If you’re looking at a new ERP or operations system, here’s the biggest thing I want you to keep in mind:

Don’t pick software you have to fight. Pick a system that already fits how your business works.

Because the moment you choose a system that doesn’t match your reality, you end up paying for it twice:

• Once in the licence and implementation
• Then again in custom work, workarounds, delays, and frustration

The hidden cost most business owners don’t see: the “customisation tax”

Custom work isn’t always bad. Sometimes it’s genuinely needed.

But it’s also one of the main reasons projects run over time and over budget.

Every customisation usually means:

• More time in discovery (“how should this work for you?”)
• More build time (“let’s create it”)
• More testing (“does it break anything else?”)
• More training (“your team needs to learn a ‘special’ way of doing it”)
• More support long-term (“who maintains it when the system updates?”)

In plain English: customisation multiplies effort. And effort multiplies cost.

Where custom work normally creeps in (and why it adds up fast)

When I’m speaking to business owners, the custom work almost always shows up in the same areas.

1) Your quoting process

Quoting sounds simple until you look at how you actually sell.

You might need things like:

• Price breaks, mark-ups, margin rules
• Bundles, variants, kits, or made-to-order items
• Customer-specific pricing
• Approval steps before a quote goes out

If the system’s quoting doesn’t match your industry, you’ll either:

• Force your team into clunky workarounds, or
• Pay to rebuild quoting so it works properly

2) Your workflow (how you deliver what you sell)

This is usually the biggest one.

Your workflow might include:

• Production stages
• Outsourced steps
• Quality checks
• Multiple warehouses or locations
• Stock rules, batch/serial tracking
• Supplier lead times and dependencies

If the software assumes a “standard” process and yours is different, you’ll feel it quickly and that’s where custom work starts stacking up.

3) Your accounting nuances

Even businesses with similar turnover can have totally different accounting needs.

For example:

• VAT handling and reporting
• Approval processes
• How you want costs and revenue tracked
• The reports you rely on to make decisions

If the system can’t handle the basics cleanly, you end up bolting on extra tools or customising the accounting side and that can get expensive fast.

4) Your external systems (the “it all needs to talk” problem)

This is the silent budget killer.

If you need your ERP to connect to things like:

• eCommerce
• Shipping platforms
• Payment providers
• Warehouse tools
• CRMs
• Supplier systems
• Reporting tools

…each integration adds design, build, testing, and maintenance.

It’s doable — but it’s rarely “quick”.

The smarter approach: fit-first, then customise only where it pays back

What I recommend (and what I’ve seen work best) is this:

Choose a system that already covers 80–90% of what you need out of the box.Then only customise the last 10–20% where it genuinely gives you a return.

That keeps your project:

• Faster to implement
• Easier for your team to learn
• Easier to support long-term
• Less risky at go-live

Industry-specific systems vs flexible platforms

You’ve generally got two good routes:

Option A: Industry-specific systems

These are built around a particular business type, so the workflows are already close to what you need.

Pros

• Faster setup
• Less custom work
• More “this is how your industry works” features

Cons

• Less flexible if your business is unusual
• Can be harder to integrate or extend
• You’re tied to that vendor’s roadmap

Option B: Flexible platforms with presets

Odoo is a great example because it’s flexible and it gives you a head start.

Instead of building everything from scratch, you can start from a preset that matches your business type. Odoo has presets for 100+ business types, which can massively reduce setup time and complexity.

Pros

• Strong starting point
• Flexible as you grow
• Can adapt without reinventing everything

Cons

• You still need proper scoping (presets aren’t magic)
• You need someone who knows when to configure vs when to customise

A quick checklist before you choose

If you’re currently looking at systems, ask these questions before you commit:

1. Can it handle your quoting process without custom development?
2. Does it match your fulfilment/production workflow out of the box?
3. Does it support your accounting needs cleanly?
4. What external systems must it integrate with and are those integrations proven?
5. What are you planning to customise and is it truly necessary?

If the answers are vague, that’s usually a sign the project will drift.

Final thought: simple beats “perfect”

A system that fits well and goes live smoothly will beat a “perfect” system that takes 12 months, costs double, and never quite lands.

If you choose fit-first, you avoid the customisation tax and you give your team a system your staff will actually use.

If you want, tell me your industry, team size, and what you’re using today (even if it’s spreadsheets). I’ll tell you what I’d look for in a “best fit” system no pressure, just practical advice.