Epicor Kinetic vs. Epicor Prophet 21

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Epicor Kinetic
Score 7.4 out of 10
N/A
Epicor Kinetic (the name of the former Epicor ERP) presents a wide feature breadth, customizability, and scalability, typical product-centric cloud ERP offerings. It is meant as a single, end-to-end software solution for businesses, and is available on-premise, hosted, or in the cloud as a software as a service (SaaS) solution.N/A
Epicor Prophet 21
Score 5.9 out of 10
N/A
Prophet 21 from Epicor is a distribution ERP providing SCM capabilities (warehouse, inventory) as well as the ability to streamline quote-to-cash cycle, improve margins, and fulfill orders.N/A
Pricing
Epicor KineticEpicor Prophet 21
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Epicor KineticEpicor Prophet 21
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsMust contact sales team for pricing.
More Pricing Information
Features
Epicor KineticEpicor Prophet 21
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
7.4
13 Ratings
3% above category average
Epicor Prophet 21
6.6
4 Ratings
9% below category average
Pay calculation7.713 Ratings8.04 Ratings
Benefit plan administration7.79 Ratings6.72 Ratings
Direct deposit files6.39 Ratings5.93 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
6.0
26 Ratings
19% below category average
Epicor Prophet 21
9.0
15 Ratings
22% above category average
API for custom integration6.124 Ratings9.015 Ratings
Plug-ins6.022 Ratings9.014 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
7.5
37 Ratings
8% below category average
Epicor Prophet 21
8.6
24 Ratings
6% above category average
Single sign-on capability8.030 Ratings9.321 Ratings
Role-based user permissions7.037 Ratings8.023 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
8.4
37 Ratings
19% above category average
Epicor Prophet 21
6.4
27 Ratings
8% below category average
Dashboards7.936 Ratings6.021 Ratings
Standard reports9.036 Ratings6.027 Ratings
Custom reports8.332 Ratings7.022 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
7.1
36 Ratings
7% below category average
Epicor Prophet 21
6.0
23 Ratings
24% below category average
Accounts payable7.334 Ratings5.823 Ratings
Accounts receivable7.235 Ratings5.823 Ratings
Global Financial Support9.016 Ratings3.010 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers6.316 Ratings1.212 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations7.319 Ratings9.013 Ratings
Configurable Accounting7.917 Ratings5.811 Ratings
Standardized Processes8.018 Ratings5.813 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
9.9
36 Ratings
23% above category average
Epicor Prophet 21
1.7
25 Ratings
129% below category average
Inventory tracking9.935 Ratings2.225 Ratings
Automatic reordering9.921 Ratings2.218 Ratings
Location management9.928 Ratings1.321 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
8.7
39 Ratings
11% above category average
Epicor Prophet 21
8.0
25 Ratings
3% above category average
Pricing9.036 Ratings8.024 Ratings
Order entry8.039 Ratings8.025 Ratings
Credit card processing7.219 Ratings7.019 Ratings
Cost of goods sold8.938 Ratings8.024 Ratings
Order Orchestration9.916 Ratings8.013 Ratings
Subledger and Financial Process
Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
8.8
22 Ratings
17% above category average
Epicor Prophet 21
4.2
16 Ratings
55% below category average
Billing Management9.917 Ratings5.813 Ratings
Cash and Asset Management9.918 Ratings5.814 Ratings
Travel & Expense Management5.713 Ratings4.59 Ratings
Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting8.914 Ratings1.28 Ratings
Period Close8.218 Ratings1.315 Ratings
Project Financial Management
Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
9.2
19 Ratings
19% above category average
Epicor Prophet 21
9.0
8 Ratings
17% above category average
Budgeting and Forecasting9.015 Ratings9.06 Ratings
Project Costing8.016 Ratings9.04 Ratings
Cost Capture10.017 Ratings9.04 Ratings
Capital Project Management9.011 Ratings9.03 Ratings
Customer Contract Compliance9.09 Ratings9.08 Ratings
Project Revenue Recognition9.012 Ratings9.03 Ratings
Project Execution Management
Comparison of Project Execution Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
7.6
14 Ratings
11% above category average
Epicor Prophet 21
1.0
3 Ratings
149% below category average
Project Planning and Scheduling7.612 Ratings1.03 Ratings
Task Insight for Project Managers5.47 Ratings1.03 Ratings
Project Mobile Functionality7.25 Ratings1.03 Ratings
Definable Resource Pools7.36 Ratings1.03 Ratings
Grants Management
Comparison of Grants Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
7.8
7 Ratings
3% above category average
Epicor Prophet 21
4.9
3 Ratings
43% below category average
Award Lifecycle Management8.03 Ratings4.02 Ratings
Procurement
Comparison of Procurement features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
8.2
13 Ratings
16% above category average
Epicor Prophet 21
1.8
8 Ratings
118% below category average
Bids Analyzed and Compared8.75 Ratings1.26 Ratings
Contract Authoring9.04 Ratings9.05 Ratings
Contract Repository7.75 Ratings1.25 Ratings
Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated8.87 Ratings1.25 Ratings
Supplier Management7.910 Ratings1.26 Ratings
Risk Management
Comparison of Risk Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
7.9
3 Ratings
19% above category average
Epicor Prophet 21
1.2
3 Ratings
138% below category average
Risk Repository8.02 Ratings1.23 Ratings
Control Management8.03 Ratings1.23 Ratings
Control Efficiency Assessments8.02 Ratings1.23 Ratings
Issue Detection8.02 Ratings1.23 Ratings
Remediation and Certification8.02 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Logistics
Comparison of Logistics features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
7.3
11 Ratings
6% above category average
Epicor Prophet 21
1.1
10 Ratings
145% below category average
Transportation Planning and Optimization7.75 Ratings1.27 Ratings
Transportation Execution Management7.04 Ratings1.25 Ratings
Trade and Customs Management7.04 Ratings1.04 Ratings
Fulfillment Management5.18 Ratings1.26 Ratings
Warehouse Workforce Management7.76 Ratings1.27 Ratings
Manufacturing
Comparison of Manufacturing features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
8.1
20 Ratings
7% above category average
Epicor Prophet 21
1.0
3 Ratings
153% below category average
Production Process Design7.915 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Production Management7.619 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Configuration Management8.113 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Work Execution7.715 Ratings1.03 Ratings
Manufacturing Costs9.319 Ratings1.02 Ratings
Supply Chain
Comparison of Supply Chain features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
9.4
21 Ratings
26% above category average
Epicor Prophet 21
3.0
13 Ratings
83% below category average
Forecasting8.917 Ratings1.211 Ratings
Inventory Planning8.920 Ratings8.512 Ratings
Performance Monitoring9.915 Ratings1.211 Ratings
Product Lifecycle Management
Comparison of Product Lifecycle Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Kinetic
7.6
7 Ratings
5% above category average
Epicor Prophet 21
1.1
4 Ratings
147% below category average
Proposal Management7.44 Ratings1.23 Ratings
Product Master Data Management7.05 Ratings1.23 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Epicor KineticEpicor Prophet 21
Small Businesses
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Score 8.7 out of 10
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Score 8.7 out of 10
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Score 7.4 out of 10
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Score 7.4 out of 10
Enterprises
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Score 7.5 out of 10
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User Ratings
Epicor KineticEpicor Prophet 21
Likelihood to Recommend
8.2
(39 ratings)
5.8
(28 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(1 ratings)
5.8
(3 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
6.4
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(2 ratings)
6.5
(4 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
6.4
(1 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
6.4
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
5.5
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.5
(15 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
7.6
(14 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Epicor KineticEpicor Prophet 21
Likelihood to Recommend
Epicor Software
Epicor is an excellent system for most manufacturing customers and offers several features previously only offered on the very large (e.g. Oracle, PeopleSoft, etc) level platforms. Yet the pricing is mid-level, and the expandability through additional modules provides a great opportunity for future business growth. The architecture is easily scalable, fast, and offers great options for both on premise and hosted systems. Epicor is flexible, and large enough that regular updates and enhancements continue to be adopted to improve functionality and effectiveness. It is however, not for everyone. Competition in this sector is very good, with several mid-level systems being available at a similar price point. If you are considering adopting a new ERP system and are in the plastics space, you also owe it to yourself and your team to consider IQMS, which is becoming a de-facto standard in this segment. Also, for specific medical sectors, you will find that Epicor software validation for CFR Part 11 compliance can be quite costly-- although the software is capable of supporting this with modification. Overall, Epicor is a solid choice. Ultimately, it will be up to your team to determine what works best for your needs. You won't be disappointed with Epicor if you do the due diligence and take the time needed to properly review and demo the product. Remember though, demos are typically "best case" staged, so be sure to throw several curveballs at your vendor and bring out the unique requirements of your business.
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Epicor Software
Good for distribution organizations with warehousing. Can also support both Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable, although a more thorough Accounting package is recommended. Is strong when it comes to integrating bar codes and scanners, particularly for warehouse maintenance. Prophet 21 does include a basic CRM offering. However, it is very basic, and for any real Customer Resource management, a third-party tool is best (even recommended by Epicor.)
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Pros
Epicor Software
  • Epicor has the best product configurator that I have seen on the market. This was one of the main reasons we went with Epicor, and have not been disappointed at all.
  • Epicor is also one of the easiest ERP system to learn, and has many ways for users to get training. Epicor University, on-line courses, or class room settings, also user conference every year, and user support groups.
  • The Enterprise search ability in Epicor is great, can find parts, customers, suppliers, etc. so easily. And if you can't remember where a report or task that you want to do is on the menu, you can search for that also.
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Epicor Software
  • The system allows us to pretty much design it to work the way want it to work. It is a very flexible system for the most part.
  • The system doesn't let you make too many shortcuts with getting something processed. It forces you to go through the proper steps.
  • The system keeps track of everything and can be easily retrieved through history searches. Detailed reports, graphs, ....
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Cons
Epicor Software
  • Consultants should be very well trained to make sure program integrity is maintained during challenging implementations.
  • There should be an improvement on answering questions raised, especially upon migration issues.
  • When is Epicor aware of improper/incorrect implementation they might proactively offer improvement support?
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Epicor Software
  • Prophet 21 could use better management tools for its own data. The database has a tendency to bloat and over time can grow exceedingly large without administrative intervention.
  • The UI can be cluttered at times and the windows tend to jump into focus or drop from focus when it isn't expected causing user confusion and data entry errors.
  • Branding on forms and the UI is almost nonexistent. Customizations of screen aesthetics and form layout options should be easier and not require custom programming.
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Likelihood to Renew
Epicor Software
No answers on this topic
Epicor Software
I've used Epicor Prophet 21 for about 12 years (in various iterations). It started out as CommerceCenter by Prophet 21 then became Prophet 21 by Activant and then Prophet 21 by Epicor. So frequently, when a software company is acquired, it stops being great. That has not been the case with Epicor Prophet 21. Over the years they've been under Epicor, the product has just gotten better and better, with major extensibility enhancements and new mobile components coming online.
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Usability
Epicor Software
It is a good service to have people update and collaborate with I also like the ease of it. It keeps the stock of materials accountable
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Epicor Software
Overall, I love using Prophet 21. With a few rare exceptions, functions within the application have been streamlined so they can be used with as few clicks and key presses as possible. That's not to say they've given up any functionality. The platform is incredibly powerful; just easy to use.
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Reliability and Availability
Epicor Software
No answers on this topic
Epicor Software
When hosted locally, you don't have to worry about outages unless the power goes out and the battery backups fail. It can also be hosted in the cloud which is as reliable as your internet connection. There's really no concern for outages in the software by itself. Outages are controlled by external factors.
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Performance
Epicor Software
No answers on this topic
Epicor Software
I do feel like there are some screens and reports that could be streamlined. Prophet 21 likes to load features all at once when going into a program but a quicker load time into order entry, for example, is worth having a little latency while a non-essential tab that doesn't get used very often is opened.
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Support Rating
Epicor Software
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.
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Epicor Software
The support is some of the worst I've seen across all the 122 software vendors we work with. Everything is offshore and it is always vague answers, links to wiki's that don't apply, and when we pay for project support they charge $200 an hour for someone who works remote from Mexico to call you on a poor quality VoIP connection that isn't all that well trained and often doesn't have basic IT skills
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In-Person Training
Epicor Software
No answers on this topic
Epicor Software
The on-site training was great. I give it a 9 because the trainer was a chain smoker who had to excuse herself a lot to smoke. Kind of unprofessional. She was a very good trainer though.
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Online Training
Epicor Software
No answers on this topic
Epicor Software
I had a great time with the online training. Most of the online trainings were live which meant you had opportunity to interact with instructors. I liked trying to derail them by posting funny comments to the chat window. The only complaint I had about these is they weren't recorded for later use. Well, another complaint is that they were sometimes too short.
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Implementation Rating
Epicor Software
No answers on this topic
Epicor Software
The overall implementation is smooth. Prophet 21 sends someone on-site for as many days as you need them to step through the initial implementation. Data conversion is the biggest trick. Make sure you get help with that portion of implementation. Also, be sure to offer plenty of training incentives to keep people coming back for more training. A little money spent up front will save you tons of headaches later.
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Alternatives Considered
Epicor Software
Everyone at our organization really appreciated "made 2 manage" because of all of the quick access and some of the capabilities in accounting. So far, Epicor is much more advanced but the two can stand side by side. These two programs cannot really be compared just because it's just not fair to compare an on-site server ERP system to a cloud-based one.
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Epicor Software
I have not looked at them in detail, but have received a lot of positive comments through out the industry, we're on the fence in regards to viability of cloud based solutions, but from the information we have received it seems like NetSuite has developed a good solution for the industry.
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Scalability
Epicor Software
The software is pretty easy to use. Things are pretty clear on how to do them and if you don't know how to do something they have instructions on how to do them or you get an error code telling you exactly what to do. I have been satisfied with my overall experience.
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Epicor Software
Prophet 21 is very reliable. The database is robust and well designed. The application is also hard to break. If there's one feature I don't like, it's that they haven't accounted for the dreaded single quote. That's kind of the bane of Microsoft SQL's existence. They need to escape that character in every field that will accept it in the system. Otherwise, the system throws all kinds of errors and many times will crash.
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Return on Investment
Epicor Software
  • The ROI can be hard to quantify. We spend more time setting up and entering information up front, but we spend less time than before trying to track project costs so that evens out. Purchasing the system and implementing it was very expensive, but the benefit is the the better information can save money on projects as we know where best to spend our time and identify potential problems earlier on a project. We believe it will have a positive impact, but I'd say it will take a few years (3-4) to be worth it.
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Epicor Software
  • P21 has been very good with how we handle cash collections and had a positive impact for us.
  • P21 user interface saves time and thus makes people more efficient by allowing customizations.
  • With ordering, inventory, customer information, and CRM all in one location it makes the need for other programs like goldmine become obsolete.
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