awesome. The BAQ tool is great for advanced users, but not for the average user. Epicor should consider adding a functionality like the MS Dynamics/Great Plains Smart list.
Epicor's user interface is easily customizable so that users can focus their main access screen to support just those functions that are relevant to their work day; helping to avoid menu clutter and confusion.
Epicor advanced scheduling provides true drag and drop customizable dashboard with real-time updates to allow users to easily track jobs on the shop floor in an easy to understand Gantt-style (MS Project style) graphical interface.
Epicor's customizable dashboards are also updateable, adding the ability for real-time collaboration and updates. From nearly every key field in Epicor, even on dashboards, the ability to drill down to source data is one "right click" away.
Epicor reporting uses standard Microsoft SQL SSRS instead of 3rd party add-ins such as Crystal Reports. This improves speed significantly during report generation, and ensures a common platform for upgrades without concerns about rewriting reports to incompatible versions.
Epicor has a "Google-like" search feature (Enterprise Search) that is top notch. It literally allows you to search on any key word in your data set and brings back relevant results in various groupings to make it simple to quickly get to the data you need. This is the favorite feature of new users.
Interaction with different products. We use advancedMES and quickship and there is a bit of a disconnect between Kinetic and those two programs. I wish there was a better connection between the two where I can easily manage what aspects influences each program.
Documentation. There have been a few times where I feel that I can get a better answer from the epiuser forum than the actual help guide.
Error handling. Some errors are very vague which can make my job a bit harder. There have been a few errors where the only solution was guessing and checking a traced output.
I think there was some loss of functionality with the switch to the kinetic screens that decreased the usability. I would provide a 9 prior to the switch to full kinetic screens. While I like the Kinetic layout I don't think it was ready to move to production as there still seems to be a lot of bugs and kinks to work out. It isn't that the new layout is hard to use inconvenient on its own. I actually like the grid views and after getting used to application studio I like our ability to customize with less code. But I've run into a lot of bugs in he new screens that have required us to install the local client and open up the classic screens for specific associates who need some basic functionality that simply isn't working in the Kinetic screens. And that's specifically on our of box features. I expect to hit snags on customized screens but not out of box
If the answer to your problem is not readily available in an answer book, your response or solution will take months, if you get one at all. Problems need to be sent to support and duplicated by them before they try to fix it. This is extremely frustrating because you have to prove to Epicor that you are having an issue. If by some miracle you get by this barrier, your problem is submitted to development for review. You can't speak to them or communicate in any way directly. This group appears to be completely unconcerned about user issues or customer service. Our experiences have been negative across the board.
Baxter had been on an inhouse designed and programmed ERP system, then we were purchased and moved onto a mainframe with a customized ERP system. The decision to move off the mainframe was made and we started looking at a replacement system. I put together a list of 10 EPR systems, looked into reviews on them, and what features they had. We looked at our processes and made a list of things that a new ERP system must have. We then cut the list down to 5 and then asked the supplies for demos, we ended up looking at 3 systems, and Epicor was the system we went with. We compared it to the ERP system from Microsoft, in the end. The product configurator that Epicor had as part of their ERP system was far better than any other we had seen. Most of the ERP systems didn't have one or would have to customize one for us. Just to list a few ERP systems we looked at, Dynamics, MaS 90, Production 2000, Infor, and Macola.
Using the word Scalability usually implies an increase of use, or adding the use of other features. Making the product put to good/proper use for small companies without the need for full-time support, whilst integrity is maintained it is an entirely different topic. In my view, the current company may have acquired a full truck with options, where initially a small pick-up may have been better suited.
