Epicor BPM Integration Tips

Introduction: A Smarter Way to Connect Epicor to the Outside World

As enterprise ecosystems grow more connected, integration between systems has become critical. ERP systems, CRMs, cloud storage platforms, and analytics dashboards all need to exchange data quickly, securely, and efficiently.

But for Epicor users, integration often means full custom development—expensive, slow, and hard to maintain. What if you could integrate Epicor with external systems without writing extensive custom code?

That’s exactly what Epicforce Tech helps clients achieve using Epicor BPMs (Business Process Management tools)—a built-in way to connect Epicor to third-party systems while preserving flexibility and keeping the core system clean.

This guide breaks down how to use Epicor BPMs to trigger external integrations, why it works, and how to get it right.

What Is Epicor BPM?

Epicor BPM is a no-code/low-code automation engine inside Epicor ERP that lets users define rules and business logic around specific events—such as field changes, method calls, or record updates.

You can use BPMs to:

Automatically validate data
Enforce approval workflows
Call functions or REST APIs
Generate alerts or tasks
Interact with external systems

Think of BPMs as event-driven automation scripts, governed by business rules, with built-in tools to make them safe and scalable.

Why Use BPMs for External Integration?

Traditionally, connecting Epicor to another system (e.g., a logistics platform or CRM) required:

Custom C# code
Middleware development
External services and handlers

But that’s overkill in many cases. Epicor BPMs can trigger integrations directly—without building a custom framework.

Benefits:

Speed: Configure in hours, not weeks.
Cost-Efficiency: Avoid full development and lengthy testing.
Flexibility: Modify triggers and logic anytime, no redeployment needed.
Maintainability: Easily documented and versioned inside Epicor.
Security: Controlled execution with logging and error handling.

Common Integration Use Cases with BPMs

Here are real-world examples where Epicforce Tech has used Epicor BPMs to power integrations:

1. Triggering an Email via SendGrid or Outlook API

Example: Notify a sales rep automatically when a quote exceeds a threshold.

2. Updating Customer Records in Salesforce

Example: When a customer is created or updated in Epicor, sync the record to Salesforce via REST API.

3. Creating a Support Ticket in Zendesk

Example: When a warranty claim is logged in Epicor, generate a support case automatically.

4. Submitting Purchase Orders to a Vendor Portal

Example: On PO approval, send data to a third-party logistics system without manual entry.

5. Pushing Inventory Updates to an eCommerce Platform

Example: Every time stock levels change, Epicor BPM pushes a payload to a Shopify product API.

How Epicforce Tech Implements BPM-Based Integrations

We follow a proven six-step process to ensure each integration is efficient, secure, and business-aligned:

Step 1: Define the Trigger Point

Start by identifying the Epicor event that will initiate the integration. This could be:

A field change (e.g., status = “Approved”)
A method execution (e.g., SubmitOrder)
A data update (e.g., Inventory Level Changed)

BPMs can hook into all of these with precision.

Step 2: Design the Integration Logic

Next, determine what the BPM should do when triggered:

Gather field values
Validate preconditions
Build a JSON or XML payload
Send a request to an external endpoint

For most use cases, we recommend REST APIs because they’re standard, secure, and scalable.

Step 3: Use Epicor Functions for Payload Assembly

Rather than writing custom code inside BPMs, we use Epicor Functions—a server-side logic engine built for reuse.

Why it works:

Encapsulates the logic cleanly
Keeps BPMs focused on triggering logic
Makes testing and versioning easier

This modular approach is ideal for managing long-term integrations.

Step 4: Secure the Connection

All external API calls should be secured using:

HTTPS
Authentication (Bearer tokens, API keys, OAuth)
Input validation

Epicforce Tech configures all endpoints to use secure channels and masks credentials via Epicor’s app settings.

Step 5: Add Error Handling and Logging

Errors happen. What matters is how you respond.

We implement:

Retry logic on network timeouts
BPM error logs for every failed request
Alert emails to admins when failures occur

This prevents data loss and keeps your team informed.

Step 6: Test, Document, and Deploy

Before going live:

We simulate all BPM events in a test environment
Verify payloads with external systems
Document the integration logic, endpoints, and dependencies

Only then do we move the integration to production—fully controlled and audit-ready.

Best Practices for BPM-Triggered Integrations

Best Practice	Why It Matters
Use Functions, not direct C#	Keeps logic reusable and readable
Avoid complex loops in BPM	Better for performance and troubleshooting
Use async APIs where possible	Prevents timeouts in Epicor session handling
Document every endpoint used	Eases audits and future debugging
Version-control your Functions	Helps rollback and track logic changes

What Not to Do (Lessons Learned)

Over time, Epicforce Tech has encountered common pitfalls that you can avoid:

Don’t call heavy APIs synchronously inside BPMs—do it async or through an intermediate queue.
Avoid writing raw JSON in BPMs—use Functions to keep formatting separate.
Don’t bypass validation logic just to make integration work—always enforce data integrity on both sides.

Epicforce Tech Real-World Case Study

Challenge:

A manufacturing client needed to sync job completion events from Epicor to an external MES (Manufacturing Execution System), but didn’t want full middleware.

Solution:

Epicforce Tech built a BPM that:

Listens to job completion via Post-Processing BPM
Calls a REST endpoint in the MES with job ID, quantity, and time
Logs the result for traceability

Result:

Delivered in 5 days (vs. 4 weeks with custom dev)
99.9% success rate
Easily adapted for future MES versions

This is the power of Epicor BPM + Epicforce Tech’s integration expertise.

When Should You Avoid BPM-Only Integrations?

There are cases where BPMs are not the best solution:

Complex multi-step transactions: Consider Epicor Service Connect or external orchestrators.
Bulk data transfers or sync: Use Epicor REST APIs with scheduled jobs or middleware.
Long-running async workflows: A queue-based architecture (like Azure Service Bus) is more reliable.

We help clients evaluate these trade-offs to choose the right path—BPM or beyond.

Conclusion: Integration Without Complexity

Integrating Epicor with external systems doesn’t have to involve massive custom development or middleware platforms. Epicor BPMs offer a powerful, agile way to trigger external actions—as long as they’re used strategically.

At Epicforce Tech, we’ve helped organizations integrate Epicor with eCommerce, CRM, logistics, payment, and support platforms using BPMs and Functions—without touching core logic or overcomplicating the architecture.

Need a Smarter Integration Plan?

Let Epicforce Tech help you simplify integrations, reduce development time, and unlock the full power of Epicor BPMs.

Call us: (888) 280-5585
Email: info@epicforcetech.com
Visit: epicforcetech.com

Using Epicor BPMs to Trigger External Integrations Without Full Customization