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Epicor® FAQ’s

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“Morton Manufacturing utilizes Epicor® for MRP functionality. PTS helped us through projects when we ran into roadblocks.  Their advanced expertise was more than enough for the problems and concerns we were facing.  They are well versed in visual basic and C# and they completed our projects very quickly.

The results of their work were exactly what we wanted, and allowed us to continue moving forward.  We haven’t had any problems and we plan to use PTS again in the future.”

— Morton Manufacturing • Aerospace Industry

“We are a growing Engineering and Manufacturing company within the Mail Order Pharmacy industry.  About a year ago, we purchased Epicor® 10 as a tool to help us grow the company and link all departments from a system point of view.  Epicor® sales presentation provided the proof that these goals would be met with this software. We fortunately found Jim Chance at PTS.  He has been working with us over the past quarter, with all of our testing and implementation (go-live) pain points.  He has spent many long hours with us onsite, understanding our company and our needs as it relates to Epicor®.  He is currently helping us to develop processes, procedures, forms, and BAQ’s for each end user and each department, on an as-needed basis.  I have found him and his team to be extremely knowledgeable in all areas within Epicor® – from production to finance – which has made him and his team extremely valuable to our company as we embark on this software implementation. ”

— R/X Automation Solutions, Inc. • Mail Order Pharmacy Industry

“The straight forward approach was a relief and I appreciate how the PTS team jumped straight in despite the complex challenges we faced.  I was able to speak with Jim directly several times which provided a great amount of comfort, I never had any trouble reaching him and/or a member of his team.

The team at PTS assisted in arranging meetings in which we discussed complicated business process and procedure requirements. This sped up the improvement process significantly.  PTS’ methodology was a perfect fit to quickly and thoroughly address our needs and provide solutions.

The functional results that were produced as a result of Jim’s team were a key component in keeping operations running.  Moreover, their skills for development are extraordinary.  On top of his work, Jim’s team also provided excellent support. They dealt with questions ranging from the absolute basics to advanced easily and with an air of patience that can only be described as completely forgiving!

In short, I would have no hesitation in recommending PTS to any prospective client and I would be happy to answer any questions related to this reference.”

— Olmsted Products • Industrial Pump Industry
Epicor® Frequently Asked Questions
Q: It appears any previously closed period can be reopened along with any previously closed year. Is there any way to prevent this possibility?
A: While the system warns you against reopening closed periods, it doesn’t prevent you from doing so out-of-the-box. Contact PracticalTek for assistance.
Q: We have recently updated the Production Standards along with adding multiple new resources, yet our shop capacity has not increased. What do we have to do in order to update our capacity?
A: There is a process that must be run in order for the system to recognize the change in capacity. Contact PracticalTek for best practices.
Q: Can I charge a leasing company rather than the customer purchasing the parts?
A: Yes, you have the capability of changing the ‘Bill-To’ so the parts and the bill can go to different locations.
Q: Is there one area that allows you to view all information related to a certain part?
A: You can find good, part-specific information in a few different areas. Part Tracker would be a great place to start. This shows you the existing part record as well as on hand quantities, part allocations, etc.
There are a couple other areas in the system as well. One will ask and answer certain questions about the history of the part. Another will show you material requirements for any part over a span of time.
Q: Is there a way to make changes to PO’s that were created through the Generate Suggestions process?
A: Absolutely, the system offers a way for you to manage current PO’s in terms of Due Dates, Quantities, etc. This is helpful since it allows you to make changes to PO’s instead of having to make new ones after every change.
Q: Is there a way I can establish breaks for all of my shifts?
A: Yes, You can set up shifts, lunch times, shift differentials and breaks within the system. Having these defined will allow the system to plan realistically.
Q: Is there a way I can establish breaks for all of my shifts?
A: Yes, You can set up shifts, lunch times, shift differentials and breaks within the system. Having these defined will allow the system to plan realistically.
Q: Is there a way to signal that all parts purchased from a certain supplier need to inspected upon receipt?
A: Yes, There is a setting that will require all parts from a chosen supplier be taken through Inspection Processing at arrival before they can be fully received into stock.
Q: Why is the system not generating a PO Suggestion for a non-stock purchased part needed on a job?
A: There are a few possibilities as to why this is occurring.
The user may not have the ability to see suggestions for that part. Also, the part could be missing key fields that tell the system to create suggestions for it.
Q: Why can’t I include some parts in a Physical Inventory?
A: There are multiple settings that can affect whether or not certain parts can be included in an inventory count.
These settings can be part-specific or defined by broader inventory settings
Q: Is there any indicator as to which Checklist Tasks I have appointed to me? Sort of a one-stop-shop area?
A: Not out-of-the-box, although, PracticalTek can develop a solution that allows for a user to filter by their Tasks and make status changes to the associated Tasks all from one central location.
Q: Does the system offer a way to view labor hours placed against a Rework job per employee?
A: Yes, the system provides you the ability to see this, contact PracticalTek for further assistance!
Q: In Job Status Maintenance, what if we have a Job suggestion we don’t want to ‘Firm’ at this time? It could be needed soon, but we have other important jobs to run first.
A: You have the ability to keep an ‘unfirm’ job suggestion without losing it. There may be difference in the job number, but the job will remain available to ‘Firm’.
Q: Can I set up direct deposit in Epicor?
A: Yes, you can.
The Payroll module has a few features that allow you to electronically deposit an employee’s pay right into a bank account.
In order to set it up, you have to utilize three main programs in the Finance Module.
Q: Can I set up direct deposit in Epicor?
A: Yes, you can.
The Payroll module has a few features that allow you to electronically deposit an employee’s pay right into a bank account.
In order to set it up, you have to utilize three main programs in the Finance Module.
Q: I added a Warehouse but now I don’t see it available as a drop-down menu item within Inventory Transfer?
Occur on the part record. If you do not perform this step, you will be unable to perform transfers to and from warehouses.
Q: To what extent can security restrictions and allowances for users be controlled?
A: User access can be limited to entire modules, programs, tabs and even fields.
Q: Can the system scheduler account for employees on various shifts?
A: Yes, the system can account for unique time restraints for resources.
Q: At what point can I assign a serial number to a part?
A: System assigned serial numbers occur at:
  • Time of receiving – this can be on or off
  • Time of work order/traveler creation – this can be on or off
  • If the job requires 5, then the system will auto generate 5 unique serial numbers
  • Shop users in MES will then put the product away after the operation/operations are completed
  • Then later the picker will pull the product from stock and see a screen that shows the 5 generated serial numbers and decide which ones they are pulling
  • Typically, the serial # would be labeled/tagged or perhaps stenciled on the part itself
  • So, the picker is confirming the physical serial # to the list of 5 serial number choices to designate which one or ones are being pulled
  • Both are driven based on if the part record checkbox for serialization is on or not
  • And the serial “mask” format is selected on the part record as well
Q: Can the system scheduler account for employees on various shifts
A: Yes, the system can account for unique time restraints for resources.
Q: Can more than one Salesperson receive commission per sales order?
A: Yes, this is possible.
Q: Am I able to link Inspection Plans to Part Records?
A: Yes, please contact PracticalTek for assistance.
Q: How do you save purchase point contact information without including them on mailings?
A: Flag the ‘No Contact’ check box then unflag the ‘Inactive’ check box in Supplier Maintenance.
Q: What feeds into the ‘Estimated’ column values on the Project Cost Screen?
A: The Estimated column values come from the setup of associated jobs for this project. The Actual column values will come after the jobs that have been released have had time and material placed against them.
Q: Can I reverse a receipt?
A: Yes, to a certain extent.
In Receipt entry, find the PO and pack slip previously received. Locate the received line you want to ‘unreceive’ and delete that line. If that line is the only line on the pack, you can delete the line and then delete the pack. If you’re going to receive the line again, you can keep the pack header and then make the receipt line again
If the receipt line has already been received and invoiced, you’ll have to request a debit memo from the supplier and apply it to that invoice. Then add a new pack line to receive that line again.
Q: Keeping an Unfirm Job
A: In Job Status Maintenance, what if we have a Job suggestion we don’t want to “Firm” at this given time? It may be needed soon, but we have other jobs to run first. What are our options?
You could simply ignore the job suggestion at this time. As long as the demand is still there the next time you run MRP, it’ll show up on your List sheet. Just be aware that the Job number could differ from that last entry. All you need to do is make sure that the part in focus is in the list to make a decision whether to make it “Firm”.
Q: Removing Debit Notes from the Aged Receivables Report
A: A customer posted debit notes during the cash receipts process by mistake. The clerk processed a cash receipts reversal and then did an adjustment for the short payments. Is there any way to get the debit notes removed from the ‘Aged Receivables Report’ – or are they on it indefinitely? It’s throwing their general ledger off balance for AR.
A debit note is just an open invoice with a balance. You should be able to call up that invoice in ‘Write and Adjustment’ entry and write the balance down to zero
Q: At what point can I assign a serial number to a part?
A: System assigned serial numbers occur at:
  • The time of receiving – this can be turned on or off.
  • The time of work order/traveler creation – this can be turned on or off.
If the job requires five, then the system will auto-generate five unique serial numbers
Shop users in MES will then put the product away after the operation/operations are completed. Later, the picker will pull the product from stock and be presented a screen that shows the five generated serial numbers and decide on which ones they’re pulling.
– Typically, the serial number would be labeled/tagged or, perhaps, stenciled on the part itself.
– So, the picker is comparing the physical serial numbers to the list of five serial number choices in order to decide which one(s) are being pulled.
Both are driven based on whether the part record serialization checkbox is flagged or not, or if the serial “mask” format is selected on the part record.
Q: Why should you upgrade now?
A: There are many business reasons:
  • Epicor ERP 10 has been out since April of 2014
  • Operations and growth have outpaced your ERP version
Certain versions of Microsoft server operating systems aren’t certified or compliant on older versions of Epicor
  • ERP version has reached or is approaching obsolescence
  • Maximized your current versions capabilities and now need more functionality
  • Need more functionality, but your current 10-15-year version of Epicor cannot keep up
  • There is a business risk of using an aged ERP system to run your business
  • Faster workflows, SOP’s, steps, and clicks increase productivity
  • Support becomes more difficult as your ERP version ages
  • For your business, it’s time to take a serious look at bringing your Epicor ERP system to the 21stcentury