What Is Epicor BAQ (Business Activity Query)?
Also known as: BAQ, Epicor Business Activity Query, Epicor Dashboard BAQ
Definition
An Epicor BAQ (Business Activity Query) is a saved query built in Epicor's Query Builder over ERP tables. It feeds dashboards, SSRS and Crystal reports, BPM logic and the REST API (as BAQ services), and can be updatable in some cases.
Epicor BAQ (Business Activity Query) Explained
A BAQ is defined in Business Activity Query Designer in Epicor 10 and Kinetic. Developers choose tables (such as JobHead, JobOper, OrderHed, Part, PartWhse), join them, apply criteria and calculated fields, and set display fields. The result is saved under an ID and can be run in Dashboards, exported, or called from outside.
BAQs underpin much of Epicor reporting. Kinetic exposes them through the REST API as BaqSvc endpoints with OData parameters, which makes them a convenient read path for integrations and AI assistants. Updatable BAQs let a dashboard edit data through business objects, for example updating a ship-by date on order releases.
Performance depends on joins and filters. Queries without selective criteria on large tables such as LaborDtl or PartTran can become slow and block users on shared servers. Security is controlled by BAQ permissions and company, and BAQs can also be exported and imported between environments with the Epicor Data Management Tool.
Why It Matters
- BAQs are the standard way to extract Epicor data without direct database access, so they are central to integration design.
- Business users commonly build them, creating undocumented logic and performance risk.
- Updatable BAQs can write data, so permission and audit design matter.
- Reusing governed BAQs gives AI tools a safe, role-aware read layer compared with raw SQL.
In Practice
A planner needs open job operations past due. A BAQ joins JobHead and JobOper where JobClosed is false and JobComplete is false, with a calculated field for days late against the operation due date. The same BAQ is exposed through REST for a daily Teams alert and used in a dashboard grid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a BAQ in Epicor?
It is a stored query that selects, joins and filters Epicor tables, used as the data source for dashboards, reports, and API calls.
Can I call a BAQ from outside Epicor?
Yes. In Kinetic and Epicor 10 with REST enabled, BAQs are available as BaqSvc endpoints, subject to the caller's security and API key.
Why is my BAQ slow?
Usually missing selective criteria, joins across large transaction tables, or calculated fields evaluated per row. Filter early and review the generated SQL.
Related Terms
REST API
A REST API is a web interface that exposes application data as addressable resources over HTTP, using standard verbs such as GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE, stateless requests, and conventional status codes, typically exchanging JSON.
Work Order
A work order is the ERP document that authorizes production of a defined quantity of an item by a due date. It snapshots the bill of materials and routing, drives material issues and labor reporting, and collects actual cost for the job.
Routing
A routing is the ERP record that defines the ordered sequence of operations required to manufacture an item, specifying for each step the work center or machine, setup time, run time per unit, move and queue time, and any outside processing.
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is integrated business software that runs finance, manufacturing, supply chain, sales, and HR processes on a single shared database, so a transaction entered once updates every dependent function in real time.
Data Mapping
Data mapping is the process of defining how each field in a source system corresponds to a field in a target system, including the transformation rules, value translations, default values, and conditional logic needed to move data correctly between them.
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