ERP service company: the right software to boost your business
Design offices, engineering companies, architects and consulting firms are increasingly turning to ERP service companies (Enterprise Resource Planning) to solve their specific business problems.
Equipping yourself with specialized business management software enables you to take advantage of numerous functionalities that radically change the way you manage your business.These include easy quote generation, automated recurring invoicing and streamlined business follow-up.
Appvizer analyzes ERP solutions for service companies, so you can choose the tool best suited to your projects. ✨
Why use an ERP for service companies?
Functionalities adapted to the sector
In order to be able to continue to develop with peace of mind, these companies need to be able to answer the following questions in particular:
- What is the cost price of a business or project?
- What is the break-even point?
- What is the precise history of a project spanning several months?
- How can I track the progress of a long project?
- What are the related costs?
- How can I follow the billing stages?
- Can I estimate my cash flow and each budget in real time?
Without reliable tools, the company wastes precious time, lacks control over the essential figures linked to its activity, has poor visibility and slows down its development.
Business ERP solutions are the preferred choice of service companies, as they offer all the functionalities needed to manage multiple projects, while controlling day-to-day operations.
Within a management software package, different modules complement each other and communicate with each other to exploit the same information, which is updated in real time. The various modules offer functionalities that enable you to manage your entire business from a single interface, such as :
- project management
- invoicing
- employee management,
- CRM tool for customer relationship management,
- purchasing management, etc.
Benefits for the company
The company can model its management processes, automate certain tasks, and rely on monitoring and analysis tools to make the management of its business operational on a daily basis.
The benefits to the business are many and varied:
- considerable time savings,
- qualified, and therefore profitable, sales prospecting
- the ability to anticipate future projects,
- efficient, automated invoicing,
- optimized cash flow thanks to easier collection,
- risk and cost control,
- more fluid communication between departments,
- identified profitability,
- clear visibility on sales volume and sales generated.
💡 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 experts for service companies.
Selection of 11 ERPs for service companies
We have selected for you 11 ERPs with the most essential functionalities for service companies.
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 Akuiteo |  Axelor |  BoondManager |  Fitnet Manager |  Odoo |  OpenConcerto |  Stafiz |  VSActivity (vsa) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For companies with more than 50 employees | For companies with more than 50 employees | For companies with more than 1 employees | For companies with more than 1 employees | For companies with more than 1 employees | For all companies | For companies with 1 to 250 employees | For all companies |
| See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software | See software |
| Learn more about Akuiteo | Learn more about Axelor | Learn more about BoondManager | Learn more about Fitnet Manager | Learn more about Odoo | Learn more about OpenConcerto | Learn more about Stafiz | Learn more about VSActivity (vsa) |
Akuiteo: keep pace with growth
Akuiteo is an excellent business management software not only for design offices, but also for architectural firms, auditing and consulting firms, and software publishers.
The software is a strategic choice for entrepreneurs who want recurring visibility and financial stability, while freeing themselves from infrastructure management.
🛠 Some features :
- accounting,
- CRM,
- project management,
- cash-flow monitoring with several integrated currencies,
- analysis of actions on an interactive dashboard.
✅ Advantages:
- rich functional coverage,
- scalability according to needs thanks to modules,
- certified NF203 by AFNOR.
🤔 Disadvantage:
- not suitable for small businesses.
Akuiteo
Axelor: the scalable open source ERP
Axelor is an open-source ERP perfectly suited to all types of service companies, since it includes more than thirty business applications, from invoicing to CRM and automated job management.
But above all, the software's strong point is its integrated, low-code BPM platform. With it, you can create your own business applications and customize them in line with your processes. All without having to get your hands dirty with code.
In short, with Axelor, every service company, whatever its sector of activity, has a solution perfectly adapted to its needs, enabling it to improve its productivity, and capable of evolving with its future requirements.
🛠 Some features :
- invoicing,
- accounting,
- CRM,
- production,
- inventory management,
- project management,
- HR.
✅ Advantages :
- high software flexibility,
- very broad functional coverage, 30 turnkey modules, at no extra cost,
- ergonomic solution focused on user experience.
🤔 Disadvantage: although Axelor is very easy to deploy and use, it does require some technical skills.
Axelor
BoondManager: the specialized ERP for ESNs, consulting firms and engineering companies
BoondManager is an all-in-one ERP designed for ESNs, consulting firms and engineering companies. It centralizes the management of your projects, from recruitment to invoicing and employee follow-up.
Adapted to the specific needs of service companies, this intuitive, collaborative tool in SaaS mode streamlines and personalizes your management of all your operations.
🛠 Some features :
- project management and staffing,
- sales management with integrated CRM,
- automated invoicing,
- recruitment and HR management tools,
- time collection (CRA).
✅ Advantages :
- fully customized processes with tool reliability and reputation,
- ergonomics and intuitiveness thanks to ease of use and responsive design,
- versatile tool designed exclusively for ESN and consulting firms.
🤔 Disadvantage:
- the interface is less modern compared with other ERPs.
BoondManager
Everwin GX: flexible ERP customization
Everwin GX has developed software tailored to the needs of IT services companies, engineering firms, and advertising and communications consultancies, for which this management software is particularly recommended.
The software enables small and medium-sized businesses in particular to structure their business management with a high degree of parameter flexibility .
🛠 Some features :
- business and budget management,
- project management and planning,
- document management,
- accounting,
- reporting and decision querying.
✅ Advantages:
- permanent visibility of the entire customer portfolio (internal resources, deadlines, profitability, etc.),
- complete project tracking, from file creation to final invoicing,
- numerous customization options.
🤔 Disadvantage:
- Requires technical skills for in-house development and maintenance, or to call in a service provider.
Fitnet Manager: the specialized ERP for consulting companies
Fitnet Manager is an intuitive, easy-to-useFrench ERP solution that supports service and consulting companies in the management of their administrative processes.
A true all-in-one tool, the software covers all project, business and training management processes via collaborative and customizableautomation functionalities .
🛠 Some features:
- comprehensive, intuitive HR management: time, expense, leave, overtime and payroll management,
- collaborative planning and project management: customizable Gantt charts, real-time planning of employee schedules, resource management, etc,
- automated invoice management: automatic editing and prioritization of invoices according to status, payment and reminder tracking, deadline planning, etc,
- efficient purchasing management: automatic planning of recurring purchases, supplier portfolio and contract management, customized purchase orders, etc.
✅ Advantages:
- its ISO 27001 certification and over 10 years' expertise, giving you the benefit of a secure ERP system that's an expert in its field,
- all-in-one, 360°, centralized management of your entire business,
- access to your information even from your smartphone via an application,
- unlimited, responsive support.
🤔 Disadvantage:
- ERP is specifically designed for service companies (consulting firms, ESNs, design offices, architects, etc.), making it unsuitable for other sectors.
Fitnet Manager
Karanext: the ERP, CRM and HR suite for service companies
Karanext is a complete, intuitive and easy-to-useERP, CRM and HR suite in SaaS mode , designed for SMEs looking to improve their performance and manage their business.
Particularly well-suited to service companies, it's a true all-in-one tool, modular and evolutive tool that digitalizes all your company's processes and gives you a 360° view of your business, thanks to advanced, customizable automation functions .
🛠 Some features:
- An all-in-one solution with centralized, configurable functionalities to control all aspects of your business:
- ERP module: back office management, automatic contract generation, automated and paperless accounting entries, etc,
- HR module: employee portal, intranet, leave and timesheet management, recruitment, etc,
- CRM module: customer and partner management, database classification using personalized criteria, etc.
- Reporting tools that enable you to make informed decisions, based on figures updated in real time:
- overheads reporting,
- reporting by customer,
- reporting by supplier, etc.
✅ Advantages:
- its all-in-one side, enabling you to pilot your entire business in a centralized, personalized way,
- its many time-saving features for automating low value-added tasks,
- RGPD certification, with data hosted in France for complete security,
- its ease of use, ergonomic interface and fluid operation.
🤔 Disadvantage:
- the solution is aimed at SMEs with a price tag that can prove high for smaller structures, so beware of small budgets.
Odoo: the complete, modular ERP solution
Odoo is an all-in-one solution, designed to meet the needs of companies of all sizes. With 45 modules divided into 8 categories, Odoo is one of the most comprehensive ERPs on the market.
Every company is different, which is why the solution adapts to the particularities and needs of each one. Odoo can therefore be used by individual entrepreneurs as well as SME managers!
🛠 Some functionalities :
- Finance: management of accounting, invoicing, expense reports, etc.
- Marketing: includes email and SMS marketing, events, marketing automation, etc.
- HR : employee and expense management, centralized HR information, etc.
- Website: ecommerce website creation, with the option of integrating a blog, forum, online chat, etc.
- And many more categories to discover.
Please note: these categories can be selected individually, or not.
✅ Advantages:
- a tailor-made tool thanks to a customizable interface that really meets your needs,
- the level of automation offered by the tool saves considerable time and avoids numerous errors,
- collaboration between different collaborators is facilitated through the platform,
🤔 Disadvantage:
- Support is only available in English, which may scare off the most novice users or those who need guidance in French.
Odoo
OpenConcerto: free business management software
OpenConcerto is business management software that's almost free of charge. In fact, it's free open source software that offers all the possibilities of a modern ERP and connects easily to other tools.
There are numerous possibilities for automating repetitive actions and tasks.
🛠 Some functionalities :
- sales management,
- customer relations
- payroll,
- accounting,
- business and project management.
✅ Advantages:
- open source, so you can adapt it to your specific business needs,
- a module exists for creating your own extensions,
- free updates.
🤔 Disadvantages:
- requires you to have the technical skills for in-house development and maintenance, or to call in a service provider.
OpenConcerto
Pythagore: for intellectual service providers
Pythagore is a business management tool designed specifically for engineering companies, design offices and consulting firms, enabling them to efficiently manage their entire activity in a single tool.
Backed by 20 years' experience in the sector, this comprehensive ERP offers numerous modules for strategic and operational management, and regularly evolves in line with customer needs.
🛠 Some functionalities :
- preparation of project estimates and budgets, and monitoring of workload plans,
- project planning (quotations and contracts, invoicing, subcontracting),
- issuing invoices (price revisions, amendments, co-contracting, Chorus Pro compatible) and customer reminders,
- project time tracking, profitability analysis with statistical sorting, planned/actual comparisons,
- HR tool (expense reports, vacations, employment contracts, salary evolution tracking).
✅ Advantages:
- accessible and adapted to all company sizes (from VSEs to major corporations),
- offers several methods for valuing studies in progress that are not yet billable (IFRS-compliant),
- adapted to a core business, with numerous evolutions based on user suggestions.
🤔 Disadvantage :
- no general accounting module (but interfaces with the main software packages on the market).
Stafiz: the complete management and staffing solution
Stafiz is an ERP for service companies operating in project mode (consulting firms, ESNs, agencies, software publishers, integrators, etc.).
"All-in-one" and modular at the same time, the tool covers all the needs of these companies, from pre-sales to invoicing, with its main strengths being complete digitization of the staffing process and visibility on performance to improve project management.
🛠 Some features:
- staffing : skills mapping, candidate management, search and assignment of profiles according to requirements, workload management, etc,
- project management: monitor costs, margins and progress (Gantt, alerts), analyze deviations, track employee tasks, etc,
- CRM: opportunity tracking, quotation creation, workload forecasting, data centralization, etc,
- reporting and analytics : past performance analysis, forecast management, load rate reports, Power BI connector, etc,
- invoicing, leave and expense management: automation of invoice printing, reminders, expense claim filling (with mobile application and OCR), validation circuits, etc.
✅ Advantages:
- its powerful staffing functionalities, integrated with resource planning and project management, make it a powerful integrated management tool,
- enhanced collaboration, accountability and communication, both internally and with external service providers,
- greater visibility of all your costs and operations, thanks to real-time monitoring of steering indicators,
- the software's high degree of automation, enabling teams to save 20% time on their daily tasks.
🤔 Disadvantage:
- Pre-accounting management but no full accounting module. Data must be transferred via API to the accounting software.
Stafiz
VSActivity: a powerful, adaptable, multi-entity ERP solution
Designed for ESNs, consulting firms, engineering companies and software publishers, VSActivity is a complete, scalable ERP perfectly adapted to the specific needs of these sectors.
With its extensive functional coverage, VSActivity has been developed to optimize the execution of your internal processes, from activity management to sales operations, HR and financial management. The result: you work more efficiently, while keeping a tight rein on costs and profitability.
🛠 Features include
- employee time tracking: simplified entry of activity reports and absences, management of mission orders and follow-ups, automation of validation workflows, etc,
- invoicing: simplified invoice preparation, automation of invoicing flows (including reminders), factoring, reporting, etc,
- CRM and prospecting: management and tracking of sales opportunities, receipt of customer orders, sales cycle history, etc,
- financial management: generation of financial reports with up-to-date data (operating results, PCA/FAE, etc.) and real-time budget tracking,
- HR management: recruitment, personnel management, preparation of payroll, outsourcing, etc.
✅ Advantages:
- its ability to adapt to your specific features, management rules and processes, but also to support all your entities centrally,
- the scalability of the solution (the editor relies on user feedback to enhance the software),
- the possibility of setting up a company portal dedicated to employees, integrating tools such as announcements, alerts, task management or absence tracking and requests,
- an easy-to-use platform for all company functions.
🤔 Disadvantage:
- no integrated payroll software, but connection with standard payroll solutions on the market.
VSActivity (vsa)
Business management software: the driving force behind your competitiveness
When you choose ERP software, you're addressing all your project-based business management concerns.
The added value of this system has been proven: the range of modules responds to the rigors of data processing by exploiting unique, and therefore reliable, data. What's more, you save a considerable amount of time! 🔥
The most successful service companies have clearly understood the challenges of competitiveness , and today exploit the full potential of their business management software to develop their business on a long-term basis.
Article translated from French