Project-Based ERP (enterprise resource planning) solutions offer a complete business solution for all departments of businesses that earn revenue via the execution of complicated projects. Financial management, project and resource planning, sales and marketing, as well as project risk and governance are all covered by these systems. Companies obtain visibility into the types of projects that are the most profitable by capturing all project-related information. Engineering, construction companies, and government contractors are among the industries that could benefit from a Project-Based ERP system. Project-based ERP systems necessitate meticulous management of each project’s and portfolio’s profitability. Members of the project management office department, such as project and program managers or analysts, are the most likely to use this type of software.
Project-centric manufacturers employ a project-based ERP system to better plan and manage operations, whereas product-based enterprises typically use ERP systems. This program should not be confused with project management software, which focuses solely on projects and lacks operational aspects. CRM software and human resource management systems may be integrated with these systems.
Table of Contents
Highlights of Project-Bases ERP Software
A product must meet the following criteria to be considered for inclusion in the Project-Based ERP category:
- Include functionality for project, program, and portfolio management.
- Provide a complete end-to-end solution for a company’s project-based activities.
- Keep track of and document resources and costs on a project and portfolio level.
- Front-end (sales and marketing) and back-end (procurement) functionality should be provided.
- Manage, among other things, suppliers, subcontractors, contracts, bids, and RFPs.
- Time and expense management, as well as project accounting, are all enabled.
- HR, workforce management, and payroll components should be integrated or provided.
Top 5 Project-Bases ERP Software
Deltek Vantagepoint
People and projects are the company’s heart and soul. Deltek created this powerful, user-friendly solution to help your team manage projects from start to finish. Deltek Vantagepoint, formerly known as Deltek Vision and was rebranded in 2017, provides a 360-degree view of your projects by bringing together all of your customer, project, and financial data in one place.
Features:
- By auto-populating recurring or specified vendor values, AP Automation streamlines data entry.
- AR Automation automates the user’s workflow by entering default customer data and setting up client payments regularly.
- Entries in the Journal
- Upload journal entries and plan future entries using auto-population based on the previously provided information.
- Project maps show milestones, due dates, deliverables, and interdependencies for a project.
- KPIs / Baselining
- Throughout the project lifespan or across numerous projects, keep track of key performance indicators or baseline assessments.
Pricing:
For this product or service, Deltek Vantagepoint has not given price information.
Pros:
- Deltek Vantagepoint comes with a lot of customizability, automation, and security features. There’s a lot a company can do with Vantagepoint as its ERP, but it takes a well-trained team to manage it and train others to make it work.
- When using this platform, there is a trade-off between ease of administration and powerful features.
- The ability to aggregate data, slice and dice it, or sum it up is really handy and gives it an edge over a program like QuickBooks.
Cons:
- For people who aren’t highly technical, the front-end user experience isn’t very intuitive, and they may struggle to get their feet wet by looking for a small hidden menu or item that can change what is displayed on the screen.
- This platform requires a significant amount of backend configuration, with extremely detailed settings that often require specialist help to implement for your firm to get the most out of it.
- Deltek is always introducing new features and tweaks, which is excellent, but it also means there are a lot of bugs that take a long time to fix. These continuing enhancements also necessitate a team that is up to date, has the time to learn and configure the new items and can train end-users on how to utilize them.
Deltek Costpoint
Costpoint is a project-centric ERP system for any size government contractor or corporation that provides goods or services to the United States federal government.
On a flexible, secure, mobile, web services-based cloud platform, the solution provides project accounting, business intelligence, human capital management, engineer-to-order manufacturing, and project management. The solution includes project accounting, business intelligence, human capital management, engineer-to-order manufacturing, and project management on a flexible, secure, mobile, web services-based cloud platform. Costpoint helps you increase operational efficiency, get real-time information, and meet compliance and security requirements. Furthermore, our modern, integrated cloud offering allows for secure data storage and is constantly improved to satisfy the most current federal and agency cybersecurity compliance criteria.
Features:
Compliance and security regulations must be maintained
Comply with DCAA regulations with ease, and get help with FAR, CAS, DCMA, and ASC compliance.
NIST 800-171 controls are implemented in Costpoint Cloud solutions, and CMMC Level 2 accreditation is on the horizon.
Time and expense management can be automated
To stay compliant and generate a clear audit trail, automate time and expense processing.
Submit and approve timesheets and expenses in a timely manner.
—improved productivity—time and money saved
Pricing:
For this product or service, Deltek Costpoint has not given price information.
Pros:
- I admire that different aspects of the system that are required by government contracts were given a lot of care.
- Whatever project setup, revenue, or customer reporting requirements a company has, this system is capable of handling them all. We spend little time in Excel with its business intelligence platform because our reporting automates the majority of our human effort.
Cons:
- The application may have a learning curve, but that is true of every advanced accounting/ERP platform.
- For simple use, the DLZ first training is excellent. However, without a large degree of training, anyone at a high level who wants to backtrack data or dive into the weeds of something would find it difficult to build reports and dashboards on their own.
Unanet
For GovCon, by GovCon Unanet is the first native integrated Cloud ERP solution designed from the ground up to service this unique market. It was purpose-made in-house by GovCon professionals. Furthermore, DCAA compliance and audit confidence are fundamental, not merely a goal to be achieved—Unanet features support DCAA requirements at every stage.
Features:
Entries in the Journal
Auto-populates fields based on previously supplied data, increasing user efficiency. Creates a schedule for future entries. Allows for the upload of Journal Entries from an external source. This feature has received feedback from 22 Unanet GovCon reviewers.
Dimensions / Tags
According to 15 reviews on Unanet GovCon. Ability to customize dimensions, classifications, and categories for all transactions in the general ledger. These dimensions should be available on each transaction in any system module, and they should be reportable.
Customization of Invoices
The invoice template’s layout is totally adjustable, and you may add or delete fields as needed. Unanet GovCon reviews cited this feature 24 times.
Pricing and Costing of Inventory
Having the ability to set different price levels. Update pricing on an item-by-item or inventory-by-inventory basis. Multiple costing mechanisms are available, including Average, LIFO, FIFO, and Specific Unit.
Pricing:
Unanet GovCon has not provided pricing information for this product or service.
Pros:
- Unanet GovCon provides a great deal of assistance to its users. I’m confident that whatever my firm requires, I’ll be able to find it in Unanet’s database or support team!
- Unanet is a powerful system that does not require a large team to operate. It enables small firms to build up an adequate and audit-ready accounting system without needing to engage additional personnel.
- The Unanet team deserves kudos for making the implementation process so smooth. Unanet’s real-time data is exceptional. The application interface is excellent, particularly with the PNI/GovConPay/iSolved interface; we saved at least a full day. Timesheets are simple to operate. The Indirect Expense Statement (indirect rates) is excellent.
Cons:
- Unanet has nothing to be disliked about it. If there’s something we need the site to perform, they figure out how to make it happen or build exactly what’s needed to meet our requirements.
- Although I wish it were more economical, it is comparable to its competitors and has greater functionality inside its modules.
- Control and reporting roles need to be improved. While I enjoy Dashboards, a BEST PRACTICE approach to creating the best dashboard would be fantastic.
Microsoft Dynamics SL
Microsoft Dynamics SL is a software package from Microsoft. Project-driven enterprises need solutions that are productive, connected, and efficient. Government contractors, professional services firms, and construction enterprises all have unique customer, accounting, project management, and regulatory requirements that aren’t usually covered by typical accounting and business management software. Microsoft Dynamics SL is a project accounting solution designed to help you manage complex projects with ease. You’ll streamline procedures and gain genuine insight, allowing you to accurately estimate projects and complete them on time and on budget. What’s the end result? Greater control, increased profitability, and more flexibility to grow your business.
Features:
Construction
Improve sales, project management, job costing, materials management, and more—all while keeping your finance systems integrated.
Contracting with the government
Complete projects on schedule, on budget, and according to specifications, all while gathering and preserving the precise data required to address and comply with requirements.
Engineering and professional services
Make better, data-driven decisions, manage your people and financials and maintain your profitability for client services and projects profitable.
Pricing:
For this product or service, Microsoft Dynamics SL has not given pricing information.
Pros:
- It’s completely customizable
2. Extremely Strong Mobile Capabilities
3. Easy interoperability with other Microsoft products
Project-based accounting generates reports that are useful for managing and evaluating business units. Spreadsheets are frequently used to prepare inputs that may be copied and pasted into the relevant input boxes in Dynamics SL.
Cons:
- It necessitates extensive training.
2. Too many user interface changes
3. More external integrations are required.
There are situations when error messages do not provide enough information to determine the issue. In these situations, we may need to enlist the help of a third-party Dynamics support business to resolve the problem.
Synergy
Synergy is project management and business software for architects, engineers, and construction designers (AEC). Synergy is used by over 16,000 built-environment design professionals every day to assist them to complete their projects.
Synergy is like a business wingman – someone who has your back when it comes to shaping the built environment. It’s a completely cloud-based program that can be accessed from any web-enabled device. All you need is a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer with an internet connection and a web browser.
There are no downloads available. No installations. No manual updates. No annual fees. No contracts.
Features:
Projects
Manage projects with precision and accuracy.
Icon for document management
Documents
Quickly locate information and reply to requests
Icon for project collaboration
Portal for projects
In real-time, you may connect, share, and communicate.
Transmittals
Save time and money by reducing the number of document disputes.
Icon of forecasting
Forecasting
With certainty and precision, forecast
Icon for advanced forecasting
Forecasting in advance
Improve the quality of your business decisions
Pricing:
Professional $10 per month per user
$25 per month per user for businesses
Enterprise $45 per month per user
Pros:
- Synergy is simple to use and has been pre-configured for engineering and architecture firms. Short learning curve and is simple to integrate into day-to-day business operations and project management.
- Ascertaining that invoicing corresponds to the task’s completion stage/status/percentage complete. The number of meetings is being kept track of. Obtaining statistical data on the amount of time spent on tasks.
- Total Synergy is far more user-friendly than other project management software packages we’ve tried. It’s almost as if it was created specifically for building and development experts!
Cons:
Synergy is a browser-based platform that works with Chrome, and other browsers. They might also create an app that lets users do many of the same things they can on the web-based platform (such as completion of timesheets, sending files through the project communications portal, etc). Synergy should be able to accomplish this in the not-too-distant future.
The initial entry of clients and contacts was painful, but once completed, it was fantastic.
Conclusion
Fundamental financial requirements for service-based firms are considerably different from traditional manufacturing and supply-chain-centered enterprises in an environment where the most important element of the organization goes home at the end of every day. They must contain capabilities for managing resources (people) and projects, rather than focusing on people as an add-on to physical resources and plants (tasks).
Traditional ERP systems, on the other hand, are firmly established in the world of physical resource management for industrial companies, rendering them unsuitable for a world where resources are often significantly less tangible and management is based on a whole other set of relationships.
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