Encompass ERP (Datacor)

Selling chemicals isn't like selling widgets. Every shipment needs Safety Data Sheets. Lot traceability isn't optional — it's the law. Container tracking matters. Encompass ERP was built by people who understand this world.

Chemical Distribution Done Right

Datacor built Encompass specifically for chemical distributors and manufacturers. The system knows that a 55-gallon drum of solvent requires different handling than a tote of water-based adhesive. Container management tracks drums, totes, IBCs, and tank trucks with deposit and return workflows that chemical distributors deal with constantly.

Pricing in the chemical industry is complex. Encompass handles price-per-pound, price-per-gallon, tiered pricing, contract pricing, and market-indexed pricing. When your resin supplier raises prices by $0.03/lb, the system recalculates customer quotes and flags contracts that need renegotiation. That kind of chemical-specific pricing logic doesn't exist in generic ERPs.

Regulatory and Safety Compliance

SDS management is integrated throughout the system. When you ship a product, the correct Safety Data Sheet automatically includes with documentation. GHS labeling generates compliant labels with the right hazard pictograms, signal words, and precautionary statements. TSCA, REACH, and state-level chemical regulations are tracked per product.

For blenders and manufacturers, the system manages formulas with percentage-based compositions rather than unit-based BOMs. When you blend a 5,000-gallon batch, the system knows that 15% of formula weight is Component A, adjusts for specific gravity, and calculates the actual gallons needed.

Lot Traceability and Quality

Every transaction — purchase, blend, transfer, sale — captures lot information. If a customer reports a quality issue with Lot 2024-0847, you can trace that lot back through every blending step to the original raw material supplier lots within minutes. For chemical companies, this capability is non-negotiable.

Quality testing integrates with receiving and production. Incoming material certificates of analysis can be recorded and compared against specifications automatically. Out-of-spec materials get flagged before they enter production.

Real Limitations

Let's be honest about the downsides. The user interface reflects Encompass's long history. Modern it is not. New users need significant training, and the workflow requires more manual steps than contemporary cloud applications.

The vendor ecosystem is tiny. Datacor is a focused company, and that means fewer implementation partners, fewer third-party integrations, and a smaller user community. When you hit a wall, your options for help are limited.

How many chemical companies have tried generic ERPs only to spend years customizing them to handle SDS management and container tracking? Encompass avoids that pain entirely, but you're committing to a specialized vendor for the long term.

Pricing

Datacor doesn't publish pricing publicly. Industry estimates put typical deployments at $80,000-$180,000 annually for 15-40 users. Implementation takes 4-6 months with Datacor's own team handling most projects.