Hi,
I am an independent implementer of mis systems. I spent 3 FULL months trying to implement Epace after efi's attempt at implementation at a mid/large size commercial printer and it failed. There was no cap placed on my job which was defined as "Get Epace up and running at any cost."
Since I have seen this post, I wanted to give over some of my info on the matter. I must say that moadib had very good points to the advantages of Epace, but some of them don't apply anymore and most importantly, they are only advantages if you don't run into showstoppers along the way. We ran into a bunch of them. I truly believe that most people who purchase Epace do not end up using in a valuable way, if at all. You will find people saying that Epace has changed around their business for the better. I believe that too, but they probably had to (and were able to) make changes to their business structure to accommodate Epace.
My client ended up going with a 100% custom system and threw Epace out. Not an option for most printers, but every feature they need, they have. What they don't need, they don't have.
Here's moadib list with my comments.
* _GUI, web-based program_ that is very easy to use for anyone able to navigate websites. May links/ways to get to the screen you want.
TRUE
* _comprehensive_ suite from Sales, estimating, and production, through accounting and general ledger.
TRUE, but each part in itself is lacking features which may be necessary for your business. If you constantly gang up your jobs, do primarily large format printing, of need to change your estimates a lot, Epace will not help you. Estimating module was a showstopper for us. I have documented bugs and functional issues which show Epaces shortcomings. There are so many better estimating programs out there and for a fraction of the cost. Even worse, there whole flow of information starts by their estimating module. It's not solid, flow is not solid.
* _open source_ so if you have programming savvy you can customize (or you can pay pace to customize). They also sell a customization module for those without programming knowledge.
open source: NOT TRUE Maybe it once was. Yes true, you can pay hefty prices to get customized programming done.
* _can be integrated with other software_ (e.g. UPS Worldship).
There are very few pieces of software it can communicate with. More importantly, there is almost no shipping component at all. If you use truckers and you need to estimate your jobs with shipping, epace has no facility for this whatsoever. This was one of our showstoppers.
* _copious reports_ for all modules. reports can also be modified or created sing crystal clear.
TRUE, at a significant additional cost and with some major professional who knows how to write Crystal reports against a hundred sql tables. Those guys cost BIG money. I worked with it for an entire month to get 1 complicated report the way I wanted.
* _epacestation queries_ - if you appreciate the power of excel, you will love this query engine. Also incredibly simple to use.
TRUE this is an invaluable tool. NOT TRUE that it's simple to use.
* _top-notch support._ Can't stress enough how responsive and helpful the support staff is.
TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE. I can't say this enough times. No one in the world would stand a chance at epace without these guys. They are the best I have ever seen. You will not be alone if you make it through and it works for you. I felt bad to throw Epace out just because of their tech support.
* _fully integrated modules_ equals a streamlined entry process. _NOTE: it is of utmost importance to follow Pace's prescribed amount of time required for Estimating setup. The better and more comprehensive the initial setup, the more accurate and automated your data and workflow will be._
TRUE. If you get into a bad mood easily, plan on 6 months of bad mood.
* _Pace is very open to suggestion_. They realize that MIS's must evolve in order to stay relevant and ahead of the pack so they continuously update and upgrade their products to meet the demands of users - both via internal product research and client recommendations. The annual Pace user conference is also a good arena to get your point across.
TRUE but they decide what and when to fix it. We had 15 bugs/issues which we were unable to operate with. They fixed one of them, albeit the most unimportant one.
* _highly stable system_. In the 8 years I have been at this company, never once have I encountered a serious issue such as a system crash or hijacking. Some issues arise (sometimes) when a version upgrade occurs, but Pace's response and fix is usually one day at most.
No experience because we stopped using it
* _Data collection_ - invaluable tool to capture labor costs for jobs.
True
* _Auto Emails_ - you can purchase a module that will send emails to recipients based on system triggers you prescribe.
True
I could go on for days, but to sum it up, they have a comprehensive system which takes into account many aspects of the printing industry. They are missing many pieces though and some seemingly small nuances can wreak havoc in a company which has done business a certain way for years. The setup, training, and implementation is so extensive, that you can't possibly know at the time of purchase if you will hit dead ends. I would venture to say that businesses who gave up on Epace blame themselves for not being savvy enough when indeed it was the shortcomings of Epace itself. The tech support guys told me themselves that many clients give up during implementation.
I have pages of documentation to substantiate what I am writing, but how can I prove it? Everyone's system is set up differently, it would take you 3-6 months to setup your Epace system so that I could even start to show you the bugs/issues which plagued us. That structure is their protection from losing future customers.
If I can be of help to anyone, please contact me.
Either way, good luck on your decision,
Ed Lehman
[email protected]
