Upgrading your Epicor ERP system is more than a version change—it’s a major transition that affects every department, user, and process in your business. Yet too often, companies rush into upgrades without fully understanding the state of their current ERP environment.
At Epicforce Tech, we take a different approach: we begin every upgrade engagement with a comprehensive pre-upgrade audit. This ensures that your upgrade is informed, intentional, and aligned with your business goals—not reactive.
In this blog, we’ll explain why this audit is essential, what it includes, and how it helps you avoid post-upgrade regret, budget overruns, and operational disruption.
The Problem with Post-Upgrade Fixes
Many companies assume they can upgrade now and fix issues later. This leads to common problems like:
Customizations that break after the upgrade
Reports that stop working
User roles and permissions misaligned with the new system
Data inconsistencies that weren’t caught beforehand
Process gaps that weren’t visible during testing
By the time these problems are discovered, the damage is already done—resulting in delays, rework, and user frustration.
Why Epicforce Tech Leads with a Pre-Upgrade Audit
At Epicforce Tech, we believe successful upgrades start with clarity. Our audit gives you a 360-degree view of your current Epicor environment—so there are no surprises after go-live.
Here’s what makes our approach different:
1. We Identify Hidden Risks Early
Our audit reviews the following areas:
Outdated or unused customizations
Business Activity Queries (BAQs) with hard-coded references
Third-party integrations with deprecated APIs
Report dependencies that may fail post-upgrade
Security role structures and access control mismatches
Data quality issues (duplicate records, empty fields, misclassifications)
We help you understand where your ERP system is fragile—and where it’s ready for growth.
2. We Align Technical Readiness with Business Readiness
Most upgrade plans only consider software compatibility. We go further by evaluating:
Are users currently struggling with the system?
Which processes are being handled outside of Epicor?
Are reports being created in Excel instead of the ERP?
Are departments relying on outdated workflows?
This ensures your upgrade supports real business transformation, not just a software refresh.
3. We Prioritize Fixes Before the Upgrade Begins
Fixing problems after an upgrade is expensive and disruptive. During our audit, we flag:
Reports to rebuild
Customizations to rewrite or retire
Permissions to clean up
Data to cleanse
Processes to streamline
We help you prepare a fix-first, upgrade-second roadmap—so your system is clean, efficient, and ready.
4. We Validate Upgrade Compatibility
Our consultants run version compatibility checks to validate:
Which customizations will work out of the box
Which modules will change significantly
Which workflows or scripts will need rework
Which third-party integrations need testing or updating
This avoids surprises when the new version is deployed.
5. We Document Everything for Transparency
Our audit results in a detailed report, including:
A categorized list of risks and recommendations
Time and cost estimates for required fixes
Upgrade readiness scorecard by module
A proposed timeline with pre-upgrade checkpoints
This gives your team clarity and control over the entire upgrade process.
What’s Included in Epicforce Tech’s Pre-Upgrade Audit
| Audit Component | Key Focus Areas |
|---|---|
| System Customizations | BPMs, user-defined fields, embedded code, personalization layers |
| Reports & Dashboards | SSRS reports, dashboards, BAQs, third-party reporting tools |
| Integrations | External applications, API usage, sync frequency, security protocols |
| Data Quality | Duplicate entries, incomplete records, aging transactional data |
| User Roles & Security | Current permission structures, license use, SoD conflicts |
| Process Efficiency | Manual workarounds, duplicate efforts, shadow systems outside ERP |
| Version Compatibility | Deprecated features, functional changes, database schema changes |
Real Results from a Pre-Upgrade Audit: What Clients Experience
Here’s what companies typically gain by doing the audit before they upgrade:
| Without Pre-Upgrade Audit | With Epicforce Tech Audit |
|---|---|
| Broken reports after go-live | Reports updated and tested before deployment |
| Failed customizations | Custom logic rebuilt or replaced pre-upgrade |
| Reactive support scramble | Planned tasks with timelines and risk mitigation |
| User resistance to change | Users trained with real process improvements |
| Unclear upgrade ROI | ROI mapped to business outcomes and KPIs |
Why Post-Upgrade Audits Don’t Work
You might wonder: why not upgrade first and fix later?
Here’s why that approach fails:
By the time problems appear, users are already frustrated.
Fixing issues on a live system creates new risks.
Budget constraints can delay urgent fixes.
You lose momentum and confidence in the new system.
A pre-upgrade audit prevents these issues instead of reacting to them.
Epicforce Tech: More Than Just Technical Checks
We’re not just checking boxes—we’re helping you prepare for a successful transformation.
Our upgrade audits are:
Business-focused: We align tech readiness with your operational goals
Collaborative: We work with IT, finance, ops, and executive teams
Strategic: We build a roadmap that helps you grow, not just upgrade
Our goal is not to get you to the next version of Epicor. It’s to make sure that version actually works better for your business than the last one.
Prepared for Your Next Epicor ERP Upgrade?
Avoid costly surprises and system downtime. With a comprehensive pre-upgrade audit from Epicforce Tech, you can transition smoothly, securely, and with full confidence.
Speak to our experts: (888) 280-5585
Email us at: info@epicforcetech.com
Learn more: www.epicforcetech.com
