Sound familiar?
- Sales, stock and production each live in a different spreadsheet
- You only find out you are short of a component when the job is due
- Packaged ERP quotes came back with long implementation plans and per-user fees
- Online orders are printed and rekeyed into the stock system
- Month-end takes days because nothing reconciles
Key facts
- Modules built in the order that removes the most pain first
- Sales orders, stock, purchasing, production, despatch and returns in one database
- Accounting stays in Xero, QuickBooks or Sage, fed through their APIs
- Ecommerce and marketplace orders flow straight in
- Barcode scanning on phones or handheld scanners via a progressive web app
- Phased fixed-price quotes; you own the code and data
What an ERP is, in plain terms
ERP (enterprise resource planning) software is the system that runs operations: what has been ordered, what is in stock, what needs buying, what is being made and what has gone out of the door. In a small company these usually live in separate spreadsheets kept by separate people. An ERP puts them in one database so a sales order can reserve stock, trigger a purchase or works order, and produce an invoice, without anyone retyping it.
Packaged ERP products exist at every price point. Some suit businesses well. Others force you to change proven processes, need long implementation projects and charge for each user. A custom ERP from dijitul developments is shaped around how you already work, built in phases, and owned by you.
The aim is a single version of the truth. When a customer rings to ask about an order, anyone in the office can see whether stock is allocated, whether the purchase order for missing parts has been confirmed, when the works order is scheduled and whether the account is over its credit limit. That visibility is usually worth more than any single feature.
Built module by module
We do not build an ERP in one go. After a free chat and a scoping stage, we rank the modules by how much time and money each would save and start with the most painful. A typical order:
- Sales orders and customers, with your price lists, credit limits and order acknowledgements.
- Stock, with locations, bin positions, batch or serial numbers and stock movements. See inventory management software.
- Purchasing, with supplier prices, reorder levels and goods-in.
- Production, with bills of materials, works orders and capacity planning, for manufacturers.
- Despatch, with picking, packing and courier labels.
- Reporting, covering margins, stock value, late orders and supplier performance.
Each phase has its own fixed-price quote and goes live before the next starts, so the business benefits early.
Keep your accounting package
We usually recommend keeping Xero, QuickBooks Online or Sage for the ledgers, VAT returns and Making Tax Digital, and letting the ERP feed them. Sales invoices, credit notes and supplier bills are posted through the accounting API with the correct nominal codes and tax rates, and payment status flows back so the ERP knows which customers are on stop. That avoids rebuilding regulated accounting features and keeps your accountant happy. See accounting software integration.
Online orders and marketplaces
Many of our ERP clients also sell online. Orders from Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, OpenCart or Amazon can flow straight into the ERP, reserve stock and create picking lists, and stock levels flow back out so you do not oversell. We have been doing this since we connected OpenCart shops to KashFlow, syncing customers, invoices, stock and prices. Today's equivalent is covered on ecommerce ERP integration.
On the warehouse and factory floor
ERP screens are not only for the office. We build mobile-friendly screens for goods-in, picking and stock counts that work with the camera on a phone or with rugged Android handheld scanners, which typically act as a keyboard and type the scanned code. Built as a progressive web app, these screens can queue scans when Wi-Fi drops in the back of the warehouse and sync when it returns.
Shop-floor terminals can show works orders in priority order and let operators book time and quantities, giving you real production data rather than estimates.
Is custom ERP right for you?
A custom ERP suits businesses with distinctive processes, such as made-to-order manufacturing, complex trade pricing or unusual stock units, and those who have tried a package and found it fighting them. It is less suitable if your processes are standard and a package fits well. A middle route also exists: keep a package for the parts it does well and build a bespoke module for the part that makes you different, joined through systems integration. Whatever you choose, plan for data. Customer, product and supplier records usually need cleaning before migration, and stock opening balances need a physical count to start from. We will tell you honestly in the first conversation. Read more about our approach to software for manufacturers, or book a free chat.
What we deliver
- Sales order processing with customer pricing and credit checks
- Multi-location stock control with batch or serial tracking
- Purchasing and reorder suggestions from stock levels and demand
- Bills of materials, works orders and production scheduling
- Despatch, picking lists and courier label integration
- Accounting, ecommerce and reporting integrations
How it works and what it costs
Every project gets a fixed-price quote after a free initial chat and a short scoping stage. You own the code and the data.
Free chat
Tell us the problem in plain English: what you do now, what goes wrong and what "better" looks like. No charge, no obligation.
Scoping
We map the processes, systems and data involved, agree what is in and out, and write it down so there are no surprises.
Fixed-price quote
You get a fixed price for the agreed scope, or a phased plan for bigger builds, so you can start small and prove it works.
Build and test
We build in short stages you can see and try, test against real data, then go live carefully with a rollback plan.
Hand over and look after
You own the code and the data. We can host it, support it and keep improving it, or hand it to your own team.
Frequently asked questions
Is a custom ERP cheaper than Sage 200 or NetSuite?
It can be over time, because there are no per-user licences, but that is not guaranteed. dijitul compares the options honestly in a free chat. Custom ERP is best where your processes are distinctive and a package would need heavy customisation anyway.
Can we keep Xero for our accounts?
Yes, and dijitul usually recommends it. The ERP posts sales invoices, credit notes and supplier bills to Xero through its API with the right account codes and VAT rates, and reads payment status back, so Xero still handles VAT returns and Making Tax Digital.
How long does an ERP project take?
It depends on how many modules you need, which is why dijitul builds in phases. Each phase is scoped, given a fixed-price quote and launched before the next begins, so the business uses working software early instead of waiting for one big launch.
Can it work with barcode scanners?
Yes. dijitul builds goods-in, picking and stock count screens that work with phone cameras or handheld scanners in keyboard mode. As a progressive web app they can queue scans offline and sync when the connection returns.
Can online orders go straight into the ERP?
Yes. Orders from Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, OpenCart or Amazon can be imported automatically, stock reserved and picking lists created, with stock levels synced back to each channel to avoid overselling.
Related
Tell us what you need to build
Free chat, clear scope, fixed-price quote. You own everything we build.