LAS VEGAS, Perspectives 2004, Oct. 26, 2004 -- Epicor Software Corporation (Nasdaq: EPIC) today announced significant enhancements to Epicor Enterprise, the company's comprehensive end-to-end suite of proven industry-specific solutions for the global midmarket enterprise. Available immediately, the Financial and Supply Chain Management (SCM) Suites of Epicor Enterprise offer improved forecasting capabilities, better information access and reporting across the enterprise, and improved budget management for stronger compliance and control.

The Epicor SCM Suite is a comprehensive solution that streamlines operations -- from order fulfillment to warehouse management to supplier relationship management. Epicor SCM provides immediate access to the inventory, pricing and customer information companies need to increase inventory turns, enhance customer service and improve profitability. With over 100 enhancements made in this latest release, Epicor SCM enables more accurate demand forecasting, which in turn improves order fulfillment rates and stock movement efficiency. Empowered to make better informed decisions with Epicor SCM, companies are able to manage to plan and quickly react to changing forecasts while increasing employee productivity.

Real-Time Visibility Improves Supply Chain Accuracy

As the world's leading manufacturer of custom storage organizing products, and an Epicor Enterprise customer, Rev-A-Shelf LLC based in Jeffersontown, Kentucky understands that providing the right products at the right time is a competitive advantage. Rev-A-Shelf employs approximately 250 people in a 200,000 square-foot facility, producing a line of products consisting of polymer, wire, wood, and stainless steel components, manufactured and marketed globally to Kitchen Dealers, Cabinet and Furniture Manufacturers, Cabinet Industry Distributors, and Retail Home Centers.

Prior to implementing Epicor, which includes the Financials, Sales Order Management & Shipping, Purchasing & Receiving, Quality Control, Production and Warehouse Management modules of the Epicor Enterprise suite, Rev-A-Shelf operated with a paper-based receiving, picking and shipping process that provided no real-time inventory visibility. "With Epicor, we're able to track every item from the time it comes in the door until it leaves our facilities," said Michael Rodgers, information systems manager for Rev-a-Shelf. "Productivity has increased in every work cell and we've reduced our warehouse space by one-half because the automated system enabled us to significantly reduce our on-hand inventory requirements. We've nearly eliminated inventory write-offs, increasing both inventory and shipping accuracy to 98 percent, while increasing our overall productivity by 25 percent."

Streamlining the Demand Planning Process

According to AMR Research, companies that are best at demand forecasting average 15 percent less inventory, 17 percent stronger perfect order fulfillment and 35 percent shorter cash-to-cash cycle times.(1) Forecasting has been significantly enhanced in Epicor SCM, enabling users to forecast at a weekly or monthly level, incorporate lost sales data when building a forecast, and create customer-specific forecasts.

Cost Containment and Budget Control Capabilities

Epicor Sourcing and Procurement are an integral part of the Epicor SCM Suite. The procurement cycle begins with sourcing -- identifying, evaluating, and negotiating with the optimal group of suppliers. Epicor's comprehensive sourcing solution automates the process of creating and distributing RFQs, evaluating bids, conducting auctions, and maintaining supplier report cards. The next step is providing employees with easy access from anywhere to catalogs of approved goods and services required to perform their functions. A streamlined approval process that is fast and simple ensures that the process is controlled, keeping maverick or off-contract spending in check and staying within budgetary limits.

Enhancements to procurement in this latest release of Epicor SCM include budget and commitment checking throughout the requisitioning and approval cycle. This new functionality features automated over-budget warnings and hard stops; allowing users to view by period, quarter, year-to-date, and project; budget override permissions; automated escalation; a configurable "warning track"; and the ability to include commitments from other sources.

Epicor Supply Chain Management Suite

The Epicor SCM Suite is a comprehensive solution that enables a business to manage all aspects of its operations -- from order fulfillment to warehouse management to supplier relationship management. Epicor SCM is a proven, reliable suite of applications that provides immediate access to the inventory, pricing and customer information needed to increase inventory turns, enhance customer service and improve profitability. The following components are part of the Epicor SCM Suite: Sales Order Management; Inventory Control; Supply Chain Execution; Purchasing Management; Supplier Relationship Management; and Assembly.

About Epicor Software Corporation

For 20 years, Epicor has been a recognized leader dedicated to providing integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM) software solutions to midmarket companies around the world. With the acquisition of Scala, Epicor is a global leader in the midmarket serving over 20,000 customers in over 140 countries. Epicor leverages innovative technologies like Web services in developing end-to-end, industry-specific solutions for manufacturing, distribution, enterprise service automation, and hospitality that enable companies to immediately drive efficiency throughout business operations and build competitive advantage. With the scalability and flexibility to support long-term growth, Epicor's solutions are complemented by a full range of services, providing a single point of accountability to promote rapid return on investment and low total cost of ownership. Epicor's worldwide headquarters are located in Irvine, California with offices and affiliates around the world. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.epicor.com.

Epicor is a registered trademark of Epicor Software Corporation. Scala is a registered trademark of Scala Business Solutions NV, an Epicor subsidiary. Other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners. The product and service offerings depicted in this document are produced by Epicor Software Corporation.

(1) Source: CIO.com, Analyst Corner: "The Ideal Supply Chain is within Reach," AMR Research -- July 14, 2004

SOURCE Epicor Software Corporation