EPC Global Solutions UK
Replacing a failed ERP programme with a successful Business Central implementation in a third of the time
EPC Global Solutions UK is part of Tokyo Century Corporation, a global organisation listed on the Japanese stock exhange.
Within the group, EPC works closely with CSI, a UK-based business with approximately £70m annual turnover.
EPC plays a critical role in the lifecycle of leased assets. CSI provides leased computer equipment to businesses, while EPC is responsible for recovering, grading and extracting value from those assets at end of life.
This creates a tightly connected operational relationship between the two businesses.
To support this model, EPC required a modern ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) platform capable of managing:
Sales and quoting
Inventory and stock control
Financial reporting
Customer and operational data.
However, their existing system was no longer fit for purpose.
The Problem
EPC was operating on Microsoft Great Plains, a legacy ERP system approaching end of life.
The platform was increasingly difficult to maintain, lacked flexibility and could not support the evolving needs of the business.
An attempt had already been made to upgrade. Over an 18-month period, EPC worked with a previous supplier to migrate to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Despite significant investment, the project failed to deliver a useable system.
The business was left with:
No working replacement for a legacy ERP system
Significant sunk cost with no return
Growing operational risk as Great Plains approached end of life
Reduced confidence in delivering a successful transformation
A reset was required.
The Challenge
The project was not starting from a clean slate.
Time, budget and internal confidence had already been impacted by a failed implementation.
Any new approach needed to demonstrate progress quickly and rebuild trust.
Replacing a business-critical system ERP systems sit at the centre of operations. Any replacement needed to support:
Sales order processing
Invoicing and quoting
Inventory and stock management
Financial reporting
Failure to deliver would directly impact day-to-day business operations. Supporting a connected business model EPC’s operations are closely linked with CSI, particularly through equipment lifecycle and inventory grading.
The ERP system needed to integrate with CSI’s proprietary grading platform to ensure accurate categorisation and valuation of assets.
The Solution
The Curve delivered a full Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central implementation, replacing a failed ERP programme with a structured, scalable solution. Core business processes including sales, invoicing, inventory management and financial reporting were configured from the ground up, supported by custom extensions where required. The platform was integrated with CSI’s proprietary equipment grading system to ensure accurate asset management across the lifecycle. By replacing fragmented systems and a legacy platform with a single, integrated ERP, EPC improved operational control, reduced risk and established a foundation for future integrations and growth.
Our Approach
We reset the programme, starting from first principles to deliver a clean, structured Business Central implementation focused on stability, integration and long-term scalability.
Starting with discovery and clarity
EPC approached The Curve in June 2024 to run a structured discovery.
The focus was to assess the current state, understand what had gone wrong previously and define a clear, achievable path to Business Central.
Rather than continuing from a partially delivered system, we made the decision to start again from first principles.
Delivering a clean implementation
We implemented Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central from scratch, ensuring that core business processes were correctly configured from the outset.
This included:
Sales order and invoicing workflows
Quoting and customer management
Inventory and stock control
Financial reporting and data structures
Where Business Central could not meet requirements out of the box, we developed custom extensions to support EPC’s specific operational needs.
Integrating critical systems
A key part of the implementation was integrating Business Central with CSI’s proprietary equipment grading system.
This ensured that inventory could be accurately categorised, valued and managed across the asset lifecycle.
Building for scale, not just delivery
The platform was designed not just to replace Great Plains, but to support future growth and integration.
This included preparing the system for integration with external platforms such as:
Shopify
Stripe
PayPal
ShipStation
Multiple internal systems
The Results
Successful delivery after previous failure: A fully functional ERP system was delivered in 5–6 months, compared to 18 months with no outcome from the previous supplier. This restored confidence in the programme and provided immediate operational value.
Following a previous failed investment, EPC achieved a complete, working system in approximately one third of the time, delivering significantly greater return and time to value.
Modern, scalable ERP platform: Microsoft Great Plains was successfully replaced with Business Central, providing a modern, supported and flexible platform for the business. Integrated operational ecosystem The integration with CSI’s grading system ensures that inventory is accurately managed across the asset lifecycle, strengthening the connection between the two businesses.
Foundation for ongoing growth: The success of the project has already led to: Additional integration projects Expansion into new system connections Introduction to the US division of the business
Seamless financial system migration at year-end: EPC completed a seamless year-end migration from Microsoft Great Plains to Business Central, closing one financial year on the legacy system and starting the next entirely on the new platform without disruption.
What began as a recovery project became a complete operational reset. By replacing a failed ERP programme with a structured, delivery-focused approach, The Curve enabled EPC to move from uncertainty to a stable, scalable platform. The business now has a system that supports its day-to-day operations, integrates with critical partners and provides a foundation for continued growth. With further integrations already underway, Business Central is no longer just a replacement system. It is the core platform enabling EPC’s future operations.
“After 18 months and significant investment, we still didn’t have a working system. The Curve came in, reset the approach and delivered a complete implementation in a fraction of the time. It’s given us the platform we needed and the confidence to keep building.”