Are you looking for an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution designed specifically for the distribution industry? Epicor Eclipse ERP may be the answer. With nearly 50 years of experience developing distribution-specific software, Epicor Eclipse ERP provides functionality that matches the unique and complex requirements of various distribution markets, including electrical, plumbing, PVF, HVAC/R, and many more.

In this blog post, we'll explore the features and advantages of Epicor Eclipse software and discuss how Thrive Technologies can help you overcome any weaknesses of the inventory management module.

Epicor Eclipse ERP Overview

Epicor Eclipse ERP is a sophisticated industry-focused solution designed to optimize your entire distribution business. The ERP software is designed for your industry and provides a comprehensive solution for distributors. With technology that enables transformation and growth, Epicor Business Solutions is a reliable choice for distributors of all sizes.

Epicor Business System — A Comprehensive Solution

Epicor Eclipse ERP is an industry-focused solution that provides comprehensive functionality for distributors. The ERP software is designed to streamline your distribution business by automating key processes such as purchasing, order management, inventory management, and financial management. With a user-driven interface, Eclipse features customizable screens and toolbars, allowing modifications to match the personal needs of one user or a group of users. This feature provides control over access to screens and related data, enabling businesses to work more efficiently.

Take Control of Your Entire Distribution Business with Epicor Eclipse

Eclipse ERP provides a comprehensive solution for distributors that integrates and automates key business processes, including sales, order management, materials management, financial management, and supply chain management. This allows distributors to streamline operations, reduce costs, improve productivity, and increase customer satisfaction.

With Eclipse, distributors can manage inventory levels and stock availability, process sales orders, generate invoices, manage financial transactions, and track order and delivery schedules from a single platform. The system provides real-time visibility into all aspects of the distribution business, enabling managers to make informed decisions and respond quickly to changing market conditions.

Designed Specifically for Your Industry

The core policy of Epicor Business Solutions lies in meeting the unique needs of various distribution markets, including electrical, plumbing, PVF, HVAC/R, and many more. The system offers advanced features and functionality that match each market's complex and specific requirements, providing distributors with a tailored solution that meets their needs.

Whether a small distributor or a large enterprise, Eclipse ERP can help you optimize your business processes and gain a competitive edge in your market. With nearly 50 years of experience developing distribution-specific software, Epicor has the expertise and knowledge to help distributors succeed in today’s rapidly changing business environment.

Total Solution for Distributors

Epicor Eclipse ERP provides a comprehensive solution for distributors, with modules that include purchase management, sales and order management, financial management, and CRM. The Epicor Eclipse software is designed to optimize your entire distribution business by automating key processes such as purchasing, order management, inventory management, and financial management. With a user-driven interface, Eclipse features customizable screens and toolbars, allowing modifications to match the personal needs of one user or a group of users to dramatically enhance productivity and improve customer service.

Eclipse ERP offers a range of modules covering all distribution business aspects. These modules include:

• CRM: Manage customer relationships and track orders, invoices, and payments.

• eCommerce: Create an online store and easily manage web orders.

• Proof of Delivery: Enables distributors to track deliveries and provide customers with real-time updates on the status of their orders.

• Purchase Management: Streamlines the procurement process, allowing distributors to source products from multiple suppliers and manage purchase orders, receipts, and invoices from a single platform.

• RF Warehouse Management: Provides real-time visibility into warehouse operations and inventory levels, enabling distributors to optimize their warehouse processes and reduce costs.

• Sales Order Management: Allows distributors to manage the entire sales order process, from order entry to shipping and invoicing, ensuring accurate and timely order fulfillment.

• Financial Management: Provides comprehensive financial management capabilities, including general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, cash management, and financial reporting.

• Job Management: Enables distributors to manage order and delivery schedules, track job costs, and monitor job progress in real-time.

Technology that Enables Growth and Transformation

Eclipse ERP is built on modern technology that enables transformation and growth. The system is highly scalable and can support multiple companies, warehouses, and currencies, making it ideal for distributors with global operations.

The system features an intuitive Windows interface that is easy to learn and use, reducing the learning curve for employees and enabling them to be more productive from day one. Eclipse ERP also offers advanced customization capabilities that allow distributors to tailor the system to their unique needs without performing development work or altering the source code.

Furthermore, Eclipse ERP offers a range of advanced features and functionality that can help distributors optimize their operations and gain business effectiveness. These features include:

• User-driven, customizable screens, and toolbars

• Intuitive and user-friendly search capabilities

• Comprehensive, integrated work queues

• Real-time reporting and analytics

• Robust suite of EDI transactions

• Integrated imaging suite

• Logical audit trails

• Comprehensive online help tools

• Integrated messaging system

Advantages of Epicor Eclipse ERP

Epicor Eclipse ERP offers several advantages, making it an ideal solution for distributors. These advantages include the following:

• Epicor's nearly 50 years of experience developing distribution-specific software has resulted in a robust and mature solution that has been tested and refined over time. The software is tailored to each customer's needs and offers a wealth of industry-specific extensive functionality and features to help distributors optimize their entire business.

• Epicor Eclipse ERP offers a wide range of features and functionalities that can be customized to meet various distribution markets' unique and complex requirements. Whether in the electrical, plumbing, PVF, HVAC/R, or other industries, Eclipse ERP has the tools to optimize your operations and achieve your business goals.

• With more than 64,000 users on Eclipse, it's clear that the software has a strong track record of success. The vast user community also creates opportunities for knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and support. With such a large user base, it's easy to find resources, advice, and best practices to help optimize your use of the software and solve any problems that may arise. Moreover, the community is an excellent resource for staying up-to-date with industry trends and best practices, ensuring that your business is always at the forefront of innovation and efficiency.

• Epicor Eclipse ERP has a proven implementation methodology based on the successful implementation of more than 4,000 distributor implementations. This methodology ensures that companies are live on time and within budget.

• Epicor Eclipse ERP offers a high degree of flexibility, allowing users to easily customize the application to their specific business needs without requiring any development work or altering the source code. This level of customization ensures that the system fits seamlessly into existing business processes and workflows, making it easy for users to adopt and fully utilize the software solution.

• Eclipse ERP is built with a user-friendly interface familiar to most employees, based on the Windows interface. This results in a shorter employee learning curve, reducing training time and increasing productivity. With a simple and intuitive interface, employees can easily navigate the system and access the necessary information, making their daily tasks more efficient.

Inventory Management: Weakness of Eclipse ERP

Though Eclipse ERP is a comprehensive and sophisticated enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, like other ERP systems, it has several inventory “blind spots” - unpredictability with managing low-volume SKUs and response time to changes in demand - when it comes to minimizing dead stock and stockouts. 

First, Eclipse relies on assumptions like Order Cost and Carry Cost that it uses to calculate antiquated inventory formulas like the Economic Order Quantity. These assumptions are rarely, if ever, reviewed but are a significant part of the inventory purchase calculations. 

Second, Eclipse (like any other forecasting system) cannot create accurate forecasts for SKUs with low sales volumes (e.g., 3 sales a year). Yet, Thrive studies show on average, 85% of a wholesaler’s stocked SKUs sell 10 or less times a year. 

Finally, Eclipse - and all ERPs - does not react quickly enough to changes in large demand or to changes in supply lead times.

How Can Thrive Technologies Help in Inventory Management of Your Wholesale Distribution Business

Thrive Technologies can help you address the weaknesses of Eclipse ERP in inventory management and optimize your inventory performance. The company offers a suite of solutions that enable data-driven inventory optimization, including:

Thermostock

Thermostock® is an AI and machine learning technology that can help distributors prevent up to 90% of dead stock. According to research by Thrive, up to 90% of a wholesaler's dead stock comes from low-volume demand items that continue to be purchased despite little or no sales activity. Thermostock® automatically identifies these items, calculates optimal inventory minimums and maximums, and recommends monthly rebalancing of overstocked items.

The technology works in the background without disrupting the workflow of buyers and their purchasing teams. Implementing Thermostock® can improve inventory turns and increase profitability for distributors.

Tiltmeter

Tiltmeter® is a technology that monitors and detects unexpected changes in demand for wholesale inventory. It alerts sales and buying teams when large changes in activity are detected, enabling them to validate new demand and adjust inventory levels accordingly. Tiltmeter can detect large demand swings in as little as 30 days, compared to 6 months for ERP systems. By preventing dead stock accumulation and stock-outs, Tiltmeter reduces the risk of high-demand items with low customer breadth.

It is effortless to implement, requiring no changes to current processes or high-risk implementations, and can work alongside existing ERP systems. A free proof of concept using a company's real data is offered to showcase the system's effectiveness and savings.

Final Words

Eclipse ERP is a suitable inventory solution for most wholesale distributors. However, there are weaknesses when managing complex wholesale distributions that require inventory optimization. Thrive Technologies can help wholesalers address these weaknesses with their suite of solutions — Thermostock, Tiltmeter, and Enlighten — to improve inventory performance and save costs. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you!

About Thrive Technologies

Thrive Technologies is committed to solving supply chain planning issues for inventory-intensive companies without requiring expensive risky software implementations. Thrive has developed patent-pending technologies that analyze billions of rows of inventory data and have reduced dead stock by 43.5% in 4 months. Thrive’s inventory solutions are live within days, integrate closely with clients’ ERP systems, and provide unprecedented agility in managing unpredictability and change in demand and supply chains.

For more information, please visit Thrive Technologies at www.thrivetech.com or follow them on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.