Epicor Kinetic Customization: Upgrading to a New ERP User Experience

Epicor’s ERP version has been significantly upgraded to help manufacturers maximize productivity and future-proof operations. Re-branded and upgraded as Epicor Kinetic, this new release offers more capabilities and customizations for modern manufacturers. Epicor recognizes that users (you and your employees) are central to your company’s profitability. This new Epicor kinetic customization comes with many new offerings, including an upgrade from classic customizations to a new and modern experience.

Epicor kinetic customization

Adopting the New User Experience

The “classic” screens may be going away, but all current Epicor ERP customers have the freedom to adopt this new user experience at their own pace. This means your current user experience will continue to function as is until you decide to make the upgrade. The goal of this is to minimize all possible disruptions to your business.

Three years after the release of Kinetic 2021.1, the classic user interface and classic modern shells will be removed from the Kinetic application. Until then, your existing ERP version will continue to work in the classic user interface alongside the Kinetic UX forms you have enabled. Critical and compliance updates to the user interface will be available for installation, but these new functionalities will only be added automatically to the web-based Kinetic User Interface.

Customization Migration Process and Tools

The Epicor ERP customization upgrade process from the classic screen involves four stages:

  1. Upgrade: The customization conversion will run during your upgrade to 2021.1. Classic customizations with Kinetic equivalent will automatically be converted to a layer in Application Studio.
  2. Convert: After your upgrade, you’ll be able to review the status of the converted customization layers in the ‘Configuration Upgrade Dashboard’ (previously known as “Unique business components dashboard”). It is also important to note that some UX components will come over automatically, and some may need rework. You can consult Six S Partners for assistance at this stage.
  3. Verify: Review any issues and use Application Studio to update them or return to the Win form to edit and rerun the conversion program. Check the Conversion Workbench Logs to review details about the converted layers.
  4. Deploy: Once the conversions are verified and any issues fixed, you can deploy to the menu.

Epicor Kinetic has built-in tools to help simplify your company’s Epicor ERP customization upgrade. These tools includes:

  1. Cirrus Analyzer: Professional Services like Six S Partners use this to estimate and scope the work to help you with your customization upgrade. It provides information about your current customizations before this upgrade. It runs in your existing database to get a report of customization compatibility. This tool is not readily available to you and would require us to provide you access.
  2. Configuration Upgrade Dashboard: You can find this in the System Management folder. The dashboard provides real-time reporting after running the conversion program during installation. Once you upgrade to 2021, you can view real-time updates to the environment as you start to make changes. You can also rerun the conversion program any time after the upgrade to review changes to your customizations. You will also find a new tab called “Customizations/ Personalization” for Kinetic Layers.
  3. Conversion program Logs: This is available through the Conversion Workbench. It provides detailed logs for each customization layer (informational messages, warnings, and errors). Once you review the issues, use Application Studio to update them or return to the Win Form and rerun the Conversion program.

Getting started with your upgrade

There are 2 available options:

  1. Upgrade on your own
  • Perform the upgrade in a test/ pilot environment
  • Review your Configuration Upgrade Dashboard and Conversion logs
  • Use the application Studio to make changes
  • Deploy the customization menu, or
  1. Upgrade through a professional partner
  • Contact Six S Partners to provide you access to Analyzer
  • Select customizations that you want
  • Request a quote

Learn more at our Customer Webinar:

Six S Partners is here to guide you during the transition by providing experts and resources to facilitate the upgrade and end-user adoption process. Attend our 1hr customer webinar on effectively planning your company’s Epicor Kinetic Customization on August 26th at 1:30 pm EST. Please reserve your spot here or Contact us to get started with your upgrade with a professional partner today.