Smarter AI for the Shop Floor and Beyond

Epicor Prism introduces conversational AI to traditionally manual environments like the shop floor, warehouse, and sales desk. Built as a suite of industry-specific digital agents, it allows employees to interact with their ERP systems using natural language commands. Instead of manually navigating complex interfaces, users can ask for a list of overdue quotes, insights on part availability, or recommended suppliers and receive immediate, actionable responses.

Andy Young, VP Systems and Processes at Olympus Group, noted the potential impact of this technology on his operations. “One of the most important metrics for us is on-time delivery,” he said. “I really think Epicor Prism can increase our responsiveness to customers and get a typical eight-week delivery time down to four weeks. There’s probably opportunity for a 20% gain in the operation.” This highlights a key use case: reducing lead times and improving customer satisfaction through more intelligent, responsive systems.

Meanwhile, Epicor Grow AI aims to enhance data quality and scalability by integrating ERP, third-party, and legacy data into predictive models. This data backbone powers tools like Item Advisor, which automatically suggests complementary products during the order process—potentially increasing basket sizes and reducing abandoned carts. The platform’s focus on data quality is critical, as poor data remains a top barrier to effective AI adoption across industries.

Decarbonization as a Core Business Metric

With global pressure mounting on companies to reduce carbon emissions, Epicor also introduced the Carbon Cost Rollup—a patent-pending tool designed to measure and manage the carbon footprint of products from raw material to final assembly. This feature is integrated into the Epicor Kinetic ERP system and borrows from traditional cost accounting methods to assign a “carbon cost” at every stage of production.

As Kerrie Jordan, Group VP at Epicor, put it, the tool is meant to elevate emissions data to the same level of business scrutiny as financial costs. This approach could provide a more transparent way for manufacturers to meet ESG targets and comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations. The Carbon Cost Rollup also benefits from Epicor’s 2024 integration with Climatiq’s carbon footprint APIs, further enhancing its ability to capture real-time sustainability metrics.

What This Means for ERP Insiders

AI is Becoming a Critical Operational Layer. Predictive AI is no longer a futuristic add-on—it’s becoming an essential part of day-to-day operations. Epicor’s Prism and Grow AI demonstrate how conversational and predictive tools can reduce manual workloads and accelerate response times without requiring data scientists on staff. Companies should assess their current ERP environments to identify high-friction areas where these types of tools could drive immediate efficiency gains.

Sustainability is Now a Core KPI. For manufacturers, tracking carbon costs at the bill of materials level is a game-changer. This approach moves sustainability from marketing material to the core of operational decision-making. For CIOs and CTOs, the question is no longer whether to measure carbon, but how accurately and at what granularity. Companies that can calculate their carbon impact in real-time are likely to have a strategic advantage as ESG reporting requirements tighten globally.

Usability Will Define the Next Wave of ERP Winners. Embedding advanced capabilities like generative AI and carbon accounting directly into ERP workflows addresses a critical barrier to user adoption. If your ERP strategy relies on disconnected, bolt-on solutions, it may be time to reconsider. The most impactful technologies are those that enhance user productivity without disrupting established workflows, ensuring faster ROI and higher overall adoption rates.

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Faced with failing registers and outdated processes, Tim Kralovic, Vice President of Donated Goods, led the charge to overhaul the retail operation. His goal: implement a modern retail management platform that could streamline transactions, improve data visibility, and ultimately increase revenue to support the nonprofit’s community mission. 

To modernize its point-of-sale system the organization chose Epicor Propello, a cloud-native POS system purpose-built for the unique needs of modern retailers. 

Out with the Old: Reaching a Tipping Point 

Prior to implementing Propello, Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio operated 15 retail locations using dated Casio cash registers paired with standalone credit card readers. The system was fully manual, labor-intensive, and prone to error. “We needed an intuitive system that made transactions as simple as possible for both our employees and customers,” says Kralovic. “Reducing manual entry and the risk of human error was a top priority.” 

The search for a modern solution led the team to evaluate multiple platforms—but many posed challenges. “Some systems pushed features we weren’t ready to use and came with inflated costs,” he explains. After speaking with other Goodwill branches already using Epicor Propello, Kralovic found what he was looking for: a scalable, user-friendly solution that wouldn’t strain the budget. 

Fast, Smooth Implementation 

Epicor Professional Services took the reins on implementation, completing the rollout to all 15 locations in just 90 days—despite the complication of a store remodel mid-project. “Epicor went above and beyond,” Kralovic recalls. “I was in the middle of a remodel and felt no pressure at all. The team had it covered.” 

Even staff who missed formal training due to the remodel picked up the system quickly. On opening day, with five times the usual customer volume, employees managed the surge with confidence after only a short morning walkthrough. 

Daily Efficiency Gains 

The benefits of the new system were immediate and tangible. One of the most impactful changes was the reduction in end-of-day closing activities. By automating processes that were previously manual—like counting tills—Goodwill saved roughly two hours of payroll per day per location. 

These time savings compound quickly across the organization, freeing up hours that can be redirected to other high-value activities that benefit both staff and customers. 

Driving Loyalty and Donations 

With Propello, Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio launched a new points-based customer loyalty program that gives shoppers tangible rewards when spending thresholds are met. The program, fully integrated into the checkout process, allows cashiers to notify customers of their points in real time and even prints reward details on receipts. 

Beyond building loyalty, this switch also improved margins. By consolidating disparate discounting efforts into a single reward program, the portion of sales affected by discounts dropped from 5% to 3.5%, boosting profitability. 

Meanwhile, the automated “round up” donation prompt at checkout has revolutionized customer giving. No longer reliant on manual cashier prompts or math, the automated feature has led to a 33% increase in donations at the register, directing even more funds to the nonprofit’s mission. 

Empowering Employees and Reducing Turnover 

Propello’s intuitive interface has also played a key role in improving employee satisfaction. For an organization heavily reliant on part-time labor—often from individuals requiring flexible work schedules—the ability to rapidly onboard new hires is crucial. 

“Eighty percent of our employees report being ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with the tools they have,” says Kralovic. As a result, the organization has achieved a 25% reduction in employee turnover, a significant win in a challenging labor market. 

Data That Drives Smarter Decisions 

For the first time, store managers and employees alike have access to real-time data on sales and inventory. Each store can tailor its stock based on localized sales trends, while head cashiers and leadership use Propello dashboards to track performance and celebrate wins. 

One standout metric: average ticket size increased from $15 to $17.10, representing a 15% jump in transaction value. “Employees can now see the results of their efforts in real time, and it motivates them,” Kralovic says. 

Scalable with Room to Grow 

Perhaps the most powerful part of Goodwill’s transformation story is the flexibility of the Propello platform. With its cloud-native foundation, Propello offers the scalability and configurability needed to evolve alongside the organization’s needs. 

“We see Propello as a blank canvas,” says Kralovic. “It allows us to create a sales environment that works for us now, and it has room to grow as we diversify and expand.” 

For Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio, the decision to implement Epicor Propello has delivered results that extend well beyond retail performance metrics. From operational efficiency and improved customer engagement to happier employees and increased mission funding, the transformation has touched every part of the organization. 

In a sector where every efficiency gained translates to more lives impacted, the right technology doesn’t just improve business—it powers purpose. 

What this means for ERP Insiders 

Prioritize Scalable, User-Friendly Systems to Support Workforce Agility
Goodwill’s success with Epicor Propello highlights the value of intuitive, easy-to-learn platforms—especially for organizations with high employee turnover or part-time staff. Investing in technology that minimizes onboarding time and reduces friction in day-to-day tasks can improve employee satisfaction and retention while maintaining operational continuity. 

Use Integrated Technology to Turn Everyday Transactions into Strategic Revenue Streams
By automating donation prompts and consolidating loyalty programs within their POS, Goodwill turned checkout interactions into powerful tools for fundraising and customer retention. Tech leaders should look for systems that allow for seamless upsell, donation, and engagement opportunities at the point of sale. 

Leverage Real-Time Data Visibility to Drive Smarter, Store-Level Decisions
Goodwill’s ability to access daily sales data and performance dashboards helped them increase average transaction size and fine-tune inventory. Business technology leaders should ensure their platforms offer actionable analytics that empower frontline teams and improve organizational alignment. 

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Leveraging cloud technology for scalability

AIM AutoCOR is fully integrated with Epicor Kinetic and hosted in Epicor’s public cloud. This cloud-based approach enhances security, scalability, and efficiency, providing DPC the flexibility to meet evolving industry demands.

“With Epicor Kinetic and AIM AutoCOR, DPC has strengthened its EDI and labeling capabilities, ensuring a future-ready approach to supply chain management,” said Tyson Duffy, Operations Manager at DPC. “The combination of Epicor’s cloud-based ERP and AIM’s specialized automotive EDI solution gives us the flexibility and control needed to meet evolving customer and industry demands.”

AIM AutoCOR is designed specifically for automotive production part suppliers using Epicor ERP. It integrates with Epicor’s Demand Management module, automating EDI transactions, label generation, and shipping workflows. This ensures compliance with stringent industry standards while improving overall operational efficiency.

Accelerating EDI integration

DPC’s adoption of AIM AutoCOR has transformed its EDI processing capabilities, cutting down trading partner integration time from months to days. The seamless integration between AIM AutoCOR and Epicor ERP ensures that DPC’s operations comply with essential industry mandates.

Gary Puchalski, Senior Implementation Consultant at AIM Computer Solutions, stated, “Trading Partner EDI connections with DPC’s major customer were successfully completed within one day using AIM AutoCOR. DPC has quickly adapted to the AutoCOR environment, demonstrating an impressive ability to navigate the system with ease.”

What this means for ERP insiders

An integrated ERP system streamlines operations faster. Integrating an ERP system with other critical business systems, such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Supply Chain Management (SCM), provide a unified view of operations and eliminate data silos. For instance, a distribution company integrated Epicor ERP with its CRM system, resulting in a 20% improvement in sales team efficiency due to real-time access to customer data and order histories. This integration also increased customer retention rates by 25% as personalized interactions became more feasible.

Leverage AI capabilities for enhanced decision-making. The features provided by modern ERP systems, like Epicor, integrate advanced AI and machine learning algorithms to provide predictive analytics and inventory forecasting tools. These features enable businesses to perform “what-if” scenario modeling, optimizing inventory management by reducing stockouts and excess inventory. By analyzing historical data and current trends, AI-driven processes generate precise predictions, allowing for better decision-making. Manufacturing companies that utilize, for example, Epicor’s AI-powered inventory forecasting to analyze past sales data and predict future demand experience a 15% reduction in excess inventory and a 10% decrease in stockouts, resulting in cost savings and improved customer satisfaction.

Organizations can utilize ERP data for process improvements. Epicor ERP systems are rich in high-quality, structured data that can support AI initiatives without the need for massive data restructuring. For example, AI-driven querying allows users to ask their ERP-specific questions—such as performance metrics of a product line in the last quarter or identifying the most cost-effective suppliers—without running complex reports. This capability streamlines decision-making processes and enhances operational efficiency.

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The product was launched on January 14 and will initially be available to be integrated with Epicor Kinetic, which is part of the Epicor Industry ERP Cloud. The new solution uses intuitive, AI-driven conversational ERP to enable organizations to take swift action.

Arturo Buzzalino, Epicor’s Chief Innovation Officer, said, “Through simple, natural language queries, Epicor Prism’s vertical AI agents quickly source and provide the best answer or recommendation to a user’s need. This helps reduce the friction in how users have traditionally extracted intelligence from their enterprise data, empowering them with critical insights without the technical barriers.”

The company indicates that users can engage with Epicor Prism in the context of their native Epicor ERP platform, while a network of vertical AI agents collaborates behind the scenes to address a user’s request.

Giving an example of how Epicor Prism has helped the organization, Tyler Madsen, Director at Madsen’s Custom Cabinets, a Canadian manufacturer and part of the Epicor Prism Early Adopter Program, said: “We spend many hours each week manually updating hundreds of line-item due dates that correlate to the jobs we have. With Epicor Prism, we believe we’re going to free significant time for our team to focus less on scheduling and more on production and meeting customer demand. That’s really adding value to our business.”

Increasing focus on AI

AI has been central to Epicor’s business strategy going into 2025. In a recent cover story for ERP Today magazine, Steve Murphy, Epicor’s CEO, argued that without AI, the agility that organizations strive for may not be possible.

Buzzalino echoed these thoughts during a recent ERP Today webinar, emphasizing the importance of modernizing ERP systems to get additional value from AI. “ERP is at the core of many of these businesses and needs to be implemented correctly. Additional value can come only once the right data is in place,” he said.

What this means for ERP insiders…

Epicor Prism aims to transform the ERP experience, especially for the supply chain, by making the system more user-friendly, efficient, and insightful:

Gaining a competitive edge. The solution leverages AI and natural language interaction to help businesses unlock the full potential of their ERP data. It analyzes vast amounts of data within the system and identifies trends, patterns, and anomalies to provide users with valuable insights to make informed decisions. Businesses can now harness the power of AI to optimize inventory levels, predict demand, and identify potential risks.

Automate tasks. Epicor Prism can automate repetitive tasks like generating purchase orders, scheduling production runs, and communicating with suppliers. This helps employees focus on more strategic tasks.

Enhanced productivity. Prism leverages Epicor’s deep domain knowledge in manufacturing, distribution, and retail for tailored insights. Its simplified user interface can also improve user productivity. The new interface helps employees quickly search for information and perform routine tasks.

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Steve Murphy, Chief Executive Officer at Epicor is confident in the company’s vision of “Cognitive ERP”, a symbiosis between AI and ERP that aims to redefine processes and operations in the supply chain for its manufacturing-heavy customer base. Moreover, in our recent cover story, he emphasized Epicor’s AI strengths as serving users in manufacturing, distribution, retail and automotive industries who are searching for actions, not just answers. This can often mean a worker on the shop or factory floor using an AI agent for inventory and this agent being able to flag an item that a customer is willing to pay a premium on to receive sooner compared to other clients’ timescales.

Without AI, Murphy argues, this agility may not be as feasible. “The biggest difference now is the information is available from the point of demand, where someone wants it and they’re willing to pay for it as it’s important to them,” he told ERP Today.

Vaibhav Vohra, whose role as Chief Product & Technology Officer was expanded in October to include responsibilities as the President of Epicor, illustrated Murphy’s point of AI empowering the human worker: “[AI is] empowering workers so they can make more valuable decisions” in their day to day – the frontline staff in the manufacturing and distribution industries which Epicor tailors to.

Vohra also underlined the Epicor ethos that decent AI is only made possible by the power of having an ERP system. During an ERP Today webinar, Arturo Buzzalino, Chief Innovation Officer and Group Vice President, highlighted the importance of implementing or modernizing ERP systems to get additional value from AI. “ERP is at the core of many of these businesses and needs to be implemented correctly. Additional value can come only once the right data is in place,” he said.

The firm recently promoted Buzzalino to his current position, where he drives the company’s AI-focused product developments. This quarter it also appointed Scott Morgan as Chief Revenue Officer to lead Americas sales, global services, and recurring revenue teams.  Prior to joining Epicor, Morgan held senior sales and management roles with Zebra Technologies, LevaData and vendor competitor Infor.

New products and acquisitions

Although ERP giants like SAP, Microsoft, and Oracle are considered top competitors for ERP vendors, these players mainly cater to large organizations. However, ERP vendors targeting mid-sized to small businesses mainly in manufacturing, such as QAD, SYSPRO, Infor, and Sage, are considered key competitors for Epicor, which has operated in this space for over 50 years and experienced first-hand the system’s evolution from an on-premises product to a cloud-based solution. 

Still, the fact that all these companies are also focusing on arming their ERP systems with the latest AI solutions has provided some stiff competition for Epicor, which explains all its recent innovations.

Rich Murr, Chief Customer Officer and Chief Information Officer, emphasized the next phase during an ERP Today webinar, saying, “We want to deliver something that is very practical for AI users [in the sectors we serve]. We cover the entire supply chain in detail and then leverage AI on top of that to gain insights not just around a specific vertical but across the supply chain.”

In May, Epicor strengthened its AI focus by launching the Epicor Grow portfolio, an integrated suite with AI and Business Intelligence (BI) capabilities designed specifically for its customer base. This was followed by Epicor Prism, a patent-pending generative AI service that is embedded across the Epicor Industry ERP Cloud.

Additionally, the company made two acquisitions in October to expand its portfolio of solutions for the industries it serves. Epicor acquired Solenium Group and its sister company Visual SKUs at the beginning of October to offer Product Information Management (PIM) and Digital Asset Management (DAM) solutions for the automotive aftermarket, a large segment for the vendor in which Epicor first made its name. Its acquisition of Acadia Software, later in the same month, is hoped to enhance Epicor’s offerings for frontline worker solutions.

As 2024 draws to a close, the vendor has integrated Epicor Catalog for Automotive in Epicor Vision, allowing more users to access Epicor Catalog for Automotive within their existing workflows. The company showcased all its new solutions at AAPEX 2024 in Las Vegas from November 5-7, 2024.

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Steve Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of Epicor said in a statement, “The acquisition of Acadia furthers Epicor’s commitment to helping businesses across the make, move, and sell industries move beyond simply telling workers what to do, but showing them how to do it effectively to drive stronger productivity and efficiency.”

Through this acquisition, Epicor will integrate Acadia’s capabilities of providing real-time insights and guidance for frontline workers in the supply chain and manufacturing industries with its current offering.

According to Josh Crone, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Acadia Software, “Joining Epicor gives us an opportunity to connect even more frontline workers to the tools and know-how they need to work independently, while also providing resources and capabilities to better serve our existing Acadia customers.”

This integration will provide Epicor and Acadia users with:

• Real time actionable insights that will integrate seamlessly with existing systems to combine workforce performance data with other operational metrics.
• Skills management and development to help workers swiftly adopt new software, processes, and equipment. This feature will also help to foster employee growth and career progression.
• Driving continuous improvement as the software will be aligned with Epicor’s focus area and enable workers to identify inefficiencies, execute tasks according to best practices and suggest improvements to existing processes.

The news follows this month’s acquisition by Epicor of Solenium Group and its sister company, Visual SKUs which provide Product Information Management (PIM) and Digital Asset Management (DAM) solutions for the automotive aftermarket.

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Lisa Pope, currently President and Chief Revenue Officer at Epicor since 2017, will be retiring in February 2025.

Vaibhav Vohra, currently Chief Product & Technology Officer has also been appointed as President and will be taking over Pope’s duties in this role effective February. Vohra will continue to be responsible for overall product strategy, development, and design, while also accelerating innovation and digital transformation for the company’s customers.

The Austin, Texas-based ERP provider has appointed Scott Morgan as Chief Revenue Officer, where he will be responsible for leading Americas sales, global services and global recurring revenue teams. Prior to joining Epicor, Morgan held senior sales and management roles with Infor, Zebra Technologies and LevaData.

As part of its new focus, Epicor has promoted Arturo Buzzalino to Chief Innovation Officer and Group Vice President where he will drive the company’s AI-focused product developments across the company’s AI centers-of-excellence. Buzzalino will also focus on strategic integration and use of AI technologies across Epicor. Watch out for Buzzalino as a future guest in our ERP Today Live! webinar series.

In a statement announcing these appointments, Steve Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of Epicor stated that Vohra’s expanded role, Morgan’s appointment, and Buzzalino’s promotion were part of Epicor’s strategy to set “a new standard for industry-focused ERP innovation.”

Murphy also acknowledged Pope’s leadership over the past seven years, noting that she made a significant contribution in helping build and scale Epicor’s business over the years.

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With this acquisition, the Austin, Texas-based enterprise software provider has strengthened its automotive aftermarket portfolio and its role as an industry standard catalog content provider in North America.

Steve Murphy, chief executive officer of Epicor stated that the deal was part of the company’s strategy of providing digital foundation for the growth of the global “make, move, and sell” economy.

Under the deal, which was for an undisclosed amount, Epcior will offer customers a PIM and DAM suite that is customized for the automotive aftermarket. According to Epicor, it will help suppliers and retailers in this sector to get faster compliant parts content and automate their digital asset management lifecycle.

“The acquisition of Solenium and Visual SKUs strengthens Epicor’s leadership in the automotive aftermarket helping manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and retailers expand revenue opportunities by getting the right parts, to the right place, at the right time,” Murphy said.

Moreover, by sourcing data directly from parts suppliers and converting it into an Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard (ACES) and Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES) format, Epicor can streamline the process and accelerate the integration of compliant vehicle application and product data into the company’s next-generation Epicor Catalog.

These features will help the automotive aftermarket industry, which is fueled by the increasing need for replacement parts and accessories as vehicle components become more complex. They will also assist parts manufacturers, distributors and retailers to get products to market quickly and grow both, their new and existing product lines.

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So, what do manufacturing and distribution firms require from their ERP systems to join this digital revolution? Today, companies are increasingly leveraging solutions from ERP providers to boost their insights into the automation and supply chain process and move to the cloud.

Rich Murr, Chief Customer Officer and Chief Information Officer of leading ERP vendor Epicor, which provides ERP for manufacturing, distribution, retail, and auto industries says, “We have been an ERP provider for over 50 years, developing a deep expertise in each of these businesses. But increasingly, we have moved from being an on-site provider to a cloud provider based on our customers’ demands.”

Cloud is undoubtedly a focal point at Epicor and the demand is not restricted to the size of a client’s organization. “Cloud is part of the digital transformation effort across all types of companies,” says Murr. “Initially, the adoption of this technology was limited to bigger firms, but today, it spans all companies as they seek to get out of managing additional infrastructure.”

Still, some companies have preferred adopting a hybrid approach when migrating to cloud ERP. Firms that have worked with on-premises systems might want to migrate to the cloud, and they do so with most of their solutions transposed. Yet machines that run the manufacturing business, alongside end-user devices, remain operational through on-premises systems.

Murr highlights the benefits of a cloud ERP through an example of a retail consumer who runs multiple hardware stores on the US East Coast. When one of the premises, which also housed the customer’s computer room, burned to the ground, Epicor’s backup on the cloud restored that location’s data. It also helped other stores that were tied in with the operations of the computer room come back online quickly.

AI on the rise

The extensive demand and adoption of cloud-based ERP have also opened companies’ eyes to the hard work needed to ensure that their data is stable, scalable, and secure. It has also meant that companies already on the cloud are now seeking to scale their ERP needs to include AI.

However, a cloud-based solution remains essential even for customers interested in utilizing AI for their ERP needs. Murr notes that many Epicor customers have moved to the cloud so that they can use its AI for their ERP solutions. The vendor’s offering is an AI-infused ERP system designed to help users improve their customer experience, operational efficiency, forecasting, and decision-making through one solution. It is part of Epicor’s integrated AI and business intelligence (BI) capabilities and comes customized for the manufacturing, distribution, and retail sectors. This system utilizes generative AI, machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analysis, to help drive business value.

“We want to deliver something that is very practical for AI users [in the sectors we serve]. We cover the entire supply chain in detail and then leverage AI on top of that to gain insights not just around a specific vertical but across the supply chain,” says Murr.

The exec also talked to ERP Today about the company’s Epicor Prism solution. The patent-pending generative AI service is embedded across the Epicor Industry ERP Cloud to help workers get “the right insights and context at the right time.”

“ERP is an inherently complex solution, so you can imagine the time a new employee takes to learn even their specific module; We are trying to bring down that time with Epicor Prism,” says Murr.

Security at the center

If technology or digital offerings were stacked up, Epicor’s solutions would sit squarely in the middle. Murr reasons, “Whether it is a manufacturer, a distributor, or a retailer, their data is inside ERP solutions provided by us, making Epicor the heart of their datasets and operations.”

This makes security a central point for all Epicor solutions, and the company has made significant investments in delivering secure and dependable offerings.

For its on-premises customers, the Austin, Texas-headquartered ERP provider offers its Epicor Security Suite, which includes a managed security system and device protection for SMBs that need more expertise to build their security capabilities. The company also provides the option of managing data security at a consumer’s retail location or warehouses.

A team of 20 experts works with Epicor’s cloud customers to ensure that any data that is put on the cloud ERP is secure. “We continue to make significant investments in technology and talent to ensure a robust layer of defense for our customers, especially as we layer AI on [top of] the data they provide,” says Murr, adding that the company invests in training across its team to ensure a security mindset.

Murr gives the example of a distribution customer based in the US Midwest to highlight Epicor’s focus on enforcing its platform’s security. The customer was hit with a ransomware attack, which can potentially damage a business permanently.

“However, this customer had backed up their data on Epicor’s cloud system only a day before the attack,” he notes. So, when the customer called, the firm got them running again using the data on the cloud within 24 hours. The cloud solution also allowed the customer to bypass the ransomed data.

Epicor also partners with Microsoft Azure and AWS to utilize their secure hosting capabilities.

Murr concludes, “At the end of the day, our customers […] want their systems to work and be secure. They would be happy if AI helped them with that effort. At Epicor, we work behind the scenes to ensure that AI is just another interface customers can use to enhance their overall ERP experience.”

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Prior to robotics, the executive was a VP for SAP, again heading the product realm as the German company made its SaaS transition during the 2010s. Ideal experience, one might say, for Epicor, a fellow ERP vendor which has been making its own cloud journey under the tenure of CEO Steve Murphy. 

When talking about Vohra, Murphy tells me that sometimes geniuses have a “hard time” breaking out from an intellectual mentality to deal with people and understand their customers.

“[But] Vaibhav is the rare genius who in addition to the very high intellect, is able to understand customer needs and […] when it comes to human beings, their wants and desires and their need to feel connection, satisfaction about what they do.”

Murphy tells me this in Epicor’s Dublin, California base, on a day ERP Today spoke with both the company’s CEO and CTO. Meeting the latter, Murphy’s description makes sense, with the technologist straddling both worlds of technology concepts and customer needs with aplomb.

A good example is when Vaibhav Vohra is asked about the history of Epicor and AI and what’s changed in the years from inception leading up to the current boom in Generative AI, alternatively known as GenAI. Fittingly, Vohra talks as both CTO and CPO, underlining how AI has changed to be about “empowering workers so they can make more valuable decisions” in their day to day – the frontline staff in the manufacturing and distribution industries which Epicor tailors to.

Epicor and AI

As detailed in our previous interview with Steve Murphy, Epicor formed out of the financial and accounting software vendor Platinum Software Corporation, which was founded in its headquarters-to-date of Austin, Texas. Platinum had started developing manufacturer-specific software packages in 1998, and by 2005 Epicor was offering what it called the industry’s first manufacturing solution based on a completely service-oriented architecture.

2011 saw Epicor merge with Activant, a leader in supply chain connectivity and the automotive market. In 1984, the California-headquartered company had brought its electronic parts catalog from print to digital. Listing over 8.8 million automobile parts from engine to exhaust, Activant’s Automotive Electronic Catalog was one of the first digital inventories out there, if not the world’s first for the US automotive sector.

From print to digital, Epicor likewise transformed from on-prem to cloud, and became, in Vohra’s words, the first ERP vendor to build an iPaaS into its platform. Today, under Vohra’s leadership, Epicor is steering from cloud to AI. Another way of putting this is from “cloud to Cognitive”, in a nod to the company’s vision of “Cognitive ERP”, a symbiosis between AI and ERP that aims to redefine processes and operations in the supply chain for its manufacturing-heavy customer base.

Talking on the history behind current and past iterations of Epicor and AI technology, the executive notes the company has been working on artificial intelligence for around 40 years, to a half century. Tied in with this was the nascent thinking about the cloud, where cabinets of hardware could be removed to leave workers focusing more on the things that matter.

Vohra sees the SaaS transformation in ERP as the first phase, a perfunctory step where on-premises software gave way to cloud. Not enabled were capabilities coming through now to users such as those said to be possible with GenAI.

“So I think we’re now in the ‘Phase Two’ where SaaS really delivers on its promise of empowering people,” says the EVP, noting that the “numerous cabinets and tangles of messy wires” of yore were eventually replaced by ERPs connecting to a just-as-disordered collection of applications and processes.

For Vaibhav, the mission behind Epicor and AI software is “empowering essential workers with superpowers to give them ten times the skills and insights.”

He continues, “What I mean by that is for AI or any advanced technology to be successful, it has to be ten times better than whatever the human does, right? Essentially AI is going to cost more money. The value will not totally be delivered because of this, so you have to invest far more than you ever think.”

The CTO sees three elements of Epicor’s Cognitive ERP journey, starting with “Handshakes” to redefine how humans and machines talk to each other. For example, an agent can not only answer questions, but also check if its answer is as informative to the degree needed. It could also check context, pointing out to a user that a question may not be relevant and that something else should be asked instead.

Prism, Epicor’s GenAI service, also offers a code assistant to create automated business processes more quickly. There are also tools to automate supplier communications to speed purchasing, enabling users to automatically send Request for quotes (RFQs) to their supplier network, and sift quotes to determine the best price and fastest delivery.

Next are the “Gears”, essentially low-code tools which make automation and insightful analytics possible on the shop floor. These can be found in the Grow AI offering, helping users to generate, analyze, and act on multiple forecasts related to inventory, demand, and sales (an example of the latter are product suggestions based on past order history).

Finally from Epicor, we find the “Sparks”, which Vohra dubs insights to the power of ten. An example is given of one Epicor customer, Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team, based in Faenza, Italy. 

“So we have an AI that actually allows [Visa Cash App RB] to send through all their suppliers and come up with the right trade-offs,” says the EVP. “And then gives you the insight to say ‘you should use this supplier.’” 

Epicor is used to track in real time approximately 14,000 components, so the team will know when they need to make or buy a part. When the make or buy decision happens, Epicor Prism allows the team to quickly determine the best vendor to deliver the part at the right price, the fastest, and if that beats the time/cost of making it themselves, they buy it from that vendor.

In other words, the catalog from 1984 has come a long way, souped up and raring to go in a post-pandemic world. The CTO goes on to explain how Sparks are industry-specific insights powered by AI.

“It could be not just that example of supplier insight, but also a product recommendation for your customer. Steve mentioned turning a system of records into a system of actions – those are the Sparks,” explains Vohra.

The CTO also elaborates on the Gears element of Epicor’s cognitive ERP, which can help end users learn ERP faster. Citing the forecast that four million jobs are going to be created in US manufacturing by 2030, he notes that 50 percent are estimated to go unfilled due to skills shortages.

“It can take someone a year to two to learn ERP. What if we could bring it down? The Gears are meant to create this easy way to level up through an ERP system,” he says.

It’s an alluring proposition, especially when one considers the rise of AI comes with an increasingly apparent skills shortage, whatever the sector. ERP’s role is a crucial part of this discussion, for as the Epicor leader states: “ERP is the vehicle for AI, right. But AI is only as good as the data.”

Vohra believes Epicor has “the world’s best data” from first-party systems. It’s already on hand through what’s collected in the Epicor ERP, from the shop floor, through to suppliers’ shipping data, commerce data and more.

“These are all things that live in ERP. So by definition ERP companies have the best chance at succeeding at driving significant value with AI. So the more industry specific the better, which is why we feel like we have an unfair advantage.”

ERP Today is reminded that AI models are not one-size-fits-all, as you cannot apply the same model to different sectors. A competitive edge comes from the Make, Move, Sell economy. The data ERP ontology for manufacturing comes from part sub-assembly order, while for distribution it’s quote-to-order, via Epicor’s integrated development environment (IDE). 

The technologist sees a level of parallelism between Make, Move, Sell, as reflected within the data model itself. This means when building AI, it’s possible to create a corollary to a use case in manufacturing, to distribution and also to building supply.

“It would be very hard to create that corollary [with other sectors]. It’s just such an orthogonal industry. So I’d say that that’s our competitive edge in the application of our AI.”

Makers, Movers and Sellers blend together as sectors, the EVP continues, instead of making for three distinct verticals. Some companies both make and sell products, for example.

“Everyone has to do some form of payments. Everyone has to make some sort of supply chain decision. Many have a last mile delivery […] When we’re more focused on it as an aggregate, we can then allow our AI agents to kind of cross over to various products.”

Those AI agents are brought up a lot by Vaibhav Vohra, and in a context that underlines Murphy’s view that the technologist can see beyond the tech and understand the human element driving baseline customer decisions and user operations.

With his background in robotics Vohra notes that where robots were seen as possibly replacing human workers, instead it turned out more skills and technical labor were needed to deal when a robot was introduced into “the wild” of a workspace.

As such, he believes that the idea that putting robots and AI into something means less humans are needed is “absolutely false”.

“When people found that they could use this as a superpower of augmenting what a human could do, that’s when most retailers, manufacturers, and distributors are more successful.”

With robotics, ERP, aerospace and now superhumans in the mix, it seems the skill set of Vaibhav Vohra has leveled up once again, much like the AI evolving behind ERP on an unstoppable trajectory.

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