Epicor: Asia as global manufacturing powerhouse

 

There’s no denying that global companies have  got the green message. Awareness grows and so does action. International Metalworking News for Asia (IMNA) had an opportunity to  interview Mr Craig Charlton, Senior Vice  President and General Manager of Epicor  Software Asia Pte Ltd. Epicor is a global  business software solutions provider to the manufacturing,distribution, retail and  services industries. Mr Craig talks about the company’s environmental awareness, as well as its involvement and business plans in Asia.

 

IMNA : Many companies are talking about being “green”these days. Please clue us on Epicor’s environmental concern.

 

Mr Charlton: Epicor takes environmental impact seriously. As a result, it has released the Energy Management module to assist customers  in  minimising their carbon footprint.  Conservation of energy is not merely a response to market demands and political initiatives globally, but it is seen as a corporate social responsibility. At Epicor, we believe that as  a global corporate citizen, we should be contributing to all countries in which we have  a  presence. Energy Management is one important way to do this.

 

On another side, our new Epicor CTC  (China  Technology Centre) in Guang zhou has been  designed for maximum use of natural light and airflow to minimise power usage. The entire office can be naturally lit on a fine day.

 

IMNA: How can Epicor help the metalworking  manufacturers  in Asia?

 

Mr Charlton: The original system wasbuilt for  the metal fabrication  industry; starting from  the manufacturing and engineering capabilities, and later added the financial functionality. This is shown in Epicor ERP, wherein the  systems are focused on the“business of  doing business.”Epicor has an extensive network of offices and partners across the region, a staff with many years of metalworking and related business experiences, and a large customer base. From this platform, Epicor has accumulated enough experiences and product features for our diverse customers and their products. However, Epicor has always focused on metalworking related industries and it has been our “roots”. As such, we bring unique features and process abilities to metalworking industries. 

 

IMNA : What are some of the recent and larger challenges Asian manufacturers face, and what do you think can be done to overcome these issues with Epicor products in mind?

 

Mr Charlton: All of our manufacturers have a continuous focus on cost management and productivity improvement . These are business fundamentals that never “go out of style,” and in the past were drivers of the growth of Asian manufacturing. As costs increases, payroll and compliance costs increases as well. So our customers must improve the productivity of their operations to maintain margins, and remain competitive as global suppliers. Epicor understands this environment and builds our products with this in mind.

 

Recent regional challenges have come from both economic and environment events. Asia’s  traditional  strong  points of flexibility and adaptability have been tested, but results in  terms of economic output show that Asia  is  still at the forefront in rising up to such challenges and reducing the impact on global supply chains. Epicor systems are flexible  and allow companies to adapt to changes in the business environment at the speed required.