When SAP is too much, but an entry-level ERP is not enough.
For Italian mid-sized companies (50-300 employees) evaluating SAP/Oracle/Dynamics and finding costs and timelines disproportionate. We build custom ERPs sized for your real needs, without enterprise licenses and without the obligation to adapt workflows to the software.
What happens today.
Italian mid-sized companies sit in a middle ground: entry-level ERPs (Mexal, TeamSystem entry) are not enough for operational complexity, but SAP/Oracle/Dynamics require €500k-3M+ budgets, 18-36 months implementations, and typically force adapting business workflows to the software rather than the other way around.
A custom ERP sized on your real processes is a concrete path: 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of an enterprise ERP, 9-15 months timeline, total customization, no license lock-in. It fits companies with specific workflows they want to preserve and that do not want to pay for enterprise features they will not use.
SAP is a good fit for multinationals. Italian mid-sized companies often deserve a cleaner solution.
The solution, broken into parts.
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Real-process discovery
We map the actual business workflows (not the ones that 'should be' according to some best practice). We identify what is truly core business and what is commodity (accounting, invoicing, basic warehouse).
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Modular architecture + integrations
We build the modules specific to your company (e.g. industrial product configurator, project management, advanced pricing) and integrate them with commercial software for commodity functions (e-invoicing via standard tools, accounting with accounting software).
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Progressive release
No big-bang. Module-by-module release with parallel run of the current system. Each module goes into production when it is ready, without waiting for everything to be done.
The typical profiles who benefit.
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Mid-sized manufacturing with specific processes
Manufacturing companies 50-300 employees with product configurators, project management, complex pricing. SAP is expensive and standardizing, entry-level ERPs inadequate.
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Wholesale with multi-warehouse and complex price lists
Wholesalers and distributors with per-customer/per-channel pricing logic, articulated returns handling, B2B e-commerce/marketplace integration.
Transparency on what the client does.
Before we start we need a few accesses and decisions. All reasonable, no surprise asks.
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Initial discovery
- Power users of each business function
- List of current systems with their boundaries
- Business roadmap 2-3 years (what the company wants to do that is new)
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Operational decisions
- Compliance constraints (GDPR, NIS2, regulated sectors)
- Priorities for module-by-module release
- Target budget and timing (to verify feasibility)
Indicative numbers, not quotes.
- TIME
- Discovery 6-10 weeks. Full implementation 9-15 months module by module.
- COST
- Discovery €15,000-40,000. Full implementation €120,000-400,000.
- MODEL
- Discovery on fixed milestone, implementation in modules with go/no-go at each phase.
Indicative numbers. For an accurate quote, let's talk.
Answers to the most common questions.
Why custom instead of Odoo or open-source ERPNext?
Odoo, ERPNext, and other open-source ERPs are excellent alternatives when your workflow fits well into their patterns. If instead you have very specific logic (industrial configurators, complex pricing, proprietary processes), over-customizing Odoo ends up costing as much as custom but is more fragile to maintain. The choice depends on your mix of standard vs specific.
What if we want to switch in the future?
The architecture is modular and standard (no proprietary lock-in). Standard PostgreSQL database, documented REST APIs, code delivered. If tomorrow you decide to switch to SAP or Odoo, the data is migrable and the core modules (invoicing, accounting) are already API-integrable.
Who maintains the software after go-live?
Three options: (1) we maintain it on an annual contract (€20-60k/year depending on complexity), (2) we train an internal team of yours for maintenance, (3) hybrid with us doing major evolutions and you doing minor ones. Decided together at kickoff. The code is yours, no vendor lock-in.
Recognize your case?
Write a couple of lines about your context. We'll reply within 24-48 hours with an initial assessment and a first orientation on time and cost.
Let's talk