Chapter 1: The Epicor Environment

The Epicor application is a feature-rich Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software package. In order to gain a thorough understanding of its features, you first need to know how to navigate the application.

The Epicor application is designed for versatility and integration. To enrich user experience, two types of User Interfaces (UI) are available for selection:

• Modern Shell - A new, modern interface, represents a fundamental shift in the way Epicor ERP navigation works. The new UI is more touchscreen-orientated for use on tablets as well as traditional PCs. The touch-centric Home Page serves as your starting point and can be customized through mosaic tiles. Tiles are the new way to access applications or documents; you can use them by clicking or tapping on them.

• Classic Style - A traditional way of navigation around the Epicor application. The Classic Style interface is primarily made up of three parts: Main Menu, Module, and Program. The Main Menu is your home base within the Epicor application. Every module is consistently organized through the directory tree on the Main Menu, so you can quickly find the program you need to run.

Each program contains the functionality you need to enter and manipulate data such as toolbars and sheets. A sheet is a layer of a program interface that contains related data input and functionality. Programs such as Carrier Maintenance contain two sheets – a detail sheet and a list sheet. More complex programs like Sales Order Entry contain multiple sheets that accommodate the different ways in which organizations process orders. In this chapter, you will explore sheets and the data entry elements found on sheets – like check boxes, grids, context menus, and radio buttons.

Trackers are query programs you use to drill into the details of your database. Trackers are also a secure way for users to view system data without updating information. Whether you are looking for related job information, quote information, or the status of shipments, receipts, or financial transactions, trackers are the programs you use to access this information. The application supports three types of trackers – display only, status dashboards, and executive dashboards.

This chapter also describes the Epicor Everywhere Framework^™ – a unique technology that stores all client business logic as tagged XML metadata. This permits the Epicor application to run as a smart client, Web client, or mobile device application, all from the same source code. At the end of this chapter, the educational resources available from Epicor University are described - such as feature summaries, application help, technical reference guides, embedded courses, and release documentation. You should frequently leverage the documentation and education content to improve your use of the Epicor application.

Once you understand the interface and the educational resources available, you are better able to reduce the technology, integration, and accessibility barriers that reduce productivity.

Interface Navigation

This section explains how to use the main controls of Epicor ERP interfaces and how to navigate within active programs.

Log On

Open

Open

2. Enter your User name and Password.

3. To launch the Classic Menu, select the Classic Style check box.

4. To launch the Kinetic Home Page, select the Kinetic Home Page check box.

To launch the Modern Home Page menu, clear both check boxes.

5. Click the Right Arrow button to access the Epicor ERP 10 application. Based on your selection, either the Classic menu, Modern Home Page or Kinetic Home Page displays.

Modern Shell Style

1. Tiles are the main building blocks of the home page to quickly access Epicor Forms, URL Links, documents or programs you use the most.

2. You can organize tiles within Tile Groups such as Favorites List, or maintain your custom groups, for example, most frequently used Purchase Management forms. You can rearrange Tiles within the Home Page by using the drag and drop process.

3. The sliding Open Forms Bar found at the top of the screen displays all opened forms.

4. You can click a form icon to maximize it or click the x button to close it.

5. Use the Navigator buttons found in the top right corner to scroll through the opened forms and return to the Home Page. You can also launch the Search application that offers several ways to look for and retrieve a particular information you need.

6. The embedded search capability includes:

• Searching for a specific Epicor ERP Menu Item using the Menu Search.

• Using a Web Search Engine of your choice to search for a particular information on the internet.

• Using the Enterprise Search to retrieve indexed content from within the Epicor ERP application and then quickly launch specific programs to display the data returned from the search.

• 7. To change the company for which you are entering data, in the top right corner, click the link on the current company and select a company you want.

• 8. To access the Help application from which you can for example, access Application Help or launch the Embedded Courses, click the Help tile.

• 9. The Settings tile provides access to application Settings such as current environment options or changing a color scheme.

• 10. To access to the Menu application where you have access to all licensed modules and programs in the Epicor application, click the Menu tile. The Help, Settings and Menu tiles are standard tiles delivered by Epicor.

• 11. If you have several tiles on your Home page, the Zoom button displays. Click this button to enlarge the size of the tiles, making them easier to see. You can also click this button again to reduce the size of the tiles. If you only have a few tiles on the Home page, the Zoom button does not display. For example, the installed version of the Home page does not have the Zoom button.

• 12. When you click the arrow at the button of the Menu, the Application Bar scrolls up. This toolbar provides access to context specific options and session-specific options such changing a user, adding a new tile, activating Developer Mode, or launching the trace log.

Use Menu Application

Use the Menu application launched from the Home Page to access Companies, Modules and Programs found within the Epicor ERP 10 application. Programs are grouped first by module category, then by module, and last by function.

The following are the main controls you can use in the new menu:

1. The Menu interface can be viewed in two ways, the Zoom view and the Tree view. You can switch between the View modes using the icons found in the top right corner of the Menu. The Zoom view is designed for touch screen devices. It displays the menu for the current Company and Site and it allows the user to focus on one section of the menu. As the folders are selected on the left, their contents are displayed on the right side. The Tree view displays the application tree on the left of the screen. You can navigate through companies, modules and related programs by clicking on branches and nodes.

2. In this example, the menu interface is displayed using the Zoom view.

3. The Contents pane displays the contents of the folder selected in the left portion of the screen.

4. You can toggle between the List view and the Tile view using the icon found in the top-right corner of the Contents pane. The Tile view is displays items as rectangular tiles. In this example, the List view is used; it displays the content of the selected folder as the list of items.

5. When you open Epicor forms, the status slider at the bottom indicates the form is opening. When the form has opened, the status slider backs down. If you want to interrupt opening the form, click the X button on the status slider.

Classic Menu

The Classic Style interface is primarily made up of three parts: Main Menu, Module, and Program. The Main Menu is your home base within the Epicor application. Every module is consistently organized through the directory tree on the Main Menu, so you can quickly find the program you need to run.

1. Menu bar - Use the Menu bar located at the top of the Main Menu to set your view, change the current company and plant, select the language for your session, access application help, and so on. The Menu toolbar, located below the Menu bar, holds icons that you use to quickly launch functions also found under the Options menu of the Menu bar.

2. History toolbar - Click the Down Arrow within this toolbar to view the list of programs you recently launched. You can select one of these options and click the Go button to activate the program again.

Note: To clear history, from the Options menu, select Preferences. On the General sheet, click the Clear History button and click OK.

3. You can launch Enterprise Search directly from the Main Menu application. Use this feature to enter search text and retrieve results from a wide range of Epicor data.

4. If you right-click a toolbar, a context menu displays. Use this context menu to hide or show the Menu and History toolbars, to set (lock) the toolbars into their current positions, and to customize the toolbars to match your needs.

5. Click the Menu Groups tab to display the Main Menu folder list.

6. The Main Menu folder list is an explorer-type tree view of all companies and sites within your organization, including the module categories and modules.

7. In this example, Epicor Corporation, Epicor Distribution, and Epicor Education are some of the companies in this organization. You can switch between companies by selecting the company you need on the Main Menu folder list. (You must have rights to switch between companies.)

8. Notice the Epicor Education company has multiple sites. Some sites in this company are Evanston, Los Angeles, and Main. You can switch between sites within the current company by selecting the plant you need on the Main Menu folder list.

9. You access programs within a plant. Programs are grouped first by module category, then by module, and last by function. Review the next section, Module Navigation, on how to access programs using these groupings. The information that displays in a program pertains to the specific company and plant from which the program was launched.

10. Optionally use the Module Category buttons located below the Main Menu folder list to quickly access the modules within a specific module category. The Production Management button is selected in this example.

11. The Menu Groups sheet now displays the module group (in this example, Production Management) in its title bar. When you select the module you need, the function folders for the module display. You expand the function folder to view and access a program. In this example, the Engineering module and General Operations folder are selected.

12. Status Bar – Use the Status Bar to view session information such as current user, current site, time, date, and so on. The default language for the current user also displays. The interface can appear in a different language for each user.

13. Favorites – Use Favorites to access shortcuts to programs you frequently use.

14. To add a favorite option, right-click the program for which you want to create a shortcut. Select Add to Favorites Bar from the context menu.

You can also add shortcuts that launch external applications such as Microsoft^® Excel^® spreadsheet.

Styling and Themes

1. To select a theme using the Classic interface, from the Main Menu, select the Options menu.

2. Highlight the Preferences option.

3. The Preferences window displays. Click on the Theming tab.

4. From the Theme drop-down list, select a style.

5. Click OK.

6. Log out and then log back into the Epicor ERP application. Programs now display using the selected theme; for this example, the windows display using the NightWing theme.

Epicor ERP 10 | 10.2.700

8. By default, the General Options group is selected.

9. Click the Preferences... option.

10. The Preferences window displays.

11. Click on the Theming tab.

12. Now from the Theme drop-down list, select the theme you want to display on your client interface.

13. Click OK.

14. Log out and then log back into the Epicor ERP application. Programs now display using the selected theme; for this example, the windows display using the NightWing theme.

Module Navigation

3. Module Category – Related modules are found within a module category. For example, all the financial modules such as Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger, and so on are found within the Financial Management module category.

4. Module – Typically, each module has a folder. For example, Accounts Receivable, Order Management, and so on.

• Setup – Maintenance programs included for the current module. For example, Bank Fee and Terms are maintenance programs found in the Setup folder for the Accounts Receivable module.

• General Operations – Entry and tracker programs included for the current module. For example, AR Invoice Entry and Customer Tracker are entry and tracker programs found in the General Operations folder for the Accounts Receivable module.

• Reports – Reports included for the current module. For example, the Commission and Sales Analysis reports are found in the Reports folder for the Accounts Receivable module.

• 6. Program – When you click a function folder, all programs in that folder display in the pane located on the right side. Programs contain all the functionality you need to enter and manipulate data. Review the next section, Program Interface, on how to use this functionality.

• 7. In Kinetic Home Page, on the Menu, click the Menu button to access the Epicor menu tree. Programs are grouped first by module category, then by module, and last by function.

Programs contain the functionality you need to enter and manipulate data. Each program uses toolbars and sheets for navigation and data entry.

1. Program Menu toolbar – This toolbar contains the drop-down menus for the program. Most of these menus contain features common to all programs; the Actions menu contains functionality unique to the current program.

2. Standard toolbar – This toolbar contains buttons you use to manipulate data on the current record such as save, delete, copy, and paste.

3. Navigation toolbar – Use this toolbar to move through all the records currently selected for display within the program.

4. Currency toolbar – Use this toolbar to convert transaction amounts displayed within the current record to a different currency available within the company.

5. Tree View – Another navigation tool, use the Tree View to select specific items contained within each record. The selected items then display on the program sheets.

6. Sheets – A program is divided into layers, or sheets, of related functionality. Each sheet contains fields that define a specific item on the current record.

7. Status Bar – The bottom toolbar displays information about the current session; for example, current user, date, time, current company, and so on. You can choose the information that displays on the Status Bar. To do this, click the Tools menu and select Options.

Fonts in the Epicor Environment

Using the Control Panel settings in Windows^®, you can choose which fonts displays within your programs and how you install fonts on your computer.

The Epicor application is designed to be used with the Normal (100%) font setting in Windows. If you change your Windows text size to Medium (125%) or Larger (150%), fonts may not display properly.

Standard Toolbar

The following table lists the available options:

New - Click this button to create a new record. Some programs require you add additional new items to the current record. For example, you add sales order lines to a sales order record.

Navigation Toolbar

Currency Toolbar

Your company can have several currencies available. You can convert the transaction amounts to document or reporting currency.

The Currency toolbar now displays the selected currency; all the amounts within the current record update to show the recalculated amounts.

Status Bar

Tree View

The current record automatically displays within the Tree View. When you expand the nodes on the tree by clicking the + icons, you can quickly locate (or drill down) to a specific item within a record.

Sheets

To navigate through all the sheets in a program, you click the tabs for each sheet. You can also display sheets within the Tree View by clicking on its related node.

In the same way that sheets of paper connected with a paper clip can be reorganized, sheets within a program can be reorganized from their default positions.

To reset the sheets back to their default positions, from the Tools menu, select Reset Layouts to Base.

Entry Sheets

Each program has one or more Entry sheets that hold data entry elements such as check boxes, combo boxes, group boxes, radio buttons, and text boxes.

You use these data entry elements to enter the details for a specific aspect of a record. For example, use this entry sheet to enter the details for an order line.

List Sheets

List sheets display data through a grid format. These sheets are always linked to an Entry sheet – usually a Detail sheet. If the Detail sheet can be used to enter multiple items, in this example, order detail lines, all of these items contained within the current record display on the List sheet grid. Some list sheets contain additional information as well.

Grids

Grids are designed so you can quickly enter data. When you create a new item, like a detail line, you can add the information directly through the grid. You move through the row’s fields by pressing the Tab key on your keyboard.

1. In this example, a new row has been added to this grid. You can now use this row to enter a new detail line on the current order.

2. You can also delete rows on a grid. To do this, highlight the row as shown and then click Delete on the Standard toolbar.

To learn more about grid functionality, review the Epicor Customization Guide. Information on modifying grids is also available within application help.

New Records

1. To create a new primary record like a sales order, AR invoice group, chart of accounts, and so on, click New on the Standard toolbar.

2. For complex records, you create child items like detail lines and invoices. You can add these child items through different interface features. To create a child item using the Standard toolbar, click the Down Arrow next to the New button.

3. Select the child item you want from this menu. In this sales order example, you select New Line.

4. You can also add new records through the File menu. To do this, first click the File menu to display its options.

5. Highlight the New sub-menu.

6. The list of new options appear on this sub-menu. To create a new record or child item, select its corresponding

option from this menu. In this sales order example, you select New Line.

7. You can also create new child items by selecting specific sheets and clicking the New button. To do this, navigate to the sheet that contains the child item you need to add. In this sales order example, you navigate to the Lines > Detail sheet.

8. Now click the New button. The fields on this sheet activate for data entry.

9. Enter the data you need on the record. When you finish, click Save.

Searches

Search programs are available throughout the application. Use these programs to find and select the specific records to display within another program. In each search program, you can filter and organize search results through record specific criteria. You can then select a single record or a group of records.

Here’s how to use the primary features available on each search window:

1. Sort By – Select an option on this drop-down list to organize the search results by a specific field found in the record. The results display in descending order.

2. Starting At – Enter a character to indicate where in the code master you would like to begin your search. For example, enter 200 to display all sales orders starting at 200.

3. Additional Filters – Further limit your search results. In this example, you can limit the results by Order Type (Open or Closed) and Customer record.

4. When you define the filters you want, click the Search button.

5. The records that match your search criteria display within the Search Results grid.

6. To select specific records from the Search Results grid, highlight its row and click OK.

7. To select all search results, click the Select All button and then click OK. You can now view the selected record or records within the current program.

You can also set up Named Searches, Quick Searches, BAQ (Business Activity Query) Searches, Advanced Searches, and Data Tag searches. To learn more about this search functionality, review the Epicor ICE Tools User Guide. Information on customized searches is also available within application help.

Context Menus

1. In this example, the context menu for the Customer field displays.

2. Select Open With from the context menu to launch various programs such as Customer Entry, Create Quote or Customer Tracker.

3. If BPM Holds is selected, the application looks for a Business Process Management hold against this order. This functionality places a status on certain records; this status can cause the application to do various actions, like verify the data within the record or display an informational message.

4. You can also use this program to Cut, Copy, and Paste text within the field. Business Process Management (BPM) functionality is a toolset managers and system administrators use to regulate data entry within the Epicor application. For more details on BPM functionality, review the Epicor ICE Tools User Guide. Information on BPM is also available within application help.

5. Use the Select All command to select all the text within a field.

6. Use the Spelling command to launch the Spelling Checker. Run this tool to verify whether the text in the current field is spelled correctly.

7. Use the Tag Record command to add personal or public tags to records. The tags are unstructured text values that provide a way to group otherwise unrelated records so that you or other users can search for them.

8. You can launch Quick Searches from within context menus. For more information on this functionality, review the Searches chapter in the Epicor ICE 3.X Tools User Guide.

Trackers

Trackers are query programs you use to drill into the details of your database. Trackers are also a secure way for users to view system data without updating sensitive information. Whether you are looking for related job information, quote information, or the status of shipments, receipts, or financial transactions, trackers are the vehicles you use to access this information in the application.

The application supports three types of trackers - display-only, status dashboards, and executive dashboards. All types of trackers share similar features, but an individual tracker may not contain all of the features. The ability to identify each individual tracker as one type versus the other is not important, but you should understand the basic features and navigation techniques of all the tracker types in order to display information for a specific business situation.

If you have Dashboard Designer privileges, you can create a new dashboard that displays specific data you need. To learn about creating a new dashboard, review the Epicor ICE Tools User Guide. Information on creating new dashboards is also available in application help.

Trackers are found in the General Operations folder for each module. Since much of the information available in these programs also relates to other functional areas within the application, many of the trackers are found within other modules. All trackers, however, can be found under the Executive Analysis folder in the Trackers, Status Dashboards, or ShopVision folders.

This section provides you with an overview of the elements and navigation techniques of display-only trackers, status dashboards, and executive dashboards.

Display-Only Trackers

1. Click the Customer button.

2. The Search Form window displays.

3. Click the Search button to retrieve the customer records.

4. Select a customer from the list.

5. Click OK.

6. Notice the New menu option is not available. You cannot add customer records through this tracker program.

7. Also notice the sheets and fields are identical to Customer Maintenance, but they display as read-only.

Sales Order Tracker

The Sales Order Tracker contains many elements you also find in Sales Order Entry. The Summary, Header, Lines, and Releases sheets are identical to their corresponding sheets within the entry program. The only difference is, like the Customer Display tracker, these sheets, and the fields on the sheets, display as read-only.

This tracker also contains supplemental sheets that provide additional transaction information related to the sales order currently displayed. For example, you can also review the invoices, miscellaneous shipments, and consolidated invoices created for the current sales order. These sheets are not available within Sales Order Entry.

Menu Path: Executive Analysis > Trackers > Order Tracker

1. Click the Sales Order button.

2. The Sales Order Search window displays. Define parameters to filter the search results. Notice you can filter the search results by a Starting At identifier, Order Type, and Customer. You can also sort the results using different methods.

3. Click the Search button.

4. Select the sales orders that you wish to view. In this example, you click the Select All button. This indicates you want to pull in all sales orders to the Sales Order Tracker.

5. Click OK.

6. The first sales order in the list of selected records displays within the tracker. You navigate through the different sales orders using the Navigation toolbar at the top of the tracker. In this example, you wish to display sales order 5176.

8. Use the Tree View to navigate to a specific sales order release.

9. When you click the release, the Releases > Detail sheet displays the current information about this specific release.

10. The Invoices, Miscellaneous Shipments, and Consolidated Invoices sheets are supplemental sheets not

11. When you first display this supplemental sheet, no data displays within the Invoices grid. You need to pull current invoice data into this sheet. To do this, click the Retrieve button.

12. Invoice data now displays in the Invoices grid. Notice in this example, invoice 10065 was created for sales order 5176.

Status Dashboards

1. The Advanced Search sheet displays at the top of this tracker. To filter the search results, you can enter search criteria into any of the specific fields.

2. In this example, you enter a value in the Cust. ID field. You can also add other values to filter the results even more. For example, you could also enter a Part value to only display quotes for a specific customer and part.

3. To retrieve records that match the search criteria, click the Refresh button.

4. You can now view the Open quotes retrieved for customer Dalton by navigating to the Open sheet.

5. To review all the quotes which are due, click the Due tab.

6. The Context Menu options change based on the record and the selected column. In this example, when you right-click the quote number and select the Open With option from the context menu, you can access the current quote within different programs, including the Opportunity/Quote Tracker.

7. To change the Advanced Search criteria, enter the filtering values within the available fields on the Advanced Search sheet.

8. Click the Clear button. You can now enter new search criteria and refresh the dashboard with new information.

Executive Dashboards

1. From the Process Set drop-down list, select a process set that populates the executive dashboard. In this example, zSVSupplierPerf – EPIC06 refreshes the Supplier Performance executive dashboard with current data.

2. From the Schedule drop-down list, select Now. This indicates you want this process set to run immediately.

3. If you want this process to run on an automatic schedule, you would select a schedule other than Now and then select the Recurring check box.

4. In the User Description field, enter Supplier Performance Today.

5. Click Submit on the Standard toolbar.

6. Close the Schedule Process Set window.

Populate Supplier Performance You now launch the Supplier Performance executive dashboard and display the current data. Menu Path: Executive Analysis > ShopVision > Supplier Performance

1. To display the data you just gathered through the process set, click the Refresh button.

2. Data displays within the executive dashboard. Each executive dashboard defines its search fields and criteria as dimensions. Select a different dimension from the available options to display the data you refreshed through the process set. From the Dimension ID grid, select Buyer.

3. From the Dimension Detail grid, select Brian Howard.

4. The Summary Data grid populates with the current monthly receipts totals for Brian Howard.

5. Click the Fiscal Year Performance tab; the Summary Data grid displays Brian Howard’s performance year to year.

6. Notice the chart view also updates to display Brian Howard’s fiscal year performance information.

7. If you need, click the Settings tab to modify the chart used to graphically display this data.

Epicor Everywhere Framework

Epicor Web Access

Browser-based clients provide a more convenient way to access business information and are easier to deploy. Epicor Web Access^™ displays programs as web forms within a browser window and is a significant part of the Epicor Everywhere Framework.

Your system administrator gives users permission to launch the Epicor Everywhere (web-based) interface through User Account Security Maintenance. The Options sheet contains the Allow Epicor Web Access check box; once your system administrator selects this check box for your user account, you have rights to log into the web-based interface. Just like any other web site, you point your web browser to the web address for your Epicor application. And just like the smart client, you need to enter your user ID and password to view the web forms.

Enhanced Menu Interface

The enhanced menu introduced in Epicor 10 smart and web client is the new way of navigating around the ERP application. The modern environment is more touchscreen-orientated for use on mobile devices such as tablets, but can you also use the keyboard and mouse and make use of the environment on a traditional PCs.

To use the primary controls of the new Epicor Web Access environment:

1. Use the sliding Options Bar at the top to access the Standard menus and the Options Toolbar.

2. Below the Options bar, you can switch between the Main Menu and the Favorites menu. Use the Main Menu to access all programs available for the current user. The Favorites menu provides access to the commonly used programs set up in your environment.

3. The Menu interface can be viewed in two ways, the Zoom view and the Tree view. You can switch between the View modes using the icons on the Options toolbar. The Zoom view is designed for touch screen devices. It displays the menu for the current Company and Site and it allows the user to focus on one section of the menu. As the folders are selected on the left, their contents are displayed on the right side. The Tree view displays the application tree on the left of the screen. You can navigate through companies, modules and related programs by clicking on branches and nodes.

4. In this example, the menu interface is displayed using the Tree view.

5. The Contents pane displays the contents of the folder selected in the left portion of the screen.

6. You can toggle between the List view and the Tile view using the icon found in the top-right corner of the Contents pane. The List view displays the contents of the selected folder as the list of small icons. In this example, the Tile view is used and items display as rectangular tiles.

7. The Context Menu in Epicor Web Access is activated by right-clicking on a menu item. The available options

Web Forms Navigation

Epicor Web Access provides a rich user experience supporting touch gestures; they are designed for use on mobile devices such as Windows 8 tablets, but can you also use the keyboard and mouse and make use of the web environment on a traditional PCs.

To navigate within a web form:

1. From the menu, launch the program you want to execute. In this example, you launch Sales Order Entry. If you click the top left button, the pull-down style menu displays. In EWA forms, this button replaces the toolbar that has all the dropdown menus and all the tool buttons at the top of the smart client form.

2. All of the frequently used buttons display at the top for convenience.

3. All other buttons, including applications-defined buttons are placed at the top of the pull-down menu.

4. The menu items correlate to the menu bar items in the win app. As you click through them, the current items slide off to the left and new items slide in from the right.

5. Navigating through sheets within a program is performed using the breadcrumb navigation that always displays the current level of selected program sheets.

6. If a sheet has child sheets, the small arrow at the right of the heading displays as an indicator.

7. If you click the down arrow at the left side of the breadcrumb, a menu drops down that allows you to navigate through all of the tabs to find the one you want. As you click through the items on the left, the child items are displayed on the right. If you click a tab that has children on the right, then the left items slide off, and the new items slide in.

8. When you click an item that is underlined, then the menu closes, and the selected panel is loaded onto the page.

9. In this example, you display the Salespersons sheet.

When you use EWA using a touch-screen device, you can navigate through sheets by dragging your fingers on the display. This way, you can swipe right or left in the main body of the panel to move to the next or previous item in the breadcrumb list. For example, if you are currently on the Summary panel, swiping from right to left will open the Header panel. Then if you swipe left to right, you will be returned to the Summary panel. You can also swipe up or down to invoke screens based on the context of the current tab.

1. To record your information, click the Save button on the Standard toolbar.

2. To exit a program, click the red x on its tab.

For more information on how to navigate within web forms, review the Epicor Web Access topics found in the Supplementary Programs and Tools section of the Application Help.

Epicor Mobile Access

The images in this guide depict an iPad simulator. For a complete list of supported devices, review application help or contact your Epicor Account Manager.

1. Once you are logged into Epicor’s Mobile menu from your mobile device, you have access to the Mobile Menu and System menu options. You deploy mobile dashboards to the Mobile Menu directly from the Dashboard program but you can also define what displays on this menu using the Menu Maintenance program.

2. The System menu is where you define your configuration and other mobile device settings.

3. When you select the Mobile Menu, all mobile dashboards display for selection. In this example, you select the Customer Contact Update dashboard.

4. The primary view in this dashboard displays the list of existing customers.

5. Once you select a customer from the records presented, you can navigate to another view that presents the list of customer contacts.

6. Since this dashboard uses the updatable Business Activity Query as its datasource, you can use it to update database records directly from a mobile device. To update and edit the contacts for this customer, click Edit.

7. To enter a new contact for this customer, click the New button.

8. You can now enter the new contact information.

9. When finished, click Save to update the changes on the server.

10. Th grid now displays the new contact record you entered.

11. To exit the application, navigate back to the Mobile Menu and select Log Off.

Epicor Smart Client

Epicor University Resources

Release Documentation

Feature Summary

The Epicor ERP Version 10 Feature Summary is found on the Help menu within the Epicor application. You can also view the Epicor Feature Summary on EPICweb - Epicor’s customer portal.

1. To access the Feature Summary from the Modern Shell Menu, first click on the Help tile found on the Home Page.

2. On the Help page, click Feature Summary.

1. The Feature Summary is organized into two parts. The Feature Highlights section contains the features introduced in Epicor ERP 10. Within the highlights section, features are organized first by module group (for example, Sales Management) and then by module (for example, Demand Management). If you are upgrading the Epicor application, review this section to see the features added with the latest release.

2. The Epicor University Resources section documents the current educational resources available through Epicor University. Review this section to learn about these resources and where you can locate them.

3. Each feature is concisely described to give you a snapshot of its purpose.

Application Help

1. The Content pane displays the selected documentation.

2. Notice the Epicor icon next to the program name. This icon indicates you can click the program name to open the form for this program directly from the content, providing a tight integration between application help and the application.

3. Click any link within the topic to display more information related to the current topic.

4. In the Search field, enter the word or phrase you want to search. In this example, an advanced search was used to search for an exact phrase. For more information on advanced searches, review application help.

5. Click the Search button (magnifying glass) to activate the application help search.

6. Any topics that contain the word or phrase display within the Content pane. Notice that each topic displays with a brief summary of the content it contains. Topics which contain the most instances of the word or phrase appear highest in the search results.

7. Click a link within the search results to display that specific topic.

8. Use the Forward and Backward buttons to move through the help topics you have viewed during the current session.

9. Click the Print button to print a hard copy of the current help topic.

10. Use the Table of Contents pane to navigate through all the topics within application help.

Annotate Help Topics

You can annotate a help topic so users can review information related to your business workflow. You create annotations within the Help window. Here’s how:

1. Click Annotations located at the bottom of the Help window.

3. Click the Thumbtack button to pin the window in place.

4. Notice you can create two annotations for each topic:

• You can create a User annotation that only displays when you log in with your User ID, so no other users can view it.

• You can also enter a Company annotation; anyone within your company can view this help topic annotation. Use this feature to customize a help topic so it contains information specific to your company or industry.

• 5. To create an annotation, click the Down Arrow next to the New button. Select either New Annotation or New Company Annotation. If either annotation already exists, you cannot select its respective option. In this example, a user annotation already exists for this topic, so this option is not available.

• 6. Enter the annotation within the field.

• 7. To record the annotation, click Save.

• 8. To remove an annotation, highlight it on the grid and click Delete.

Field Help

All users can view the field level help. These field descriptions are pulled from the application help. If you have security permissions, you can also view the technical details for a field. You use this level of field help when customizing windows (forms), writing reports, and creating queries or dashboards.

1. Navigate and launch the program which contains fields you want to view.

2. From the Help menu, select Field Help.

3. The Field Help window displays.

4. Click the Thumbtack button to pin the window in place. If you do not click this button, the Field Help window automatically minimizes to the side of the window (form).

5. Select a field on a sheet. In this example, you select the Resource Group field.

6. The field definition from application help displays in the Field Help window.

7. If you wish to display the Help topic for the current sheet, click the Open Help Browser button.

8. If you have security rights, you can also display the technical details on a specific field. To do this, click the Technical Details button.

9. The Field Help window now displays the technical details on each selected field such as field name, format, and data type.

10. Continue to click other fields. When you finish, click Close on the Field Help toolbar.

Technical Reference Guides

1. The guides are fully integrated in the application help, so you can use the Search field to locate specific topics within these guides.

2. Each technical reference guide is also available in a separate .pdf file format.

Embedded Courses

Embedded courses use the same interface as application help. You can open the form for a program directly from the content, and you can use the Search field to locate specific words or phrases.

1. To access the embedded education using Modern Shell Menu, first click on the Help tile found on the Home Page.

2. On the Help page, click Education Courses.

When using the Classic Style interface, click the Education Courses button on the Main Menu toolbar.

3. Within the Education Courses window, use the Tree View to expand a Module Group. The courses available for the group display under this parent node; in this example you have expanded the Production Management node.

4. Select the course you need. In this example, you select the Material Requirements Planning course.

5. The Course Name field identifies the course.

6. Review the License Information for details on how long the selected course is available.

7. The Description field displays a description of the course, the target audience, and any prerequisites.

8. If you wish to take the current course, click Launch.

9. The course displays in the Help Viewer window.

10. Use the Search functionality to locate topics in this course which contain words that match your search text.

11. Use the Tree View to navigate to a specific topic within the selected course.

12. The course topic you select displays within the Content pane.

13. Each course is also available in a separate .pdf file format. This file is found in the Before You Begin topic.

Epicor may release new or updated courses with service packs or patches. Contact your Epicor Account Manager for details on education course licensing and the current course catalog.

Annotate Course Topics

You can annotate a course topic so the embedded course contains custom procedures and information related to your business and industry. Users can also create their own annotations to keep notes on a specific course topic. You create annotations within the Embedded Course window. Here’s how:

1. Click Annotations panel located at the bottom of the Embedded Courses window.

2. The Annotations panel displays.

3. Click the Thumbtack button to pin the window in place.

4. Notice you can create two annotations for each topic:

• You can create a User annotation that only displays when you log in with your User ID, so no other users can view it.

• You can also enter a Company annotation; anyone within your company can view this course topic annotation. Use this feature to customize a course so it teaches procedures specific to your company or industry.

• 5. To create an annotation, click the Down Arrow next to the New button. Select either New Annotation or New Company Annotation. If either annotation already exists, you cannot select its respective option. In this example, a company annotation already exists for this course topic, so this option is not available.

• 6. Enter the annotation within the field.

• 7. To record the annotation, click Save.

• 8. To remove an annotation, highlight it on the grid and click Delete.

• 9. Click Print to print a hard copy of the current annotation.

User Guides

Epicor has also developed separate printed user guides on various tools you can use with your application. Contact your Epicor account manager to order these user guides. These guides are also available as .pdf files from the EPICWeb site. Some of these .pdf files may also be available within the application help.

• Epicor Application User Guide – This guide illustrates the manufacturing and distribution features available in your Epicor application. The main features of each module are described along with other unique functions. This guide is intended as a starting point; use it to strategize which features you should leverage to match your business needs.

• Epicor ERP Implementation User Guide – This guide provides you with a thorough description of the various implementation features you may need – from defining how a company processes records from the Order Management module to automatically populating reports and trackers with data.

• Epicor ICE User Experience and Customization Guide – This guide provides an in-depth exploration of the interface tools available within the Epicor ICE framework. This guide begins by exploring startup methods available within the configuration settings file. It then examines the functionality for styling the look of the interface and personalizing specific programs. The customization tools are thoroughly documented - basic customization tools, managing customizations, and modifying user-defined tables. This guide concludes with chapters on localizing the application and building a customized solution.

• Epicor ICE Tools User Guide – This guide provides a detailed exploration of the data flow tools available within the Epicor ICE framework. This guide examines business activity queries (BAQs) and how you incorporate your BAQs for custom use on search programs, BAQ reports, smart client dashboards, executive dashboards, and mobile device dashboards. The rest of the guide documents the tools you use to regulate, secure, and distribute data throughout your organization including the Business Activity Manager and Business Process Management.

• Epicor Service Connect User Guide – This guide provides an in-depth, task-based approach to creating workflows that can automate processes across one or more enterprise-level applications. The guide begins by explaining Service Connect concepts and then progresses into detailed descriptions of the various components such as the Administration Console and Workflow Designer.

• Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting User Guide – This user guide explores the entire Epicor AFR application. It begins by describing the various environments you need. It then details data replication, a process that pulls financial data out of your source database and pushes it out to an AFR report server. This guide concludes by describing how you create the SSRS reports for display through printing or the Report Viewer.

• Epicor Enterprise Performance Management User Guide – You can use this guide as a starting point to learn about the complete set of tools and applications that let you plan, execute, and analyze at both strategic and tactical levels. The content includes Epicor Advanced Financial Reporting, EPM Server (including Cube Connect), EPM Content Packs, and EPM Performance Canvas.