Signs your company needs an ERP
There's no rule that says a business of a certain size must have an ERP. But there are symptoms that show the old way of working is getting in the way:
- to find out actual stock levels, a sales rep has to call the warehouse;
- the monthly report is pieced together by hand from different spreadsheets, and the numbers still don't add up;
- a single order is entered in three places: the CRM, the accounting software, and a warehouse spreadsheet;
- some know-how exists only in one employee's head, and their vacation brings the process to a halt.
If your company is small and all its processes fit into one accounting app and a CRM, it may be too early for an ERP. Sometimes setting up data exchange between your existing systems is enough.
The opposite also happens: a company already has an ERP, but only accounting uses it while other departments work in spreadsheets. In that case, the task isn't choosing new software, it's making the existing one convenient for everyone who works with it.
Off-the-shelf ERP, custom system, or a combination
Off-the-shelf ERP (Odoo, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, and others). Pros: proven accounting and inventory logic, vendor updates, and specialists readily available on the market. Cons: the company has to adapt to the software's logic, and non-standard processes require customizations that complicate updates. Licenses and configuration also cost money.
Custom system. Pros: the logic matches your processes exactly, interfaces stay simple because there's nothing extra in them, and there's no dependence on licenses. Cons: more development work, and you share responsibility for ongoing development and support with your development team.
Combination. Accounting and tax stay in off-the-shelf software, while specific processes such as production, service, or dealer management live in custom modules connected to it through data exchange. For mid-sized businesses, this is often the most practical option.
What we do on an ERP project
We don't lock you into any particular software. Our job is to understand your processes and make your company's systems work as one. Specifically, we:
- develop custom ERP and CRM systems and standalone accounting modules;
- build web portals on top of your accounting system for customers, dealers, and sales agents;
- create simple interfaces for the warehouse and production floor that are easy to use on a tablet or phone;
- set up data exchange between your ERP, website, CRM, marketplaces, and bank;
- build consolidated reports and dashboards for management.
Who's in charge: which system owns which data
When there are several systems, you need to decide for each type of data where it is created and changed. Products and prices live in the accounting system, customers in the CRM, delivery status with the shipping carrier. The other systems simply receive this data.
Skip this step and you end up with two versions of the truth: one price on the website, another on the invoice. That's why we document how responsibility is split between systems before development starts, and revisit that document with every change.
Migrating from your old system
The riskiest moment of any ERP project is the day the company switches to the new system. To keep it from stopping your operations, we:
- migrate and verify master data in advance: products, customers, suppliers;
- pick a convenient moment to transfer stock balances, for example right after a physical inventory count;
- keep the old system available for cross-checking during the transition period;
- roll out department by department instead of switching the whole company in one day.
If your old system was built long ago and can't simply be switched off, a gradual piece-by-piece replacement works better. We describe it on our legacy system modernization page.
People matter more than software
An ERP changes the daily work of dozens of people. If employees don't understand why they need the new system, they'll keep running spreadsheets on the side, and the project loses its point.
That's why we involve key employees from the process-mapping stage, show them the interfaces before development, run training, and leave short guides for each role. Right after launch, we carefully collect feedback and quickly fix anything that gets in the way.
Common implementation mistakes
- Automating chaos. If a process is poorly organized, software only speeds up the mistakes. First agree on how it should work.
- Rolling out everything at once. Launching all modules simultaneously overloads people and makes it harder to trace the cause of failures.
- Migrating data without cleanup. Duplicate vendors, customers, and products from the old system will instantly corrupt reports in the new one.
How to tell if the system is paying off
The value of an ERP is easiest to see in concrete things you can measure before and after launch. For example: how long it takes to process one order, how quickly management gets a report, how often errors occur in stock levels and shipments, and how many hours employees spend moving data between applications.
We suggest recording these metrics at the start of the project. Then after each phase you can see what has changed, and it's easier to decide which process to automate next.
What affects the cost of an ERP project
- The number of processes and departments moving into the system, and how standard they are.
- The chosen approach: customizing an off-the-shelf ERP, custom development, or a combination.
- The number of systems to exchange data with and whether they have a ready-made integration interface.
- The volume and quality of data to migrate.
- Reporting requirements and access permissions for different roles.
We split large projects into phases, each with its own estimate, so the first results appear long before the entire system is finished.
Frequently asked questions
Can we keep our accounting software and add only what we need? Yes, and it's often the smartest path. We extend your existing system with modules and portals connected to it through data exchange.
Can we choose an off-the-shelf ERP like Odoo or SAP? Yes. We choose the platform together during process analysis. What exactly we take on (configuration, customizations, portals, or integrations) is agreed after the choice is made, so the scope of work and each party's responsibilities are clear up front.
How do we get reports the system doesn't have? We can build custom reports in the ERP or export data to analytics tools. For more in-depth work with data, see our data processing and analysis page.
What happens to the system after launch? Your company's processes change, so the ERP needs to evolve too. We can support the system and add new modules.
Why Promodex
We've been building software since 2015, and our portfolio includes internal business systems such as CRM PX, Correa CRM, Pro ERP, and TeoSmart. Our analysts and developers are full-time Promodex employees, and projects are never outsourced. We explain every decision in business terms, and after launch we keep developing the system together with you.
