ERP Licensing, Consulting and Development

We analyse the need first, not the ERP

The success of an ERP project does not depend on the software alone. Modelling the business processes correctly, having trustworthy data, designing the integration architecture properly, getting users to adopt the system and keeping the developments sustainable are at least as decisive as product choice.

So our first question at the start of a project is not "which ERP should you buy?" We look for answers to these first:

• Which processes work well today?
• Which processes run by hand, outside the ERP?
• Which data cannot be trusted, and where does that come from?
• At what point do users leave the system and move to spreadsheets?
• Which reports are assembled by combining several systems?
• Which integrations are missing or unobservable?
• Has the current ERP genuinely reached a technical or functional limit?

That analysis usually points to one of three routes.

Developing the existing ERP

If the core functions are adequate, completing the missing processes with development, integration or surrounding applications may be the better investment. The core record structure stays intact and risk remains confined.

ERP transformation

If the current system cannot meet the needs functionally, technologically or operationally, alternatives are evaluated. That decision should rest on a measured picture, not on a single complaint.

Hybrid architecture

The ERP core is preserved while business-specific processes are placed around it as B2B, WMS, POS, mobile or custom applications. The core stays standard and the diverging process is solved where it belongs.

For us the right answer is not always "replace the ERP". If the analysis shows the current system can be developed, we say so plainly.

Replace the ERP, or improve what you have?

Replacing an ERP is a high-impact decision: data, processes, user habits and integrations all change at once. Before moving, it is worth measuring whether the current ERP has genuinely reached its limit.

Improving the existing system can make sense when:

• core finance, stock or order processes work well,
• problems concentrate in a few specific processes,
• integration gaps can be solved outside the ERP,
• the current system is technically sustainable.

Transformation becomes the stronger option when:

• critical functional needs are constantly met with temporary workarounds,
• the technology or product support is no longer sustainable,
• data and integration capability limit growth,
• a multi-company or international structure cannot be supported,
• maintenance and development cost has risen above an acceptable level,
• usability and operational inefficiency cause measurable business loss.

The decision framework is set out in the ERP selection guide.

What we do

ERP process analysis and fit-gap

We analyse current processes department by department and separate what is met by standard functionality, what needs configuration, what needs development and what is solved by integration.

The output is not just a presentation: it is a document that can support project scope and acceptance criteria, and can enter a contract annex.

ERP selection consulting

We do not compare ERP alternatives through demo screens alone. We classify critical business processes and technical requirements by importance, then assess how each candidate meets them through standard functionality, configuration, development or integration.

The headings weighed together:

The aim is not to find "the ERP with the highest score" but the structure that can meet the critical processes sustainably, at acceptable cost and risk.

Implementation and development across ERP ecosystems

We do not accept a single ERP brand as right for every business. Across the CANIAS and Ainos ERP ecosystems we carry out process configuration, integration, reporting, workflow, data transformation and development work according to what the project needs. We set out the scope for each ecosystem on its own page: CANIAS ERP consulting and AinosERP consulting.

Whatever the ecosystem, the same discipline applies: every configuration outside the standard is documented and its upgrade impact recorded. Configuration debt is one of the most common reasons an upgrade path locks up years later.

Which option is more defensible under which conditions is compared in alternatives in the ERP ecosystem.

Manufacturing ERP and cost management

In manufacturing projects the goal is not merely to raise work orders; planned production and actual consumption and operation data must be traceable on the same model.

Depending on the manufacturing type we model bills of material and recipes, routings and operations, work centre or resource structures, material consumption, labour and machine times, scrap and rework, subcontracted operations, lot and serial traceability, capacity, MRP, quality and production costing as far as they are needed. Not every business needs all of them; alternative routings or subcontracting are only built when they are genuinely used.

We impose no single costing method. Standard cost, actual cost, activity, machine and labour costs and the overhead allocation approach are designed together according to the accounting and manufacturing model. Details in the ERP guide for manufacturers.

ERP data migration

Migration scope is not set by asking "how many years of data will move?" We treat the data in three categories:

• Master data: accounts, stock items, bills of material, chart of accounts, prices, suppliers, employees.
• Open transactions: open sales and purchase orders, open balances, open production, stock.
• Historical transactions: past sales, purchasing, finance, production and cost movements.

Reconstructing historical data in the new system is possible in some cases, but the quality and gaps of the source data can limit accuracy. So for every data set the decision — move, archive, transform or keep for reporting only — is taken at the start, with the validation method written down.

ERP integrations

In most businesses the ERP does not work alone. Data may need to flow between the ERP and banks, e-invoicing and e-dispatch, a B2B dealer portal, retail POS, WMS, e-commerce and marketplace channels, CRM, field sales, time and attendance, MES, production machines, weighbridges and third-party services.

In integration design we focus not only on establishing the connection but on record ownership, error handling, making sure retried requests never create duplicates, reconciliation, authorisation, logging, retry policy and operational observability. The method is on the API integration page and in the bank integration guide.

Group companies and consolidation

In multi-company structures, all companies using the same ERP does not by itself amount to consolidation. Depending on need, the project weighs a shared or separate chart of accounts, shared master data management, intercompany sales and purchasing, balances, intragroup transactions, reporting currency, elimination requirements, management reporting and financial consolidation.

In some structures the ERP's own functionality may not be sufficient for consolidation or management reporting; where that is the case we say at the start that an additional reporting layer may be required.

Improving an existing ERP

Not getting the expected return from an ERP does not always mean the product is inadequate. The cause is sometimes incorrect or incomplete process design, poor master data, unnecessary manual work, the reporting structure, integration gaps, performance problems, wrong authorisation or user adoption.

So before any decision on a new ERP we assess the current system technically and functionally. If the existing investment can be developed, we recommend that openly.

How we run ERP projects

1. Discovery and process analysis. Workflows, critical problems, data sources and integrations are established.
2. Fit-gap and solution design. Standard functionality, configuration, development and integration areas are separated.
3. Scope and acceptance criteria. Deliverables are defined by testable criteria, not by "the module went live".
4. Configuration and development. Standard capability is preserved as far as possible; necessary customisations are documented.
5. Integration and data migration. Data sources, control totals, error scenarios and reconciliation steps are defined.
6. Testing and UAT. Real business scenarios are tested with key users.
7. Cut-over strategy. According to project risk, a pilot, a phased rollout, a parallel run or a controlled cut-over is chosen.
8. Go-live and hypercare. Go-live follows the critical checks, with intensive monitoring and support in the first period.

Where we use AI in ERP

We do not put AI in place of verifiable business rules in the auditable finance, stock and cost records of an ERP. In suitable scenarios we do use it in a controlled way: document classification, parsing bank statement descriptions, demand forecasting, anomaly detection, natural-language reporting, management assistance and decision support.

Where an AI-produced result will turn into a financial or operational record, a validation and authorisation mechanism is designed separately: which threshold allows automatic processing, who approves it and how the result can be reversed are defined up front.

How ERP cost should be assessed

Licence cost is only one line of the total. Depending on project structure these lines can arise: licence or subscription, infrastructure or cloud, analysis, consulting, configuration, development, integration, data cleansing, data migration, testing, training, internal project team time, go-live, hypercare, maintenance and support, version upgrades and third-party licences. Where a parallel run is required, it is budgeted as its own line.

The weight of each line differs by project: in some projects the licence is a major item, while in projects with heavy configuration, data transformation or integration, implementation and internal effort can reach a similar or higher share of the total.

The line-by-line calculation is in how to calculate ERP cost, and the ERP investment and TCO pre-assessment tool produces a complexity picture and line list for your own scope.

Why FAB Teknoloji for an ERP project?

We do not start from a single product perspective

We start with the reality of your processes and data, not with a product comparison.

We run consulting and development together

We do not leave the roadmap from process analysis as a report. ERP configuration, development, integration, data migration and surrounding applications can be delivered under the same project umbrella, so analysis and implementation do not become two projects blaming each other.

We also build the systems around the ERP

Where a B2B portal, POS, bank integration, mobile app, WMS or a business-specific application is needed, we can build the architecture around the ERP as well. For us these are not work that falls outside an ERP project.

We approach manufacturing and integration with technical depth

We do not treat the ERP as a finance and accounting application only; the manufacturing model, data capture and integration architecture sit at the centre of the project.

Protecting your existing investment is one of the options

If a new ERP is not needed, improving the current system is a legitimate project option, and we say so even at the cost of losing the project.

We take care not to create dependency

Documentation, key user training, integration documents, change records, data ownership and the role model make a project transferable. We recommend that data ownership, development scope, access rights, documentation and handover conditions be defined explicitly at the contract stage.

Which industries do we work in?

Food and beverage, plastics, metal and machinery, packaging, printing, textiles, furniture, multi-store retail, healthcare and banking and finance. Each sector expects different critical capabilities from an ERP; the industry pages set them out item by item.

Questions to ask in writing before the demo and the contract

• Who can change this screen, in how long, at what cost?
• Are API and data access included in the licence? Are there call or volume limits?
• By which method are configurations preserved through version upgrades?
• How many live installations exist in our sector at our scale?
• Is the team assigned to us named in the contract, and how many projects do they run at once?
• What is the unit price and process for out-of-scope requests?
• Under what conditions are configuration documents, configuration records and data handed over to us?

The full consultancy assessment is in how to choose an ERP consultancy.

Frequently asked questions

Which ERP products do you work with?

We are not tied to a single ERP product. We run consulting, development, integration and transformation projects across the CANIAS and Ainos ERP ecosystems. Project scope and method are determined by the existing system and the needs of the business.

Can we work with you without replacing our ERP?

Yes. ERP consulting does not only mean implementing a new ERP. We also carry out process analysis, integration, development, reporting, data model and performance improvement work on the ERP you already run.

How do you decide a new ERP is needed?

Not on a single problem. We weigh functional fit, technical sustainability, integration capability, user needs, development load, total cost of ownership and growth targets together.

How long does an ERP project take?

Duration depends on the number of companies, users, module scope, manufacturing complexity, integrations, data migration and custom development. A sound estimate therefore follows process and scope analysis. When asking for a duration commitment, make sure scope is fixed too.

Must all history be migrated?

Not always. Master data, open transactions and historical data should be assessed separately. For some historical data, keeping it in an archive or reporting environment is a better answer than moving it into the new ERP.

Is a parallel run mandatory?

No. The cut-over method is determined by project risk. A parallel run, a pilot, a phased rollout or a controlled cut-over may each be appropriate.

Is custom development in an ERP a bad thing?

No. In processes that create genuine value, custom development may be necessary. What matters is that developments are documented, their upgrade impact is known, and they are built sustainably with the methods the platform supports.

What is the single most important selection criterion?

There is not one. Functional fit, technical architecture, integration, total cost, the implementation ecosystem and sustainability must be weighed together.

How is the risk of data loss at go-live managed?

Through a full backup before cut-over, validation of the migration against control totals, no go-live until acceptance criteria are met, and a written rollback plan. Depending on risk, a pilot or phased rollout can be part of that control.

Who delivers user training?

We train by role, so each role learns only its own screens. We also develop key users inside the organisation who can carry the system, so you are not dependent on consultancy for every small change afterwards.