29
Apr 2025
48

Epicor Kinetic 2025.1 Release: Transforming Productivity, Sustainability, and Digital Growth

Revolutionizing Worker Productivity with AI and Prism Experience a paradigm shift in manufacturing productivity with Epicor Kinetic 2025.1,

Epicor Kinetic 2025.1 Release: Transforming Productivity, Sustainability, and Digital Growth

Blog, Epicor, ERP , , , , , , encompass

Revolutionizing Worker Productivity with AI and Prism

Experience a paradigm shift in manufacturing productivity with Epicor Kinetic 2025.1, featuring leading AI-driven tools that take worker efficiency to the next level. The new release sets a new standard as the ERP for manufacturing, boosting operational capabilities with cutting-edge technology designed to streamline workflows and maximize productivity. At the top of its list of innovative advancements is Prism, an ECM (Enterprise Content Management) agent fully integrated into the Kinetic platform.

Prism: Enhancing Efficiency through Intelligent Automation

Prism offers a fundamental shift in how document management and task automation are approached using AI in manufacturing. Consequently, this tool gives users everything they need to boost their operational efficiency and streamline workflows. Prism revolutionizes worker productivity on many different fronts:

  • Document Management Reinvented: Document handling is simplified by smarter categorization, organization, and information storage. Critical documents are always readily accessible, which is a huge time saver.
  • Accelerated Information Retrieval: Advanced search algorithms are used to rapidly retrieve key information from even the largest repositories. Users can easily find and extract what they’re looking for quickly, helping them make quicker, informed decisions.
  • Automated Task Execution: One of Prism’s best features is the ability to automate repetitive tasks across a manufacturing workflow, saving workers valuable time to spend on more important matters. It can reliably handle everything from simple data entry to more complex tasks with greater accuracy.
  • Intuitive User Experience: Designed to improve the user experience, Prism can easily integrate with existing workflows without disrupting your operation. Users of all skill levels can use its intuitive interface and interactive features to use the power of its AI-driven enhancements.

With Prism within Epicor Kinetic 2025.1, manufacturers will see administrative overhead greatly reduced and time-to-market projections for new products accelerated. It’s a transformation tool setting a new standard for productivity in manufacturing that will pave the way for smarter operations.

Supporting Sustainable Manufacturing with New Capabilities

As global expectations for manufacturing sustainability increase, manufacturers scramble to face the growing pressure of guaranteeing their operations are aligned with environmental initiatives. Therefore, Epicor Kinetic 2025.1 meets this challenge by introducing innovative tools that give manufacturers what they need to measure and reduce their environmental footprints.

Tracking and Reducing Environmental Footprints

The new Epicor Kinetic release introduces the Carbon Cost Rollup for Purchase Orders, Jobs, and Quotes as one of its standout features. It’s an advanced tool that allows manufacturers to thoroughly analyze and track their carbon footprints across every facet of their operations.

  • Comprehensive Carbon Footprint Analysis: Kinetic 2025.1 integrates carbon tracking into core operations, giving manufacturers the ability to measure the environmental impact of their activities. It gives a comprehensive view of carbon contributions through the manufacturing lifecycle, including emissions associated with purchase orders, production jobs, and project quotes.
  • Data-Driven Sustainability Insights: Using detailed analytics and reporting, manufacturers now receive actionable insights into their environmental footprint. The Carbon Cost Rollup feature gathers data from different operational sources, giving them the information they need to make informed decisions on how to reduce carbon emissions and optimize resource use.
  • Alignment with Global Sustainability Standards: Kinetic 2025.1 also helps manufacturers meet compliance regulations and stakeholder demands.  With the ability to monitor and manage environmental impacts, businesses can be responsible corporate citizens and meet their long-term sustainability goals.
  • Operational Efficiency and Cost Savings: Managing resource usage and reducing waste through sustainability initiatives can save a lot of money and streamline operations. Kinetic 2025.1 gives manufacturers the tools they need to identify areas for improvement, implement new sustainable practices, and boost overall business performance.

In addition, Kinetic ERP gives manufacturers a competitive edge in a sustainability-focused market landscape. The development of carbon tracking and environmental management tools is Epicor’s pledge to driving meaningful change in the manufacturing sector.

Delivering Customer-Driven Improvements and Accelerating Digital Transformation

As a result, Epicor Kinetic also supercharges the way manufacturers address the needs of their customers through a digital transformation within their operations. This newest release uses extensive feedback harvested through Epicor Ideas, generating 1,346 enhancements to enhance both system productivity and user experience.

Key Enhancements in Kinetic 2025.1

  • New Warehouse Inactive Option: The new Warehouse Inactive Option helps streamline inventory management. Manufacturers can optimize warehouse space and other resources by effectively managing inactive or slower-moving inventory items. A reduction in inventory carrying costs and smarter space usage helps manufacturers better use their resources and save money.
  • Reason Code Maintenance Improvements: Improvements in Reason Code Maintenance gives manufacturers smarter reporting capabilities.  Kinetic 2025.1 simplifies data analysis and reporting by standardizing and automating the process of assigning reason codes to operational events and transactions. Manufacturers will be able to identify and pinpoint issues, trends, and opportunities for improvement faster than ever before, improving their ability to make data-driven decisions.
  • Enhanced MRP Urgent Planning: Kinetic 2025.1 took dynamic market demands into consideration and improved Material Requirements Planning (MRP) Urgent Planning capabilities. Manufacturers can now quickly respond to demand or supply disruptions, guaranteeing production schedule continuity.  This improvement in production planning and inventory management allows manufacturers to respond faster, shorten lead times, and exceed customer expectations.

Expanding Integrations for Enhanced Digital Transformation

In addition to these cutting-edge enhancements, Epicor Kinetic 2025.1 continues to add integration capabilities across popular key solutions. These integrations are vital in enabling manufacturing enterprises to speed up their digital transformation journey and improve their overall operations.

Integrations Across Solutions

Kinetic integrates seamlessly with a range of ERP cloud solutions, including:

  • Grow: Makes business growth strategies easier through enhanced insights and scalability.
  • ECM (Enterprise Content Management): Streamlines document management and information retrieval.
  • Quick Ship: Greatly improves order fulfillment and logistics management to boost customer satisfaction.
  • Automation Studio: Streamlines repetitive tasks to make automations better.
  • CPQ (Configure Price Quote): Complex quoting processes make accelerating sales cycles and improving accuracy easier.
  • Epicor IP&O Quickstart: Provides a rapid deployment solution for Inventory Planning and Optimization (IP&O).
  • Field Service Management (FSM): Improves service delivery and customer experience using field service operations.

Therefore, these integrations give businesses data-driven insights, automate critical workflows, and enhance collaboration across departments. Kinetic 2025.1 allows manufacturing organizations to adapt swiftly to market demands and drive sustainable growth by using a unified approach to digital transformation.

Unlock the Full Power of Kinetic 2025.1

The future of manufacturing is smarter, greener, and more connected today than it has been before.  This Epicor Kinetic update gives you what you need to be a leader in this transformative era. Are you ready to harness these new capabilities and propel your business forward?

Contact us today at Encompass Solutions and let us show you how Kinetic 2025.1 can revolutionize your operations, help you reduce your environmental footprint, and help you reach your goal of digital excellence faster. Stay ahead of your competition and embrace the power of Kinetic ERP to shape the future of manufacturing.

08
Apr 2025
13

Tariffs, Trade Policy, and What Manufacturers Can Do Right Now

Trade policy has long been a driving force in shaping the global manufacturing landscape. It sets the rules

Tariffs, Trade Policy, and What Manufacturers Can Do Right Now

Blog , , , , , , , encompass

Trade policy has long been a driving force in shaping the global manufacturing landscape. It sets the rules of engagement for how, where, and at what price companies can source materials and sell their products. But in 2025, it feels more like a high-stakes game of whack-a-mole. One week you’re putting the finishing touches on supplier contracts for the next quarter and the next, you’re reconsidering your entire sourcing strategy because of today’s new executive orders.

We’ve been hearing it directly from our clients. All sectors are feeling the strain of manufacturing trade policy 2025 uncertainty. Whether you’re sourcing components overseas or exporting finished goods, the ripple effects of tariffs and shifting regulations can’t be ignored.

The good news is that there are practical, proactive steps you can take right now to protect your business and build a more resilient supply chain.

Trade Policy Uncertainty: What’s Happening?

New and proposed tariffs keep popping up in the news, and manufacturers are paying attention. As the U.S. rethinks its trade relationships with major partners, the rules of the game are constantly changing—sometimes overnight. These changes are not just political talking points. They’re causing damage, from the cost of raw materials to decisions about where companies build, source, and ship their products. For so many manufacturers, it’s forcing some difficult decisions and a whole lot of strategy rework.

The exact impact varies by industry, but when it comes to tariffs and manufacturing, the frustration is the same across the board. It’s getting harder and harder to make long-term plans. Most capital investments are put on pause. And it is far too risky to put multi-year supplier agreements in place without knowing what the next round of tariffs will look like.

And we understand. If you lived through the tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Chinese imports back from 2018 to 2020, this all sounds painfully familiar. Many manufacturers are simply dusting off the mitigation strategies they put together back then, tailoring them for the stronger complexities of our global landscape today.

What Manufacturers Are Doing in Response

Let’s talk strategy. Here’s what we’re seeing across the board:

1. Scenario Planning Is Back in a Big Way

Companies are using data analytics and AI to model different tariff scenarios. Think of it as “what-if” planning on steroids. What if tariffs on Chinese components increase by 25%? What if Mexico becomes the next target? How does that affect your margins, delivery times, and customer satisfaction?

By running these scenarios in advance, companies are giving themselves room to pivot quickly—and with a lot less panic.

2. Having Backup Suppliers Ready to Go

One strategy more companies are embracing is finding backup suppliers and having them on standby. The contracts are in place, relationships are maintained, and if things go wrong, you can switch over seamlessly. Yes, there’s a small investment but when the waters get rough, it can be the lifeboat you need to get through it.

3. Reshoring and Regional Diversification

There’s been a lot of talk about reshoring strategies for manufacturers, and bringing businesses back to the U.S. from overseas for many years now. It’s a serious option.  We’re seeing manufacturers reevaluate cost structures, and in several cases, the benefits of reduced tariff exposure and quicker turnaround time are a better deal than the higher cost of labor that comes with domestic production.

Even if bringing everything back to the States isn’t realistic, spreading production and sourcing across different regions can help companies avoid getting too dependent on one market or being caught off guard by sudden policy changes.

4. Investing in Digital Supply Chain Tools

Online supply chain tools that provide real-time visibility and control across your supply chain are a must-have to navigate business today. Systems like Epicor ERP for supply chain resilience are helping companies respond to disruptions quickly, produce “what-if” scenarios in real time, and gain clearer insights into supplier performance and risk exposure.

Want a closer look at how ERP supports your supply chain risk mitigation? Check out our post: ERP in Supply Chain Management: Path to Operational Excellence.

From Strategy to Execution: How ERP Helps Mitigate Tariff Risk

Let’s zoom in on ERP for a minute. Platforms like Epicor are not just for managing orders and inventory. They’re becoming the nerve center of the operation, where all the data flows in, decisions get made, and the right moves get sent out across the business.

With the right ERP system, manufacturers can:

  • Model tariff impact scenarios using historical and real-time data
  • Track costs and margins dynamically as tariffs shift
  • Optimize sourcing decisions with supplier scorecards and geo-risk data
  • Automate procurement processes and minimize delays
  • Connect departments with one source of truth for faster decisions

At Encompass Solutions, we work closely with clients to tailor these systems to their specific needs, especially for made-to-order manufacturing challenges or engineer-to-order manufacturing environments. These businesses need flexibility built in from day one, and that’s what ERP delivers when configured the right way.

Curious about where your current system stands? Try our free Epicor Business Process System Review.

Real Talk: What Are You Doing to Prepare?

We’ve spoken with dozens of manufacturers in the past few months, and one thing is abundantly clear—everyone’s doing something, but not everyone is doing enough.

If you’re still stuck in a “wait and see” strategy, we completely understand. But let’s be realistic. Hoping the trade winds settle down isn’t a strategy, it’s a gamble. And if the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that supply chain disruption is the new normal.

So here’s our advice: start small, start now.

  • Identify your most vulnerable suppliers
  • Map out your global sourcing footprint
  • Run a quick what-if model for a tariff spike
  • Talk to your ERP partner about getting a clearer view of your supply chain.

And if you need a hand, we’re here to help. Whether it’s modeling risk or building a more flexible supply chain with Epicor ERP, we’ve helped companies just like yours make smart, sustainable moves.

Final Thoughts: Navigating Today’s Supply Chain Challenges

Tariffs and trade policy will always be part of the equation for manufacturers, but today’s level of uncertainty requires a more proactive, tech-forward approach. Agility, visibility, and the right digital tools are what separate the companies that weather the storm from those that get caught in it.

At Encompass Solutions, we’re not just ERP experts, we’re supply chain resilience partners. Let’s talk about how you can future-proof your operations. If you need a hand figuring out your supply chain risks or want to see how Epicor ERP and other tools can help you stay flexible, let’s chat. Our team at Encompass Solutions is here to help.

08
Apr 2025
39
reporting tools

Unlocking Data Insights: Master Epicor ERP Reporting Tools | Encompass Solutions

Unlocking Data Insights: Master Epicor ERP Reporting Tools In modern business, data insights are one of the most

Unlocking Data Insights: Master Epicor ERP Reporting Tools | Encompass Solutions

Blog, Epicor, ERP , , , , , , , , , , , , Ashley Limbers

Unlocking Data Insights: Master Epicor ERP Reporting Tools

In modern business, data insights are one of the most powerful tools you can command. The ability to derive patterns, trends, and performance indicators from data generated by your everyday operations can help to inform decisions, shape strategies, mitigate risks, and prepare for growth.

Unlocking data insights is essential for today’s manufacturers. One of the greatest advantages of using an all-encompassing ERP solution like Epicor Kinetic is the ability to compile data and prepare reports from every facet of your company. Epicor ERP users have a wealth of reporting tools at their fingertips, ready to help them make the most of their resources from problem-solving to growth planning.

Encompass Solutions is an expert in Epicor implementation and data management. Today, our goal with this article is to help you improve your Epicor Kinetic reporting processes, gain deeper insights from your data, and enhance your decision-making capabilities through the discovery of tools that simplify reporting and help you leverage your Epicor ERP more effectively.

Whether you are trying to optimize financial reporting, enhance operational visibility, or tailor reports to meet unique business needs, this content series will help you find the Epicor reporting tools you need.

Epicor Kinetic Reporting Tools

Epicor ERP transforms your operations into valuable data insights. Every order, invoice, and project is made up of data points. Epicor makes these accessible through a wide range of ERP reporting tools designed to streamline your reporting processes and enhance your decision-making capabilities.

Each reporting tool is tailored to specific business needs. A quick look can help you get a sense of the tools we are about to cover in depth.

GROW translates your data through real-time interactive dashboards. Financial Planning and Analysis provides financial reports and forecasts. SSRS enhances operational reporting with the help of an SQL server. BarTender simplifies label printing and documentation for compliance and operational efficiency.

GL Report generates general ledger reports, Enform manages paperwork inside the Epicor ERP system, and Custom Reporting helps you build tailored reports that address more unique business needs.

1. GROW

GROW is the Epicor Business Intelligence toolkit, which allows organizations to create innovative and interactive dashboards of custom data. You decide what data is most important and how you want it presented, and GROW will do the rest. GROW empowers real-time business intelligence, offering interactive dashboards and reports that simplify complex data analysis.

GROW implements an innovative back-end that utilizes ETL Processes (Extract, Translate, Load) to acquire the data you need from each source, then stores your real-time data in a data warehouse so it is ready to present through an interactive chart at any time.

Organizations can build a large number of custom dashboards, accessing data extracted from throughout the ERP system and integrations such as Kinetic. It can be used by top leadership or implemented for specific roles and departments. Once you decide the data you want to display, you can organize and refine it into the most useful charts for quick visual presentation and detailed analysis.

Dashboards designed with GROW can be used to monitor operations, create powerful presentations, and inform data-driven decision-making.

2. Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A)

The Epicor FP&A or Financial Planning and Analysis toolkit helps you to streamline financial reporting for smarter forecasting and budgeting. It is designed to assist your organization in making data-driven financial decisions using in-depth analysis of your financial health, ongoing operations, and potential opportunities.

FP&A is a cloud-based solution that uses machine-learning technology to provide powerful financial insights based on your company’s real-time financial data. It is designed to empower your organization by improving the way you access financial reports, enhancing your operations, and helping your business adapt to an ever-changing financial environment.

With the Financial Planning and Analysis toolkit, you will be able to quickly generate reports that both ensure compliance and accurately predict future revenues, profits, and cash flows based on both recent and historical financial data. This allows you to craft goal-oriented and driver-based plans by presenting models of complete financial operations and even exploring what-if scenarios to stay agile in the ever-changing marketplace.

The tools provided by FP&A can also help you analyze and discover which products, customers, and segments of the business are generating the greatest profits so you can prioritize and adapt your strategy for a more successful future. Then, consolidate your reports with ease across entities so you can compare financial performance in a compact yet comprehensive way.

3. SSRS – SQL Server Reporting Services

The SQL Server Reporting Service (SSRS) is designed to enhance your access to operational reporting with the help of SQL Server operations. Epicor SSRS Reports are customizable data representations built using Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, tailored to Epicor ERP users. This allows you to build and deploy robust, interactive reports using truly complex and innovative methods.

SSRS provides an interface that makes it possible to visualize complex data that is empowered by the dynamic and in-depth data management toolkits built into the Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services. It is an extremely effective and powerful method to extract, analyze, and present your business data.

Benefits of the SSRS reporting system include dynamic data representation, customization, integration, and accessibility. Take control of real-time data analysis and engage in accurate data-driven decision-making. You can also personalize reports to fit unique requirements and generate reports in multiple formats such as Excel, PDF, and Word.

For even more access to your data, SSRS integrates seamlessly with other Epicor ERP modules for fully connected data presentation.

4. BarTender

The Epicor BarTender toolkit was designed to simplify label printing and documentation processing. It will improve traceability, compliance, and operational efficiency by creating and automating the printing and control of labels, barcodes, RFID tags, plastic cards, and other essential forms of physical data output.

BarTender is a unique method of accessing data that is essential to manufacturing businesses because it allows you to print accurate labels and documents regarding your products. The toolkit primarily focuses on design for product labels, cards, RFID tags, and other related output types. You can enter print time easily and ensure your data is presented through customizable forms.

With Bar Tender, it’s easy to consolidate design with intelligent templates and ensure that each label represents the most current data. Then you can apply secure document control to ensure your business is always within regulatory compliance.

BarTender represents a set of tools that help you design labels and label templates with ease and efficiency. You can configure and connect to data sources through your Epicor-managed business systems and then launch print commands. It is also designed to empower automated printing, automate print status, manage printing supplies, and streamline print production while providing complete control over the process.

5. GL Report

General Ledger reports are an essential part of your company’s financial performance. This led to the Epicor GL Reports toolkit to help your business generate clear and comprehensive general ledger reports that provide visibility into your financial performance. A general ledger report is a financial tool that summarizes all of a business’s financial transactions, is organized by account type, and provides a comprehensive record of account balances.

The General Ledger module is linked to all aspects of business operations. By mastering it, you can achieve better financial reporting. Ig gives you the ability to record and report on finances from throughout your ERP system with no repeat data entry.

The Chart of Accounts (COA) feature shows up to 20 user-defined segments. This makes it possible to record, store, allocate, and report financial data with granular control.

The Fastclose Financial Intelligence feature helps you build reports on customer and project profitability. You can break down your data between multiple sites or branches to compare performance easily.

The multiple books function can help you build unlimited financial books, seamlessly combined into a single consolidated report for a unified financial truth. You can also build multiple financial schedules, which will be compiled gracefully into your GL reports. From tracking subsidiaries to forecasting to consolidations, GLreports is a great way to compile your financial insights and remove needless complexity from the process.

6. Enform

Business forms play a vital role in operations and data management. EnForm is the Encompass Solutions answer to the Epicor Standard Style business forms. Enform makes it possible to improve your forms with superior formatting, unified data types, and clear, detailed information to empower more efficient and integrated paperwork management. Enform Reports improves Epicor’s Standard Style business forms for any organization that uses the Epicor Kinetic ERP system.

EnForm Reports makes use of a more modern style of document that is both pleasing to see and easier to read for both your workforce and business partners. Users can also hide unused form fields to streamline formatting and improve the readability of each form in every use case across your business operations.

EnForm reports transform the Epicor Standard Style of forms to make better use of each page. We ensure word-wrapping occurs less often than standard reports while maintaining sufficient white space for clarity and optimal legibility. This means fewer pages that you need to print per report while ensuring the same level of usefulness and detail. Each report appears as a new option in the Report Style field to help you print reports with ease, using fewer pages for an eco-friendly update across the board.

7. Custom Reporting

Epicor also makes it possible to design custom reports based on needs that are not predicted by common Epicor Kinetic use cases. Custom reporting allows you to tailor your reports and dashboards any time out-of-the-box tools do not quite align with your needs.

Building custom reports requires more attention to detail and fine-tuning your report’s data curation and dashboard assembly. However, with the tools available and the comprehensive source-of-truth data within the Epicor EPR system, you will be able to create valuable data insights and presentations based on the unique needs of your business, operations, projects, collaborations, and goals.

Custom reporting makes it possible for a company to operate outside of standard procedures, whether you are innovating new internal operations or planning industry-disruptive strategies. Reports are valuable no matter your purpose, and custom reports with Epicor reporting tools will empower your progress.

Unlock Powerful Insights with Epicor Reporting Tools

Epicor ERP empowers comprehensive business management and collects a treasure-trove of both real-time and historical data in the process. Epicor’s powerful reporting tools put that data at your fingertips with intuitive charts, reports, dashboards, and ways to put the data to work through label creation, GL reports, and standard forms. Encompass Solutions is an expert Encor ERP consultant who can help you get more from your ERP infrastructure, tools, and more.

To receive more information about these reporting tools, see this guide, or to see a live demo, fill out a form here: https://content.oldencompass.sevenagesdesign.com/encompass-solutions-erp-edi-consulting-rfq-request-a-demo

Contact us for a personalized consultation on how we can improve your Epicor implementation.