In today’s fast-paced manufacturing and distribution environments, decision-makers need immediate access to accurate, actionable data. For executives using Epicor ERP, understanding how to leverage Dashboards and Business Activity Queries (BAQs) is not just a technical skill; it’s a strategic necessity.
This article explores how executive-level Epicor training can empower leaders to extract insights, monitor KPIs, and drive operational improvements. If you are in a leadership role looking to gain real-time visibility into business performance, this guide from Epicforce Tech is for you.
Why Executives Need Hands-On Epicor Training
While much of Epicor training focuses on operational users, executives often rely on static reports or outdated data to make strategic decisions. This creates three core problems:
- Lack of real-time insights
- Overdependence on middle layers for information
- Missed opportunities to optimize performance
With the right Epicor training, executives can use Dashboards and BAQs to monitor financial health, operational efficiency, customer performance, and supply chain trends without depending entirely on IT or consultants.
What Is a BAQ and Why Should Executives Learn It?
A Business Activity Query (BAQ) is a query-building tool inside Epicor that allows users to extract custom sets of data from the system.
Rather than relying on default reports or waiting for IT to generate a data export, executives can:
- Pull real-time sales trends
- Monitor overdue receivables
- Track on-time delivery by region or customer
- Analyze cost variances across departments
Understanding BAQs does not require executives to learn SQL. Epicor’s visual query designer allows non-technical users to filter, sort, and define the data they want to see quickly and repeatably.
What Is a Dashboard in Epicor?
Dashboards are customizable, real-time views built on top of BAQs. They allow executives to monitor metrics without jumping between modules.
With Dashboards, you can:
- View top-level KPIs on a single screen
- Click into underlying data when needed
- Monitor daily, weekly, or monthly performance trends
- Share filtered views with other stakeholders
Well-designed dashboards bring clarity and support informed decision-making. Executive training should focus on how to interpret dashboards effectively and ask the right questions when something is off.
Core Training Areas Executives Should Focus On
Below are the key training competencies executives should master to use Epicor as a decision-making platform.
1. Navigating Epicor with Speed and Confidence
Many executives only interact with exported Excel sheets or high-level reports. Epicor training should start with:
- Personalized home pages
- Favorites for most-used views
- Menu navigation tips
- Context menus and quick searches
This saves time and builds confidence in self-service exploration.
2. Using Out-of-the-Box Dashboards
Epicor comes with pre-built dashboards that cover:
- Sales performance
- Aged receivables
- Inventory levels
- Shop load and capacity
Training should help executives understand how to use and interpret these dashboards in the context of strategic planning.
3. Creating and Customizing Dashboards
Once comfortable, executives can learn to:
- Add or remove columns
- Filter for region, product line, or business unit
- Change chart types for better visualization
- Add conditional formatting to flag issues
Even basic customization helps align dashboards with business goals.
4. Building Basic BAQs Without Code
With Epicor’s drag-and-drop BAQ builder, executives can learn to:
- Join multiple tables, such as Customers and Orders
- Filter for time periods or conditions
- Sort results by value or performance
- Save and re-use BAQs for different views
This gives executives direct access to the data they care about, faster and more efficiently.
5. Sharing Dashboards Across Departments
Good data becomes great when it’s shared. Executives should also be trained on:
- Publishing dashboards to teams
- Controlling user permissions
- Embedding dashboards in daily workflows
- Creating team-specific views for accountability
Shared dashboards improve alignment and transparency.
Sample Use Cases for Executives Using Epicor Dashboards
Here are specific ways executives can apply dashboards and BAQs to real-world decision-making.
Financial Performance Monitoring
- Monitor aged receivables and overdue accounts by customer
- Track margin erosion at the product or customer level
- Visualize cash flow trends
Operational Oversight
- View real-time production bottlenecks
- Monitor work center utilization and efficiency
- Track machine downtime and repair frequency
Sales and Customer Analysis
- Identify top revenue-driving customers
- Analyze customer churn trends
- View sales by product category and region
Supplier and Inventory Optimization
- Track inventory turnover rates
- Monitor supplier on-time delivery performance
- Identify stock-out risk for high-volume SKUs
These insights enable proactive decisions that improve results.
Overcoming Common Executive Training Barriers
Executives often face unique challenges with ERP training. Here’s how to address them effectively.
Time Constraints
Break training into micro-sessions. Focus each 30-minute session on one use case, such as tracking the sales pipeline or reviewing monthly P&L dashboards.
Perceived Complexity
Emphasize the intuitive nature of dashboards and BAQs. Use real examples from their day-to-day role. Avoid unnecessary jargon and complexity.
Delegation Culture
Shift the mindset from “I’ll have someone pull that report” to “I can explore this in real time.” Empowerment leads to faster, more informed decision-making.
Benefits of Executive-Led Data Access in Epicor
When executives are trained to use Epicor dashboards and BAQs directly, the benefits ripple across the organization:
- Faster decision-making without delays
- Improved accountability across departments
- Proactive leadership with data-driven strategies
- A stronger, data-literate company culture
This alignment between strategy and execution drives meaningful outcomes.
What Makes Executive Epicor Training Different?
At Epicforce Tech, we have helped executives in manufacturing and distribution learn to lead through data. Unlike generic ERP training, executive-focused Epicor training is:
- Use-case based, centered on real leadership decisions
- Streamlined and focused only on the tools that matter
- Collaborative, tying directly to cross-department dashboards
- Non-technical and easy to understand
The goal is to make Epicor a daily decision-support tool that provides value beyond operations.
Conclusion
Epicor is not just for transactional work. It can be a strategic asset when used effectively by leadership. With the right Epicor training, executives can leverage Dashboards and BAQs to unlock faster, more informed, and more aligned decisions.
If your leadership team is ready to move beyond static reports and embrace real-time insights, Epicforce Tech can help you develop a tailored Epicor training approach that empowers decision-makers across the organization.
Want to explore how Epicor Dashboards and BAQs can support your executive team’s goals? Reach out to Epicforce Tech to request a free roadmap outline or Epicor executive workshop consultation.
Read More:
Unlocking the Potential of Epicor ERP: A Definitive Training Guide
How to Ensure Long-term Success After Completing Epicor Training
Master Epicor DMT: Step-by-Step Data Management Training Tips
5 Epicor Training Metrics That Actually Predict Operational ROI
