Epicor® vs IQMS

ERP Vendor Head-to-Head 

As the ERP market grows more crowded, manufacturers have a tough time with the ERP evaluation process. Whittling your shortlist down to the final few requires paying close attention to detail when viewing demos and speaking with sales reps to see which platforms offer the best support for your specific business requirements.  

Two ERP vendors with a strong record in delivering robust manufacturing solutions are Epicor® and IQMS. Both providers include a large range of features that address common manufacturing pain points, automate processes and generate insights. But there are some important differences that shouldn’t be ignored when you evaluate the solutions. To help you select the right ERP software, we’ve put together this comparison of IQMS and Epicor®.  

Functionality 

IQMS and Epicor® both have strong reputations in providing comprehensive manufacturing ERP solutions, but IQMS still leaves a lot to be desired. Users have come across several issues, such as difficulty managing complex BOMs and cumbersome reporting. IQMS is also lacking in financial management capabilities, with gaps in accounting analysis and an awkward user interface. Considering that financial management is the number one priority of businesses selecting an ERP solution, this is a substantial blind spot for IQMS.  

Epicor® ERP includes a more expansive set of modules and features, giving users greater agility. BI-embedded dashboards, advanced analytics and SSRS reports generate real-time insights at your fingertips. The solution supports complex processes, such as multi-level BOMs and stringent compliance requirements. Furthermore, Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC) found that Epicor® outranked IQMS in financial capabilities, scoring 96 while IQMS scored 88.  

One area where IQMS is often considered a step ahead of Epicor® is in Manufacturing Execution System (MES) functionality. IQMS provides integrated ERP and MES software, while Epicor’s® Advanced MES (Mattec) module is a separate add-on. But don’t count Epicor® out just yet. Advanced MES can be easily installed within two weeks. The solution delivers automatic insights from across your shop floor to help you enforce quality, prevent downtime and analyze production performance. The latest version of Epicor® also includes IoT technology to give you real-time production metrics for your equipment accessible through your MES interface. 

Industry Support  

Initially developed for the rubber and plastics industry, IQMS has developed features to support other verticals. However, users are still finding gaps. With terminology and functionality geared towards the plastics market, other manufacturers are overwhelmed with unnecessary features and struggle to find what they need to perform mission-critical tasks.  

Epicor® has been serving a large range of discrete manufacturing and value-added distribution industries for over 45 years, including medical devices, aerospace and defense, automotive, fabricated metals, plastics and more. The solution complies with multiple regulations and standards, such as GAAP, ISO, TS and FDA. Additionally, it supports several manufacturing methods, such as MTO, ETO, CTO, MTS and mixed-mode. It also includes easily configurable features, allowing you to align your software to your unique requirements with clicks rather than code. With a high level of flexibility as well as industry-specific features, Epicor® ERP provides a strong foundation for a large range of businesses.  

Software Architecture  

Selecting a software platform that delivers reliable performance requires looking under the hood to evaluate the system’s architecture. IQMS users have experienced issues with the product’s technology. The database structure isn’t intuitive, making it awkward to create reports or detect issues. Complex security administration is a common difficulty for users. Making matters worse, IQMS customer service and tech support isn’t available 24/7, and the vendor doesn’t have an expansive partner network.  

Epicor® ERP has a strong reputation for developing agile and sturdy software architecture. In TEC’s comparison of the two vendors, Epicor® scored 20 points more than IQMS in product technology. That’s because Epicor® includes built-in capabilities to optimize the user experience and add system flexibility. Epicor® 10 includes a streamlined architecture that operates on a 100% Microsoft Stack, making it a fast and scalable solution. A built-in customization engine simplifies modifications to help you align the software to your unique requirements. It also includes comprehensive user and group security to restrict data accessibility as needed.

Furthermore, Epicor’s® partner network spans the globe, ensuring you have support at all times from certified consultants and resellers. With a reliable support network and robust technology, Epicor® promotes sustainable business growth.  

Wrap Up  

Though IQMS is a strong manufacturing solution, it doesn’t include the flexibility, ease and comprehensive capabilities of Epicor® ERP.