Your ESN needs an ERP too! Discover the 11 market champions

Digital Service Companies, just like any other company, need to structure and digitalize their activities to meet today's challenges and compete effectively. That's why the need for the power of a dedicated business ERP is quickly felt.

But beware: the choice of this miracle tool must be made for a solution adapted to ESNs, since they operate in the form of assignments to which they assign consultants. And not all management software on the market guarantees such alignment!

Fortunately, there are a number of ERP solutions for ESNs. As we're a friendly bunch here at Appvizer, we've put together a selection of the 11 best.

See all software Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Definition and benefits of an ERP for ESN

First of all, what exactly is an ERP?

An acronym for Enterprise Resources Planning, it's defined as software that integrates various functionalities designed to manage all company processes.

It centralizes all data within a single space, and enables them to communicate with each other, in order to :

• provide the various business functions with an overview of all activities ;
• support them in managing their missions.

To achieve this, ERP systems are made up of a multitude of modules. Although they differ from one solution to another, they generally include :

• CRM,
• accounting and financial management
• inventory management
• HR management,
• production management,
• project management, etc.

Of course, these ERPs are modular, so that each organization can build a solution in line with its own reality.

👍 The automation and coordination of workflows enabled by these solutions lead to real productivity gains. At the same time, the automation and unification of information reduces the risk of errors. Ultimately, companies save money.

How to choose an ERP for your ESN?

Comparative table of ESN ERPs presented in this article

Take account of your specific business needs

But are all the modules of a conventional ERP system beneficial to ESNs? For example, does inventory management make sense?

We recommend that you turn to a real business solution, which will be able to accommodate your specific needs by offering dedicated functionalities such as :

• staffing,
• consultant management
• business management and tracking,
• declaration and monitoring of working hours,
• management of different types of invoicing (by time spent, for example),
• monitoring KPIs and profitability, etc.

Consider the functionality required

However, even if you narrow down your choice to specialized software, each has its own functional coverage. So it's a good idea to draw up an exhaustive list of your requirements in advance. For example, will a CRM be useful if you want to keep yours?

In addition, consider the following parameters before making your choice:

• ergonomics and ease/rapidity of deployment,
• cost and potential return on investment,
• integration with your existing tools,
• modularity and scalability,
• hosting mode (on-premise or SaaS?),
• degree of support and quality of customer service,
• data security.

💡 Make sure you make the right choice and discover the 9 criteria you absolutely need to know when choosing your ERP, by downloading our free White Paper co-written with Karanext, ERP expert for ESN/service companies.

Comparison of the 10 best ERP for ESN

Akuiteo

Akuiteo is a full-featured ERP designed for business or project-based service companies. It is therefore perfectly suited to ESNs.

The solution is available in SaaS mode with premium, secure hosting (Microsoft Azure) or on-premise.

Akuiteo is appreciated for its functional richness: it includes all the features expected of an ERP for ESNs, and goes even further by natively offering accounting and cash management tools, EDM and electronic signature.

It has been designed to improve productivity for everyone in the company. And even those on the move, thanks to a handy mobile application!

🛠️ Examples of functionalities :

• employee portal,
• CRM,
• team planning,
• contract management and recurring invoicing,
• reporting,
• accounting and treasury, etc.

👍 What we like:

• The Employee Portal module. It centralizes all data and history relating to your employees, to control assignments by skill, costs or user rights.
  
  
• Time planning and tracking. Easily plan your services (schedule in days or fractions of days, time-stamped schedule, etc.) and manage workloads. Assigned staff can then declare their hours independently for validation.
  
  
• CRM. Benefit from a CRM directly integrated into your ERP so you never miss a business opportunity. The module even includes a web portal for sales staff, as well as tools for your marketing campaigns.
  
  
• Accounting and cash management. The accounting functions offered are perfectly suited to the specific needs of ESNs. You can also manage your cash flow (entry of cash receipts and disbursements, monitoring of collections, etc.) and ensure your profitability by monitoring numerous indicators.

Akuiteo

18 reviews

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Comprehensive ERP Solution for Project-Based Businesses

Learn more about Akuiteo

Altik

Altik is a customizable online ERP dedicated to operational and financial business management.

It is resolutely focused on efficiency and, above all, project profitability, as demonstrated by its integrated analytical tools and interfacing with business intelligence solutions.

What's more, despite its power, Altik never forgets to be ergonomic and quick to deploy.

🛠️ Examples of functionalities :

• employee management,
• proposal, customer and business management,
• detailed analysis of project costs,
• visual dashboards, etc.

👍 What we like:

• Consultant management. Automate all processes with functionalities such as time, input and output recording. All the data collected is then used to automatically generate invoices.
  
  
• Project and business tracking. Keep a close eye on the progress of your various projects (outstanding work, deliveries, milestones, etc.) to better control your costs and ensure customer satisfaction.
  
  
• Business profitability. Make the best business decisions by monitoring various KPIs: billing forecasts, costs and margins per organizational unit, sales, etc.
  
  
• Customer and business management. Manage your business efficiently, thanks to fluid administration of your customer contacts and all associated processes: drawing up contracts, orders, invoicing, etc.

atimeüs

Available in SaaS mode, atimeüs has been developed to manage all the activities of your ESN or SSII.

Focused on saving time and boosting performance, it automates time-consuming tasks and provides greater visibility over all your company's activities. What's more, with its APIs, it integrates perfectly with your existing business tools.

But atimeüs is also defined as a solution that promotes employee commitment, as it relieves them of administrative drudgery and optimizes the flow of information around projects.

🛠️ Examples of functionalities:

• time and leave tracking,
• management of service and business portfolios (fixed-price, time and materials and trading),
• reporting,
• employee follow-up,
• invoicing,
• opportunity management,
• purchasing control, etc.

👍 What we like:

• Staffing functionalities. Manage forecasted staffing, workload plans and calculate employee availability to accurately plan services.
  
  
• Billing management. Streamline your invoicing process, whatever the type of activity (time-based or based on a dated schedule), and calculate your FAE/PCA accounting provisions.
  
  
• Reporting. Interactive dashboards provide a range of useful indicators for steering your activities: activity and TACE rates, sales, margins, headcount, etc.
  
  
• The API system. atimeüs has a robust API system that integrates with your work environment, including your accounting, payroll and expense management tools, as well as your CRM.

BoondManager

BoondManager is a comprehensive, full-web ERP solution for companies working on a contract or fixed-price basis.

Its promise? To offer ESNs a turnkey solution, which can be supplemented as required by a wide range of applications.

At the same time, BoodManager stands out for its intuitiveness, ease of use and modern, elegant interface.

🛠️ Examples of functionalities :

• employee recruitment and follow-up,
• project and business management,
• invoicing (fee-based, flat-rate, flat-rate, product sales, subscriptions, etc.),
• time and expense management,
• customer prospecting and follow-up,
• commercial, HR and administrative dashboards, etc.

👍 What we like:

• Recruitment management. Create a CV library (connected to LinkedIn), pilot all stages of recruitment then accurately qualify candidates according to your needs.
  
  
• Project and business management. The software enables you to manage your projects and deals in great detail. Classify them by type (fee-based, fixed-price, subscription, etc.) before tracking their progress, profitability or invoicing.
  
  
• Dashboards. Use powerful visual dashboards to analyze your sales, HR and administrative actions, as well as employee workloads.
  
  
• Numerous integrations. The MarketPlace module brings together numerous applications designed to complement and personalize your ERP (collaborative tools, business intelligence, etc.). BoondManager also connects with LinkedIn, Zapier, Cegid, Sage and Signaturit.

BoondManager

96 reviews

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ERP for IT services company, consulting & engineering firms

Learn more about BoondManager

Chronos

Chronos is a business management ERP designed for service companies.

This software is appreciated for its rich functionality. It includes tools for accounting and document management. However, you won't find a recruitment module.

At the same time, the publisher places a strong emphasis on support. Take advantage of expert support during the deployment phase... and even beyond!

🛠️ Examples of functionalities :

• time tracking,
• planning and availability tracking,
• business tracking,
• time-based invoicing,
• reporting, etc.

👍 What we like:

• Production management. Assign your employees to the right projects, then track their progress in real time, as well as the profitability of ongoing assignments. Set up rules to ensure that only the right people have access to project data.
  
  
• Human resources management. With the Human Resources portal, you can view all your employee data at a glance: skills, schedules, vacations, etc.
  
  
• Collaboration. Chronos GA includes features designed to improve internal communication (such as the newsletter area), as well as document management tools to facilitate the exchange of information.
  
  
• Accounting. Manage your accounting (purchases, fixed assets, sales) and interactions with your bank. If required, the ERP integrates with the market's leading accounting solutions, such as Ciel, Cegid or Sage.

Everwin

French software available in SaaS mode or through license purchase, Everwin is designed for all professionals (VSEs, SMEs and MSEs) who operate on a business management basis. More generalist than some of the platforms in this comparison, it targets numerous business sectors, but includes functionalities perfectly aligned with the needs of ESNs.

In terms of features, it focuses primarily on job management, resource and skills management, and cost tracking.

On the other hand, if you want to benefit from a CRM module, you'll need to interface Everwin ERP with Everwin CXM software.

🛠️ Examples of functions :

• availability management,
• generation of quotations and purchase orders,
• purchasing and subcontracting management,
• mission tracking,
• cost management,
• candidate and skills management.

👍 What we like:

• The high degree of customization. Build the solution that really suits you: Everwin includes customization tools, such as adding data fields or creating workflows.
  
  
• Recruitment management. Find the right people for every job. The software manages candidate libraries, competencies, recruitment cycles and the assignment of profiles to specific projects.
  
  
• Analytical tools. Take advantage of business intelligence and customizable reports to track the profitability of your assignments. In particular, you can compare budget VS actual.
  
  
• Integrations. ERP integrates with a host of partner solutions (Universign, Praxedo, Webmecanik, Mailchimp etc.) to extend its capabilities.

Karanext

Karanext, a complete SaaS suite, includes ERP, CRM and HR modules. Each module is integrated with the other solutions, but can be selected individually. Karanext is aimed at SMEs and SMBs in a variety of sectors, in particular ESNs, service companies, consulting firms, engineering offices and financial activities (CGP).

The software's promise? To save you precious time in your daily tasks, thanks to the high level of automation offered and the digitization of your processes. At the same time, it remains highly accessible and easy to use.

Last but not least, this solution is fully configurable, so it can be adapted to the specific needs of your business.

🛠️ Examples of functionalities :

• sales administration,
• contract management,
• accounting and taxation,
• CRM,
• partner management,
• employee files,
• time tracking,
• recruitment management.

👍 What we like:

• Reporting tools. With Karanext, build different types of reporting (P&L, staffing, overheads, etc.) and get real-time visibility to make the best strategic decisions.
  
  
• HR functionalities. The solution offers a wide range of HR functionalities that take into account the characteristics of ESNs, such as time tracking and staffing.
  
  
• CRM. Thanks to its integrated CRM, you can identify your business opportunities at a glance. All information on your contacts and your interactions with them is centralized within the platform.
  
  
• Employee portal. ERP includes an employee portal. This gives your teams access to a corporate social network, various documents, and can also manage their absences, vacations and working hours.

Perisoft Athena

Perisoft Athena is an ERP in SaaS mode entirely dedicated to service and outsourcing companies, particularly ESNs and SSIIs. It is designed for both SMEs and large organizations.

Data centralization and availability, automation of time-consuming tasks, reduced risk of errors... these are the promises that will appeal to managers.

But ERP will also satisfy accountants, with optimized invoicing operations and a number of interesting features such as automatic reminders.

🛠️ Examples of functions :

• employee management,
• customer management,
• project management (multi-project, multi-collaborator) in TA and fixed-price,
• automatic invoicing,
• travel management,
• reporting, etc.

👍 What we like:

• Collaborator management. Save precious time by automating many processes: filling in timesheets, processing vacations, reimbursing expense claims, etc.
  
  
• Travel management. Validate trips in just a few clicks using authorization workflows, then manage expense reimbursements and invoicing to customers.
  
  
• Alert and reminder systems. Streamline your operations and make sure you don't miss any information by setting up a system of alerts and automatic e-mail reminders: validating requests for advances, time sheets, monitoring unpaid invoices, etc.
  
  
• Multi-agency and multi-company management. Simply rebill between different agencies and companies.

SAP S/4HANA

SAP S/4HANA is a cloud or on-premise ERP designed for ambitious companies... including those that sell brains on a fee-for-service basis! Designed to run on SAP HANA, it offers real-time processing power and total visibility of your business. It is particularly well-suited to medium-sized and large ESNs looking to centralize their data, industrialize their processes, and gain in scalability.

The promise? An intelligent ERP capable of automating, analyzing and simplifying the management of your projects, staff and finances. And all with a fluid, modern interface.

🛠️ Features include

• management of fixed-price, time and materials management projects,
• resource planning and allocation,
• time and job sheet tracking,
• multi-model invoicing (time and materials, fixed-price, subscription, etc.),
• advanced financial and analytical management,
• automation of recurring processes,
• integration with SAP SuccessFactors, Concur, Salesforce, etc,
• real-time dashboards with customized KPIs.

👍 What we like:

• Analytical power. Thanks to in-memory technology, access ultra-fast reports, even on large volumes of data. Ideal for CFOs who like to click fast and see clearly.
  
  
• Functional coverage. From resource management to controlling to complex invoicing, it's all there. No need to stack tools.
  
  
• SAP integrations (and more). If you're already in the SAP ecosystem (or plan to be), you'll love the fluidity between HR, finance and CRM modules.
  
  
• Extensibility. SAP S/4HANA features an App Store (SAP Store) to complement the software with business add-ons. And with its open API, it integrates with your in-house or preferred tools.

SAP S/4HANA

+200 reviews

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Revolutionize Operations with Advanced ERP Solutions

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Unatrix

Unatrix is a solution developed to optimize the recruitment and sales processes of ESNs and recruitment agencies. It centralizes ATS and CRM functionalities within a single interface.

This easy-to-use software has been developed to speed up the day-to-day tasks of recruitment and business managers.

In other words, in an increasingly competitive environment, Unatrix is the tool you need if you want to build customer loyalty, close more sales and find the best profiles. All with a focus on team collaboration and communication.

🛠️ Examples of functionalities :

• candidate sourcing,
• application management,
• customer relations,
• customer needs,
• search and matching,
• collaboration,
• reporting and analysis.

👍 What we like:

• Skills matching. Quickly identify profiles that match your customers' needs using a comprehensive filter system, optimizing the recruitment process.
  
  
• Customer relations. Establish a relationship of trust with your customers and manage all your sales activities from within Unatrix. You can also use customizable templates to propose CVs to your customers.
  
  
• Performance monitoring. Objectively assess the performance of your actions in real time, thanks to comprehensive, customizable reports with your own KPIs.
  
  
• Solution configurability. Take advantage of software that can be adapted to your varied needs, whatever the nature of your business.

Unatrix

3 reviews

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Streamline Recruitment with Top Cloud-Based Solution

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VS Activity

VS Activity is a SaaS-based ERP for service companies and consulting firms. With a strong reputation, it is renowned for its rich functionality.

We also like the fact that it's quick to learn, thanks in part to the quality of service offered by the publisher. A dedicated account manager is at your disposal, as are coaching services and webinars. So you're ready to exploit the tool's full potential.

🛠️ Examples of functionalities :

• business management,
• activity management
• invoicing,
• CRM,
• human resources,
• subcontractor management,
• portage salarial, etc.

👍 What we like:

• Validation workflows. Gain productivity, efficiency and transparency while respecting company processes.
  
  
• Corporate portal. Easily transmit and exchange key information to streamline collaboration: press releases and procedures, tasks to be carried out, employee absences, etc.
  
  
• Business management. Take advantage of a global, cross-functional view of your business to better track the status of your various missions: progress and remaining work, production and workloads, deliverables, etc.
  
  
• Time and activity tracking. Two modes of activity reporting are available. The ERP also lets you report on-call duty, non-working hours and tickets processed.

VSActivity (vsa)

11 reviews

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Boost Productivity with Advanced Project Management

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Frequently asked questions: ERP & ESN, what we're always asking you

Is an ERP really useful for a small ESN?

Yes. Even with a small team, the challenges of project management, invoicing and resource management are already very real.

Without a structuring tool, you risk spending more time picking up the pieces than developing your business. And spoiler: it doesn't scale.

What's the minimum sales figure or number of employees you need?

As soon as you have more than 10 employees, or your projects are moving at a good pace, the need becomes obvious.

In terms of sales, at around 1 million euros, a business ERP for ESN starts to become much more profitable than a mix of Excel + in-house tools. And your nights will be quieter 😴.

Is it possible to track fixed-price, time and materials management projects in a single tool?

Yes, the best ERP for ESN are designed for this. They enable you to :

• manage a variety of contracting modes;

• track margins by mission;

• anticipate future workloads for each scope.

A good ERP speaks the language of your project managers and your management controllers.

Can ERP simplify my monthly, multi-client invoicing?

In fact, this is one of its greatest assets. No need to juggle e-mails, pivot tables and notepads: ERP automates reminders, invoices on account, down payments and even prorated invoicing.

Will my consultants have to change their habits?

A little, but don't panic.

Good ERP systems focus on a simple user experience, with interfaces designed for non-accountants. You don't need to be a CFO to enter your time or validate an assignment.

What's more, it will save them the eternal "I sent you my CRA, didn't you get it?". 😅

How do you get teams on board with a new system?

Two keys: get them involved early and show them the concrete benefits.

A well-deployed ERP eases their mental load: fewer manual tasks, greater clarity, fewer endless e-mails. And if, in addition, you appoint one or two internal champions, it can quickly become a collective reflex.

See all software Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

In conclusion

You now know the best ERP ESNs on the market. Now all you have to do is find the one that will boost your company's performance tenfold.

We also recommend that you take advantage of the free trials offered by most publishers. They'll give you a chance to get to grips with the software before you take the plunge!