Epicor(R) Enhances Its Integrated Manufacturing Solutions With New Mobile CRM and Product Configurator Capabilities in Vantage 6.1 (email this article)

LAS VEGAS, Perspectives 2003, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Epicor Software Corporation (Company Profile, Past Stories, Case Studies) (Nasdaq: EPIC - News), a leading provider of integrated enterprise software solutions for midmarket companies, announced today its popular Vantage® manufacturing solution now offers integrated mobile Customer Relationship Management (CRM) capabilities and a new Web configurator module, addressing new and emerging industry requirements and raising the bar for end-to-end integrated manufacturing solutions specifically aimed at the midmarket. The announcement coincides with the company's annual global users conference at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, which is enjoying a record-breaking turnout.

For years, Epicor's Vantage customers have leveraged the solution's robust CRM capabilities, designed to give manufacturers the ability to maximize the productivity of every encounter with a customer. The new mobile CRM capabilities provide sales representatives with "on the move" access to tools and information so they can deliver comprehensive, quality service to customers, shorten sales cycle times and generate more revenues.

Field sales representatives comprise the largest number of mobile enterprise workers within enterprises, according to industry analyst firm Yankee Group, which anticipates US sales of mobile field sales solutions will grow to top $825 million by 2006.

Responding to industry requirements for comprehensive mobile CRM capabilities, Vantage 6.1 provides the ability to generate new sales quotes or amend existing quotations; create and complete workflow tasks; activate or process CRM calls; add, import and edit customer and contact information; run a wide range of reports, and access information such as quotes, orders, jobs and parts, quantities on hand, and customer shipments. The solution also allows sales professionals to rapidly respond to sales opportunities by developing bills of materials on-the-fly, using drag and drop functionality to add subassemblies, operations and materials, and parts.

A key benefit is the way the information is customized to the mobile sales force professional -- all data is filtered by sales representative so that only their territory's information is transferred to the mobile client. For ease of use and consistency, the menu and screens are identical in form and function to the main server side Vantage CRM solution.

Belton, Mo.-based ROM Corporation plans to leverage Vantage 6.1's mobile CRM capabilities to keep its 10 sales territory managers synched with vital information related to customer quotes, shipments and returns. ROM is a made- to-order manufacturer of products including roll-up doors for emergency apparatus and service vehicles; insulated bulkhead systems for the foodservice industry; safety walk ramp systems for food distribution; and security chain closures for building security.

"We anticipate the mobile CRM capabilities in Vantage will further our competitiveness and profitability in a number of ways," said Pat Cheek, chief financial officer for ROM Corp. "Giving our representatives access to a wide variety of information will enable them to provide better customer service, be more efficient and productive in their day-to-day sales activities, and support more productive sales engagements."

Also new to Vantage is the addition of an integrated Web-based Product Configurator. The Product Configurator works with Epicor's Customer Connect StoreFront and Sales Connect online self-service applications. With Customer Connect, the Product Configurator enables customers to use the Internet quickly and easily to custom configure products based on their specific needs. The Product Configurator supports products with thousands of options, rules and constraints, accommodating dimensions, lengths, and detailed engineering rules, making it simple for users to design, price and configure valid complex products quickly and easily. Within Customer Connect the configurator can be defined to offer a more elaborate simple series of questions including detailed help and graphical prompts. This helps customers who are not as familiar with the selling process as internal employees.

"Discrete manufacturers that are rearchitecting their inquiry-to-quote and quote-to-order processes are getting the biggest financial payback from sales and product configuration strategies," according to Louis Columbus in the AMR Research Alert, Making Configuration Pay, July 15, 2003. "On average, manufacturers are seeing a 50% increase in revenue because of the ability to respond faster on quotes requiring price exceptions, and squeezing 75% of the time required to respond to them."

With Sales Connect Web portal, manufacturers' sales representatives or partners can generate accurate quotes for custom configured products accessing the same comprehensive product configuration rules used in the back office. The Product Configurator features a user-definable interface that allows users to customize screen format, look and feel. The Product Configurator can be used by both back office and mobile groups, and is deployable via Windows client or via the Web.

"The new mobile CRM and Product Configurator capabilities in Vantage 6.1 support collaboration and knowledge exchange throughout the value chain and can help manufacturers increase revenues, drive profitability, create and maintain competitive advantage and promote increased customer satisfaction," said Paul Farrell, senior director of product marketing for Epicor's Manufacturing Solutions Group.

About Vantage

More than 1,500 customers use Vantage, Epicor's complete end-to-end manufacturing solution that addresses the front to back office core business needs of midsized make-to-order (MTO) and mixed-mode manufacturers. Vantage is delivered 'out of the box' with built-in workflow processes that enable manufacturers to manage the entire order cycle: from Marketing and Sales through Production and Planning, Sourcing and Procurement, Installation and Service, and finally Financial recognition. Vantage enables the whole process to be real-time and paperless. Because the entire Vantage solution streamlines the order cycle, an enterprise can maximize its resources, minimize its costs and improve profitability. To keep information system costs at an absolute minimum, every part of Vantage is optimized for rapid installation, low training costs, simple operation, easy modification, and cost-effective expansion. Key features include multiple operating system support, business activity monitoring, multi- company collaboration and support for global operations aimed at meeting the increasingly global needs of manufacturers.

About Epicor Software Corporation

Epicor is a leading provider of integrated enterprise software solutions for midmarket companies around the world. Founded in 1984, Epicor has over 15,000 customers and delivers end-to-end, industry-specific solutions that enable companies to immediately improve business operations and build competitive advantage in today's Internet economy. Epicor's comprehensive suite of integrated software solutions for Customer Relationship Management, Financials, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, Professional Services Automation and Collaborative Commerce provide the scalability and flexibility to support long-term growth. Epicor's solutions are complemented by a full range of services, providing single point of accountability to promote rapid return on investment and low total cost of ownership, now and in the future. Epicor is headquartered in Irvine, California and has offices and affiliates around the world. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.epicor.com .

Epicor and Vantage are registered trademarks of Epicor Software Corporation. All other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners. The product and service offerings depicted in this document are produced by Epicor Software Corporation.