How to add a mobile app to Epicor Kinetic
Short answer
Pick between Epicor's own mobile and MES options, a configured Kinetic Web experience, and a custom app over the REST API. Custom apps use barcode scanning, small purpose-built screens and token-based authentication, and need an explicit plan for poor Wi-Fi and duplicate submissions.
Many Kinetic shops use the full client at desks and paper or spreadsheets on the floor. Operators write times on travelers, material handlers move parts without recording it and approvers wait until they are back at a PC. Each gap makes the ERP less trustworthy.
Epicor has mobile and shop-floor offerings, including MES-type products and mobile applications for specific tasks, and the Kinetic browser client can be customized with Application Studio. What is available depends on version, deployment and license, so check those first before building anything.
A custom app is justified when the workflow is unusual, such as a specific cycle-count process, a controlled-material issue with extra checks, or a customer-facing portal. The design principle is a few very simple screens, each doing one transaction well.
What teams use it for
Labor and job reporting
Scan a job and operation barcode to clock on and off, report quantity complete and scrap with reason codes.
Material issue to job
Scan the job and the lot or bin label to issue material, with checks for correct part and available quantity.
Inventory moves and cycle counts
Move stock between bins and record counts with blind-count options and variance flags.
Receiving against PO
Scan PO and part, enter quantity, print or capture a lot label and trigger incoming inspection.
Approvals on the go
Let managers approve requisitions and POs from a phone with the same authority checks as the desktop.
Field service and quality
Capture photos, readings and signatures against a service job or a nonconformance.
Epicor Kinetic integration surface
- Kinetic REST API (v1 services and v2) with token-based or API key authentication; the exact business objects for labor, issue, move and receipt vary by version and should be confirmed in your instance's API documentation.
- Epicor Functions to wrap multi-step transactions so the app calls one endpoint instead of orchestrating several business objects.
- BAQs for pick lists such as open jobs, bins and operations, tuned for fast mobile queries.
- Application Studio customization of the Kinetic browser client for tablet or kiosk layouts without a separate app.
- Epicor's mobile and MES offerings where licensed, which already handle common shop-floor tasks.
How it works
- 1
Inventory the transactions
List the five to ten floor actions that matter, with who does them and what device they use. Shop-floor reality beats feature lists.
- 2
Choose the client type
Native app, PWA or customized Kinetic web screens. Rugged scanners often run Android, where a PWA with camera or scanner keyboard-wedge input is simplest.
- 3
Design the API layer
Put a thin gateway between devices and Kinetic. It handles authentication, rate limits, validation and idempotency, and hides raw business objects.
- 4
Authenticate users
Badge scan plus PIN, or SSO, mapped to a Kinetic user so security groups, labor rules and audit still apply.
- 5
Build scan-first screens
One transaction per screen, large targets, validation on scan, clear errors in plain language.
- 6
Handle offline and retries
Queue transactions locally with unique ids, sync when connected and show the status of each, so a dead spot does not cause duplicate labor entries.
- 7
Pilot on one cell
Run it beside the old method for a short period, compare counts, then extend.
Example flows
Report quantity complete at a work center
Trigger: An operator finishes a batch and scans the traveler barcode.
- The app resolves job and operation and shows expected quantity.
- The operator enters good and scrap quantity and a reason code if needed.
- The gateway checks the operation is open and calls the Kinetic labor and production endpoints with a unique id.
- The screen confirms the posting and shows the next operation.
Result: Production data is current within minutes, and WIP stops being a daily estimate.
Mobile approval of a requisition
Trigger: A department head receives a push notification about a requisition.
- The app lists pending items from a BAQ for that user.
- The head opens one, sees vendor, lines and budget, and taps Approve.
- The gateway rechecks authority and document status, then calls the Kinetic update.
- The item disappears from the list and the buyer is notified.
Result: Requisitions stop waiting for a desk visit.
Keeping data on-prem
On-prem Kinetic suits a gateway inside the plant network with devices on a controlled Wi-Fi VLAN, so floor traffic never leaves the building. Remote approvers can connect through VPN or a zero-trust proxy rather than exposing Kinetic. Plan for Wi-Fi dead zones, scanners that lock to specific networks, and offline queues. If you add voice or AI helpers, such as asking for the next job in natural language, use a locally served open-weight model behind the same gateway so job and part data stay on site.
Security checklist
- Authenticate each user individually; shared device logins break labor and approval audit.
- Use device management for enrolled devices with remote wipe and screen lock.
- Give the gateway a least-privilege Kinetic role and let user mapping enforce authority.
- Encrypt traffic and any locally queued transactions on the device.
- Log every transaction with device id, user and request id for reconciliation.
Ways to get it done
Epicor mobile or MES products, or Kinetic web screens via Application Studio
Effort: Weeks of configuration and training; license cost varies.
Standard floor reporting where licenses and versions cover your needs.
Custom PWA or native app on the REST API
Effort: Typically two to three months for a handful of transactions with testing.
Specialized workflows, mixed device fleet, tight control of UX and checks.
Partner such as Netray with an Epicor integrator
Effort: Scoped per workflow; first pilot often within weeks.
Custom screens plus private AI assistance, with the gateway designed for audit.
Pitfalls
- !Underestimating Wi-Fi: dead zones near machines cause the most failed postings. Survey before building.
- !Duplicate labor or receipts from retried requests. Use idempotency keys and a server-side check.
- !Copying the desktop screen layout to a phone yields unusable forms. Redesign around scanning.
- !Barcode content design is neglected. Decide label formats for jobs, bins and lots early.
- !Rolling out to every cell at once. Pilot in one area and fix real friction first.
Frequently asked questions
Does Epicor Kinetic have an official mobile app?
Epicor has offered mobile and shop-floor products, and the Kinetic browser client works on tablets. What exists for you depends on version, deployment and license, so ask your Epicor representative before building. A custom app is for needs those do not cover.
Which API should a custom mobile app call?
The Kinetic REST API, ideally through a thin gateway you control. Wrap multi-step actions in Epicor Functions so devices call one endpoint. Confirm exact business objects in your instance's API help, since names and methods can differ across versions.
How should offline work?
Queue each transaction on the device with a unique id and sync when connected. The gateway rejects repeated ids so a retry never double-posts labor or receipts. Show users the sync state so they know what has actually reached Kinetic.
Can scanners work without a vendor app?
Often yes. Many Android scanners act as keyboard wedges, so a web app can read barcodes as typed input, or use the camera. Check your hardware model and label symbology before choosing native or web.
Is AI useful in a shop-floor app?
In limited ways, such as answering 'what is next on this machine' or summarizing a job's notes. Keep it read-only, use a locally hosted model for plant data and never let it post transactions without an explicit operator action.
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