There is no doubt that Software as a Service (SaaS), otherwise known as cloud computing, is gaining traction in business. There are even some manufacturing applications popping up. I’ve written about a couple. Companies can offer customers lower costs because they host the software at the company site. Clients usually only need an Internet connection and a browser–or sometimes a small local client application. Updates are handled seamlessly. Hopefully the supplier knows how to handle data, so that best practices for data storage, retrieval and backup are used. Here is another entry into the SaaS space.
Epicor Software Corp. has unveiled Epicor Manufacturing Express Edition (Epicor Express), the on-demand version of its Epicor 9 next-generation enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. Based on more than twenty-five years experience and expertise in serving the needs of small to midsize businesses, Epicor Express offers an end-to-end solution for job shops and smaller manufacturers provided through the SaaS model. Epicor has many years of experience with the fiscal complexities, capital constraints and challenges confronting smaller manufacturers and developed Epicor Express to get them up and running quickly and decrease ongoing operational costs.
“We’re excited to be delivering a compelling new solution to a market that’s been particularly underserved,” said George Klaus, president and CEO of Epicor. “The cost savings are undeniable and well-suited for today’s economic climate, as Epicor Express eliminates many of the barriers that keep job shops and smaller manufacturers from implementing or upgrading to the enterprise-class software they increasingly need to support innovation and growth. The investment we’ve made in an agile, on-demand, multi-tenant business architecture means that even the smallest manufacturer can benefit from the advantages of a comprehensive ERP solution delivered via the Cloud.”
Express has been developed from Epicor’s latest generation software. It leverages core functionality developed over the past 25 years. Express manages these areas:
• Customers and contacts
• Opportunities and orders
• Products and production
• Accounting and payroll
Specifically targeted to job shops, machine shops, stampers or other type of manufacturers, Express supports these business processes:
• Assembly
• Make-to-stock
• Make-to-order
• Engineer-to-order
• Mixed-mode
