Epicor Kinetic SSRS Reports vs Bold Reports: What Changed and How to Migrate
epicor kinetic ssrs report
Also searched as
- epicor kinetic bold reports
- epicor ssrs to bold reports migration
- epicor kinetic customize report
- epicor bold reports designer
Short answer
Epicor reports have historically been Crystal and SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) RDL files. Newer Kinetic releases moved new report work to Bold Reports, a different reporting engine that uses an RDL-like format. Standard reports are customized by copying a report style and editing the design; custom SSRS reports must be inventoried, tested and re-built or converted.
Applies to: Epicor Kinetic, recent releases. Exact SSRS support dates and Bold Reports features vary by version, so check Epicor's release notes for your release.
How to customize a Kinetic report and plan an SSRS migration
- 1Find the standard report and its Report Style in the Report Style Maintenance program (search the menu for Report Style).
- 2Create a new Report Style copying the standard one, so your changes survive upgrades.
- 3Open the design for the new style in the report designer your release provides, and edit the layout: add a field, move a logo, change the sort or format.
- 4Save, then assign the style as the default for the company or run it from the report dialog by choosing the style.
- 5For custom SSRS reports, list every one in use: name, owner, data source, parameters, who runs it.
- 6Rank the list by use. Retire what nobody runs, rebuild the top used in Bold Reports, and compare output with the old report using the same data.
- 7Run old and new in parallel for one close cycle before turning the old one off.
What changed between SSRS and Bold Reports
SSRS needs a Reporting Services server or its integration, SQL Server Data Tools or Report Builder to design, and RDL files deployed to a report server. Bold Reports is a separate engine that Epicor embeds, with its own web based designer and its own viewer. For you this means a different design tool, a different set of supported features, and in some cases different expression behaviour.
Because both are RDL-based, simple reports can often be opened in the new designer. Reports with custom code, complex subreports, unusual data sources or heavy expressions need manual rework and testing. Treat a conversion as a rebuild with a head start, not a button press.
Customizing a standard report safely
Do not edit the shipped design. Copy the Report Style, edit the copy, and keep a note of what you changed. Upgrades replace the standard styles, and your copy stays. After each upgrade, run both the standard and your copy on the same data and compare, because a standard report can gain new fields or logic.
Where you need a new data item that is not in the report dataset, check whether a BAQ-based report fits better. A BAQ report lets you build the data set from a query, which is often simpler than extending a shipped report data definition. See the BAQ report parameter page.
Planning the migration of custom SSRS reports
Start with an inventory, not a tool. Many sites find a third of their custom reports are unused. For each one you keep, record parameters, data source, subreports and any embedded code, and decide rebuild, convert or retire.
Test with real month-end data and have the report owner sign off. Pay attention to page breaks, number and date formats, and parameters that default to the current user or date. Keep the old files archived until the next audit cycle has passed.
Try it here, free
Epicor SSRS Report Template Checklist
A pre-release checklist for custom Epicor SSRS reports covering report style, data definition, layout, parameters, security and testing.
Common pitfalls
- !Editing the shipped Report Style instead of a copy, so an upgrade silently reverts changes.
- !Assuming every SSRS expression and custom code block works unchanged in the new designer.
- !Migrating everything. Retire unused reports first.
- !Not comparing numbers old versus new on real data before cut-over.
- !Skipping the print and PDF test with real paper sizes and fonts.
How an ERP-grounded AI assistant handles this
An assistant can help build the inventory by reading report definitions, listing data sources and parameters, and drafting the equivalent BAQ for a report that is basically a query. Your report owner still signs off the output. Run on-prem, report definitions and sample data stay in your environment.
Frequently asked questions
Is SSRS still supported in Epicor Kinetic?
Support is being phased toward Bold Reports. The timing depends on your release, so read the release notes and the support lifecycle notes for your version before planning, and do not assume a date from a forum post.
Can I open my SSRS RDL in Bold Reports?
Simple RDL may open, but unsupported features, custom code and some data source types need rework. Plan for testing each report, not an automatic conversion.
How do I add a field to a standard Epicor report?
Copy the Report Style, edit the copy in the designer, and add the field from the report dataset. If the field is not in the dataset, you may need a BAQ report or a data definition change.
Do I need a report server for Bold Reports?
Epicor embeds the engine, so the setup differs from a standalone SSRS server. Confirm the installation requirements for your release with Epicor documentation.
Related
Epicor BAQ Report: Parameters, Running Manually, Scheduling and Triggering From Code
To make a BAQ report prompt for values, mark the BAQ criteria as parameters, then build a BAQ report from that BAQ. Users run it from its menu item and click Submit; to schedule it, use the schedule options in the submit dialog so the System Agent runs it. Code can submit a report through the report service.
How-toHow to Create a BAQ in Epicor: Build, Run, Search, Export to Excel and Publish
A BAQ (Business Activity Query) is a saved SQL-style query built in Epicor's Query Builder. Open Query Builder, name the query, add tables and join them, choose display fields, add criteria, test it, then run it from the Execute or Analysis tabs, export to Excel, and publish it for use in a dashboard or report.
How-toPreserving Customizations When Upgrading to Epicor Kinetic
Epicor Kinetic's web UI does not simply inherit classic smart-client customizations - most need to go through the Update Customization / Application Studio conversion process, and some WinForms-specific customizations cannot convert directly and must be rebuilt in the Kinetic designer. Plan the upgrade as a customization inventory and rework project, not a single technical cutover step.
How-toHow to build a Kinetic homepage dashboard in Epicor
Kinetic homepage dashboards are built from Active Homepage Maintenance: create a BAQ that returns the metric or list you want, add a KPI or List widget referencing that BAQ, arrange widgets on the homepage layout, and assign the homepage to a role or company so the right users see it.
Error fixFixing Epicor BusinessObjectException: BPM Directive Errors
A BusinessObjectException that says "A Business Process Management (BPM) directive has raised the following error" means a directive on that business object stopped the transaction, either deliberately via a Raise Exception widget or accidentally via an unhandled .NET error in Custom Code. Expand the InnerException on the error dialog to see the real message and the directive name, then open BPM Designer for that object and method to find the widget that fired.
How-toFixing a Slow Epicor BAQ (Business Activity Query)
A slow BAQ in Epicor is usually caused by unindexed join columns, a subquery or calculated field forcing a table scan, or the BAQ pulling far more rows than the dashboard actually displays before filtering client-side. Fix it by reading the SQL Server execution plan Epicor generates, moving filters into the BAQ criteria instead of the dashboard filter panel, and replacing subqueries with joins where possible.
AI for ERPAI for Epicor Kinetic, Beyond What Prism Covers
Add AI to Epicor Kinetic beyond Prism: private LLM over BAQs, BPM data, and REST v2, on-prem or private cloud, with honest guidance on when Prism already covers you.
Stuck on Epicor Kinetic?
Talk to engineers who work inside Epicor Kinetic every week, and who build private AI that answers these questions from your own ERP data.
Keep exploring
Free tools
- Epicor SSRS Report Template ChecklistA pre-release checklist for custom Epicor SSRS reports covering report style, data definition, layout, parameters, security and testing.
- Epicor Kinetic Custom Report Inventory WorksheetAn editable register of custom reports, BAQs and dashboards to support upgrade testing and clean-up of unused items.
- Epicor Kinetic Data Migration Mapping WorksheetA field-by-field mapping sheet from legacy data to Epicor, with transformation rules, status and a completion summary.
ERP fixes and how-tos
- How to Modify an SSRS Report in Epicor KineticHow to customize an Epicor Kinetic SSRS report: copy the report style, edit the RDL in Report Builder, upload it as a new style, assign it, survive upgrades.
- Epicor Kinetic Print Preview Not WorkingFix Epicor Kinetic print preview failures: SSRS report server, task agent, print settings, popup blockers and permissions, with a step-by-step check order.
- Shortage, Scrap, WIP, BOM, GL and Sales Reports in Epicor KineticWhere to find the Epicor Kinetic shortage, scrap, WIP, BOM, general ledger and sales reports, and how to build each one as a BAQ when the standard report falls short.
AI on your ERP
- Private AI for Epicor Kinetic Cloud, Outside the Multi-Tenant BoundaryRun a private LLM on Epicor Kinetic private cloud or Kinetic Cloud data via BAQs, REST v2 and Data Fabric, keeping sensitive manufacturing data off shared AI.
- AI for Epicor Kinetic Job Shops: Quote History, Job Variance and Schedule RiskPrivate AI for Epicor Kinetic job shops: quote-to-job history, JobHead and JobOper variance, subcontract delays and schedule risk, via REST and BAQs.
Integrations
- How to add a mobile app to Epicor KineticBuild or choose a mobile app for Epicor Kinetic: barcode scanning, labor reporting, inventory moves and approvals over the REST API, with offline handling.
- How to add AI agents to Epicor KineticHow to add AI agents to Epicor Kinetic: a tool layer over the REST v2 API and BAQs, MRP exception triage, PO expediting, and human approval before any write.