# How to add a mobile app to Epicor Vantage and Epicor 9 > Source: https://netray.co/integrations/epicor-vantage-mobile-app > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Integrations ## Short answer Build a thin mobile or rugged-handheld front end that talks to a gateway in front of the Epicor business object web services. Scan, report labor, move stock and approve from the device, with a local queue for poor Wi-Fi and the gateway enforcing Epicor user rights. ## System Epicor Vantage / Epicor 9 ## Capability mobile-app ## Intro Vantage and Epicor 9 were designed around a Windows client. On the shop floor that means shared terminals, paper travelers and end-of-shift data entry, so inventory and labor are always a little behind reality. A mobile app brings the most common transactions to where the work is: scanning a job traveler to start an operation, moving stock between bins, receiving against a PO, and counting. It does not need to replicate the client, only the five or ten transactions people do hourly. Because the platform predates modern mobile APIs, the work is in the gateway: translating friendly JSON calls into Epicor service calls, handling sessions, and absorbing the quirks of older web services. ## Use Cases ### Labor reporting by scan **Description:** Scan the job and operation barcode to clock on and off, with quantity complete and scrap entered on the device. ### Receiving against PO **Description:** Scan the PO and part, enter received quantity and bin, and post a receipt with lot or serial capture where required. ### Stock moves and cycle counts **Description:** Move material between warehouses and bins, and submit counts from the aisle instead of a printed sheet. ### Job material issue **Description:** Issue material to a job by scanning the lot, with a warning when the lot is not the one allocated. ### Manager approvals and lookups **Description:** Approve requisitions and check order or job status from a phone, with push notification for new items. ## System Surface - Business object web services (SOAP) for labor, inventory transfer, PO receipt, material issue and count transactions. Service and method names vary by 9.0x release. - Epicor client sessions and user rights, which the gateway must respect rather than bypass with a super user. - Epicor Web Access or other browser access modes, which may serve simple scan screens on rugged devices if installed on your site. Availability depends on release and licensing. - Business Activity Queries and read-only database access for fast lookups of jobs, bins and parts. - Label and barcode printing from Epicor reports, so travelers and bin labels carry scannable job, operation and part codes. ## How It Works ### List the transactions that matter **Detail:** Interview operators and pick the handful that dominate. Resist porting the whole client. ### Design the gateway **Detail:** Create a service that exposes simple JSON endpoints, calls Epicor web services, caches reference data, and returns clear errors from Epicor validation. ### Authenticate users **Detail:** Use per-user Epicor credentials or a mapped single sign-on, so transactions are posted as the real user. Avoid one shared login. ### Build the app **Detail:** Use a cross-platform framework or a progressive web app. Use the device camera or a Bluetooth scanner for barcodes, and design for gloves and glare. ### Handle offline **Detail:** Queue transactions with timestamps and idempotency keys, and sync when connected. Never queue a transaction that depends on live inventory without a warning. ### Pilot in one area **Detail:** Start with one cell or one warehouse, compare counts with the old process, then expand. ## Example Flows ### Scan to report labor **Trigger:** An operator scans the traveler barcode at a machine. **Steps:** - App decodes job and operation, and checks the operation is open. - Operator taps Start. The gateway posts the labor clock-on as that user. - On finish, operator enters quantity and scrap and the app posts the completion. **Result:** Labor and quantities reflect actual work in near real time, without end-of-shift entry. ### Receive against a PO **Trigger:** A receiver scans the PO number from the packing slip. **Steps:** - App fetches open releases and expected quantities. - Receiver scans each part and confirms quantity and bin. - Gateway posts the receipt and prints bin labels. - Over-receipts above tolerance are blocked and flagged. **Result:** Receipts post at the dock, so planners and AP see material the same hour. ## On Prem A mobile app for shop-floor use works well fully on-prem. Host the gateway on your server, reach it over plant Wi-Fi or a VPN, and keep Epicor off the public internet. Use mobile device management to control devices and certificates. If you add voice or natural-language features, such as asking where a part is stored, run the model locally so the app never sends stock or drawing data to an outside service. For plants with poor coverage, plan Wi-Fi surveys before choosing devices, since connectivity usually decides success. ## Security - Post transactions as the individual user, not a shared account, so Epicor audit trails remain meaningful. - Use device certificates or MDM and block use from unmanaged phones. - Terminate TLS at the gateway and do not expose the Epicor web services directly. - Apply idempotency keys so a retried scan does not double-post a receipt or labor. - Lock devices when idle and support remote wipe for lost scanners. ## Options ### Use Epicor's own mobile or web-access options where your release has them **Fit:** Basic needs and a site already licensed for them. **Effort:** Days to weeks of configuration, but limited customisation. ### Use a third-party shop-floor or warehouse data collection product with an Epicor connector **Fit:** Mainstream barcode workflows and a connector that supports your version. **Effort:** About 4 to 10 weeks including device rollout. ### Custom app and gateway, in-house or with a partner like Netray **Fit:** Site-specific workflows, offline needs or on-prem AI features. **Effort:** About 8 to 16 weeks for a first release. ## Pitfalls - Using a single integration login hides who did what and breaks traceability. - Older web services can be slow with large responses. Cache reference data in the gateway. - Offline queues that replay stale transactions can drive inventory negative. Add validation on replay. - Wi-Fi dead zones are a bigger risk than the software. Survey first. - Printing barcodes that are too small for the scanner makes adoption fail. ## Faq ### Does Epicor 9 have a mobile app? **Answer:** Epicor offered some web and mobile access options in various releases, but coverage for Vantage and Epicor 9 is limited and varies by version and licensing. Most sites needing scan-based workflows add a data collection product or a custom app over the web services. ### Can a mobile app post labor and receipts to Epicor 9? **Answer:** Yes, via the business object web services, which apply the same validation as the client. A gateway in front handles sessions and errors. Check the exact service and method names against your release. ### Does it work offline? **Answer:** It can, by queuing transactions locally and syncing later. Be careful with anything that depends on live stock levels. Queue simple labor and counts, and require a connection for issues and moves that could go negative. ### Do we need new scanners? **Answer:** Not always. Phones with a good camera can scan most labels, but rugged handhelds are faster and more durable in dirty or glove environments. Pilot with both before buying in bulk. ### Can the app run without the internet? **Answer:** Yes. The app, gateway and Epicor can all sit on the plant network with no external connection. Any AI features can use a model hosted locally, so the whole setup works for isolated or restricted sites. ## Search terms epicor vantage mobile app, epicor 9 barcode scanning, epicor e9 shop floor mobile, epicor vantage handheld scanner, mobile inventory app epicor 9, epicor labor reporting mobile, epicor 9 warehouse mobile, epicor vantage data collection, epicor e9 receiving app, mobile app for epicor erp --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json