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Epicor Eclipse

Epicor Eclipse at a glance
VendorEpicor Software Corporation
HeadquartersAustin, Texas, USA
OwnershipPrivate equity owned — Clayton, Dubilier & Rice with CVC as co-investor (since August 2024)
DeploymentSaaS private cloud (Microsoft Azure) or on-premises
Target marketMidsize to enterprise distributors in electrical, plumbing, PVF, and HVAC
IndustriesElectrical, plumbing, PVF, HVAC distribution
PricingPricing on request (no vendor-published prices)
Websiteepicor.com/en-us/products/enterprise-resource-planning-erp/eclipse

Overview

Epicor Eclipse is a distribution ERP for four trades: electrical, plumbing, PVF (pipes, valves, and fittings), and HVAC. The design center is the branch. Counter sales, real-time inventory across locations, and trade-specific pricing carry the system, which is aimed at distributors measuring throughput in thousands of order lines per day. In the US it counts as one of the established names in these four verticals, with reference customers such as Shepherd Electric Supply and Van Meter.

Where Epicor Eclipse comes from

The product started at Eclipse, Inc., a Connecticut software company that served electrical and plumbing distributors. Intuit bought the company in 2000 and sold the software as Intuit Eclipse, then handed the distribution business to Activant Solutions in 2004. Activant merged with Epicor in 2011, which is how Eclipse landed in the same portfolio as Prophet 21. Ownership today is private equity: Epicor Software Corporation, based in Austin, Texas, belongs to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, with CVC as co-investor since August 2024. Both distribution ERPs remain in active development, and Epicor has announced no consolidation of the two lines.

What it covers

Order entry is tuned for speed at the counter and on the phone. Around it sit real-time inventory availability across branches, purchasing and demand forecasting, warehouse management with wireless scanning, job management for contractor-facing distributors, pricing and rebate management, financials, and reporting. EDI and punchout connectivity tie the system to manufacturers and to contractor procurement platforms, which is routine rather than optional in electrical and plumbing supply chains. Mobile apps cover delivery tracking and warehouse tasks.

Who buys it

Midsize to enterprise distributors in the four core trades, where job accounting, contractor credit, and manufacturer rebate programs shape daily work. Inside the Epicor portfolio the split looks straightforward on paper: Eclipse for these trades, Prophet 21 for a broader set of distribution verticals. Prospects sitting in the overlap should evaluate both instead of accepting a fixed assignment. Manufacturers and retailers are not the audience.

How it is sold

Two delivery models exist: SaaS private cloud on Microsoft Azure, or on-premises for distributors that want to keep the servers. Epicor publishes no prices, so every number comes out of a project quote. Because contracts in this segment run large and long, model five to ten years rather than year one. A structured TCO calculation is what makes a cloud offer and an on-premises offer comparable at all.

Where it wins, where it loses

It wins on vertical depth. An electrical or PVF distributor gets workflows that a horizontal ERP reaches only through customization and add-ons, backed by decades of installed-base experience in exactly these trades. It loses on strategic clarity: the product has changed hands four times, the current owner is a private equity consortium, and Epicor runs two partly overlapping distribution ERPs without stating which one gets the larger share of investment. Push for roadmap commitments in writing before signing. If your business sits outside electrical, plumbing, PVF, or HVAC, skip Eclipse entirely; Prophet 21 or a horizontal suite is the more honest starting point.

What the Epicor Eclipse website looks like

Current view of the vendor homepage, captured by our editorial team.

Screenshot of the Epicor Eclipse vendor homepage

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Frequently asked questions

Which distributors is Epicor Eclipse actually built for?

Midsize to enterprise wholesale distributors in four trades: electrical, plumbing, PVF (pipes, valves, and fittings), and HVAC. The system assumes high-volume branch operations with counter sales, contractor credit, and manufacturer rebate programs, often thousands of order lines per day. Shepherd Electric Supply and Van Meter are among the reference customers. Manufacturers and retailers should look elsewhere, because Eclipse was never designed for them.

Eclipse or Epicor Prophet 21?

Epicor sells both and has announced no consolidation of the two product lines. Eclipse goes deep on electrical, plumbing, PVF, and HVAC with workflows built specifically for those trades. Prophet 21 spans a broader set of distribution verticals and is usually the more natural Epicor entry point for companies outside the four. If your business falls into the overlap, run a structured comparison of both rather than accepting whichever product surfaces first in a sales conversation.

How is Eclipse deployed and priced, and what should we ask about the roadmap?

Two deployment routes are available: SaaS private cloud hosted on Microsoft Azure, or a continued on-premises installation. That gives distributors with existing server infrastructure or specific control requirements a genuine choice. Pricing is never published; Epicor quotes each project individually based on deployment model, user counts, and module scope, so the only reliable budget comes from comparable quotes across vendors, modeled over five to ten years with a structured TCO calculation. The roadmap questions are about ownership and product strategy. Epicor is owned by Clayton, Dubilier and Rice with CVC as co-investor since August 2024, the Eclipse product itself has passed through four owners since its origins at Eclipse, Inc. in Connecticut, and the vendor maintains two partly overlapping distribution ERPs. Ask for long-term commitments in writing.