The Epicforce Tech Way: Customizing Epicor® Without Compromising Future Upgrades

The Epicforce Tech Way: Customizing Epicor® Without Compromising Future Upgrades

Blog Article

Introduction: The Customization Dilemma in ERP

Epicor® is a powerful, flexible ERP platform built to support a wide range of industries. One of its key strengths is the ability to customize nearly every aspect—from forms and fields to reports, workflows, and integrations.

But that flexibility comes with a hidden risk: customizations can break during system upgrades.

This leaves many companies stuck between two bad options:

• Skip upgrades and fall behind on features, security, and support

• Upgrade anyway—and risk breaking key business processes

At Epicforce Tech, we believe you shouldn't have to choose. You can have tailored functionality and a future-proof ERP—if customization is done the right way.

This blog walks through our proven approach to Epicor® customization—one that enhances your business without creating upgrade headaches. It's a practical guide, focused on value and usability, with actionable insights for anyone managing an Epicor® environment.

---

Section 1: Understanding the Risks of Poorly Scoped Customizations

Before diving into solutions, let’s understand why upgrades and customizations often clash.

1.1 What Makes a Customization Risky?

• Direct modifications to Epicor® base code

• Hard-coded dependencies on system tables or fields

• Poorly documented business logic

• No use of Epicor®'s extensibility tools (e.g., BPMs, UD tables, personalization)

• Over-reliance on unsupported third-party scripts

These shortcuts might speed up the initial build—but they become technical debt that makes future upgrades costly, time-consuming, or even impossible.

1.2 Common Symptoms of Bad Customization

• Upgrade delays due to broken functionality

• Features that no longer work after patches

• Hidden logic that only one developer understands

• Performance degradation

• Vendor lock-in or expensive remediation work

---

Section 2: The Epicforce Tech Philosophy on Customization

We believe that ERP customization should be:

• Process-driven, not developer-driven

• Modular and maintainable, not monolithic

• Aligned with best practices, not shortcuts

• Fully documented and owned by your team, not hidden away

• Built to survive upgrades, not hinder them

At Epicforce Tech, our customization approach starts with the business process—not the code.

---

Section 3: Our Upgrade-Safe Customization Framework

Here’s how we build powerful, maintainable Epicor® customizations that keep your system upgrade-ready.

---

Step 1: Requirements Gathering with End Users

Customization should solve real problems—not just deliver features. We begin every project with stakeholder interviews, process mapping, and workflow analysis.

We ask:

• What are you trying to improve or automate?

• Is this functionality missing from standard Epicor®?

• Are there native configuration options that could meet this need?

• How will this customization impact users, processes, and reports?

Our goal is to avoid unnecessary customization unless it delivers measurable value.

---

Step 2: Choose the Right Epicor® Tools First

Epicor® provides multiple extensibility tools that don’t compromise upgradeability:

• Business Process Management (BPMs): Ideal for validations, automations, and approvals

• User-Defined (UD) Tables/Fields: Great for storing custom data without touching core tables

• Personalization & Customization Layering: Tailor forms and UIs without editing base code

• Service Connect or REST API: Connect Epicor® to external systems cleanly

• BAQs & Dashboards: Deliver custom reports and visualizations without modifying forms

We prioritize these tools before resorting to advanced code-based customizations.

---

Step 3: Isolate and Modularize Custom Logic

When code is necessary (e.g., C# customizations or UI scripting), we isolate functionality:

• No direct modifications to Epicor® base layers

• Use of event-driven architecture and wrappers

• Separation of business logic from UI code

• Modular deployment packages that can be versioned and tested independently

This makes testing, debugging, and upgrading much easier and safer.

---

Step 4: Build with the Next Upgrade in Mind

Every customization we develop includes:

• Version tagging for Epicor® compatibility

• Documentation for logic, data sources, and dependencies

• Code comments and inline notes

• Error handling and rollback protection

• Upgrade checklist to test against future releases

This ensures future developers (or even your internal team) can understand and maintain the solution.

---

Step 5: User Testing with Real Data

Before deploying customizations, we test everything using:

• Full UAT environments with recent production data

• End-to-end business process walkthroughs

• Department-specific use case validation

• Performance benchmarking

• Edge case testing (e.g., large volumes, missing fields, process failures)

We ensure the customization behaves exactly as expected—before it ever reaches production.

---

Step 6: Upgrade Simulation and Regression Testing

When new Epicor® versions are released, we don’t wait for surprises.

We simulate upgrades in a sandbox and perform:

• Regression tests of all custom logic

• Impact analysis reports from Epicor® tools

• Update or deprecate outdated scripts

• Communication with stakeholders if workflows need adjustments

Our clients experience smoother, faster upgrades because we've already planned for them.

---

Section 4: Real-World Example — Customization Without Compromise

Client: Multi-site distributor with Epicor® Kinetic
Need: Custom workflow for multi-tier order approvals with dynamic thresholds

Risks Identified:

• Existing process relied on Excel approvals and emails

• Needed real-time alerts, mobile approvals, and audit logs

• Concerned about future Epicor® updates breaking the logic

Our Solution:

• Built custom BPM workflows for approvals

• Added UD fields for tracking and notes

• Created a layered UI customization for managers

• Triggered email alerts using Epicor® Notification

• Documented every step and trained admins to manage it

Results:

• 100% in-system order approvals

• No upgrade impact across two major releases

• Improved audit compliance

• Reduced approval cycle time by 40%

---

Section 5: Common Customization Scenarios We Handle

Here’s where Epicforce Tech shines in delivering customizations that last:

---

Section 6: Our Documentation Standards (So You’re Never Locked Out)

One of the biggest reasons customizations cause pain is poor documentation. That’s why we provide:

• Technical design documents (TDDs)

• Functional requirements documentation

• Code repositories with change logs

• User-facing quick-reference guides

• Developer notes and environment checklists

You own everything. No black boxes. No vendor lock-in.

---

Section 7: Training Your Team to Maintain Custom Work

Our goal is not just to deliver functionality—it’s to empower your team to own and evolve it.

We include:

• Admin and power user training

• Technical handoffs for IT or in-house devs

• Support documentation for onboarding new employees

• Change management and process update playbooks

We build capacity inside your team—not dependency on ours.

---

Section 8: When to Rebuild vs. Refactor Legacy Customizations

Already have customizations that are causing upgrade issues? We help you decide:

We’ve helped dozens of clients de-risk their Epicor® environment by replacing fragile custom code with smart, stable solutions.

---

CTA: Customize Smarter with Epicforce Tech

Customization should never be a barrier to progress. It should unlock efficiency, automation, and insight—without chaining you to outdated versions or fragile code.

At Epicforce Tech, we specialize in building custom Epicor® functionality that’s scalable, secure, and future-proof. Whether you need new features, integrations, or workflow automation—we build it right, the first time.

???? Speak with a customization expert: (888) 280-5585
???? info@epicforcetech.com
???? www.epicforcetech.com

---

Conclusion: Why Epicforce Tech is the Partner for Safe, Scalable Customizations

Customizing Epicor® isn’t a shortcut—it’s a strategy. But that strategy must be grounded in long-term thinking, deep product expertise, and a commitment to your growth.

At Epicforce Tech, we bring all three. We don’t just make Epicor® fit your business—we make sure it continues to fit, release after release, year after year.

Because a system that breaks on upgrade isn’t a system built for growth. Let’s build smarter. Let’s build for tomorrow.

Let’s build it the Epicforce Tech way.

Report this page