Friedman Corporation provides Frontier ERP, a configuration-centric enterprise resource planning suite for mid-size to large manufacturers of complex, custom products. It integrates product configuration and quoting with order management, production planning, shop-floor execution, and financials, with on-prem or hosted options on an IBM i–based architecture.
Published Oct 12, 2026
| Aspect | Frontier ERP (Friedman) | Epicor Kinetic | Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Contact vendor; not publicly listed in the sources reviewed | Contact vendor; third-party estimates vary | Published list pricing available from the vendor |
| Best For | Make-to-order / option-heavy manufacturing requiring a configurator-centric ERP | Discrete/manufacturing-focused ERP with a broader ecosystem | SMB–mid market needing finance + operations within the Microsoft ecosystem |
| Key Strength | Configurator-centric design and long IBM i heritage; deep manufacturing modules (vendor and directory claims) | Broad manufacturing functionality and an extensive partner ecosystem | Transparent published pricing and strong Microsoft 365/Power Platform integration |
| Key Weakness | Limited public documentation on security certifications and pricing; small public review footprint; perception of an older UX in some reviews | Pricing complexity and implementation cost risk (common consideration in manufacturing ERP projects) | May require extensions/partners for complex make-to-order configuration depth |
Narrative competitor analysis (where alternatives excel)
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