Brenda Nobleza is the Vice President of Channel Solutions at Epicor, where she plays a key role in driving partner success and expanding the company’s global channel ecosystem. Known for fostering an open, collaborative, and growth-oriented work environment, Brenda is a strong advocate for empowering teams and enabling long-term business impact through strategic partnerships. Her leadership influence extends beyond channel strategy—she is also deeply committed to mentoring women early in their careers and championing professional development across the organization.
Q: To begin, could you introduce yourself and share your leadership vision at Epicor, including how your role shapes the company’s long-term channel and partner ecosystem strategy?
A: Brenda Nobleza:
I lead Epicor’s global channel sales organization, with responsibility for building and scaling a partner ecosystem that drives long-term, sustainable growth for both Epicor and our partners. My leadership vision is rooted in mutual value creation—ensuring that partners are not simply resellers of software, but trusted advisors delivering meaningful business outcomes to customers.
At Epicor, the channel is a strategic growth engine. My role is to ensure our partners are aligned to our industry focus, equipped with the right enablement, and positioned to build profitable, services-led practices over time.
Q: How has Epicor’s channel strategy evolved in recent years, particularly for small and mid-sized technology and business services firms?
A: Brenda Nobleza:
Our channel strategy has evolved significantly. We’ve moved beyond a traditional transactional model to one that emphasizes industry specialization, cloud adoption, and lifecycle services.
For small and mid-sized technology and services firms, this means greater opportunity to differentiate—by developing industry expertise, delivering advisory-led engagements, and building recurring revenue through managed services, optimization, and IP. This evolution mirrors how our customers are buying today and how partners want to grow.
Q: For consulting firms, custom software developers, and IT service providers with 10–200 employees, what defines an “ideal” Epicor channel partner today?
A: Brenda Nobleza:
An ideal Epicor partner is services-led, industry-focused, and committed to long-term growth. We look for partners who invest in skills and certification, understand their customers’ operational challenges, and view ERP as a strategic platform rather than a one-time implementation.
Size matters less than mindset. Partners who succeed are those who want to build a practice—not just close deals.
Q: Many of our readers operate in management consulting and business advisory. What tangible business value does Epicor offer to service-led partners beyond traditional software resale margins?
A: Brenda Nobleza:
Epicor enables consulting and advisory firms to engage in high-value transformation initiatives. ERP becomes the foundation for broader advisory work across finance, operations, supply chain, manufacturing, and growth strategy.
Beyond resale margins, partners gain long-term services revenue from implementation, optimization, continuous improvement, analytics, and cloud lifecycle management. This creates durable client relationships and predictable revenue streams.
Q: The ERP channel space is crowded. From Epicor’s perspective, what differentiates your partner ecosystem from other ERP vendors?
A: Brenda Nobleza:
Epicor is purpose-built for the mid-market, with deep industry expertise and a strong partner-first philosophy. We differentiate through:
- Industry-specific solutions that reduce risk and complexity
- A profitability model centered on services and recurring revenue
- Enablement programs designed for real-world delivery success
We are intentional about who we partner with because long-term success matters more than sheer scale.
Q: When a company that is already a partner of another ERP system decides to join the Epicor ecosystem, how does Epicor approach this transition?
A: Brenda Nobleza:
We take a strategic, phased approach. That includes clear guidance on where Epicor is best positioned to win, structured onboarding, and realistic timelines for enablement.
Common risks include overextending resources or lacking focus. We help mitigate this by working closely with partners to define target industries, ideal customer profiles, and achievable growth milestones to ensure long-term value creation.
Q: Custom software and integration firms often worry about being “boxed in” by ERP vendors. How does Epicor address this concern?
A: Brenda Nobleza:
Epicor is designed to be extended and integrated. We actively encourage partners to build industry accelerators, develop proprietary IP, and integrate third-party solutions.
With modern APIs, cloud architecture, and low-code tools, partners have the flexibility to innovate. We believe in co-creation, not constraint.
Q: Epicor has long been associated with the mid-market. Why does this segment remain strategically important?
A: Brenda Nobleza:
The mid-market is where complexity and growth intersect. These organizations need industry-specific solutions, faster time to value, and trusted advisors who understand their business.
Our channel amplifies Epicor’s reach by delivering localized expertise, vertical knowledge, and hands-on services—exactly what mid-market customers expect.
Q: What investments is Epicor making in training, certification, and go-to-market enablement?
A: Brenda Nobleza:
We continue to invest heavily in role-based training, industry-specific certification paths, and cloud-focused implementation methodologies. Enablement spans sales, pre-sales, delivery, and post-go-live support.
Our objective is simple: partners should feel confident selling, implementing, and supporting Epicor solutions from day one.
Q: How closely does Epicor collaborate with partners on demand generation and marketing?
A: Brenda Nobleza:
Very closely. We collaborate on joint marketing campaigns, regional and vertical targeting, account-based strategies, and co-branded content and events.
The most effective demand generation is shared, measurable, and aligned to partner strengths—and that’s how we approach it.
Q: As cloud ERP and industry-specific solutions gain momentum, how is Epicor preparing partners for the next 3–5 years?
A: Brenda Nobleza:
We’re preparing partners by prioritizing cloud-first enablement, encouraging industry specialization, and supporting recurring revenue and managed services models.
We also actively support partners who want to innovate by developing IP and differentiated solutions. The future belongs to partners who combine technology with deep business insight.
Q: From your experience, what are the most common mistakes new channel partners make?
A: Brenda Nobleza:
The most common challenges are underinvesting in training, lacking a clear industry focus, and expecting immediate returns.
Successful partners are patient, disciplined, and intentional about building their Epicor practice over time.
Q: Finally, for technology consultants, business advisors, and software resellers evaluating ERP partnerships in 2026, what key questions should they ask themselves before choosing Epicor?
A: Brenda Nobleza:
They should ask:
- Do we want to be industry specialists rather than generalists?
- Are we committed to cloud and recurring services?
- Do we value long-term partnership over short-term volume?
- Can ERP serve as a strategic anchor for our advisory or services business?
If the answer is yes, Epicor is a strong fit.
ERP News Editorial Team
The ERPNews Editorial Team covers global developments in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), enterprise software, cloud platforms, AI, automation, and digital transformation, providing independent news and editorial analysis for senior business and technology leaders. Our reporting focuses on market signals, strategic shifts, and enterprise impact across the ERP and enterprise technology ecosystem.
For editorial inquiries, please contact:
📩 [email protected]
