Epicor Prophet 21 vs. Sparkrock

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
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
Sparkrock
Score 9.0 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
Sparkrock’s cloud-enabled solution helps organizations manage their finance and accounting, human resources and payroll, human services case management, and donor and fundraising activities. According to the vendor, key benefits and features include: Finance Management with capabilities to help organizations increase transparency and reduce risk. Workforce Management to help front-line employees deliver services to clients, with tools that help them to be…N/A
Pricing
Epicor Prophet 21Sparkrock
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Epicor Prophet 21Sparkrock
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup fee$50,000 per installation
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Features
Epicor Prophet 21Sparkrock
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
6.6
4 Ratings
9% below category average
Sparkrock
9.4
3 Ratings
26% above category average
Pay calculation8.04 Ratings9.03 Ratings
Benefit plan administration6.72 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Direct deposit files5.93 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
9.0
15 Ratings
22% above category average
Sparkrock
10.0
2 Ratings
32% above category average
API for custom integration9.015 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Plug-ins9.014 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
8.6
24 Ratings
6% above category average
Sparkrock
9.5
5 Ratings
16% above category average
Single sign-on capability9.321 Ratings10.04 Ratings
Role-based user permissions8.023 Ratings9.05 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
6.4
27 Ratings
8% below category average
Sparkrock
9.0
4 Ratings
26% above category average
Dashboards6.021 Ratings9.03 Ratings
Standard reports6.027 Ratings9.04 Ratings
Custom reports7.022 Ratings9.03 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
6.0
23 Ratings
24% below category average
Sparkrock
8.8
5 Ratings
14% above category average
Accounts payable5.823 Ratings10.05 Ratings
Accounts receivable5.823 Ratings9.05 Ratings
Global Financial Support3.010 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers1.212 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations9.013 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Configurable Accounting5.811 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Standardized Processes5.813 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
1.7
25 Ratings
129% below category average
Sparkrock
9.3
2 Ratings
17% above category average
Inventory tracking2.225 Ratings9.02 Ratings
Automatic reordering2.218 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Location management1.321 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
8.0
25 Ratings
3% above category average
Sparkrock
-
Ratings
Pricing8.024 Ratings00 Ratings
Order entry8.025 Ratings00 Ratings
Credit card processing7.019 Ratings00 Ratings
Cost of goods sold8.024 Ratings00 Ratings
Order Orchestration8.013 Ratings00 Ratings
Subledger and Financial Process
Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
4.2
16 Ratings
55% below category average
Sparkrock
9.6
1 Ratings
26% above category average
Billing Management5.813 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Cash and Asset Management5.814 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Travel & Expense Management4.59 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting1.28 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Period Close1.315 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Project Financial Management
Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
9.0
8 Ratings
17% above category average
Sparkrock
9.4
1 Ratings
21% above category average
Budgeting and Forecasting9.06 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Project Costing9.04 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Cost Capture9.04 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Capital Project Management9.03 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Customer Contract Compliance9.08 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Project Revenue Recognition9.03 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Project Execution Management
Comparison of Project Execution Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
1.0
3 Ratings
149% below category average
Sparkrock
-
Ratings
Project Planning and Scheduling1.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Task Insight for Project Managers1.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Project Mobile Functionality1.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Definable Resource Pools1.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Grants Management
Comparison of Grants Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
4.9
3 Ratings
43% below category average
Sparkrock
9.3
1 Ratings
21% above category average
Award Lifecycle Management4.02 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Procurement
Comparison of Procurement features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
1.8
8 Ratings
118% below category average
Sparkrock
9.6
1 Ratings
32% above category average
Bids Analyzed and Compared1.26 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Contract Authoring9.05 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Contract Repository1.25 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated1.25 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Supplier Management1.26 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Risk Management
Comparison of Risk Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
1.2
3 Ratings
138% below category average
Sparkrock
-
Ratings
Risk Repository1.23 Ratings00 Ratings
Control Management1.23 Ratings00 Ratings
Control Efficiency Assessments1.23 Ratings00 Ratings
Issue Detection1.23 Ratings00 Ratings
Remediation and Certification1.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Logistics
Comparison of Logistics features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
1.1
10 Ratings
145% below category average
Sparkrock
-
Ratings
Transportation Planning and Optimization1.27 Ratings00 Ratings
Transportation Execution Management1.25 Ratings00 Ratings
Trade and Customs Management1.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Fulfillment Management1.26 Ratings00 Ratings
Warehouse Workforce Management1.27 Ratings00 Ratings
Manufacturing
Comparison of Manufacturing features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
1.0
3 Ratings
153% below category average
Sparkrock
-
Ratings
Production Process Design1.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Production Management1.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Configuration Management1.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Work Execution1.03 Ratings00 Ratings
Manufacturing Costs1.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Supply Chain
Comparison of Supply Chain features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
3.0
13 Ratings
83% below category average
Sparkrock
9.3
1 Ratings
25% above category average
Forecasting1.211 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Inventory Planning8.512 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Performance Monitoring1.211 Ratings9.01 Ratings
Product Lifecycle Management
Comparison of Product Lifecycle Management features of Product A and Product B
Epicor Prophet 21
1.1
4 Ratings
147% below category average
Sparkrock
-
Ratings
Proposal Management1.23 Ratings00 Ratings
Product Master Data Management1.23 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Epicor Prophet 21Sparkrock
Small Businesses
Acumatica
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Score 8.7 out of 10
Acumatica
Acumatica
Score 8.7 out of 10
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Infor VISUAL
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Score 7.4 out of 10
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Infor VISUAL
Score 7.4 out of 10
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SAP Business ByDesign
SAP Business ByDesign
Score 7.5 out of 10
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User Ratings
Epicor Prophet 21Sparkrock
Likelihood to Recommend
5.8
(28 ratings)
9.0
(9 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(1 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Usability
5.8
(3 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Availability
8.2
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
6.4
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
6.5
(4 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.2
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
7.3
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
6.4
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
6.4
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
5.5
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.1
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.2
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
8.2
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Epicor Prophet 21Sparkrock
Likelihood to Recommend
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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Sparkrock
For all companies that want to improve the performance of their employees and increase productivity, this software helps all daily business tasks to be executed on time efficiently and smoothly. A very useful program that's why we don't stop using it.
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Pros
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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Sparkrock
  • Data collection - the system is robust and we can tailor it to collect the information we need.
  • Easily configurable - the system is easy to configure to meet our specific business needs.
  • Reporting and data extraction - the system allows for easy access to information that helps inform business decisions.
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Cons
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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Sparkrock
  • Many of the improvements are being met with each upgrade. Altus Dynamics has an idea portal that customers can add ideas to and vote on other customer ideas. This means that most issues that come up are resolved with each new upgrade.
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Likelihood to Renew
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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Sparkrock
We are already scheduled for our upgrade to NAV 2016 beginning in May 2016.
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Usability
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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Sparkrock
Complete workflow management to keep up to date and orderly the daily activities of employees. Allows for seamless cash flow, invoicing, general ledger, payroll, and inventory.
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Reliability and Availability
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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Sparkrock
No answers on this topic
Performance
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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Sparkrock
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
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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Sparkrock
Complete tracking of employee performance, hours worked, attendance and absences, vacations, and overtime.
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In-Person Training
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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Sparkrock
No answers on this topic
Online Training
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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Sparkrock
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
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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Sparkrock
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
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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Sparkrock
  • Real-time data that is available at our fingertips
  • Flexibility of the system to address changing needs over time
  • Elimination of the huge administrative burdens that we were experiencing as a result of the previous system due to lack of integration
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Scalability
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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Sparkrock
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
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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Sparkrock
  • As a technician it's hard for me to say what effect the ROI has had on our organization, however our finance team seems satisfied on it. We look forward to deploying the staff dashboards for better financial tracking throughout our whole organization.
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ScreenShots

Sparkrock Screenshots

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