Discussion Covers ERP Challenges and Opportunities

Karthik Chidambaram, founder and CEO of DCKAP, recently joined Lisa Pope, president of Epicor, on the "ERP Challenges and Opportunities" episode of the Electrical Wholesaling Executive Insights Podcast.

The podcast episode, hosted by Jim Lucy, Electrical Wholesaling's editor-in-chief, explores the world of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platforms. B2B businesses use ERP systems to simplify tasks, boost efficiency, and drive growth. Epicor is a leading provider of ERP systems, including Eclipse and Prophet 21. DCKAP Integrator provides ERP integration with multiple systems for streamlining processes, and its services division, Klizer, offers e-commerce implementation.

The show breaks down the trends in ERP and distribution: distributors are at a pivotal moment, with the need to adapt to emerging technologies and automation trends, or risk falling behind in an industry evolving rapidly post-pandemic.

Highlighted Topics

• Challenges in ERP System Integration: The podcast highlighted distributors' struggles to integrate systems. Electrical contractors' tech-savviness and order methods vary, emphasizing the need for distributors to ensure consistent, seamless interactions.
• Cloud-Based Solutions: The trend is growing with 70% of Epicor's new customers choosing cloud solutions, emphasizing user accessibility and rapid updates. Also discussed: the IDEA Connector's role as a central data hub.
• Emerging Tech & Distributor Evolution: Distributors are vetting technology, like blockchain and AI, valuing stable solutions over trends. With shifting supply chains and demand for intuitive experiences, the focus is on user experience, automation, and integration.

Epicor's Pope commented on the opportunity in the industry, "Right now, especially after COVID, distributors are at a strategic inflection point right now where the industry is dramatically changing. It's an era of automation with a lot of opportunity. If it takes you one hour to do something and if the same thing can be done in a minute, you're essentially saving an hour for your employee. If you're able to do that across hundreds of employees, then that is a lot of money," she said.

Chidambaram shared insights from his journey, "It's important to not just empower your customer; also empower your employees to provide a great experience. And that empowerment can happen only with seamless integration," he said.

Pope also recently participated in a podcast episode of DCKAP's Driven Podcast, hosted by Karthik Chidambaram, which offers a deep dive into the stories and insights of industry leaders. Recently honored by G2.com for its exemplary services, DCKAP has over 200 global employees.