Epicor ERP is powerful—but its full value only surfaces when it’s adapted to your business. Customizations make that possible. Whether you’re modifying forms, automating processes with BPMs, or integrating third-party systems, customizations are what make Epicor yours.
But there’s a problem: over time, many businesses lose track of what was customized, why it was done, who built it, and how it impacts other parts of the system. This lack of documentation creates confusion, makes upgrades risky, and leads to repeated rework.
At Epicforce Tech, we work directly with Epicor users to ensure that every customization is clearly documented, maintainable, and upgrade-ready. In this guide, we’ll walk you through our proven step-by-step process to help you avoid the “black box” trap and take back control of your Epicor environment.
Why Documentation Matters in Epicor Customizations
Before diving into the steps, let’s quickly cover why this matters:
- Saves Time: New developers or consultants can pick up where others left off.
- Reduces Risk: Clear documentation minimizes downtime during upgrades.
- Supports Compliance: Change tracking and audit trails are easier to maintain.
- Enables Smart Decisions: Understanding dependencies avoids conflicts.
Without documentation, even minor changes can snowball into system-wide issues.
Step 1: Identify All Existing Customizations
What We Do:
Epicforce Tech begins by running a full customization discovery audit across your Epicor system. This includes:
- Custom dashboards and reports
- Business Process Management (BPM) workflows
- User-defined fields and tables
- Third-party integrations
- Modified screens and forms
- Embedded BAQs and calculated fields
Why It Matters:
Many organizations are unaware of how much customization they’ve accumulated over the years. Our team ensures nothing is overlooked—even the hidden or unused components.
Step 2: Classify and Tag Customizations by Purpose and Risk
What We Do:
Each customization is tagged according to:
- Business purpose (e.g., reporting, automation, data validation)
- Risk level (e.g., critical, moderate, low-impact)
- Technical complexity
- Upgrade compatibility (based on Epicor version roadmap)
Why It Matters:
This gives your team a clear view of priorities— which customizations require extra care, and which ones are safe to change, refactor, or even retire.
Step 3: Document the Technical Details
What We Do:
Once each customization is identified and categorized, Epicforce Tech creates a standardized document that includes:
- Customization name and location
- Business owner or stakeholder
- Original implementation date
- Developer notes and logic explanations
- Dependencies (fields, tables, processes)
- Version compatibility
We use a version-controlled documentation format that integrates with your existing tools (SharePoint, Confluence, OneDrive, etc.).
Why It Matters:
This technical snapshot helps both developers and non-technical stakeholders understand what the customization does, how it works, and what it affects.
Step 4: Map Customizations to Business Processes
What We Do:
Many customizations exist for specific business workflows—approvals, inventory movements, customer pricing rules, and more. Our team works with your operations and process owners to map each customization to its real-world use case.
This means:
- Linking code or logic to specific process steps
- Identifying upstream and downstream dependencies
- Capturing user stories and pain points
Why It Matters:
It prevents situations where IT owns a customization no one understands or uses anymore. With a clear business mapping, you can decide what’s valuable and what’s legacy clutter.
Step 5: Set Up Maintenance Workflows and Version Control
What We Do:
Epicforce Tech helps you implement a change management system for your Epicor customizations. This includes:
- Naming conventions for customizations
- Developer check-in and check-out procedures
- Test environments and deployment best practices
- Version history logs
We can even integrate this into tools like Git, Azure DevOps, or internal ticketing systems to formalize change tracking.
Why It Matters:
Maintenance becomes a repeatable process, not an afterthought. Every customization update is traceable, reviewable, and recoverable.
Step 6: Train Internal Teams on Reading and Using Documentation
What We Do:
Our goal isn’t just to write documentation—but to make sure your team knows how to use it. Epicforce Tech delivers live or recorded training sessions on:
- Accessing documentation libraries
- Searching by module or business process
- Updating records after changes
- Using documentation during audits or upgrades
Why It Matters:
A living document is only useful if it’s actually used. We make it part of your team’s daily toolkit—not a forgotten PDF on a file share.
Step 7: Keep It Updated With Every Customization Change
What We Do:
We embed documentation steps into your change workflows. Whether Epicforce Tech is implementing a new BPM or your internal team is tweaking a BAQ, the documentation is updated at the time of change.
You’ll also receive periodic review reminders and update audits to ensure everything stays accurate over time.
Why It Matters:
Documentation shouldn’t be a one-time project. It’s a continuous discipline—and we help you build that culture into your Epicor environment.
Real-World Results from Our Clients
Organizations that follow this process with Epicforce Tech typically see:
- Faster onboarding of new Epicor developers
- Reduced upgrade delays, thanks to clear documentation of custom logic
- Better handoff between teams during staff transitions or project shifts
- More confident decision-making when evaluating system changes
Customizations go from being a liability to an asset—something you can build on, not something you have to constantly work around.
How Epicforce Tech Can Help You Get Started
Whether your Epicor system has a dozen minor tweaks or years of layered custom logic, our team can step in and:
- Audit your current setup
- Build your customization library
- Map your logic to business workflows
- Set up tools and templates for long-term documentation
- Train your staff for self-sufficiency
With Epicforce Tech, you’re not just getting technical help—you’re building a sustainable Epicor environment you can trust for years to come.
Conclusion
Epicor customizations are powerful—but without documentation, they become a risk. Every change adds complexity. Every undocumented tweak adds uncertainty.
That’s why smart Epicor teams rely on Epicforce Tech. We help you document, maintain, and future-proof your customizations—so your ERP system grows with your business, not against it.
Ready to take control of your Epicor customizations?
Let Epicforce Tech help you build the documentation and maintenance foundation you need.
Contact us today to schedule a free customization health check.
Read More:
How Epicforce Tech’s Consultants Guide You Through Complex Epicor Customizations
How Epicforce Tech Simplifies Complex Epicor® Logic with Modular Customizations
Epicforce Tech Helps You Fix What the Initial Epicor® Implementation Missed
The Epicforce Tech Way: Customizing Epicor® Without Compromising Future Upgrades
How Epicforce Tech Unlocks Better Business Insights with Epicor® Reporting
Rebuilding Legacy Custom Features in Epicor®—Done Right with Epicforce Tech