Epicor Training for Custom Dashboards: Skills You Need to Master First
Epicor dashboards are one of the most effective tools for providing users with real-time visibility into business operations. They help teams make data-driven decisions by surfacing relevant, role-specific insights directly within the Epicor interface. But while dashboards can be powerful, building them effectively requires more than just dragging and dropping fields.
To fully leverage the benefits of Epicor dashboards, your team needs the right training. At Epicforce Tech, we have seen firsthand how companies improve efficiency, reporting, and user adoption by training their staff to create dashboards the right way. This means building them in a way that aligns with both technical best practices and business needs.
This guide breaks down the foundational skills users must master before creating impactful custom dashboards in Epicor ERP.
Why Custom Dashboards Matter in Epicor ERP
Dashboards offer a user-friendly way to interact with ERP data without having to run reports or dig through modules. With dashboards, users can:
View KPIs in real time
Drill down into specific data sets
Monitor exceptions, alerts, or overdue tasks
Take action directly from the dashboard (if configured as updatable)
However, a poorly built dashboard can result in slow performance, confusing layouts, or incomplete data. That is why Epicor training is essential. It enables users to build dashboards that are reliable, actionable, and aligned with real business processes.
Foundational Skills to Learn Before Building Dashboards
Before users start creating dashboards in Epicor, they should develop core competencies across a few key areas. These skills form the backbone of a successful dashboard-building strategy.
1. Understanding Business Activity Queries (BAQs)
BAQs are the engine behind most Epicor dashboards. Without a strong grasp of BAQs, users will struggle to control what data appears in the dashboard or how efficiently it loads.
Training focus areas:
How to build basic and advanced BAQs
Using calculated fields and expressions
Writing criteria to filter data correctly
Creating subqueries and linked views for performance
Understanding table joins and database relationships
At Epicforce Tech, we always start dashboard training with BAQ mastery, because the quality of the query determines the success of the dashboard.
2. Epicor Dashboard Designer Navigation
Once a user has a solid BAQ, they need to know how to work within the Dashboard Designer module in Epicor. This involves understanding the different components available and how they work together.
Key skills include:
Adding and managing dashboard panels
Linking panels using publish and subscribe functionality
Embedding BAQs into the dashboard
Configuring layout and data formatting
Setting up refresh options and auto-execution
Effective dashboard training teaches users how to combine technical options with a clean, intuitive design that fits their role’s needs.
3. Designing for Performance and Usability
A dashboard that takes 15 seconds to load is rarely used. Performance is a critical part of dashboard adoption and needs to be addressed through both design and data strategy.
Training focus areas:
Minimizing the number of records retrieved by BAQs
Using filters and parameters to narrow down results
Avoiding unnecessary calculated fields
Understanding client-side versus server-side performance impacts
Designing dashboards with minimal clutter and clear visual hierarchy
Epicforce Tech helps users test dashboards in live environments, identify bottlenecks, and apply performance best practices for ongoing use.
4. Using Parameters and Prompts Effectively
Interactive dashboards allow users to select criteria like date ranges, customer IDs, or product types to filter results. These are configured through BAQ parameters and dashboard prompts.
Important training topics:
How to define parameters in a BAQ
Passing values from prompts to multiple panels
Using default values and required filters
Linking multiple filters across panels
Without proper training, users often hard-code filters or build static dashboards that fail to deliver value in different scenarios.
5. Enabling Updatable Dashboards
One of Epicor’s most powerful features is the ability to create dashboards that allow users to take action. For example, updating order statuses or adding comments can be done without opening a separate screen.
Skills needed include:
Understanding updatable BAQs and their configuration
Setting up updatable fields within the dashboard
Managing user permissions and data security
Testing updates in a controlled environment before deployment
Training users on this feature not only saves time but also helps streamline operations by embedding actions within insights.
6. Aligning Dashboard Design with Business Roles
Each dashboard should solve a problem or fulfill a daily need for a specific role. Designing dashboards without understanding the user’s workflow leads to poor adoption and wasted development time.
Training should include:
Gathering requirements from department stakeholders
Mapping user tasks to relevant data points
Prioritizing visual simplicity and functional clarity
Avoiding overuse of charts, grids, or color unless they enhance clarity
At Epicforce Tech, we emphasize contextual design during training. We make sure each dashboard serves a defined, measurable purpose for its intended audience.
Building an Internal Dashboard Center of Excellence
Once your team has mastered the core skills, it is important to maintain consistency and quality in dashboard creation. Consider creating internal guidelines for:
Naming conventions for BAQs and dashboards
Performance benchmarks and testing checklists
Dashboard deployment and version control
Ongoing review and deprecation of outdated dashboards
Epicforce Tech helps clients establish repeatable, scalable dashboard development frameworks that support both IT and business users.
How Epicforce Tech Supports Epicor Dashboard Training
Our approach to Epicor dashboard training is role-based, scenario-driven, and performance-focused. We provide:
Custom training sessions based on your existing use cases
Step-by-step exercises for building real dashboards
Troubleshooting and review of existing dashboards
Post-training documentation and support
Our goal is to ensure your team is not just trained to use Epicor dashboards. They should be confident enough to build, maintain, and improve them long term.
Final Thoughts
Epicor dashboards are one of the most effective tools for delivering data to the right people at the right time. But to build dashboards that drive decisions and improve efficiency, users must first master the foundational skills.
By focusing your Epicor training on BAQs, dashboard design, performance, interactivity, and business alignment, you set your team up for long-term success.
Epicforce Tech offers tailored Epicor dashboard training programs that empower users to transform data into action and unlock the full potential of your ERP investment.