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Custom software or a ready-made ERP?

Custom software development pays off for a process that is truly yours and sets you apart from competitors. For sales, purchasing, inventory and accounting it is almost always cheaper and safer to start from a ready-made ERP. The best answer is usually a combination: ERP for standard processes and custom development only where it adds real value.

Describe your process

When does a ready-made ERP pay off?

  • the process is similar in most companies: quotations, orders, purchasing, stock and invoices
  • you need Croatian requirements such as eRačun, VAT records and fiscalization, which someone has to keep maintaining
  • you want to start faster, because a standard process is configured, not programmed
  • you do not want to carry the cost of every regulatory and technology change alone

When does custom development pay off?

  • the process is specific to your industry and no good ready-made tool exists
  • the process gives you an edge over competitors, e.g. how you price quotations or track field work
  • you need a simple application for one group of users, not a full ERP
  • a ready-made solution would need so many changes that it stops being standard

What is most often underestimated with custom software?

The build price is not the total price. Custom software has to be maintained: security patches, regulatory changes, new browser and server versions, and often the person who knows how it was written. Before deciding, ask who will maintain the system in three years and what it will cost.

The same applies to ERP customisations. Every custom module has to be adapted when the version is upgraded, so it only makes sense where the standard really does not cover the need. A more detailed cost comparison is in the article Custom programming or an ERP system.

What does the combined approach look like?

1

ERP core

Odoo covers sales, purchasing, inventory, accounting and Croatian requirements. See the guide ERP systems in Croatia.

2

Custom modules

Add-ons inside Odoo for a process the standard does not cover. More on Odoo custom development.

3

Applications and integrations

A separate application or portal connected to the ERP, e.g. for field teams or customers. More on building business applications.

How do you decide for your company?

  1. List your processes and mark which are standard and which are specific to you.
  2. For the specific ones, check whether a ready-made solution or add-on exists.
  3. Compare the total cost over three years, including maintenance.
  4. Start with one process and test the solution on real data.

Povezane teme i vodiči

Odoo ERP

Usporedbe

Rješenja

Case studies

Moduli

Zašto MAXCODE

MAXCODE implementira i razvija Odoo za tvrtke koje žele povezati cijelo poslovanje: prodaju, financije, operacije, skladište, proizvodnju, projekte, web, izvještaje i custom procese.

Iskustvo uključuje hrvatske i međunarodne Odoo projekte, Python, PostgreSQL, integracije, migracije podataka i automatizaciju poslovnih procesa.

Dogovori konzultacije

Describe a process your current software does not cover

I will tell you honestly whether configuration, an add-on or custom development is the better answer.

Describe your process