A cash-flow-critical billing process that no longer depends on one person.
Wholesale distributor. Operator application on P21 data with rule checking. About 4 weeks.
Read the full storyProphet 21 integrations
Prophet 21 integrations built by someone who knows P21 and distribution.
I build custom integrations between Epicor Prophet 21 and the banks, vendors, customers, and systems around it. The work uses the P21 API, middleware, and SQL, and it runs against on-prem and cloud environments. Every integration is built to check its own work and tell an operator what is wrong before an error becomes an exception.
Why P21 integrations go wrong
Most failed integrations do not fail on the code. They fail on what the developer did not know to ask. Prophet 21 has its own logic for pricing, allocations, units of measure, and order status. A developer who treats it as just another database will produce something that works in testing and surprises you in production.
The second failure is quieter. An integration moves the data but has no opinion about whether the data is right. It runs for months, and then a business rule changes, a record arrives malformed, and nobody knows until a customer or a bank calls. Moving data is the easy part. Knowing when not to is the work.
What I build
- API and middleware integrations. Orders, customers, inventory, and invoices moving between P21 and outside systems through the P21 API and middleware, using P21’s own business logic instead of working around it.
- SQL-based data work. Efficient queries for the complex pulls the API does not serve well, written by someone who knows where P21 keeps things and what the fields actually mean.
- Reporting and data access. The numbers your team currently assembles by hand in spreadsheets, delivered on a schedule or on demand.
- Database performance. Finding the queries, reports, and customizations that slow P21 down, and fixing them.
- Replacing legacy processes. Flat files, scheduled scripts, and one-off programs that nobody on staff can maintain, rebuilt so they can be supported and changed.
On-prem and cloud
The approach adapts to what each environment allows. On-prem gives more direct access. Cloud P21 has tighter boundaries, and an integration has to respect them to survive upgrades. I design for the environment you have and the one you plan to move to, so the work does not become the reason you cannot upgrade.
How an integration should behave
- It validates before it sends. Business rules from both sides are checked first, and the operator sees exactly what is wrong.
- It fails loudly. A problem produces an alert, not a silent gap discovered a week later.
- It can be run by more than one person. A primary operator and trained backups, with no dependence on the person who built it.
- It can change. New rules and new requirements are expected, and the design leaves room for them.
What this looks like in practice
“When we learned Heath was available to help us with our project, we jumped at the opportunity. He has a talent for making complex systems simple and reliable. His contributions were essential to the success of our project, and we highly recommend him.”
Scott TindleDirector of Customer Support, Midwest Equipment & SupplyQuestions IT managers ask
Do you need direct database access?
It depends on the work. I use the P21 API where it fits and SQL where it is the better tool, and I will explain which and why before anything is built.
Will this break when we upgrade P21?
It is designed not to. Integrations that use P21's supported interfaces and avoid modifying the application itself hold up far better across versions.
Who supports it after go-live?
I do, for as long as you want me to. It is also documented and built so that your team can run it without me.
Are you affiliated with Epicor?
No. I am independent. Epicor and Prophet 21 are trademarks of Epicor Software Corporation.
Request a call back
Tell me what P21 needs to talk to
I will tell you plainly whether it is feasible and what it would take.
- One conversation, no obligation. There is no charge and no pitch.
- A plain answer. If it is not feasible, or I am not the right fit, I will say so.
- The first 30 days are guaranteed. If you are not satisfied and I cannot make it right, in your opinion, you get your money back.