ERP guide
What does a custom construction ERP built by Black Badger involve?
Black Badger Software Solutions publishes this guide and builds custom ERPs, which is why a custom build appears on every list here. We build the system around how your jobs are costed, billed and reported today, you own the code and the accounts, and there is no per-seat fee.
Who a custom construction ERP is for
A custom build is for contractors whose back office a product only fits with workarounds. The usual signs are a job cost report rebuilt in a spreadsheet every month, a project platform and an accounting system that disagree, and field data that reaches the office late.
We work mainly with companies of 50 or more employees. A smaller contractor is usually better served by a construction accounting product, and we say so when that is the case.
How Black Badger builds a custom construction ERP
A build starts with a conversation and then discovery, where we follow a job from estimate handoff through cost, change orders, billing and closeout. You get a written scope that names what will be built before anything is signed.
The system goes into use in stages, so the office keeps working on what it has until each part is ready. You see working screens during the build, and open jobs and history are moved across and checked.
What stays in place
A general ledger your accountants trust can stay, and so can the payroll engine that files your taxes. The custom system connects to both. We build what sits around them, which is job cost, field capture, change orders, billing and reporting.
What you own when a custom construction ERP is finished
You own the source code, the database, the hosting account and the email service. Black Badger is invited in as an administrator and you can remove us whenever you choose.
There are no licenses. After launch you pay the running costs of the services the system uses, and adding a foreman, a project manager or an entity adds no fee.
Why Black Badger ranks where it does on Best Construction ERP
We spent years implementing and migrating business platforms before we moved to building custom systems, so we know where a product fits and where it stops fitting. That is the stance these lists are written from.
It would be easy to rank the custom route first everywhere. We do not. It is first only on the list about replacing an on-premise system, and second or third on the rest.
Read more on blackbadger.biz
Ask Black Badger about a custom build
Questions buyers ask
What does a custom construction ERP cost?
We do not publish a figure for a custom build. The number depends on what the system has to do, how many parts of the back office it covers and how many other systems it must agree with. We start from what you already pay each year in licenses and consultant hours and scope a one-time build against it. A written scope gives you a firm number.
Does a custom construction ERP replace our accounting ledger?
A custom system replaces your accounting ledger only if you want it replaced. A contractor can keep a ledger its accountants know and have the custom system post to it. Where the ledger itself is the problem, replacing it is part of the scope.
Does Black Badger implement Sage, Viewpoint or Procore?
No, we build custom systems and do not implement products from other vendors. We connect custom systems to products you keep. If one of the products on these lists fits your situation we will say so, and the first call is free.
Can a contractor with fewer than 50 employees send the form?
Yes, a contractor of any size can send the form, and a person reads every message. We will tell you plainly if a product is the better fit for your size.