If Your Legacy ERP Can’t Keep Up, It's Time to Upgrade to Epicor Kinetic

Many manufacturers know the feeling: systems that used to “just work” now hold your team back. Reporting takes too long. Processes feel patched together. Visibility is fractured. You’ve adapted, yes - but so have your competitors, and they’re moving faster.

In a recent blog, “From Frustration to Fulfilment: Upgrading Legacy ERP Systems”, Mark Feathers of Epicor lays out what manufacturers need to hear: legacy ERP systems aren’t just outdated - they’re a liability. And delaying the move to modern ERP like Epicor Kinetic can quietly erode productivity, decision-making, and profitability.

From my seat at Cambia Advisors, where we guide manufacturing clients through ERP modernization every day, I couldn’t agree more.

Here are three takeaways from Mark’s post that should be on every manufacturing executive’s radar:

1. Legacy ERP is Slowing You Down - Subtly and Systematically

Manufacturers don’t wake up one day to a broken ERP system -it happens slowly. You start relying on spreadsheets to fill in system gaps. Data lives in silos. Teams work around limitations instead of within a unified process. As Mark puts it, the warning signs include outdated interfaces, poor mobile accessibility, limited cloud capabilities, and costly customizations just to maintain basic functionality.

These inefficiencies drag on decision-making and profitability, and while they might be tolerable at first, they grow more painful - and more expensive - the longer they’re ignored.

2. Modern ERP Isn’t About Disruption - It’s About Precision

Modern ERP systems like Epicor Kinetic don’t just replace legacy tools - they streamline complexity with smarter, more flexible infrastructure. Mark points out that newer platforms are agile by design: built to handle hybrid manufacturing models, integrate seamlessly with other tech, and support embedded analytics that improve visibility and foresight.

Kinetic was built with manufacturers in mind. Its cloud-based, mobile-friendly interface allows real-time collaboration across teams and locations. That means less wasted motion and faster, more confident decisions. This isn’t disruption for disruption’s sake - it’s enabling the operational precision today’s manufacturers need.

3. Your Next ERP Isn’t Just a Tech Decision - It’s a Growth Strategy

A successful ERP migration isn’t just about modernizing tools - it’s about aligning your systems with the direction your business is headed. Mark calls this shift “a strategic enabler.”  A modern ERP helps you scale into new markets, meet compliance requirements, respond to customer demands, and retain top talent through better processes and less friction.

The bottom line is if your legacy ERP can't keep up - it's time to upgrade to Epicor Kinetic. Epicor Kinetic gives manufacturers the ability to turn data into insight, inefficiency into automation, and plans into action. That kind of agility is critical for navigating today’s pace of change.

At Cambia Advisors, we guide manufacturers through the move from legacy ERP to Epicor Kinetic. We understand the stakes - and we know how to make the transition purposeful, efficient, and low-risk.

Read the blog by Mark Feathers here. Then let’s talk about what this means for your business. If your ERP is holding you back, now’s the time to start building what’s next - with a system built for it.

Contact Cambia Advisors

Change starts with a conversation. Contact the Cambia team today. For more information about the impact of a legacy ERP on your business, download this ebook, “The Hidden Cost of Legacy ERP Systems in Manufacturing.”