Four first-timers share their thoughts on Epicor Insights
Every year, crowds of existing customers, Epicor and industry leaders, partners, and potential customers descend on a popular location to spend several days immersed in all things Epicor. Participants explore everything from AI developments to solution upgrades, discuss upcoming releases and global strategies, and find both granular answers and big-picture questions. (Oh, and they also network, share, and relax with colleagues and friends new and old, while attending smaller focused seminars, large awards presentations, keynote speakers, and entertainment.)
Although many customers come back year after year, many attendees are first-timers, eager to find out what’s next with Epicor solutions and how they can take home vital insights to help their companies thrive.
What’s it like to take part in your inaugural Insights? We asked four recent participants for their take on our biggest customer event.
As the ERP manager of Ontic, a leading global provider of established aircraft parts and MRO services, Anisha Doddapaneni is responsible for “managing anything with Epicor.” With Ontic planning a big upgrade to Kinetic in 2025, Doddapaneni went to Insights with a primary goal of really understanding how to integrate Kinetic into their existing processes, to help ensure a smooth migration.
Her advice for the best way to learn while attending the sessions? Ask questions, share challenges, and listen to what other businesses are saying. “We were able to describe what we are doing currently, and then discuss future ideas” with fellow attendees, she adds. In other words, collaboration helps fuel innovation.
Kevin Thornton, Director of IT at Ontic, agrees. With over 25 years of industry experience, he approached Insights with a clear aim, based on his main objectives at Ontic for 2025. “I set out the goal to transform our setup with Epicor, and to migrate to Kinetic,” he says. “We went through our entire 2025 road map—we have all of our priorities laid out. The upgrades are split over three quarters. We are currently waiting on the scan on our environment; when we get the results, we will know our costs, timelines, and resource needs.”
According to Thornton, Insights provided a great opportunity to enhance his current understanding in advance of this major change. From sessions focused on manufacturing and aerospace to presentations of new ideas around supply chain and AI moving forward, he was able to get a clear view of the possibilities and potential emerging technologies.
Thornton also enjoyed connecting with Encompass Solutions (Ontic’s ERP consultant and premier Epicor partner). “They had a strong presence at the event, held a meet and greet, and were very hospitable,” he adds.
Two attendees from Viking West—a leader in trusted construction machinery accessories and quality parts for authorized Hitachi dealers, based in Burnaby, British Columbia—also went to Insights, first to confirm and then to enhance, their Epicor user experience.
Mike Schlender, President of Viking West, first attended Epicor in 2021 with his wife, Tyla Schlender, Viking West’s Financial Controller, when they were considering implementing Epicor at the company. “We came in drinking from the firehose,” he says. “We wanted to learn everything.”
That year at Insights proved pivotal, as they took in vast amounts of information about Epicor solutions. “It was a tipping point,” Schlender says. “We had a great experience, and went with Epicor shortly after that.”
This year, it was Simon Snobelen, Manufacturing Manager at Viking West, who made the trek to Insights. He had joined Epicor one month after their 18-month Epicor implementation went live, and has been “learning on the fly ever since.” Snobelen was eager to learn more about integrating new Epicor products, how to use AI to get the desired results for the business, while just “absorbing as much as possible about how the different elements of Epicor work,” he says.
His initial impressions? “It’s very eye-opening, the scale of the company.” He found the larger sessions especially helpful, as they provided a clear overview of key topics. The product demos also opened his eyes to innovations in areas like demand forecasting and solutions currently being used by shipping companies.
The workshops were information-packed and very focused, Snobelen says; he advises newbies to make sure they are very well-versed on the featured workshop topics prior to attending, in order to get the most out of each one.
He also wanted to learn more about each company featured in the Champion awards, to gain additional inspiration for new goals he could bring home to Viking West. Whether it’s your inaugural visit or your fifth time participating, Insights exists to help make it easier to run your business at the highest level.
If you’re a first-timer planning to attend in 2025, talk with your colleagues about what you would like to see. What energizes you and what do you hope to bring back to help enhance your day-to-day operations? And don’t forget to attend the First Time Attendee Meeting: An Introduction to the Epicor Insights Conference session, to set yourself up for success during your stay.
As make, move, sell businesses continue to innovate and change, Schlender was asked about the future of manufacturing. Like many industry leaders, his first thought centers on the expanding role of AI in everything from SSRS to forecasting and reporting. “If your business is of any meaningful size, you’ll have some resources dedicated to figuring it out,” he predicts.
And if it’s the right time of year, no doubt there will be an Insights meeting ready to help you find some answers.
Start planning for Insights 2025 today.
