Quick answer
ERP implementation in Australia typically costs $10,000 for a focused deployment up to $100,000+ for complex multi-company rollouts, with first-year totals for most mid-sized businesses landing between $25,000 and $90,000. A single-function pilot can go live in four to six weeks; a multi-module first phase usually takes eight to twelve. We work with ERPNext, which has no licence fee, and with fully custom builds where ERPNext doesn't fit.
We implement ERP from Melbourne, and the part we care most about is the part most implementations skip: getting your actual processes documented before anything is configured.
ERPNext — open source, no licence fee
The right choice for most Australian small and mid-sized businesses. Comprehensive modules covering accounting, inventory, purchasing, manufacturing, projects, HR and CRM. The software licence costs nothing; you pay for hosting, implementation and support. Full detail on our ERPNext page →
Custom ERP — built from scratch
The right choice when your operation genuinely doesn't map onto standard ERP workflows — unusual manufacturing, regulated processes, or a business model that is itself the competitive advantage. More expensive up front, no licence or subscription ever, and it fits exactly.
How we decide: discovery. If ERPNext covers 80% of what you need with configuration and a couple of custom apps, that's the recommendation and it will cost you far less. If it doesn't, we'll say so. We have no licence revenue riding on either answer.
This is where generic and offshore ERP implementations come undone. An ERP that can't produce a correct BAS is not finished.
- GST — correct tax templates, tax categories, and GST-inclusive and exclusive handling
- BAS — reporting that reconciles, with the label amounts your accountant expects
- ABN and ABR validation on customer and supplier records
- Single Touch Payroll (STP Phase 2) reporting
- Superannuation calculation and reporting
- Australian financial year — 1 July to 30 June, correctly configured across reporting
- Multi-currency with AUD as base
- Australian bank feeds and reconciliation
- Australian data hosting for Privacy Act compliance
Accounting and finance · Inventory and warehouse · Purchasing and supplier management · Sales and CRM · Manufacturing and production · Projects and job costing · HR and payroll · Assets and maintenance · Quality management · Reporting and dashboards — each configured around the business problem it solves, not just switched on by default.
- 1 · Listening sprint (1–2 weeks) — We sit with the people doing the work in finance, operations, sales and payroll, and map what actually happens versus what the manual says.
- 2 · Fit-gap analysis — Which requirements standard ERPNext covers, which need configuration, which need a custom app, and which are process problems that software won't fix.
- 3 · Phase plan — Quick wins first. You get value in month one, not month twelve.
- 4 · Configuration and custom development — Modules configured, custom apps built where genuinely needed.
- 5 · Data migration — Audited, cleaned, migrated, reconciled against your old system before anyone relies on it.
- 6 · Role-based training — Different training for finance, warehouse and management, because they use different parts of the system.
- 7 · Go-live and hypercare — Intensive support through the first month-end close, which is when problems surface.
- 8 · Continuous improvement — Ongoing support in Australian business hours.
| From | Timeline | |
|---|---|---|
| ERP discovery and fit-gap | $2,500 — credited against implementation | 1–2 weeks |
| ERPNext single-function pilot | $9,500 | 4–6 weeks |
| ERPNext multi-module first phase | $25,000 | 8–12 weeks |
| Custom ERP build | Quoted after discovery | 4–9 months, phased |
| Support and enhancement | From $990/month | Ongoing |
Published Australian benchmarks put partner-led ERPNext implementations between $10,000 for basic setups and $100,000+ for complex deployments, with first-year totals of $25,000–$90,000 typical for mid-sized businesses. Our pricing sits deliberately at the accessible end of that range because we work in phases rather than selling a twelve-month programme up front.
Published benchmarks put partner-led implementations at $10,000 for basic setups through to $100,000+ for complex multi-company deployments, with most mid-sized businesses spending $25,000–$90,000 in the first year. Ours start at $9,500 for a single-function pilot and $25,000 for a multi-module first phase. The variance is driven by how many modules you need, your data quality, and how much process redesign is required.
A focused pilot covering one function goes live in four to six weeks. A broader first phase across several modules typically takes eight to twelve weeks. A business with a straightforward buy-make-sell process and clean data can be running in about twenty working days. Heavily customised, multi-entity implementations run to six months or more, delivered in phases.
The two that sink budgets are process documentation and data migration. If your workflows are manual or inconsistent, they need mapping and redesigning before configuration — commonly two to six weeks of work and $5,000–$25,000 that initial quotes leave out. Data cleanup is the other. We scope both during paid discovery so they're in the quote, not in a variation later.
ERPNext if it covers most of your requirements with configuration, because the licence is free and you'll be live far sooner. Custom if your operation genuinely doesn't fit standard ERP workflows. We decide during discovery and we have no licence revenue depending on the answer.
Yes, with proper configuration. Tax templates for GST, BAS-ready reporting, the 1 July to 30 June financial year, superannuation and Single Touch Payroll all need to be set up deliberately — they aren't right out of the box. This is the single most common failure point when Australian businesses use an offshore implementer.
Yes. Some businesses run ERP for operations and keep their existing accounting package, with a scheduled or real-time sync. Others move accounting into the ERP entirely. Both work; which is better depends on your accountant and your volume.
We audit a real sample during discovery, quote the cleanup honestly, then migrate and reconcile against your old system before anyone depends on it. Your old system stays available read-only for an agreed period.
Rarely because of the software. Published analysis consistently traces overruns to poor planning and mismatched expertise rather than the platform. The three practical causes are undocumented processes, worse-than-expected data, and nobody being accountable for staff adoption. We address all three in discovery.
Yes. Role-based training before go-live, written documentation, intensive support through the first month-end, then ongoing support during Australian business hours from our Melbourne team.
Yes, and we recommend it. One function, four to six weeks, real value quickly. It also proves whether the partnership works before you commit to a larger programme.
Ready to start?
Book a free thirty-minute call. We'll look at your current site and top competitors, tell you which package actually fits, and send a fixed-price quote within two business days.