- One polo order in a general manufacturing ERP
- The same order as CMT and as full package
- Output of the merchandising workshop
- Five fit-gap rows, scored for the polo factory
- The polo as five parts
- A season of polos as parts, and one trim change
- Jeans as parts: the part count
- Four rolls of "180 GSM" jersey against one conversion factor
- Three dye lots as lots, and the cut plan
- Five BOMs for five sizes, and the copied-BOM trap
- The polo's operations, minutes and line capacity
- The polo order's approval calendar, worked back from ex-factory
- Embroidery as a subcontract operation
- A quotation cost build for the polo (illustrative, USD per piece)
- Landed cost on the imported fabric
- The final inspection sample for 3,000 polos
- Packing 3,000 polos into cartons, one dye lot per carton
- Down payment, letter of credit and exchange difference
- Test script: the polo order from sales order to cash
- Test script: shade split at cutting
- One purchase request, from MerchandiserOS to Epicor Kinetic and back
- The polo seen from the brand and the buying agent
- The polo order with operations on top
Part 1Before you start
1Who Epicor Kinetic and SYSPRO fit in apparel
Epicor Kinetic and SYSPRO fit mid-market manufacturers that make more than garments, or that make textiles or technical products where lots, routings, subcontract operations and job costing matter more than a size and colour matrix. Neither vendor offers an apparel edition that we could find, and neither documents a native style, colour and size matrix, so a garment business must model each size and colour as its own part or stock code, or extend the product.
Epicor Kinetic is Epicor's manufacturing ERP for make-to-order and mixed-mode manufacturers. SYSPRO is an ERP for mid-market discrete and process manufacturers and distributors. Epicor also sells Prophet 21, a distribution ERP for wholesalers and distributors, which is outside the scope of this chapter.
When these ERPs make sense for a textile or garment business
- A multi-product manufacturer also makes textiles or garments: workwear, technical textiles, home textiles, uniforms, medical textiles.
- A textile mill or finishing plant needs lots, process routings and job costing more than a size grid.
- The company already runs Epicor or SYSPRO in another division and wants one ledger.
- Style counts are small and size ranges are narrow (uniform programmes, fixed catalogues).
When to look elsewhere
- Fashion ranges with hundreds of styles per season, many colours and wide size runs; see Infor CloudSuite Fashion or apparel-specific ERPs.
- Buyers who order by size grid every day and expect matrix entry on every document.
- A brand whose main work is development and vendor follow-up (section 32).
2Why no ERP fits apparel on its own
No general ERP fits apparel out of the box, because an ERP is built around a known item with one bill of materials, while a garment order starts as a style that is quoted, sampled and approved before any item exists. Epicor Kinetic and SYSPRO go one step further from apparel than most, because their item is a part or stock code with no parent style, so even the style itself has no home. The same wall applies to brands and buying agents: their development, sampling and follow-up across many factories happen before any purchase order exists.
Forcing an ERP to do all of this means heavy customisation in the one system that most needs to stay standard. The durable answer is to give the ERP the books and give the operations to a system built for them (section 3, and in full section 33).
One polo order in a general manufacturing ERP
| Step | What happens | Home in Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO? |
|---|---|---|
| Tech pack arrives | Measurements, construction, artwork, trims | No. There is no part yet |
| Costing and quote | Marker consumption, minutes, quote at USD 4.26 FOB | Partly. Quotes exist; the garment cost build does not |
| Lab dips, strike-off, fit sample | Three lab dip rounds | No |
| Order confirmed | 300 / 750 / 900 / 750 / 300 | Yes, as five sales order lines, one per part |
| Fabric and trims bought | 925 kg jersey and trims | Yes |
| Fabric received | Three dye lots, rolls of different width | Yes for lots; roll conversion needs design |
| Cutting and sewing | Cut by lot, 18 minutes per polo | Jobs, yes; line and hour capture, no |
| Embroidery outside | Panels out and back | Yes: subcontract operation |
| Final AQL | Sample of 125 at level II | Inspection, yes; ISO 2859-1 tables, not found |
| Shipping and invoice | Cartons, packing list, invoice | Yes |
The transactional middle is well covered. The start (style, quote, approvals) and the floor are not.
3The recommended architecture, in short
Let Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO keep the books and the stock value, and run apparel operations from the style to the shipment in a system built for them. For these two ERPs the case is stronger than for fashion ERPs, because the style itself has no home in the ERP.
| Area | Owned by | Why there |
|---|---|---|
| Style, tech pack, samples, approvals, quotation costing | Operations layer | No style object in the ERP; this work comes before any part exists |
| Buyer orders by size and colour, procurement planning, production planning, shop floor, quality, logistics | Operations layer | Needs the size grid, dye lots, minutes, inspections and dates together |
| Accounts, payables and receivables, invoicing, payments, stock value, tax and e-invoicing | Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO | The legal and financial record |
MerchandiserOS runs style and tech pack, quotations and costing, buyer orders, procurement, planning, production, the shop floor (on its own floor screens or through its Garment.io integration), quality and logistics. The ERP keeps accounts, payables and receivables, invoicing, payments, stock value, tax and e-invoicing.
4Business types, and what each needs from Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO
The business type decides who owns the material, what is invoiced and how much of the ERP carries weight. Settle it first, because a company often runs two types at once.
| Type | What it does | What it needs from the ERP | Where it struggles |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMT (cut, make, trim) | Sews buyer-supplied fabric | Buyer stock held apart, service invoicing, job costing of labour | Parts per size just to count output |
| Full-package (FOB) factory | Buys materials, makes, ships | Parts, BOMs, purchasing, lots, landed cost, subcontracting | Part counts, BOM upkeep, matrix entry, sampling |
| Multi-product manufacturer with a textile line | Makes garments or textiles beside other products | One ledger and one manufacturing model across divisions | The textile line is the odd one out |
| Textile mill or finisher | Yarn to fabric, dyeing, finishing | Lots, process routings, weight units, job costing | Dye recipes and shade judgement |
| Brand or wholesaler | Designs and sells; factories make for it | Vendor POs, landed cost, wholesale orders | No style, no matrix, vendor follow-up (section 32) |
| Buying agent | Sources on commission; no stock | Accounts and commission invoicing | A manufacturing ERP is far more than it needs |
| Own-label retailer | Develops its own label, buys from factories | Vendor POs, landed cost | These ERPs do not target retail |
The same order as CMT and as full package
| Question | Full package | CMT |
|---|---|---|
| Who buys the fabric | The factory, on a purchase order | The buyer; no purchase order |
| How it enters the ERP | Receipt raising stock value and a payable | Held apart from stock value; design with finance |
| Invoice | 3,000 × 4.26 = USD 12,780.00 | 3,000 × 1.60 = USD 4,800.00 (illustrative CM) |
| Reconciliation | Fabric used against the BOMs | 2,880 m received, 2,856 m used, 24 m returned or accounted for |
Part 2Discovery
5Who should be on the project team?
Name one decision owner for every design question, and put the part-numbering decision with the merchandising head, not with IT, because it decides how every garment is counted for years. The partner configures; the business decides.
| Role | Decides |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Scope, modules, budget, go-live window, what stays outside the ERP |
| Merchandising head | Part numbering per style, colour and size; order entry; T&A ownership |
| Production manager and IE | Job level, operations, minutes, subcontract steps, floor capture |
| CAD lead | Consumption per size, marker efficiency |
| Stores head | Units, lots, what is measured at receipt |
| Quality manager | Inspection points, sampling plans, release rights |
| Finance head | Costing method, landed cost, currencies, advances, chargebacks, tax |
| Partner consultants | How each decision is set up in Epicor or SYSPRO; what needs an extension |
6What should discovery workshops cover for a garment line on Epicor or SYSPRO?
Walk a real, recent order through each department and map every finding to a fit-gap line; spend extra time on how many parts the range will create and who will keep their BOMs. The full question sets are on the methodology page; these are the ones that decide an Epicor or SYSPRO design.
- How many styles, colours and sizes per season, and how many of those combinations actually sell?
- Do buyers order by grid, by ratio pack or line by line?
- Which materials are bought in kg and used in metres, and what is measured per roll?
- Which attributes must travel with a lot: shade group, GSM, width, shrinkage?
- Which processes go outside, and how are pieces counted out and back?
- Which inspections run, and which buyers set their own AQL?
- Which import charges must reach material cost, and which e-invoicing rules apply?
Output of the merchandising workshop
| # | Finding | Fit-gap line | Decision needed | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | Orders arrive as size grids; the ERP takes one line per part | 41 | Where the grid is entered and how lines are created | Merchandising head |
| M2 | The range is about 800 style-colour-size combinations a season | 1 | Part per SKU, attributes, or an operations layer | Sponsor |
| M3 | Lab dips tracked in email | 10 | Where approval rounds live | Development lead |
| M4 | BOMs for new sizes were copied from M on a past order | 12 | Where size consumption is calculated | CAD lead |
7The apparel fit-gap checklist for Epicor Kinetic and SYSPRO: 52 lines
This fit-gap records, line by line, whether Epicor Kinetic and SYSPRO meet each apparel requirement as standard, with configuration, with custom work, or better outside the ERP. It is our assessment for a typical full-package garment factory, based on the vendors' documentation where we found it; where the two products differ, the note says so. Confirm every line with your partner before signing a scope.
Key: Standard documented as delivered · Configure settings or setup work · Custom build an extension or third-party tool · Operations layer better run in an apparel operations system and passed to the ERP
| # | Requirement | Answer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | |||
| 1 | Style master with a colour-size matrix | Custom build | No native style or matrix found; part per SKU, Epicor attributes, or an operations layer (section 11) |
| 2 | Size scales per product family | Configure | Part-numbering convention per family |
| 3 | Season or collection | Configure | User fields or part classes |
| 4 | Carry-over styles with a new price or BOM | Configure | Revisions per part; multiplied by the part count |
| 5 | Prepacks and ratio packs | Configure | A pack part with a kit BOM |
| 6 | Pairs and multi-packs | Configure | Alternate units or a pack part |
| 7 | Buyer's own style and colour codes | Configure | Customer part cross-references or user fields |
| 8 | Tech-pack revision linked to the order | Operations layer | No tech-pack object |
| 9 | Points of measure with tolerance per size | Operations layer | No measurement-spec object |
| 10 | Sample rounds with buyer approval | Operations layer | Not found |
| BOM and costing | |||
| 11 | BOM lines that apply by colour or size | Configure | Each size-colour part has its own BOM, so it holds by design |
| 12 | Size-graded fabric consumption | Configure | A quantity per size part; generate BOMs from a table (section 14) |
| 13 | Wastage and shrinkage held separately | Custom build | Check scrap factors per material line |
| 14 | Trims that change by colourway | Configure | In each colour's part BOMs; maintenance multiplies (Example 6) |
| 15 | Pre-costing before the style exists | Operations layer | No garment cost build |
| 16 | Standard against actual cost per order | Standard | Job costing covers labour, material, subcontract and overhead |
| 17 | Labour cost from operation minutes | Standard | Operations with times and rates |
| 18 | Landed cost on receipts | Standard | Epicor landed cost; SYSPRO Landed Cost Tracking module |
| 19 | Quote versions and approval | Operations layer | ERP quotes price existing parts |
| Materials | |||
| 20 | Purchase, stock and issue units with per-lot conversion | Custom build | Factors per stock code; Epicor Advanced UOM to test (section 12) |
| 21 | GSM and width per lot or roll | Configure | Lot user fields, or Epicor dynamic attributes |
| 22 | Roll tracking | Configure | Lot or serial per roll |
| 23 | Dye lot and shade | Configure | Lot as dye lot; shade in a field or attribute |
| 24 | Four-point fabric inspection | Custom build | Inspection records exist; defect points per roll need design |
| 25 | Quality hold and quarantine | Standard | SYSPRO receipt into inspection; Epicor inspection processing |
| 26 | Buyer-supplied (consigned) stock | Configure | Design with finance |
| 27 | Reserved against free stock | Standard | Allocation to jobs and orders |
| 28 | Leftovers and stock-lot disposal | Configure | Part class and sales flow |
| Production | |||
| 29 | Work orders per style-colour or delivery | Configure | Jobs per part; one job per size multiplies jobs |
| 30 | Cut orders, lay plans, marker efficiency | Custom build | CAD plus a cutting tool |
| 31 | Bundles and bundle tickets | Custom build | A shop-floor system |
| 32 | WIP by stage and line | Operations layer | Job operations are not line and bundle WIP |
| 33 | Graded output | Operations layer | Produced is not shippable |
| 34 | Subcontract out and back with loss | Standard | Epicor subcontract operations and shipments; SYSPRO WIP subcontract dispatch |
| 35 | Capacity by line from minutes | Configure | Resource capacity; seasonal line loading is design work |
| 36 | T&A with a critical path | Operations layer | Not found |
| Quality | |||
| 37 | Inline and end-of-line capture | Operations layer | Operator-level capture belongs on the floor |
| 38 | Final AQL to ISO 2859-1 | Custom build | ISO tables not found in either product's documentation |
| 39 | Logged override of a failed inspection | Standard | Epicor nonconformance and DMR; SYSPRO non-conformance reports |
| 40 | Lab tests and certificates | Configure | Attachments or inspection results |
| Sales and shipping | |||
| 41 | Grid order entry by colour and size | Custom build | Not found; a line per part |
| 42 | Several deliveries per order | Configure | Releases or lines per date |
| 43 | Over and under-shipment tolerance | Custom build | Check your version |
| 44 | Carton packing and labels | Configure | Epicor lists master packs in Kinetic Warehouse; buyer labels are design work |
| 45 | EDI 850, 855, 856, 810 | Configure | Check the EDI option with the vendor |
| 46 | Buyer label and ASN rules | Custom build | Per buyer |
| Finance | |||
| 47 | Multi-currency and exchange differences | Standard | Expected in both; confirm revaluation rules |
| 48 | Letter of credit terms | Custom build | No LC object found |
| 49 | Advances and down payments | Configure | Check deposit handling in your version |
| 50 | Reason-coded chargebacks | Configure | Reason codes on deductions |
| 51 | Profitability per order | Configure | Job costing plus order reporting |
| 52 | E-invoicing per country | Configure | Check your country (section 22) |
Counted from this table, 8 of the 52 lines are standard, 24 need configuration, 11 need custom work and 9 are better run outside the ERP. This is our assessment, not a survey. The pattern is clear: these ERPs are strong on the manufacturing and costing lines and weak on the product lines a fashion ERP covers natively.
Five fit-gap rows, scored for the polo factory
| # | Requirement | Evidence | Decision | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Style matrix | About 800 combinations a season | Style lives in the operations layer; the ERP gets one part per sold SKU | Sponsor |
| 12 | Size consumption | Copied BOMs ran short (Example 10) | BOMs generated from the CAD table | CAD lead |
| 23 | Dye lot | Shade complaint last season | Lot per dye lot, mandatory on receipt and issue | Stores head |
| 34 | Subcontract | Embroidery outside | Standard subcontract operation | Production manager |
| 38 | Final AQL | Buyer manual: level II, AQL 2.5 | Outside the ERP; the pass releases the shipment | QA manager |
8Which modules and licences does a garment project need?
License the manufacturing core and only the modules the fit-gap needs; for apparel the ones to check first are lot tracking, landed cost, quality and, in Epicor, Advanced Unit of Measure. We do not quote prices or deployment options, because both vendors sell through partners and the terms change; confirm cloud or on-premise and the module list in writing.
| Need | Epicor Kinetic (vendor naming) | SYSPRO (vendor naming) |
|---|---|---|
| Dye lots | Lot and serial tracking | Lot Traceability module |
| Import costs | Landed cost in Kinetic supply chain management | Landed Cost Tracking module |
| Outside processing | Subcontract operations, subcontract parts tracking | WIP Subcontract Operations Management |
| Quality | Inspection processing, nonconformance, DMR; Epicor QMS for CAPA | Purchase Order Inspection, Quality Management (Inspection Engine, non-conformance) |
| Units and attributes | Advanced Unit of Measure with dynamic attributes | Stocking, alternate and other units per stock code |
| Configured products | Check configurator licensing | Product Configurator |
9Epicor Kinetic vs SYSPRO vs Acumatica for a garment line
For apparel the three are close on manufacturing depth; the difference is how each holds size and colour. Acumatica has template and matrix items (one SKU per combination), Epicor Kinetic has attribute-based inventory through Advanced Unit of Measure, and SYSPRO has neither, so it relies on stock codes per combination or its Product Configurator.
| Aspect | Epicor Kinetic | SYSPRO | Acumatica Manufacturing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size and colour | No matrix found; part per SKU, or dynamic attributes under one part number (Advanced UOM) | No matrix found; stock code per SKU, or Product Configurator | Template items with matrix items |
| Lots | Lot and serial with barcode scanning | Lot Traceability module | Lot and serial; lot assigned at receipt |
| Subcontracting | Subcontract POs tied to job operations | WIP subcontract dispatch with lot and serial | Outside processing (CMT fit to check) |
| Landed cost | Allocated to received materials | Landed Cost Tracking module | Landed cost documents across vendors |
| API | REST v2 on OData v4, API key plus Basic or bearer | e.net business objects (REST and SOAP via WCF); read-only OData | Contract-based REST, OData, webhooks |
If a size grid is central to the business, read the Acumatica chapter before choosing. If one ledger across several divisions matters more, Epicor or SYSPRO plus an operations layer is a sound design.
Part 3Design, area by area
10How should parts and materials be classified for apparel?
Classify parts by how they are bought, stocked, costed and tracked: fabric, yarn, trims, packaging, subcontract services and finished garments each get their own class or product group, with lot tracking on fabric and yarn. In a part-per-SKU design, add a class or user field that links each garment part back to its style and colour, because the ERP has no parent to do it.
| Material | Bought in | Used in | Track at receipt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knit fabric | kg | m | GSM, width, shade and dye lot |
| Woven fabric | m | m | Width, shade and dye lot, shrinkage |
| Yarn | kg | kg | Count, shade |
| Trims | Gross (144), pieces | Pieces | Colour per colourway |
| Buyer-supplied material | Received | As above | Held apart from stock value |
Buttons: 3 per polo is 9,000 pieces; with a 5% allowance 9,450, which is 9,450 ÷ 144 = 65.6 gross, so the PO says 66 gross (9,504 pieces). Gross to pieces is a fixed factor, so an alternate unit handles it in either ERP.
11How do you handle sizes and colours in Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO without a matrix?
Neither Epicor Kinetic nor SYSPRO documents a native style, colour and size matrix that we could find, so the usual design is one part (Epicor) or stock code (SYSPRO) per style, colour and size, with a numbering convention and a field that links it back to the style. A style/colour/size matrix is a grid with colours on one axis and sizes on the other, used to enter or show quantities for each combination.
There are three ways to hold size and colour:
| Design | How it works | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Part per SKU | One part or stock code per style-colour-size, e.g. P2041-NVY-L | Simple and exact for stock, jobs and costs; many parts and BOMs to maintain |
| Epicor dynamic attributes | One part per style or style-colour; attributes captured on quote, sales order, PO and receipt entry (Advanced Unit of Measure) | Fewer parts; whether BOM quantities and jobs can differ by size attribute was not documented, so demo it |
| SYSPRO Product Configurator | A configuration of options creates a stocked parent with its BOM, routing and stock code from a quotation | Built for configured products; suits made-to-order programmes more than fashion ranges |
Epicor describes Advanced Unit of Measure as letting a business track inventory by attribute under a single part number and plan inventory at the attribute level. Epicor's own examples are engineering attributes such as hardness, strength and density; partners describe using it for size and colour, so test it on a real polo range before relying on it.
The polo as five parts
| Part / stock code | Style (user field) | Colour | Size | Sales order line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
P2041-NVY-S | P-2041 | NVY | S | 300 |
P2041-NVY-M | P-2041 | NVY | M | 750 |
P2041-NVY-L | P-2041 | NVY | L | 900 |
P2041-NVY-XL | P-2041 | NVY | XL | 750 |
P2041-NVY-XXL | P-2041 | NVY | XXL | 300 |
| 5 parts | 3,000 |
The sales order has five lines, one per part, totalling 3,000 and USD 12,780.00. Merchandisers who think in grids will want the grid somewhere else and the lines created from it.
A season of polos as parts, and one trim change
At about 8 BOM lines each: 800 × 8 = 6,400 BOM lines
Change the navy button supplier across the range: 40 styles × 5 sizes = 200 BOMs to edit
A fashion ERP with style-level structures makes that change once per style-colour. In a part-per-SKU design, a mass-update tool or a generated BOM load is not optional; plan it in the build (section 24).
Jeans as parts: the part count
40 styles = 40 × 63 = 2,520 parts
Create parts only for combinations that are ordered. The operations layer can hold the full style and grid and ask the ERP for a part only when a combination is first bought, made or sold.
With operations on top: styles, colourways and size breakdowns live in the operations layer, and the ERP holds only the parts that are actually stocked and invoiced.
12How do you convert kilograms to metres for fabric in Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO?
SYSPRO converts between a stocking unit and an alternate or other unit with a conversion factor per stock code, and Epicor offers the same kind of factor plus Advanced Unit of Measure, whose dynamic attributes Epicor says help convert, for example, pounds or grams to feet or metres. A fixed factor is wrong for knit fabric, because the real factor changes with every roll's GSM and width.
GSM means grams per square metre: the weight of one square metre of fabric.
180 GSM jersey, 1.80 m width → 1000 ÷ (180 × 1.80) = 3.086 m per kg
SYSPRO's help notes that changing a conversion factor does not change outstanding sales or purchase orders already entered in the alternate unit, so a factor corrected mid-season leaves old orders on the old factor. In Epicor, stock status can show availability by attribute in both units; whether the conversion can be driven by a measured GSM and width per receipt is the question to demo.
Four rolls of "180 GSM" jersey against one conversion factor
| Roll | kg | GSM | Width (m) | m per kg | Metres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-101 | 25.0 | 176 | 1.82 | 3.122 | 78.0 |
| R-102 | 24.6 | 184 | 1.78 | 3.053 | 75.1 |
| R-103 | 25.3 | 181 | 1.80 | 3.069 | 77.7 |
| R-104 | 24.8 | 188 | 1.76 | 3.022 | 75.0 |
| Total | 99.7 | 305.8 |
On 925 kg: 925 × 3.086 = 2,855 m nominal, about 17 m less in reality ≈ 18 size-L polos (17 ÷ 0.95)
With operations on top: a measured lot record per receipt (GSM, width, shrinkage) drives consumption in the operations layer, and the ERP can stay in kilograms for stock value and payables.
13Can Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO track fabric by dye lot?
Yes. Both track lots: Epicor lists serial and lot processing with barcode scanning at every stage, and SYSPRO's Lot Traceability module tracks materials by lot from receipt through manufacture, inspection and distribution. Use each lot as one dye lot and make it mandatory on receipt and on every issue to cutting. A dye lot is a batch of fabric dyed together; two lots can differ in shade and must not meet in one garment.
Shade group, GSM and width per lot need a user field or, in Epicor, a dynamic attribute. Neither product documents a shade band or a rule that stops one cut from mixing lots, so that control belongs in an extension or the operations layer.
Three dye lots as lots, and the cut plan
The mill ships 933 kg (8 kg over the 925 kg ordered) as 2,880 m in three lots. The order needs 2,856 m.
| Lot | Metres | Cut from it | Used | Left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1,210 | XXL 300 · XL 750 · M 23 · S 87 | 1,186.6 | 23.4 |
| B | 1,030 | L 900 · S 213 | 1,029.7 | 0.3 |
| C | 640 | M 727 | 639.8 | 0.2 |
| Total | 2,880 | 3,000 pieces | 2,856 | 24 |
In a part-per-SKU design, sizes S and M each draw from two lots, so the issues to their jobs must name the lot every time.
14How do you handle size-dependent fabric consumption in Epicor or SYSPRO BOMs?
In a part-per-SKU design, size consumption is simple: each size part has its own BOM with its own fabric quantity. The risk moves from the model to the maintenance, because new sizes are usually created by copying an existing BOM, and a copied fabric quantity is wrong for every other size. Generate BOMs from a consumption table instead.
Marker efficiency is the share of fabric in a marker that ends up in garment pieces; shrinkage is fabric lost in washing or finishing. Keep them apart in the source table.
Five BOMs for five sizes, and the copied-BOM trap
| Part BOM | Fabric per piece | Pieces | Metres |
|---|---|---|---|
P2041-NVY-S | 0.82 | 300 | 246 |
P2041-NVY-M | 0.88 | 750 | 660 |
P2041-NVY-L | 0.95 | 900 | 855 |
P2041-NVY-XL | 1.02 | 750 | 765 |
P2041-NVY-XXL | 1.10 | 300 | 330 |
| Correct BOMs | 3,000 | 2,856 | |
| All copied from M | 0.88 | 3,000 | 2,640 |
Copying M's BOM to every size under-buys by 216 m (7.6%), about 227 size-L polos (216 ÷ 0.95), found at the cutting table weeks before shipment.
With operations on top: the consumption engine (marker efficiency, shrinkage, woven construction) and MRP net-to-buy across the order book run in the operations layer, which passes purchase quantities to the ERP.
15How do you model cutting, sewing and finishing as operations?
Model cutting, sewing, finishing and packing as operations on the part's routing, with times and labour rates; both ERPs then cost labour on the job. Neither is documented as a sewing-line balancing or hourly output tool.
The polo's operations, minutes and line capacity
| Operation | Minutes |
|---|---|
| Cutting: spread, cut, number, bundle | 1.20 |
| Sewing line: shoulder to buttons | 13.50 |
| Finishing: trim, inspect, press, fold, bag | 3.30 |
| Total | 18.00 |
3,000 ÷ 533.3 = 5.6 line-days · CM 18 × USD 0.07 = USD 1.26 · 3,000 × 1.26 = USD 3,780
With one job per size part, the same routing is repeated on five jobs. Some teams group sizes on one job for the floor; decide it with production and finance.
With operations on top: the 52-week heat-map of lines and subcontractors, production orders with job cards per department and the WIP board run in the operations layer.
16Where do sampling, approvals and the T&A calendar live?
Neither ERP has an object for garment sample rounds, buyer verdicts or a T&A calendar that we could find, so they live in an extension or an operations layer. A PP (pre-production) sample is a garment in bulk fabric and trims that the buyer approves as the reference for production. A T&A calendar lists an order's milestones with planned dates worked back from ex-factory.
The polo order's approval calendar, worked back from ex-factory
| Date | Milestone | Blocks |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Oct | Lab dip approved | Bulk dyeing |
| 14 Nov | PP sample approved | Cutting |
| 17 Nov | Cutting starts | |
| 12 Dec | Final AQL | Shipment |
| 15 Dec | Ex-factory |
From lab dip approval to ex-factory is 59 days (14 in October after the 17th, 30 in November, 15 in December). Every slip in an approval eats into that window, and none of it is visible in a job.
With operations on top: dev approvals (lab dip, strike-off, sample, shipping mark) with rounds, courier details and buyer verdicts, the T&A with its critical path, and the PP approval that locks the style version for the order live in the operations layer.
17How do Epicor Kinetic and SYSPRO handle subcontracting for CMT, embroidery or washing?
Both handle subcontracted operations as standard. In Epicor Kinetic, subcontract purchase orders are tied to job operations and shipments to the supplier are recorded against the subcontract operation. In SYSPRO, WIP Subcontract Operations Management records a dispatch when job-issued material is sent to a subcontract supplier, with quantity, lot and serial details for traceability and reconciliation.
CMT means cut, make and trim: in subcontracting, a unit that sews cut panels for the factory and charges for the labour.
Embroidery as a subcontract operation
| Step | Epicor Kinetic | SYSPRO | Pieces |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embroidery operation on the job | Subcontract operation with its PO | Subcontract operation on the WIP job | 3,000 |
| Fronts sent with 1% allowance | Subcontract shipment | Dispatch with lot | 3,030 |
| Good fronts back | Receipt to the job | Receipt against the operation | 3,004 |
| Rejects with reason | Scrap or nonconformance | Scrap or non-conformance | 26 |
| Balance at the embroiderer | 0 |
With five size parts, the embroidery runs on five jobs unless sizes are grouped. Count the subcontract POs this creates before go-live.
With operations on top: subcontract steps sit on the production order in the operations layer, with subcontractors on the planning heat-map. The ERP receives the subcontract PO and the payable.
18How do you cost a garment and its imported fabric in Epicor or SYSPRO?
Job costing in both ERPs collects material, labour, subcontract and overhead per job, and both handle landed cost on imports: Epicor allocates additional costs to received materials, and SYSPRO's Landed Cost Tracking module tracks freight, duties, insurance and handling per shipment. The quotation cost build comes before any part exists, so it usually lives outside the ERP.
A landed cost is every cost of bringing goods to the factory beyond the supplier's price: freight, insurance, duty, clearing and bank charges.
A quotation cost build for the polo (illustrative, USD per piece)
| Line | Basis | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Body fabric | 0.31 kg × 4.20, plus 6% loss | 1.38 |
| Collar and cuffs | 1 set | 0.25 |
| Trims | Buttons, thread, labels, polybag | 0.32 |
| Embroidery | Subcontractor price | 0.18 |
| CM | 18 min × 0.07 | 1.26 |
| Testing | 0.10 | |
| Overhead | 12% of CM | 0.15 |
| Freight to port, documents | 0.12 | |
| Finance cost | 3% | 0.11 |
| Margin | 10% | 0.39 |
| FOB | 4.26 |
Landed cost on the imported fabric
Jersey 925 kg at USD 3,885.00 and rib sets 3,060 at USD 765.00 (76.5 kg) arrive together under temporary admission, so duty is zero. Figures are illustrative.
| Charge | USD | Spread by | Jersey | Rib sets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea freight | 420.00 | Weight | 387.92 | 32.08 |
| Clearing and port | 180.00 | Value | 150.39 | 29.61 |
| LC bank charges | 95.00 | Value | 79.37 | 15.63 |
| Total | 695.00 | 617.68 | 77.32 |
Jersey landed = 3,885.00 + 617.68 = 4,502.68 → ÷ 925 = USD 4.87 per kg
Fabric line at landed cost: 0.31 × 4.87 × 1.06 = USD 1.60, +0.22 a polo, +USD 660 on the order
Which allocation methods each ERP offers (weight, value, quantity) is a setup question; confirm the options in your version.
With operations on top: the cost engine to FOB with landed cost and dated FX, the standard cost sheet and quotations with approval gates run in the operations layer. The ERP holds the landed cost that actually hit the receipts.
19Can Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO run AQL inspection for garments?
Both run inspections, but we did not find ISO 2859-1 AQL tables in either product's documentation, so AQL sample sizes and acceptance numbers need an extension or a separate system. Epicor Kinetic has an Inspection Workbench where failed parts go to discrepant material report (DMR) processing, nonconformance records, and Epicor QMS for CAPA. SYSPRO receives inspection-flagged items into inspection first, then accepts, rejects or scraps them in Purchase Order Inspection, and its Quality Management module adds an Inspection Engine and non-conformance reports.
AQL (acceptance quality limit) inspection checks a random sample from a lot and accepts or rejects the lot on the defects found.
The final inspection sample for 3,000 polos
| Step | ISO 2859-1, normal, single | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Lot size band | 1,201–3,200 | 3,000 falls here |
| Code letter at level II | K | |
| Sample size | K | 125 |
| Major, AQL 2.5 | Accept 7, reject 8 | |
| Minor, AQL 4.0 | Accept 10, reject 11 |
125 ÷ 3,000 = 4.17% of the lot. The ERP can hold the result; the sample size must come from the tables at the buyer's level.
With operations on top: typed inspections, the AQL engine on ISO 2859-1 at the buyer's level, CAPA, needle and metal control and quality grades run in the operations layer.
20How do you handle cartons and shipping documents?
Shipping and packing run in the ERP (Epicor lists master packs in Kinetic Warehouse), while buyer carton rules, labels and packing-list layouts need design per buyer.
Packing 3,000 polos into cartons, one dye lot per carton
| Size and lot | Pieces | Full cartons of 10 | Part carton |
|---|---|---|---|
| S, lot A | 87 | 8 | 1 of 7 |
| S, lot B | 213 | 21 | 1 of 3 |
| M, lot A | 23 | 2 | 1 of 3 |
| M, lot C | 727 | 72 | 1 of 7 |
| L, lot B | 900 | 90 | none |
| XL, lot A | 750 | 75 | none |
| XXL, lot A | 300 | 30 | none |
| Total | 3,000 | 298 | 4 (20 pieces) |
302 cartons, not 300. Agree part cartons with the buyer before packing.
21How do these ERPs handle currencies, letters of credit, advances and chargebacks?
Multi-currency is expected in both ERPs, but we did not verify deposit invoicing, letter-of-credit handling or chargeback reason codes in the vendors' documentation for this guide; confirm each with the partner and test it (section 27). A letter of credit is a bank's promise to pay when documents matching its terms are presented; under UCP 600 they are presented within 21 days after shipment unless the credit says otherwise.
Down payment, letter of credit and exchange difference
Invoiced at 48.80 = EGP 436,564.80 · paid at 49.10 = EGP 439,248.60
Exchange gain = 8,946.00 × 0.30 = EGP 2,683.80
On open account less a USD 100.00 label claim and 1% late ASN (89.46): received 8,946.00 − 189.46 = USD 8,756.54
A chargeback is an amount a buyer deducts for a claimed failure; post each deduction to its own reason.
22Do Epicor Kinetic and SYSPRO support e-invoicing in garment-exporting countries?
We did not verify either vendor's localisation for garment-exporting countries in this guide, so check your country with the vendor and the partner before signing. Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam and Morocco each have their own e-invoicing and VAT rules, and free-zone factories often report material import and re-export in a local format. Test an e-invoice end to end before go-live.
Part 4Build
23In what order should Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO be configured for a garment line?
Configure from the ledger outward: company, currencies and accounts; units and conversion factors; part classes and numbering; lot tracking; landed cost; work centers, operations and subcontract setup; quality; and only then the parts and BOMs, loaded from a generated file. The screen names below are those used in the vendors' documentation; menu locations vary by version, so find them through search in your version.
| # | Configure | Epicor Kinetic | SYSPRO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Company, accounts, currencies | Per partner setup | Per partner setup |
| 2 | Units and factors | Unit classes; Advanced UOM attribute sets if licensed | Stock Code Maintenance (stocking, alternate, other units) |
| 3 | Part numbering and style link | Part classes, user fields | Product classes, custom form fields |
| 4 | Lot tracking on fabric and yarn | Lot-tracked parts | Lot Traceability |
| 5 | Landed cost | Landed cost setup | Landed Cost Tracking |
| 6 | Work centers and subcontract operations | Resources and subcontract operations | Work centers and WIP subcontract setup |
| 7 | Inspection | Inspection setup, nonconformance | Inspection on receipt, Inspection Engine |
| 8 | Parts and BOMs | Generated load | Generated load |
24Which extensions does an apparel project on Epicor or SYSPRO usually need?
Expect extensions for a style layer (grid entry and part generation), BOM generation and mass change, per-lot fabric conversion, cut control, AQL and quantity tolerance, unless those move to an operations layer. Epicor Kinetic offers Epicor Functions and BPM for business logic, reachable through its REST API; SYSPRO extends through e.net business objects. The list below is from implementation practice.
| Extension | Purpose | Fit-gap lines | Needed with operations on top? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Style and grid layer | Grid entry that creates part lines; parts created on first use | 1, 41 | No |
| BOM generator and mass change | BOMs per size from a consumption table; trim changes across parts | 12, 14 | No |
| Fabric conversion per lot | kg to metres from GSM and width | 20 | No |
| Cut control | One lot per cut; cut orders, bundles | 23, 30, 31 | No |
| Sampling and T&A | Rounds, verdicts, milestones | 10, 36 | No |
| AQL and tolerance | ISO 2859-1 sampling; shipment tolerance | 38, 43 | No |
| Letters of credit | Terms and document checks | 48 | Yes |
25Which systems does the ERP integrate with in a garment business?
A garment business on Epicor or SYSPRO typically connects a style or PLM tool, a floor system, EDI with retailers, banks and an operations layer. Keep one writer per field, link on the ERP's own keys, show disagreements to a person on a review list, and make every receiver safe to call twice.
| Record | Source of truth | Goes to the ERP as |
|---|---|---|
| Style, spec, grid | Operations layer | Parts, created when first needed |
| Buyer order | Operations layer or EDI | Sales order lines per part |
| Material requirements | Operations layer | Purchase requests that become POs |
| Receipts and lots | ERP, with measurements from the operations layer | Receipts |
| Floor output | Operations layer or floor system | Summarised job reporting |
| Invoices, payments | ERP | Native |
Part 5Data migration
26How do you migrate apparel data into Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO?
Migrate only open and active data, in dependency order, with generated part and BOM files rather than hand-keyed ones, and have each owner sign the loaded totals. Epicor users widely load data with Epicor's Data Management Tool (DMT) per the Epicor user community; confirm it is in your licence. SYSPRO offers import programs (for example Purchase Order Receipts Import, which posts through the PORTOR business object) and e.net business objects for loads.
| # | Object | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Units, classes, numbering | Final design |
| 2 | Customers and suppliers | Active in two seasons |
| 3 | Materials | In active styles or stock |
| 4 | Garment parts | Only combinations with open orders or stock |
| 5 | BOMs and routings | Generated from the consumption table |
| 6 | Stock by lot | Counted at cut-off |
| 7 | Open POs, sales orders, receivables, payables | Open quantities and invoices only |
A cut-off rule states the exact moment after which every transaction is entered in the new ERP. For the polo order, the check is simple: 1,278 + 3,195 + 3,834 + 3,195 + 1,278 = 12,780.00 = 3,000 × 4.26, across five part lines.
Part 6Testing
27How should you test a garment implementation end to end?
Test with end-to-end scenarios that follow one real order from the buyer's PO to cash, run by key users on migrated data, with expected results written first. The 13 scenarios are the same for every ERP in this guide.
| # | Scenario | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| T1 | FOB order to payment | Everything reconciles (Example 19) |
| T2 | CMT with buyer fabric | Buyer fabric outside stock value |
| T3 | Prepack order | Packs, pieces, cartons agree |
| T4 | Shade split | No cut mixes lots (Example 20) |
| T5 | Subcontract with loss | Out, back, rejects balance (Example 13) |
| T6 | Short shipment in tolerance | Invoiced on shipped quantity |
| T7 | Over-shipment | Blocked or approved by name |
| T8 | Seconds sale | Seconds valued and sold apart |
| T9 | LC discrepancy | Flagged before presentation |
| T10 | Chargeback | Posted by reason |
| T11 | Spec revision mid-season | Open jobs keep the approved BOM revision |
| T12 | Cancelled order | Committed fabric and open POs listed |
| T13 | FX at month-end | Differences posted |
Test script: the polo order from sales order to cash
| Step | Action | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enter the sales order: five part lines S 300, M 750, L 900, XL 750, XXL 300 at 4.26 | 3,000 pieces, USD 12,780.00 |
| 2 | Record the 30% advance as finance designed | USD 3,834.00 |
| 3 | Raise the PO for 925 kg jersey | Open PO |
| 4 | Receive 933 kg in lots A, B, C into inspection | Refused without a lot; held until accepted |
| 5 | Accept in inspection; apply landed cost | Jersey at USD 4.87 per kg |
| 6 | Release jobs for the five parts; the embroidery subcontract PO appears | Five jobs; subcontract PO for the operation |
| 7 | Complete the jobs; ship 3,000 in 302 cartons | Shipment for 3,000 |
| 8 | Invoice the balance | 12,780.00 − 3,834.00 = USD 8,946.00 due |
| 9 | Register payment at another rate; review job costs | Exchange difference posted; job cost against the quote |
Test script: shade split at cutting
| Step | Action | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Issue lot A to the XXL, XL, part-M and part-S jobs | 1,186.6 m issued, lot A named on each issue |
| 2 | Try to issue lot B to the XL job | Refused, naming both lots |
| 3 | Issue lot B to L and part-S; lot C to part-M | 1,029.7 m and 639.8 m |
| 4 | Return leftovers per lot | A 23.4 m, B 0.3 m, C 0.2 m |
Step 2 needs cut control (section 24) or an operations layer.
Test script: short shipment within tolerance
| Step | Action | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ship 2,940 of 3,000 (±3% allowed) | 2.0% short, accepted |
| 2 | Close the 60 without a backorder | No open quantity |
| 3 | Invoice | 2,940 × 4.26 = USD 12,524.40, less 3,834.00 = 8,690.40 |
| 4 | Repeat with 2,900 | 3.3% short; blocked or approved by name |
Part 7Training, go-live and hypercare
28How should training, cut-over and hypercare run?
Train each role on its own screens and scenarios using the factory's own parts, rehearse the cut-over once in full, go live between seasons, and keep the partner close until the first month-end close is done. Hypercare is the period after go-live when the project team fixes issues daily.
- Merchandisers learn to enter the polo as five part lines, or the grid in the operations layer that creates them.
- Stores learn receipts into inspection with lots, and issues that always name the lot.
- Planners learn jobs, subcontract operations and the embroidery PO.
- Quality learns inspection, nonconformance and release.
- Finance learns landed cost, job costing, advances and currency.
Practitioners commonly plan four to eight weeks of hypercare; that is judgement, not a standard. Nobody leaves before the first month-end close.
Part 8Risks
29What are the most common mistakes when using Epicor or SYSPRO for apparel?
The most common mistakes are part explosion, BOMs copied from one size, no link from part to style, one conversion factor per fabric, and expecting a manufacturing ERP to do a merchandiser's job. The list comes from implementation practice and from the general failure modes in the methodology.
- Part explosion.Every possible combination created up front (Examples 6 and 7).
- BOMs copied from size M.Large sizes run short (Example 10).
- No style link.Reports cannot add up a style across its parts.
- One conversion factor.Stock says metres the cutting table does not have (Example 8).
- Lots optional at issue.Shade mixing found at final inspection.
- Attributes assumed to drive BOMs.Epicor dynamic attributes chosen without a demo of size-dependent consumption.
- A job per size per order without thought.Five times the jobs and subcontract POs for every order.
- Grid-thinking users on line-entry screens.Merchandisers keep their spreadsheets.
30What must be decided before go-live?
Decide the part model, the numbering, the style link, the fabric unit design, the lot rules, the job level and which system owns style, sampling, T&A, floor capture and AQL, because each is expensive to change once transactions exist.
- Part per SKU, Epicor dynamic attributes, SYSPRO configurator, or an operations layer.
- Part numbering and when a part is created.
- How BOMs are generated and mass-changed.
- Fabric units and kg-to-metre conversion.
- Lot as dye lot; which lot fields are mandatory.
- Job per size, per style-colour or per delivery.
- Landed cost allocation methods.
- Where sampling, T&A, floor capture and AQL live.
- How buyer-supplied fabric stays out of stock value.
- Which API the integration uses and which service account it logs in with.
Part 9Integration and API
31Which API should an integration use with Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO?
Use the Epicor Kinetic REST API v2, built on OData v4, where every request carries an API key plus Basic authentication or a bearer token. For SYSPRO, write through e.net business objects, which run on WCF services with HTTP REST and SOAP endpoints, and read through the SYSPRO OData service, which is read-only.
Epicor Kinetic
- Endpoint. Services sit under
https://<server>/<instance>/api/v2/odata/<company>/, with business objects, BAQs (Epicor's saved queries) and Epicor Functions exposed as services, per Epicor and third-party documentation. Kinetic's built-in REST help lets you browse services and try calls. - Auth. An API key on every request, plus Basic credentials or a bearer token. REST v2 appeared in Epicor 10.2.700, per third-party documentation; check your version.
- Identifiers. Link on the company plus the PO number Epicor assigns, never on a reference a user types.
SYSPRO
- e.net business objects carry SYSPRO's own business logic for queries and postings; for example, PORTOR posts purchase order receipts. Calls run under a SYSPRO operator; check the e.net guide for your release.
- SYSPRO OData is a standalone OData 4.0 service that exposes SYSPRO tables for reading only, with Basic authentication using SQL credentials; SYSPRO lists it from SYSPRO 8 2021 R2.
- SYSPRO Harmony API queries and posts to the Harmony database; it is not the route for ERP transactions.
We found no documented webhooks for either ERP in what we reviewed, so polling for changes is the baseline. Make the receiving side safe to call twice.
One purchase request, from MerchandiserOS to Epicor Kinetic and back
- In MerchandiserOS, request
PR-1042for 925 kg of navy jersey is approved. - The Epicor-side integration collects it:
GET /api/v1/erp/documents. - It creates the purchase order through the Kinetic REST API in company MAIN; Epicor assigns PO number 10457, and the buyer approves it in Epicor.
- The integration sends the answer back:
POST /api/v1/erp/po-status
Idempotency-Key: epicor-MAIN-10457-approved
{"rows": [{"request_ref": "PR-1042",
"erp_po_id": "MAIN/10457",
"erp_po_number": "10457",
"status": "approved",
"date": "2026-10-21"}]}
- A person in MerchandiserOS approves it on the ERP review list; the request shows "Epicor PO 10457, approved".
- The integration reads the decision from
GET /api/v1/erp/proposals/{id}.
On SYSPRO the same flow creates the PO through an e.net business object and reads its status through e.net or the read-only OData service; the id is the SYSPRO purchase order number. No price travels. Without programming, the file exchange carries the same rows as a file, approved on the same review list.
Part 10If you don't manufacture
32Are Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO good for a clothing brand, buying agent or own-label retailer?
Usually not as a first choice. Both are built for manufacturers, and a clothing brand, a buying house or an own-label retailer uses little of their manufacturing depth while missing the style, matrix and retail features a fashion or distribution ERP offers. They can work when a brand sits inside a group that already runs Epicor or SYSPRO for its factories.
Who they are
- A brand or wholesaler designs and sells, while factories make for it on FOB or CMT terms.
- A buying agent or buying house sources for buyers on commission and holds no stock.
- An own-label retailer develops its own label and buys it through private label sourcing.
What they need, and what to skip
| Need | Brand or retailer | Buying agent | In Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase orders to factories (FOB or CMT) | Yes | No | Standard POs; CMT as subcontract operations |
| Landed cost and duty | Yes | No | Epicor landed cost; SYSPRO Landed Cost Tracking |
| Vendor payments and LCs | Yes | No | Payables; LC terms need design |
| Wholesale sales orders | Yes | No | Standard, one line per part |
| EDI 850, 856, 810 and chargebacks | When selling to retailers | No | Check the EDI option |
| Commission accounting | Pays it | A commission invoice to the buyer; no stock, no goods payables or receivables | A service invoice; check commission features |
| Multi-currency | Yes | Yes | Expected in both |
Skip the manufacturing modules: jobs, routings, work centers, MRP for production and shop-floor tools. As buying house ERP or sourcing agent software, a manufacturing ERP is more system than the work needs; as an ERP for clothing brands, it lacks the style and grid. Compare with NetSuite and Dynamics 365 Business Central.
What these ERPs handle poorly for them
- Development and sampling with many factories.
- T&A across factories.
- Following production that happens outside.
- Inspections at the vendor with AQL.
- One status per order across many factories and buyers.
The MerchandiserOS model for brands and agents
MerchandiserOS runs development, samples and approvals, the T&A, the orders placed with factories, sourcing, the planning view across subcontracted factories, quality inspections and shipping follow-up. The ERP keeps the books. Its workspace set-ups include "Brand" and "Buying agent". Retail back-office work (stores, POS, allocation, open-to-buy) is outside MerchandiserOS's scope.
The polo seen from the brand and the buying agent
The brand buys 3,000 polos at USD 4.26 FOB through an agent paid an illustrative 5% of FOB. Freight, duty and clearing are illustrative.
| Line | Basis | USD |
|---|---|---|
| FOB value | 3,000 × 4.26 | 12,780.00 |
| Agent commission | 12,780.00 × 5% | 639.00 |
| Freight and insurance | Illustrative | 540.00 |
| Duty | 12% of FOB (illustrative) | 1,533.60 |
| Clearing and delivery | Illustrative | 210.00 |
| Landed in the brand's warehouse | 15,702.60 |
In the brand's ERP the factory PO carries 12,780.00 and the other lines are landed costs on the receipt. The agent invoices 639.00 as a service with no stock. Whether a buying commission is dutiable is a customs question; check with your broker.
Part 11The recommended model
33The operations layer: what runs on top of Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO
With a general manufacturing ERP, an operations layer does more than save customisation: it gives the style, the size grid and the approvals a home the ERP never had. Let Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO keep the books and run operations from style to shipment in a system built for apparel.
The polo order with operations on top
| Step | In MerchandiserOS | What the ERP sees |
|---|---|---|
| Tech pack and quote | Style P-2041 with graded measurements; cost build at 4.26 FOB | Nothing |
| Samples | Lab dips, strike-off, PP approved 14 Nov and locked to the style version | Nothing |
| Order | One grid of 3,000 by size, T&A to 15 Dec | Five part lines for invoicing |
| Procurement | Net-to-buy 925 kg, receipts measured per lot | POs, receipts, payables |
| Production and floor | Cut by dye lot, job cards, output per hour | Material issues for stock value |
| Quality and logistics | AQL 125 pieces, 302 cartons, ship clearance | Shipment and invoice |
Who does what
| Area | Runs in MerchandiserOS | Recorded in the ERP |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Versions and frozen snapshots, tech pack sections, graded POM with tolerances, colourways and lab dips, a classified two-level BOM, the consumption engine, make-type aware | Parts, when first needed |
| Costing and approvals | Cost engine to FOB with landed cost and dated FX, standard cost sheet, quotations, approval gates with thresholds | Nothing until an order exists |
| Orders | Buyer POs as parent records, size×colour breakdown, tolerance band, provisional→confirmed quantity, per-shipment deliveries, ratio packs; an approved PP round locks the style version | Sales order lines per part |
| Development approvals | Lab dip, strike-off, sample and shipping mark with rounds, parcel and courier details, buyer verdict and T&A wiring | Nothing |
| Sourcing and materials | Suppliers with qualification, materials master, purchase requests → POs → GRN → issue and return, MRP net-to-buy, shade bands, measured lot record, incoming inspection with the dye lot | Financial POs, payables, stock value |
| Planning and production | 52-week heat-map, production orders, job cards, floor capture, WIP board, T&A with critical path | Material movements |
| Quality | Typed inspections, AQL on ISO 2859-1 at the buyer's level, CAPA, needle and metal control, quality grades | Nothing |
| Logistics | Per-delivery shipments, packing and cartonisation, ship clearance | Shipment and invoice |
What the ERP project no longer needs to build
- A style and grid layer, and part generation for every combination.
- BOM generators and mass-change tools across size parts.
- Per-lot fabric conversion and cut control.
- Sampling, approvals, T&A, AQL and tolerance checks.
What stays in the ERP project: finance, landed cost, LCs, chargebacks, local reports, e-invoicing and the connection.
How they connect
- ERP ↔ MerchandiserOS. The MerchandiserOS ERP API (an integration login, a review list where a person approves every inbound change, an approver per kind of change, a "what changed" feed) or a file exchange with no programming. Money amounts stay in the ERP.
- Shop floor. MerchandiserOS floor screens, or Garment.io: MerchandiserOS integrates with Garment.io, sending orders and styles and reading output and actual minutes back.
·Frequently asked questions about Epicor Kinetic and SYSPRO for apparel
Each answer stands on its own.
Does Epicor Kinetic have an apparel or fashion edition?
We could not find one. Epicor Kinetic is a manufacturing ERP for make-to-order and mixed-mode manufacturers, and Epicor's Prophet 21 is a distribution ERP. A garment business on Epicor Kinetic models sizes and colours as parts or as Advanced Unit of Measure attributes, and usually adds an operations layer for styles, sampling and the floor.
Does SYSPRO have a size and colour matrix for clothing?
We did not find a native size and colour matrix or an apparel vertical in SYSPRO's documentation. The usual design is one stock code per style, colour and size, or the SYSPRO Product Configurator for configured products, with grid entry and styles handled in an extension or an operations layer.
How do you manage sizes and colours in Epicor Kinetic?
Either create one part per style, colour and size with a numbering convention, or test Advanced Unit of Measure, which lets Epicor track inventory by dynamic attributes under a single part number, with attribute sets on quote, sales order, PO and receipt entry. Epicor's own examples are engineering attributes, so demo size-dependent BOMs before choosing it.
What does part-per-SKU mean for a garment factory?
Part-per-SKU means every style-colour-size combination is its own part with its own BOM. Stock, jobs and costs are exact per size, and size-graded fabric is easy to hold, but a range of 40 styles in 4 colours and 5 sizes creates 800 parts, and one trim change on navy can touch 200 BOMs.
Can Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO track fabric dye lots?
Yes. Epicor supports lot and serial tracking with barcode scanning, and SYSPRO's Lot Traceability module tracks lots from receipt through manufacture and distribution. Use each lot as a dye lot and make it mandatory on receipt and issue; shade, GSM and width need fields or attributes, and preventing mixed lots on a cut needs extra control.
How do you convert kilograms to metres for fabric in SYSPRO or Epicor?
SYSPRO converts through alternate and other units with a factor per stock code, and Epicor offers factors plus Advanced Unit of Measure for conversions such as grams to metres. Because the true factor, 1000 ÷ (GSM × width in metres), changes per roll, measure each roll and convert per lot, or keep stock in kilograms.
Do Epicor Kinetic and SYSPRO support subcontracting for CMT or embroidery?
Yes. Epicor Kinetic ties subcontract purchase orders to job operations and records shipments to the subcontractor. SYSPRO's WIP Subcontract Operations Management records dispatches of job-issued material to a subcontract supplier with quantity, lot and serial details for reconciliation.
Do Epicor Kinetic and SYSPRO handle landed cost on imported fabric?
Yes. Epicor allocates additional costs such as freight and duty to received materials, and SYSPRO's Landed Cost Tracking module tracks freight, duties, insurance and handling per shipment. Confirm the allocation methods in your version and price quotes on landed material cost.
Can Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO run AQL inspections?
Both run inspections: Epicor with inspection processing, nonconformance and DMR, and SYSPRO with inspection on receipt, an Inspection Engine and non-conformance reports. We did not find ISO 2859-1 AQL tables in either, so sample sizes and acceptance numbers at the buyer's level need an extension or a separate quality system.
What API does Epicor Kinetic offer for integration?
Epicor Kinetic offers a REST API v2 built on OData v4. Every request carries an API key plus Basic authentication or a bearer token, and business objects, BAQs and Epicor Functions are exposed as services with built-in REST help for testing calls.
How do you integrate with SYSPRO: e.net, OData or Harmony?
Use e.net business objects to post and query ERP transactions, because they carry SYSPRO's business logic over WCF with REST and SOAP endpoints. The SYSPRO OData service is read-only and exposes tables, which suits reporting and polling. The Harmony API works on the Harmony database, not on ERP transactions.
Is Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO good for a clothing brand that outsources production?
Usually not as a first choice. A brand needs purchase orders to factories, landed cost, vendor payments and wholesale orders, which both handle, but it uses little of their manufacturing depth and misses a style and size grid. They make sense when the brand belongs to a group already running Epicor or SYSPRO.
Can Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO handle a buying agent's commission?
A buying agent needs a commission invoice to the buyer with no stock and no goods payables or receivables, which either ERP can raise as a service invoice; we did not verify dedicated commission features, so check your version. For a buying house, a manufacturing ERP is more system than the work needs.
Epicor Kinetic, SYSPRO or Acumatica for a garment line?
They are close on manufacturing. Acumatica has template and matrix items, Epicor Kinetic has attribute-based inventory through Advanced Unit of Measure, and SYSPRO relies on stock codes per combination or its Product Configurator. Choose Acumatica if the size grid is central; choose Epicor or SYSPRO if one ledger across several product divisions matters more.
·Glossary of apparel, Epicor and SYSPRO terms
Short definitions of the terms used here. The full list is on the guide glossary.
- Advanced Unit of Measure
- Epicor Kinetic functionality for tracking inventory by dynamic attributes under one part number, with conversions between units.
- AQL
- Acceptance quality limit: a sampling inspection that accepts or rejects a lot on the defects found, using ISO 2859-1 tables.
- BAQ
- Business Activity Query: a saved query in Epicor, callable through the REST API.
- CMT
- Cut, make and trim: a factory model where the buyer supplies fabric and the factory charges for making.
- DMR
- Discrepant material report: Epicor's record for failed material awaiting a decision.
- Dye lot
- A batch of fabric dyed together; lots can differ in shade and must not be mixed in one garment.
- e.net business object
- A SYSPRO service that queries or posts a transaction using SYSPRO's own business logic.
- FOB
- Free on board: the price of goods loaded at the port of shipment, the usual garment quote.
- GSM
- Grams per square metre: the weight of fabric.
- Landed cost
- Every cost of bringing goods in beyond the supplier's price: freight, insurance, duty, clearing, bank charges.
- Part-per-SKU
- A design where each style-colour-size combination is its own part or stock code.
- PP sample
- Pre-production sample in bulk fabric and trims that the buyer approves as the reference for production.
- Stock code
- SYSPRO's identifier for an inventory item.
- Style/colour/size matrix
- A grid of colours by sizes used to enter or show quantities for each combination.
- Subcontract operation
- A routing step done by an outside supplier, bought on a purchase order tied to the job.
- T&A calendar
- Time and action calendar: an order's milestones with planned dates worked back from ex-factory, actual dates and owners.
·Checklists: Epicor Kinetic or SYSPRO for apparel on one page
Discovery and design
- Business type settled: CMT, full package, multi-product, mill, brand, agent or own label.
- Range size counted: styles × colours × sizes actually sold.
- Part model chosen and demonstrated on a real range.
- BOM generation and mass change planned.
- Fabric unit design, lots as dye lots, lot fields mandatory.
- Where style, sampling, T&A, floor capture and AQL live.
Build, data, testing and go-live
- Modules licensed: lots, landed cost, quality, units.
- Integration on Epicor REST v2 or SYSPRO e.net, linked on ERP keys.
- Parts and BOMs loaded from generated files; totals signed.
- All 13 scenarios passed by key users; cut-over rehearsed.
- Go-live between seasons; hypercare to the first month-end close.
·Sources
Pages were checked on 26 September 2026. Some epicor.com pages refuse automated fetches; for those, claims rest on the page as indexed by search engines and are marked as vendor pages.
- Epicor, Kinetic Open REST API (vendor page) · epicor.com
- Epicor Kinetic REST API v2: API key plus Basic or bearer, OData v4, endpoints (third party) · knowledgelib.io
- Epicor, Advanced Unit of Measure (vendor page) · epicor.com · ebook · epicor.com
- Epicor, Kinetic Supply Chain Management (landed cost, container tracking, lot and serial) · epicor.com · Kinetic Warehouse · epicor.com
- Epicor, Kinetic Production Management and Epicor QMS · epicor.com · epicor.com
- Epicor Prophet 21 (distribution ERP) · epicor.com
- Epicor user community on DMT loads · epiusers.help
- SYSPRO e.net Solutions · developer.syspro.com
- SYSPRO OData service (read-only, OData 4.0, Basic with SQL credentials) · help.syspro.com
- SYSPRO 8 Harmony API Service · help.syspro.com
- SYSPRO PORTOR business object · help.syspro.com
- SYSPRO Stock Code Maintenance (units and factors) · help.syspro.com
- SYSPRO Product Configurator · help.syspro.com
- SYSPRO WIP Subcontract Operations Management (2026 R1 guide) · help.syspro.com
- SYSPRO Landed Cost Tracking · syspro.com · Lot Traceability · syspro.com
- SYSPRO Purchase Order Inspection, Non Conformance Report Maintenance, Inspection Engine · help.syspro.com · help.syspro.com · help.syspro.com
- SYSPRO overview (third party) · erpresearch.com
- Acumatica matrix items and landed cost (see the Acumatica chapter) · acumatica.com
- ISO 2859-1 · iso.org · AQL tables · qima.com · UCP 600 · tradefinanceglobal.com
Corrections. Both vendors release often, and module names, API versions and options change. If a statement here contradicts your version, report a correction with the version and the page you checked; we correct the chapter and note the change and its date here. We re-check these facts at least once a year.
Epicor, Epicor Kinetic and Prophet 21 are trademarks of Epicor Software Corporation. SYSPRO is a trademark of SYSPRO. Acumatica is a trademark of Acumatica, Inc. Names are used only to identify the products; this guide is not endorsed by any of them. Garment.io is named because MerchandiserOS integrates with it; this guide is not endorsed by Garment.io.