Channel strategy, industry cloud and AI transformation in the Middle East
Vibhu Kapoor, Regional Vice President – Middle East, Africa and India
Vibhu Kapoor, Regional Vice President – Middle East, Africa and India, Epicor, tells us how the company is evolving its channel strategy, championing‘ industry cloud’ and bringing embedded AI to manufacturers across the region.
The Middle East continues to position itself as a global centre for innovation and industrial growth. How is Epicor evolving its channel strategy to align with the region’ s fast-changing ambitions?
It truly is a transformative moment for the Middle East. What’ s particularly exciting is that the region isn’ t just adopting innovation, it’ s helping define it. National programmes like the UAE’ s Operation 300bn and Saudi Arabia’ s Vision 2030 have placed manufacturing at the heart of long-term economic growth, which aligns perfectly with our own expertise.
At Epicor, we’ re evolving our channel strategy to reflect this momentum. Rather than pursuing transactional partnerships, we’ re focused on building long-term relationships with partners who are deeply embedded in the industries they serve. It’ s about co-innovation, not just distribution. That means local enablement, tailored industry training, and joint go-to-market plans that are grounded in real business outcomes.
Ultimately, we want our partners to grow alongside us as trusted advisors. They are our boots on the ground, helping regional manufacturers unlock value from Digital Transformation, not just implement technology for technology’ s sake.
While many ERP vendors promote cloud-based offerings, Epicor champions an‘ industry cloud’ approach. What does that mean in practical terms for Middle East enterprises?
It’ s a great question, and one we’ re often asked.‘ Industry cloud’ isn’ t a marketing label for us; it’ s a fundamental design principle. Our ERP solutions are purposebuilt for manufacturing. That means they’ re engineered to understand the realities of the shop floor – from make-to-order workflows and complex bills of materials to real-time inventory forecasting and production planning. Critically, these aren’ t afterthoughts, they’ re embedded into the very core of our platform.
This matters hugely in the Middle East, where many manufacturers are longstanding, often family-run businesses. While they’ re proud of their legacy, many are now
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