Construction ERP that connects BOQ to actual project cost
Vendor-neutral ERP rollouts — selection, fit-gap analysis, phased go-live, change management, integration with legacy systems.
Note: We implement ERPs but do not resell licences. Vendor-neutral — we recommend the system that fits, not the one with the biggest commission.
Short answer for ERP buyers
Construction ERP should connect BOQ and budget to requisitions, purchase orders, site receipt, inventory, subcontractor progress billing, retention and actual cost. When those records remain in separate spreadsheets, budget overruns appear after period close rather than while the team can still act.
Workflow and planning model checked:
Workflow from BOQ to project margin
A shared project/WBS and cost-code structure across budget, purchasing, stock, subcontractors and accounting makes committed and actual cost comparable.
1. BOQ and budget baseline
Load the BOQ into project/WBS cost codes for materials, labour, plant and subcontractors, with versions and approval for budget changes.
2. Site request to PO
Check requests against budget and available stock, consolidate approved requests into POs and record committed cost before delivery.
3. Site receipt and stock
Handle partial receipts, site transfers and returns with a named receiver and project/cost-code attribution.
4. Subcontractor and retention
Track contract, progress claim, certification, advance recovery, retention and release conditions.
5. Change order and forecast
Separate approved, pending and rejected variations and show their effect on budget, commitments, cash flow and forecast margin.
6. Project cost report
Compare budget, committed, actual, accrual and estimate-to-complete by project/WBS with drill-down to source documents.
Construction ERP budgeting model
This example assumes one legal entity, 2–5 active projects, one approval flow and one accounting integration. It uses THB 7,000 per man-day for planning, not as a market statistic or fixed quotation.
| Workstream | Estimated effort | Cost model | Assumption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core ERP + project/WBS | 20–30 man-days | THB 140,000–210,000 | Standard sales, purchasing and stock flows |
| BOQ, budget and approvals | 6–12 man-days | THB 42,000–84,000 | A reusable BOQ and cost-code model exists |
| Subcontract + retention | 6–12 man-days | THB 42,000–84,000 | Contract and billing patterns are reasonably consistent |
| Migration + UAT + training | 6–10 man-days | THB 42,000–70,000 | An owner reconciles active-project data |
Pricing boundary: The illustrative total is roughly 30–60 man-days, or THB 210,000–420,000, depending on standard-flow reuse. Licences, cloud, mobile/offline apps, hardware, accounting/bank integrations and out-of-model customisation are separate.
Recurring costs kept separate
- User/module licences
- Cloud, backups and monitoring
- Mobile/offline, OCR or document storage
- Support, upgrade testing and change requests
Inputs required for a real estimate
- Sample BOQ, WBS/cost codes and current margin report
- Sites, warehouses, entities, users and active-project count
- Approval flows for purchasing, budget change and progress certification
- Accounting, payroll, plant or procurement systems to integrate
Construction-specific acceptance criteria
- PO and receipt update committed/actual cost against the correct project and code
- Partial receipt, transfer, return and cancellation do not duplicate stock or cost
- Progress claims, advances and retention reconcile to contract
- Budget–committed–actual reports drill down to documents
- Approval and audit trails work for over-budget requests and BOQ changes
Construction ERP questions
How is construction ERP different from general ERP?
It needs a project/WBS and cost-code layer connecting BOQ, budget, purchasing, site stock, subcontractors, retention and forecasting—not only general accounting and inventory.
Can we start with purchasing and project cost only?
Yes. Starting with budget, requisition/PO, receipt and project cost is often safer than a big-bang go-live; subcontractor or accounting scope can follow once the data stabilises.
How much does construction ERP cost?
The stated planning example is 30–60 man-days, or THB 210,000–420,000 at THB 7,000 per man-day, under the visible assumptions. Licences, cloud, hardware and external integrations are separate.
Related decision pages
ERP Implementation in other industries
In other regions
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