An ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a single system where stock, sales, purchasing, invoicing and financial data all live together, so that each piece of information is entered once and is then available to every department.
Its value is not the feature list. It is that the same information stops living in three spreadsheets with three different prices.
Want to know whether it pays off for you today?
Request a free needs assessment and you will get an honest answer, even if that answer is “not yet”.
What an ERP includes
ERPs are sold in modules. You buy the ones you need and add more later.
| Module | What it covers | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Sales & purchasing | Orders, price lists, discounts | Almost everyone |
| Inventory | Stock, batches, multiple warehouses | Trade, manufacturing |
| Invoicing & myDATA | Tax documents and transmission to the authority | Mandatory for all |
| Finance | Receipts, payments, cash flow | Everyone |
| CRM | Customer records, opportunities, contact history | Businesses with a sales team |
| Manufacturing | Recipes, costing, scheduling | Production units |
| HR | Rotas, leave, payroll | From roughly 15–20 staff up |
The common mistake is buying modules “for the future”. You pay for licences nobody uses and complicate the training.
ERP, accounting software, or commercial software?
The three get confused, because in the Greek market the boundaries are blurred.
- Accounting software: mostly serves your accountant — books, returns, trial balances.
- Commercial software: invoicing, stock, customers. It comfortably covers most small businesses.
- ERP: all of the above, connected, with workflows, user permissions and real-time reporting.
If your business has up to five people and one warehouse, commercial software is usually enough. An ERP starts to make sense when several departments are involved.
Does my business need an ERP? The six signs
It is a question of complexity, not size. If you recognise three or more of these, the conversation has substance.
- The same record is entered twice. Once in the commercial system, once in the warehouse manager’s spreadsheet.
- You cannot see real stock levels without asking someone.
- Reports take days. Month-end is a project, not a button.
- Every new customer or product means work in three systems.
- Invoicing errors appear every month and your accountant finds them.
- You cannot quickly answer how much margin each product category makes.
If you recognise only one or two, you probably do not need an ERP — you need cleaner processes. That step is covered in our guide to the first steps of digital transformation.
Cloud or on-premise?
The choice changes the shape of your costs and your responsibilities.
| Cloud (subscription) | On-premise | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Low | High (licences + hardware) |
| Ongoing cost | Fixed per-user subscription | Annual support contract |
| Updates | Automatic | Yours, scheduled |
| Access away from the office | Immediate | Needs configuration |
| Backup responsibility | The provider’s | Yours |
| Customisation | More constrained | More open |
For businesses up to about 30 users, cloud is almost always the more sensible starting point. On-premise is justified by unusual data requirements or heavy customisation.
What does an ERP cost in Greece?
Cost has three parts, and it is the third that gets forgotten.
| Component | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Licences | Per user and module, monthly or one-off |
| Implementation & configuration | €2,000 – €15,000 depending on complexity |
| Data migration & cleanup | €300 – €2,000 |
| E-shop integration (basic) | €1,200 – €3,500 |
| E-shop integration (advanced or B2B) | €3,500 – €15,000 |
| User training | €300 – €1,500 |
| Monthly integration maintenance | €50 – €250 |
The data cleanup line is the most underrated. An ERP that inherits duplicated customers and wrong product codes simply automates the mess.
Ask every vendor for a separate line for each of the above. A comparable quote is one that itemises, not one that gives a single figure.
Holding ERP quotes that will not compare?
Send them to us and we will tell you what each one includes and what gets added later.
How long does implementation take?
| Scenario | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Basic sales and purchasing, one site | 3–6 weeks |
| With inventory and multiple warehouses | 6–12 weeks |
| With e-shop and marketplace integration | 8–16 weeks |
| With manufacturing or B2B pricing rules | 3–6 months |
Delays almost never come from the software. They come from your data, and from how quickly your people answer the implementer’s questions.
Connecting to your e-shop and myDATA
If you sell online, an ERP only makes sense if it talks to your store. The flow you want is simple to describe and demanding to build:
- Products and prices flow from the ERP to the e-shop.
- Stock updates both ways, in real time.
- Orders land in the ERP without retyping.
- Tax documents are issued and transmitted to the authority automatically.
That last part is now mandatory. The full guide is here: connecting an e-shop to myDATA.
The five mistakes that inflate the project
- Choosing on the feature list. Features you will never use have no value.
- Skipping data cleanup. It is the cheapest investment with the highest return.
- No internal owner. You need one person with time, not a committee.
- Going live in every department at once. Start with one and expand.
- No training after handover. The knowledge leaves with the first person who resigns.
Frequently asked questions
Can a five-person business have an ERP?
It can, but it rarely pays. Commercial software with good processes usually returns more.
Do I lose my data if I change ERP?
No, provided you agreed on data export in an open format. Ask for it in writing before signing.
Does an ERP replace my accountant?
No. It reduces manual work and improves the quality of the data reaching them.
Do I need a separate CRM?
Many ERPs include a CRM module. If your sales team has a complex process, a specialised CRM usually works better.
How often do businesses change ERP?
Typically every 7–10 years. That is why data export and open integration matter more than any single feature.
What to do before requesting quotes
Write down three things: how many people will use it, which three processes hurt most, and how many hours a month those three cost you.
With those, any serious vendor can propose the right modules. Without them, they will propose the full package.
For the wider context, see our guide to what digital transformation means.
Next step
Book a free 30-minute meeting with the team at The Dev Alley. We will look at your processes together and tell you whether you need an ERP, commercial software, or simply to connect the tools you already own.