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Epicor employees draw on previous experience to walk the walk while serving our customers—featuring Charlie Schultz, Rick Black, and Kimberly Knight.
A Message from Steve Murphy, CEO
“My first job out of college was as a process engineer for Procter and Gamble. For three years I worked in an enormous factory that produced everything from laundry detergent to cake mix. Not only was it fascinating to experience what the plant could produce at scale, it was also clear that any glitch in the machinery or software could bring the whole process to a standstill—and that did happen.
I was greatly impacted by working on the shop floor, and experiencing the pressure and satisfaction associated with running an operation of that size. Precision, accuracy, and flexibility were the key determinants of whether or not the systems would meet our requirements—which is why I value software that is made with the utmost specificity. When it comes to software and systems engineering, I will always take the perspective of the shop floor operator when I posit whether a system is good enough.
At Epicor, my experience working on the front lines of a supply chain industry is not unique. Our company is filled with employees who have overseen orders, grown distribution businesses, implemented new technology infrastructure, and other tasks that Epicor customers do every single day. When we say made with you, for you—we really mean it.
Early in his career as an Epicor Business Development Representative, Charlie Schultz had a call with a frustrated customer trying to solve a problem with his building supply business. Charlie could empathize. “That’s tough when that happens,” he remembers saying—and he wasn’t just being kind. Before joining Epicor, Schultz worked for a cabinetry business with many commercial clients, mainly large apartment complexes. Every day, he was out in the field overseeing orders, doing contract negotiations, and working with construction companies. He knew the challenges those in the industry faced, and was happy to use his insider knowledge to help his Epicor customer “find ways to simplify their life.”
Now a Sales Manager overseeing the inside sales team for BisTrack at Epicor, Schultz still draws on his industry background. “There are so many ways it can help,” he says. “I have the right language and the right selling points to build trust right from the start,” he confirms. “Experience has value.”
At Epicor, the phrase “Made With You, For You” reflects our commitment to helping provide the right data-driven solutions for your business, strengthened by years of experience in the make, move, sell economy. Because so many of our team members have spent years working within the industries they now serve, they bring a unique perspective to collaborating and partnering with customers.
Rick Black grew up in a family that owned an HVAC business. He worked there before becoming a long-time vice president at a growing distribution business, overseeing several technological innovations. His passion for innovation and customer service led him to his current role as Principal Product Manager at Epicor Commerce.
Black confirms that his industry background helps him “paint the picture” for customers who often know what they want, but are not always sure how to get there. “It’s great talking to customers. That’s the part I enjoy the most,” he says. He believes his previous experiences meeting with vendors, negotiating contracts, and working with sales people prepared him well for sharing the vision of Epicor Commerce and data-driven solutions not only with customers, but with developers, professional services, and customer support as well. “You’re solving problems, working with multiple teams….it’s a different challenge, but the application is very similar.”
“We bring customers online and they sell thousands of dollars of products on [Epicor Commerce]. Over $552 million was generated through the websites, of which 19 of our customers have generated eight-digit revenue last year, for a total of $329 million.”
Rick Black
Principal Product Manager │ Epicor
Because the implementation process can be complex for customers, having a full-circle partner for the whole process is essential. When that partner is a former CFO of a manufacturing business, there is a unique level of understanding. Kimberly Knight helped lead a boat company for years, serving many roles, including CFO. She got to know Epicor as a customer long before she began working here. She remembers that at her first Insights conference, when she was considering purchasing an Epicor solution for the boat business, she made it to a point to “stop everybody [at the event] and ask them a random question. Not one person said I don’t know. I knew they were in a hurry, but they walked me over to whomever could help. This company is so personable.”
After these very positive interactions, Knight decided to implement Epicor solutions at the business where she was CFO, and the results were striking: Within a few months, they eliminated manual spreadsheets, the user confidence and accuracy within the software grew to over 90%, and they reached their goal of having P&Ls easily accessible by model, department, dealer, and territories—to name just a few improvements that streamlined processes and drove profits.
Years later, Knight found herself on the other end of the implementation process at Epicor—as a Senior Financial Consultant. She’s now able to use her high-level problem-solving skills and industry expertise to handle even the trickiest aspects of helping customers navigate a new ERP system. “They tell me other consultants [from previous solutions providers] had no way to understand the business,” she says. “Even though I’m in finance, I can ask them about the expiration date on a gel coat and how that affects them.”
Knight makes a point of asking customers what they want the end result of the implementation to look like. “I take them through the process, at each step asking, ‘what do you need?’” Her most satisfying personal and professional moments come when, after an implementation is complete, customers realize the time and resources they will save by boosting their efficiency across the business. "You can just see this weight coming off, and they’re ecstatic. There’s nothing like it.”
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