Epicor has launched a patent-pending Carbon Cost Rollup tool for its Kinetic ERP platform. The tool allows manufacturers to track CO₂ emissions with the same granularity as financial costs. By embedding emissions into bill of materials and operations-level analysis, it aims to simplify compliance reporting and help operations leaders make emissions-informed decisions in real time.
Aligning Emissions Reporting with Operations
Environmental reporting has long been an operational headache for manufacturers, typically siloed, retrospective, and decoupled from the systems used to manage cost, planning, and execution. Epicor Software Corp. has launched a carbon accounting tool that assigns carbon values to each item in the bill of materials and consolidates them through production stages to generate a total emissions figure for finished products.
The system uses standard cost rollup logic, enabling manufacturers to track emissions in the same manner they assess material and labor costs. The rollout follows increased demand for emissions visibility in manufacturing workflows, particularly as regulatory frameworks tighten and customers seek more detailed product-level carbon data.
Scope 3 Visibility and Internal Alignment
The tool integrates directly with procurement and scheduling functions, allowing emissions to be considered in sourcing and production decisions. Epicor said it can aid in addressing Scope 3 reporting requirements by providing a structured method for incorporating supplier emissions data, though accuracy remains dependent on upstream disclosures.
By embedding carbon metrics into operational systems, the tool allows plant managers and operations teams to assess environmental impact alongside traditional cost drivers. This may reduce the burden on ESG departments and help align compliance efforts with day-to-day execution.
For mid-market manufacturers, which often lack in-house sustainability infrastructure, the integration offers a path to improve environmental accountability without additional software investments.
Carbon as an Operational Metric
Carbon Cost Rollup reflects a shift in how manufacturers approach environmental reporting, from retrospective compliance exercises to embedded operational data. The tool does not eliminate the complexity of full-scope emissions tracking, but it introduces a structure for treating carbon as a measurable input cost.
Its adoption will depend on how well companies can source reliable emissions data and integrate it into supplier and production models. As regulators and investors demand higher transparency, tools that support operational accountability for emissions may become standard in manufacturing ERP systems.
