Is it time, or can we wait?
Short answer: It is time when the accounting system can no longer answer job-level questions while the job is still running. Revenue size is not the signal; re-keying is.
Check every statement that is true today. This is the same pattern we look for in the first conversation.
What does a construction ERP do that we don’t have?
Short answer: A construction ERP keeps job cost, billing, payroll and the general ledger in one record, so a project’s real margin is visible while the work is happening, not reconstructed after it closes.
Plain definitions. Committed cost is money you have agreed to spend but have not been invoiced for yet. WIP (work in progress) compares what you have billed against what you have earned. Retainage is the share of each payment held back until the job is complete.
See how Acumatica Construction Edition handles each →Which system fits us?
Short answer: If you bill AIA progress applications or hold retainage, you need a platform that passes the four-part construction test natively. For most contractors that is Acumatica. For operations-driven companies without progress billing, Odoo is often the better fit.
- 01Produce a G702/G703 application for payment natively, from the schedule of values, not as an Excel template someone maintains
- 02Track retainage on both sides receivable and payable, on the ledger rather than in a side spreadsheet
- 03Generate certified payroll from the same time data that ran payroll
- 04Show cost-to-complete in progress on a job that is still running, without an export
How do we choose a partner?
Short answer: Choose the partner, not just the software. Ask every candidate the same questions and compare the answers in writing. The technology is rarely the reason a project goes sideways; the delivery is.
- 01Who, by name, will run our project, and have they delivered in our trade?
- 02Will the people who sell it be on the project after we sign?
- 03Will you build the demo with our data, not a generic one?
- 04What exactly is in scope, and what is not, before we sign?
- 05How do you price it (fixed fee or hourly), and what sits outside the fee?
- 06How will you handle our legacy data, and when will you look at it?
- 07Who owns what on our side, and how much of our team’s time will it take?
- 08Can we call two clients in our trade who went live in the last two years?
- 09Have you recovered a stalled implementation, and what did you change?
- 10What happens after go-live, and who picks up the phone?
“Instead of a generic demo, they used our actual data and showed us what the system could do for our business.”
What will it cost, and what will it take from us?
Short answer: Cost is driven by scope, data and integrations far more than by the license. We implement on a fixed fee, with one exception: data migration, because its effort depends on the condition of your legacy data.
What drives the cost
What could go wrong? 15 ERP implementation mistakes
Short answer: Most ERP failures are delivery failures, not software failures. These are the 15 we see most often, grouped by where they start, and what to demand on each.
Scope and commercial integrity
Methodology and who owns what
Team and schedule integrity
Relationship and conduct
Treating an ERP implementation as a software installation. It changes how nearly every piece of work gets done, in the office and in the field. The technical work is the easy half; the human change decides whether go-live succeeds.
Should we build instead of buy?
Short answer: Buy the ERP; build only what makes you different. Accounting, job cost, billing and payroll are solved problems. Custom software earns its cost where a workflow is genuinely unique to your business and no product fits.
The hidden costs of building: ongoing maintenance, security, documentation, the key-person risk when the developer leaves, and rebuilding features a product already ships with. Budget for the life of the system, not the first release.
Custom workflow and integration services →Construction ERP decision FAQs
How do I know if my construction company needs an ERP?
When your accounting system can no longer answer job-level questions while the job is running. The signal is re-keying the same data into several systems, AIA billing and retainage in Excel, and job cost that arrives after the month closes.
What is the difference between construction accounting software and a construction ERP?
Accounting software records transactions. A construction ERP connects job cost, committed cost, billing, retainage, payroll and the general ledger in one record, so margin is visible on a running job.
Which ERP is best for a mid-market contractor?
One that passes the four-part construction test natively: AIA G702/G703 billing from the schedule of values, retainage on both sides, certified payroll from the same time data, and cost-to-complete on a running job. For most contractors that is Acumatica Construction Edition.
What questions should I ask an ERP implementation partner?
Who, by name, will run the project; whether they will build the demo with your data; what is in and out of scope; how they price it; how they will handle legacy data; and whether you can call two clients in your trade.
What drives the cost of an ERP implementation?
Scope, data migration, integrations, customization, licensing and your own team’s time. Dominate Solutions implements on a fixed fee, with data migration as the one exception.
Why do ERP implementations fail?
Most fail on delivery, not software: unvetted scope, undiagnosed legacy data, inexperienced staff on the project, go-live dates set from above, and treating the project as a software installation instead of a change in how work gets done.
Should a contractor build custom software instead of buying an ERP?
Buy the ERP for accounting, job cost, billing and payroll. Build only where a workflow is genuinely unique and no product fits, and budget for maintenance, security and key-person risk over the life of the system.
Start where you are. Six questions, and you’ll know which path fits your business.