Epicor vs Harmony for Shop Floor Automation

Shop floor automation, the ability to replace manual tasks, eliminate paper, and drive real-time execution, is a crucial competitive edge for mid-market manufacturers today. But not all automation is created equal.

This guide compares Epicor (a traditional ERP with MES capabilities) and Harmony (an AI-native operational execution platform) specifically for shop floor automation: what each system does well, where gaps often emerge, and how manufacturers finally start to automate real work instead of data entry.

What Shop Floor Automation Really Means

True shop floor automation should:

• Remove manual work (paper forms, whiteboards, Excel)

• Capture data at the point of work

• Enable real-time performance visibility

• Automate routine reporting and compliance capture

• Handle exceptions with context

• Preserve operational knowledge

• Reduce friction between humans, machines, and systems

• Deliver insight during execution, not after reconciliation

Too often, traditional systems automate screens, not work.

What Epicor Offers for Shop Floor Automation

Epicor ERP includes production management modules and optional MES features. Core automation capabilities often include:

• Digital work orders

• Shop floor data collection (via terminals, mobile, or integrations)

• Machine integration with OPC/PLC

• Standard dashboards for performance

• OEE and downtime capture (with add-ons)

• Quality and traceability tracking

• Reporting via screens and BI layers

In practice, Epicor can automate certain structured processes, especially when paired with MES modules or integrations, but its automation focus generally remains transactional rather than execution-centric.

How Harmony Approaches Shop Floor Automation

Harmony was built from the ground up to automate how work actually happens, not just how transactions get recorded.

Harmony automates:

• Digital workflow execution

• Data capture at the source of work

• Real-time dashboards that reflect execution

• Exception capture with decision context

• Shift handoffs with preserved state

• Production reporting automatically

• Machine + human signal unification

• Knowledge preservation as searchable insights

• AI signals that guide operational decision-making

Harmony does not just digitize forms; it orchestrates work and insight together.

Epicor vs Harmony: Shop Floor Automation Comparison

Where Epicor Shop Floor Automation Works Well

Epicor excels in automating structured transactional processes:

• Digital work orders replacing manual tickets

• Machine data logging (via integration layers)

• Standard OEE and performance dashboards

• Traceability and quality confirmation

• Production posting and material moves

• Integration with scheduling and planning

Epicor is effective when:

• Processes are stable

• Data entry discipline is high

• Executions are highly structured

• Supervisors are trained to use ERP screens

In these environments, Epicor can reduce paper at the transaction level.

Where Epicor Automation Falls Short in Practice

Despite strong ERP foundations, Epicor often exhibits gaps in operational execution automation:

1. Paper Gets Replaced With Screens, Not Workflows

Operators may trade paper forms for ERP screens, but the workflow logic still lives in people’s heads, whiteboards, or spreadsheets.

The steps don’t change, only the form does.

2. Manual Re-Entry Persists

Even with automated screens, many plants still:

• Reconcile paper or spreadsheet logs with ERP

• Enter downtime or performance after shifts

• Use shadow documents for coordination

• Build post-shift reports manually

This means automation doesn’t eliminate the actual manual effort.

3. Exceptions Lose Context

Epicor can capture codes and comments, but rarely captures:

• Why an exception occurred

• What decision was made in response

• Which trade-offs were accepted

• What conditions influenced outcomes

Context matters as much as data, especially in execution scenarios.

4. Real-Time Execution Signals Are Limited

Many Epicor deployments reflect execution only after data is posted, which means:

• Dashboards aren’t live

• Leaders see history, not real-time status

• Issues are discovered late

Real-time visibility lags behind execution reality.

Where Harmony Excels for Shop Floor Automation

Harmony automates not just transactions, but execution itself.

1. Elimination of Paper and Spreadsheets

Harmony replaces paper travelers, manual logs, and spreadsheets with:

• Workflow-driven digital experiences

• Point-of-work data capture

• Voice, tablet, or station entry

• Automated validation

No re-entry. No reconciliation.

2. Real-Time Operational Visibility

Harmony dashboards reflect:

• Throughput by minute and hour

• Downtime as it happens

• Bottlenecks before escalation

• Workflow progress without delay

Operators and leaders see the same live truth.

3. Contextual Exception Capture

Harmony captures the why, not just the what:

• Decisions made during exception events

• Operator rationale with structured context

• Patterns that matter across shifts

• Searchable exception histories

This turns exceptions into structured insight.

4. Workflow Automation That Guides Work

Harmony workflows:

• Embed logic for step sequences

• Prompt for required inputs

• Trigger next-step actions automatically

• Preserve execution state across shifts

The system guides work instead of merely documenting it.

5. Machine + Human Integration Done Right

Harmony unifies:

• Machine signals

• Operator inputs

• Workflow statuses

• Exception context

Together, this creates one operational view, not disconnected silos.

6. AI-Assisted Operational Insight

Harmony’s AI layer:

• Detects patterns across events and decisions

• Surfaces signals before issues escalate

• Highlights trending exceptions

• Suggests where interventions matter most

This goes beyond reporting; it supports smarter decisions.

Real-World Automation Scenarios

Scenario: Daily Production Reporting

Epicor

• Operators enter quantities at shift end

• ERP posts transactions

• Reports generate later

Harmony

• Data captured live as work happens

• Reporting is automatic

• No manual reconciliation required

Harmony turns reporting from a task into a byproduct of work.

Scenario: Quality Checks and Compliance

Epicor

• Operators enter codes or complete forms

• Quality team reconciles later

Harmony

• Quality steps embedded in workflows

• Deviations trigger guided responses

• Context and outcomes are preserved

Harmony automates compliance instead of documenting compliance.

Scenario: Downtime Capture

Epicor

• Downtime logged manually or after shift

• Reports show totals later

Harmony

• Downtime triggers real-time alerts

• Decision context is preserved

• Patterns surface without manual effort

Harmony turns downtime into actionable insight, not delayed reporting.

Epicor + Harmony: A Complementary Approach

For many manufacturers, the best automation outcome is not “ERP or Harmony”, it’s Epicor with Harmony:

• Epicor remains the backbone for financials, inventory, and planning

• Harmony becomes the execution layer, handling real-time workflows, automation, and visibility

• Harmony feeds contextual operational data back to Epicor and analytics stacks

• Manual work disappears, not just data entry

This hybrid architecture accelerates automation value without ripping out ERP.

Final Takeaway

Epicor automates many structured transactional processes and is a strong ERP backbone.

But shop floor automation, eliminating manual work, capturing context, and delivering real-time execution visibility, requires something different.

Harmony automates:

• Digital workflows that reflect actual work

• Real-time dashboards and signals

• Exception context and decisions

• AI-driven insights

• Workflow-embedded automation instead of manual screens

For manufacturers that want automation that actually transforms execution, not just digitizes forms, Harmony delivers the automation layer that ERP systems like Epicor struggle to provide on their own.

To see how Harmony automates work on the shop floor and eliminates paper, spreadsheets, and delayed reporting, visit TryHarmony.ai.