Paper-Less MES vs. VIA IT Comparison Chart

Epicor Kinetic is a cloud-first, AI-powered ERP platform for manufacturing organizations. It includes modules for financial management, supply chain, production management, inventory, quality, service, analytics, project management, CRM, and compliance. Built for discrete, make-to-order, engineer-to-order, and mixed-mode manufacturers, Kinetic supports planning and scheduling, materials management, shop floor coordination, and multi-site operations in one system. The platform provides browser-based access, role-based workflows, integration and extensibility tools, IIoT-related capabilities, and support for cloud, on-premises, and hybrid deployment. Epicor Prism extends the platform with AI-supported automation and decision support for selected ERP tasks.

Epsilon3 is an AI-powered procedure and resource management tool designed for teams building, testing, and operating advanced products and systems. ✔ Standardize & Optimize Processes Our interoperable procedure execution system replaces inefficient checklists managed with paper, spreadsheets, docs, and outdated planning tools. Automatically track every step to ensure quality, consistency, and traceability. ✔ Fuel Rapid Iteration & Innovation Built-in version control, conditional workflows, and real-time data synchronization keep teams on the same page. Enable continuous improvement and quick, data-driven decisions to stay far ahead of the competition. ✔ Streamline & Scale Operations Securely integrate siloed systems and automate error-prone tasks to boost productivity and prevent delays. Simplify training, reduce costs, and maintain efficiency as your operations expand to meet demand. Trusted by industry leaders like NASA, Firefly Aerospace, and Commonwealth Fusion.

Epicor Advanced MES is a manufacturing execution system that is suited to plastic molders, repetitive manufacturers and those with an assembly process involving multiple machines. It is designed to help floor operators to monitor and optimize their plant operations. Advanced MES helps manufacturers monitor and control their business with real-time plant and machinery information. The system enables users to identify inefficient resource allocations to find new capacity within the business. It also helps to track machine downtime and record scrap and material wastage in every production cycle. The software offers visibility into operations, real-time scheduling and process monitoring. Users can monitor up to 100,000 cycles and can see production details and descriptors. Maintenance teams can also access machine condition reports to plan preventive maintenance. Advanced MES offers integrations with accounting and manufacturing estimating capabilities.

VKS is a digital work instruction software that makes it easy for companies to throw out paper work instructions and transform into a digital factory. Create digital work instructions and standard operating procedures (SOPs) using pictures, videos, PDFs, annotations and more. Integrate in-process quality checklists to help reduce defects by up to 95%. Standardize best practices and increase productivity by 20%. With real-time process control and built-in reports, you also get 100% guaranteed traceability. By switching to digital work instructions, you can capture tribal knowledge and eliminate the skills gap. You also benefit from increased communication on the shop floor and the subsequent improved accuracy of your operational decision-making.

The AI-powered MRP software for growing manufacturers. Ideal for companies with 10 - 200 employees MRPeasy helps small manufacturers grow with easy-to-use tools that cover all the essentials they need to manage their production. Having built the first cloud-based MRP platform in 2014, we offer user-friendly software-as-a-service that covers everything from production planning to CRM, skipping all the features that are too complex or irrelevant for small manufacturers. This means smaller manufacturers get access to powerful production planning tools, levelling the playing field with larger competitors. With MRPeasy, you know exactly how much your products cost and when they’re ready, helping you to steer your business effectively. MRPeasy integrates with leading accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero and e-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, providing a comprehensive, fully integrated business management solution.

Epicor Connected Process Control (CPC) is a flexible no-code/low-code MES and manufacturing operations platform that helps manufacturers improve quality, consistency, and visibility across production and assembly operations. Create digital work instructions with multimedia content, guide operators through critical tasks, connect equipment and devices across the shop floor, and capture production and quality data without extensive programming. CPC provides product traceability with a complete historical record of each product's build and inspection history. Real-time insights into quality, performance, defects, rework, and production trends help teams identify issues faster, reduce waste, and support continuous improvement. Manufacturers use CPC to standardize production and assembly processes, improve operator consistency, and support assembly verification, error proofing, quality inspections, and production monitoring across the shop floor. Whether deployed in a single work cell, across multiple production lines, or enterprise-wide, CPC scales to support manufacturers of all sizes. Available on-premises or in the cloud, it adapts to your operational requirements and manufacturing processes.

We simplify your manufacturing.™ Global Shop Solutions AI-integrated ERP software provides the applications needed to deliver a quality part on time, every time from quote to cash and everything in between, including shop management, scheduling, inventory, accounting, quality control, CRM and 25 more. Built with AI in mind, our software helps manufacturers make smarter, data-driven decisions that improve efficiency and visibility. Available in the cloud or on premise, our manufacturing customers benefit from real-time inventory accuracy, improved on-time delivery, lower administrative costs, increased sales and improved customer service. Headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas includes a state-of-the-art R&D facility and Global Shop Solutions training center. Through its offices in the U.S., Mexico, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the company supports thousands of manufacturing facilities in over 25 countries and more than 30 industries.

Efficiently executing the complex processes of enterprise manufacturers and distributors. Infor M3 is a cloud-based, manufacturing and distribution ERP system that leverages the latest technologies to provide an exceptional user experience and powerful analytics in a multicompany, multicountry, and multisite platform. Infor M3 and related CloudSuite™ industry solutions include industry-leading functionality for the chemical, distribution, equipment, fashion, food and beverage, and industrial manufacturing industries. Staying ahead of the competition means staying agile. Our new capabilities bring improved data-driven insights and streamlined workflows to help you make informed decisions and take quick action.

Odoo is a fully integrated, customizable, open-source software packed with hundreds of expertly designed business applications. Odoo’s intuitive database is able to meet a majority of business needs, such as: CRM, Sales, Project, Manufacturing, Inventory, and Accounting, just to name a few. Odoo is an all-in-one software solution designed to meet the needs of companies, regardless of their size (or budget). The unbeatable, seamless nature of Odoo helps businesses become more efficient by reducing redundant manual processes, which helps companies save countless hours of labor. Every module is interconnected to provide a fully-integrated experience from app to app, and users can automate many processes that would’ve otherwise required manual inputs into multiple applications. Odoo keeps all business functions in one place, allowing teams to collaborate with other departments from one unified platform in the most efficient way possible.

Fishbowl is the #1 selling manufacturing and warehouse management software for QuickBooks. Designed for small and medium-sized businesses, including manufacturers, distributors, and service providers, Fishbowl gives businesses the flexibility to stay within the QuickBooks platform for accounting while seamlessly integrating advanced inventory features with it. It also offers multi-location tracking, work orders, bills of materials, barcoding, shipping, auto reorder points, and integrations with EDI, shopping carts, merchant services, and other business solutions. If you are looking for an affordable inventory management solution that can help your business take advantage of the latest technology to streamline operations and save time and money, Fishbowl is a great option.