Distributed Processing - 100% Availability

EPIC makes the dream of 100% system availability a reality by distributing the application and dynamically re-allocating the workload. Designed with a distributed architecture, each aspect of EPIC’s functionality has been split into component tasks that can operate simultaneously from different machines in the local or wide area network. EPIC monitors each task on each machine to ensure it is operational and, in the event of a failure, the workload will be automatically re-assigned to another operational machine.

With EPIC’s distributed architecture, the primary and backup site can be included in a single implementation model. In the event of a major incident at the primary site, EPIC will automatically migrate operations to the backup site. Once the issue at the primary site has been resolved it will be automatically reinstated.

Load balancing and High Throughput

The ability to distribute processes across multiple machines and to then dynamically assign work to them creates an environment of very flexible load balancing. Assigning a priority level to tasks ensures that high priority tasks are processed first, no matter what the workload of the system as a whole is.

Resource on Demand

If more processing power is required, then simply adding a new machine to the EPIC farm is a routine task. EPIC uses a high performance and scalable database which, combined with EPIC’s own scalability, allows it to handle the most demanding of high volume scenarios. The Resource on Demand concept ensures that your company is futureproof, taking away the need to invest in new software / hardware as your business grows; the EPIC solution grows with your business.

Security

Malicious attacks on companies via the internet are becoming increasingly common and, with the internet becoming a preferred communications transport, many organisations are seeking to reduce their exposure. EPIC has its own inbuilt proxy service which, when deployed externally to the firewall, acts as a manager for all communications in and out of EPIC.

Data security is as important as external defence which is why, using highly secure digital certificates in conjunction with the security capable protocols OFTP2, AS2 and S-FTP together with SSL access, EPIC users have all the security benefits of a highly secure private network.

Business Activity Monitoring

The Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) dashboard provides information on key performance indicators, giving assurance and visibility of activity and performance. The BAM dashboard gives a graphical representation of data flowing through the EPIC system.

For auditing requirements or for keeping abreast of your integration environment, EPIC provides you with a complete audit trail of all processing and communications sessions, letting you easily trace the progress of business critical files as they pass between your systems. Any operational issues can be traced back and resolved quickly and efficiently.

Business Process Management

EPIC uses workflows as part of its Business Process Management to give you complete control when integrating your systems. Workflows let you perform custom business logic processing such as encrypting documents, sending emails, calling other applications etc. You can use EPIC to pick up an invoice file produced by your accounting system, translate it into the EDI format of your trading partner, automatically send the file, and send an email with an attachment to the accounts department to let them know that the invoice has been sent. The scenarios are limited only by your requirements and creativity.

Connectors

EPIC Connectors include all of the major methods for communicating with Trading Partners, including AS2, SFTP, FTP, Email, OFTP, X.400, FAX, MQ Series and OFTP2. The large amount of Connectors allows you to communicate with your trading partners regardless of their market sector or communications capability, and removes the need to maintain multiple computer systems for different protocols. EPIC Connectors provide robust communication links and use delivery receipts to provide confirmation of delivery of your files.

Data Transformers

EPIC uses Data Transformers to change between data formats, in an any-to-any environment. With its Data Transformation tool that provides an integrated development environment, deployment of Data Transformers is quick and easy, lowering the costs necessary to exploit the benefits of business process integration.

The EPIC Data Transformation tool boasts a sophisticated drag and drop interface, a forms designer, a document explorer and support for all common file formats. The tool is easy to learn and deploy so you can quickly create Data Transformers, without a long induction period.

Integrators

In the competitive global market it is essential to have tight integration between your back office system and your EDI gateway. EPIC’s Integrators are a set of standard tools that interface directly with most back office systems, such as Oracle and SAP. By utilising EPIC’s Data Transformers, the Integrators can actively retrieve and post data into the back office system, providing an extra level of integration and achieving the close union of systems that you require.

Business Process Extenders

There are many different processes in business that work upon the backbone of data delivery. EPIC has multiple Business Process Extenders that create a more versatile and powerful system, encompassing several business processes in a single architecture. The list of business process extenders includes:

• Order management
• Global data synchronisation
• Payments processing
• Supplier EDI portal

Order management

Many ERP systems cannot handle the huge variety of data required by the different industries, and documents that have to be sent back to the trading partners are often lacking crucial information. The Order Management module of EPIC allows Orders to be received and turned around into Despatch Advices and Invoices; other document types are also supported. Using a variety of business rules that can be switched on or off depending on specific requirements, the turn around process can be completed without having to manually add mandatory information. The Order Management module allows you to create reports for the despatch team and labels to put on the shipments.

Global Data Synchronisation

The Global Data Synchronisation (GDS) Extender of EPIC provides companies with an easy way to take product information from internal systems and then manage the process of submitting data to the data pools using AS2. Functionality includes the ability to quickly locate an item by scanning the barcode and to use trading partner specific profiles for quick data entry.

Payments Processing

An integral part of every business is the payments process. The need to tightly control this process is clear, and to have it included in the central system of EPIC comes with obvious benefits. The EPIC payments module supports all major financial messages and networks including BACS and SWIFT.

Supplier EDI Portal

There is often a situation where a supplier does not have their own EDI system and cannot afford one. EPIC has its own Supplier EDI portal that can be quickly deployed to provide Web EDI access to suppliers at no additional cost to them. Rather than spending months designing and testing a web portal, the EPIC Supplier EDI portal can be deployed within hours.