Epicor announces multi-tier solution strategy for project-based organisations

Epicor Software Corporation, a leading provider of enterprise business software solutions for the midmarket and divisions of Global 1000 companies, has announced planned enhancements to its Epicor for Service Enterprises solution that will enable Epicor to address a broader market space. 

The announcement kicks-off Epicor Perspectives 2007, the companys annual customer conference held this year in Orlando with more than 2,000 customers, partners and industry experts in attendance.

The new version of Epicor for Service Enterprises, which is scheduled for release during the fourth calendar quarter of 2007, includes an enhanced accounting interface tuned to support throughput from the increasing number of multi-thousand user global service organisations turning to Epicor for Service Enterprises.  Also in development is a core, project-focused version of the solution designed for smaller midmarket organisations and companies that prefer to stage their business-wide implementation.

Comprehensive Support for Large-Scale Services Organisations

Epicors years of experience meeting the needs of large and distributed service firms, as well as its early adoption of enabling technology like service-oriented architecture (SOA), helps to ensure continuing refinements in the performance of mission critical web-based business applications.  In response to customer suggestions and in order to further support the needs of higher volume user communities, the upcoming release plans to include:

• Optimized integration performance, tuned for the work needs of high volume, globally dispersed service organisations;
• Comprehensive business process and workflow support for essential financial transactions;
• Streamlined interface for scheduling, managing and tracking financial web services; and
• Superior integration support for non-Epicor back office accounting environments.           

Epicor for Service Enterprises Express

A return-on-investment (ROI) survey of Epicor customers completed by SPI Research in December 2006 showed that the majority of the ROI comes from the core project areas of the implementation. It was also apparent that there was a significant section of project-based companies, particularly in Eastern European, Middle Eastern and Asian regions, that were unable or unwilling to take advantage of an end-to-end enterprise service automation solution due to limited resources.

The competitive climate for Professional Services Organisations has changed significantly since the turn of the 21st Century, and project-based solutions like Epicor for Service Enterprises have shown to be a resource for managing both the strategic and tactical challenges facing these organizations, said R. David Hofferberth, P.E., managing director of SPI Research.  Even so, the structure and resources of some of these organizations has prohibited them from leveraging the benefits of an organisation wide project-based solution.

Epicor identified this need, considered the market opportunity and began development on an introductory solution that is highly project-focused. Epicor for Service Enterprises Express is tuned for rapid implementation and includes new wizards and guides for straightforward set-up of core project features.

The multi-tier Epicor for Service Enterprises offering is intended to give our customers more for their investment, said Malcolm Fox, senior manager of product marketing for Epicor.  While other vendors only offer point solutions, which limit a users options for future expansion, Epicor for Service Enterprises Express is designed to offer a strong and essential core solution that can be built out by adding elements such as opportunity and bid management, contingent workforce management and project procurement, on an as-required basis.

About Epicor Software Corporation

Epicor, named one of FORTUNE magazines 100 Fastest-Growing Companies in 2006,  is a global leader dedicated to providing enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM) and professional services automation (PSA) software solutions to midmarket companies and divisions of the Global 1000.  Founded in 1984, Epicor serves over 20,000 customers in more than 140 countries, providing solutions in over 30 languages.  Employing innovative service-oriented architecture (SOA) and Web services technology, Epicor delivers end-to-end, industry-specific solutions for manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality and services that enable companies to drive increased efficiency, improve performance and build competitive advantage.  Epicor solutions provide the scalability and flexibility to meet today's business challenges, while empowering enterprises for even greater success tomorrow.  Epicor offers a comprehensive range of services with its solutions, providing a single point of accountability to promote rapid return on investment and low total cost of ownership.  Epicors worldwide headquarters are located in Irvine, California with offices and affiliates around the world.