Epicor ERP is a powerful solution that adapts to your business processes through customizations. But as your system evolves, so does the risk: will your customizations survive the next upgrade? If not handled correctly, upgrades can break critical features, introduce bugs, or even disrupt operations. That’s where Epicforce Tech comes in.
In this article, we’ll guide you through how to assess, prepare, and future-proof your Epicor customizations ensuring smooth upgrades without operational risk.
Why Customizations Break During Epicor ERP Upgrades
Most Epicor ERP customizations are developed in response to specific business needs. Over time, these evolve, and often:
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Custom logic overrides native functionality
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Workflows rely on deprecated fields or objects
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Extensions are undocumented or poorly versioned
During upgrades, especially major ones (e.g., Kinetic transitions), these fragile elements may fail due to:
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Schema changes
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Updated APIs
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Retired methods or tools
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Compatibility issues with new Epicor frameworks
Epicforce Tech has seen it all and helped businesses recover from failed upgrade attempts where customization issues were ignored.
The Business Impact of Broken Customizations
Failing to align customizations with the upgrade path can result in:
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Delayed Go-Live: Manual debugging extends project timelines
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Operational Downtime: Disruption in critical workflows
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Increased Costs: Rebuilding or reconfiguring under pressure
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User Frustration: Teams reverting to manual workarounds
This isn’t just an IT issue. It’s a business continuity risk.
Step-by-Step: How Epicforce Tech Prepares Your Customizations
1. Pre-Upgrade Customization Audit
Our process begins with a comprehensive audit:
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Identification of all custom BPMs, dashboards, reports, and code
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Documentation of dependencies and data models
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Risk analysis for compatibility with the new Epicor version
Epicforce Tech uses proprietary tools and checklists to ensure no critical customization is missed.
2. Impact Assessment
We evaluate:
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Which features are deprecated
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Which objects are affected by schema changes
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Whether any third-party integrations are involved
This allows for clear scoping of upgrade efforts and cost forecasting.
3. Upgrade-Ready Refactoring
If customizations are outdated or unstable, we refactor them:
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Rewriting code to align with best practices
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Modularizing logic for easier maintenance
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Ensuring compatibility with Epicor’s Kinetic UX and APIs
Epicforce Tech ensures your customization layer is resilient—not just patched.
4. Test Environment Simulation
We replicate your environment in a test instance of the upgraded version. This allows us to:
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Validate workflows
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Catch and fix errors before production
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Involve end-users early for UAT (User Acceptance Testing)
5. End-to-End Documentation
All changes and custom logic are documented for:
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Future support
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Compliance/audit trails
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Easier onboarding of internal teams
Key Considerations Before Any Epicor Upgrade
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Do you have version control in place for your customizations?
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Are any key workflows undocumented or maintained by a single developer?
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Has your customization layer grown beyond what’s necessary?
Epicforce Tech often finds overlapping or redundant customizations that can be optimized or eliminatedimproving performance while reducing upgrade friction.
Best Practices for Customization-Ready ERP Upgrades
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Maintain a customization registry – Know what’s running and why
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Clean up legacy code – Eliminate deprecated objects
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Modularize everything – Future upgrades become easier
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Perform periodic reviews – Avoid customization sprawl
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Involve business stakeholders early – Align upgrades with goals
Why Epicforce Tech Is Your Ideal Upgrade Partner
While Epicor ERP provides the infrastructure, Epicforce Tech delivers the strategy, precision, and technical depth needed to modernize and stabilize your ERP system.
We offer:
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Deep expertise in Epicor architecture
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Hands-on experience with complex upgrade cycles
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Cross-functional teams including developers, analysts, and trainers
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Proven upgrade methodologies tailored to your business
Our goal isn’t just to help you upgrade—it’s to help you evolve your ERP.
Real-World Example: Preventing Downtime with Customization Alignment
A manufacturing client faced major disruptions during a self-led upgrade. Key custom BPMs controlling inventory and QC workflows failed. Epicforce Tech conducted a rapid audit, refactored the logic to align with Kinetic standards, and restored functionality—reducing expected downtime from 2 weeks to 48 hours.
Conclusion
Epicor ERP upgrades shouldn’t be feared—they should be leveraged. But only if your customizations are ready.
With Epicforce Tech as your partner, you get more than technical support—you gain a roadmap for ERP agility, stability, and growth.
Ready to Upgrade Smart?
Let’s ensure your customizations are built to last.
Contact Epicforce Tech
(888) 280-5585
info@epicforcetech.com
Explore Our Upgrade Services
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