All guides

How cloud SaaS, partner-hosted and on-premise ERP compare on upfront and ongoing cost, upgrades, security, data location and exit, with an illustrative five-year model.

The Australian rules an ERP or its connected payroll must handle in 2026, including Single Touch Payroll Phase 2, Payday Super, GST, Peppol e-invoicing and the Privacy Act.

What goes into an ERP implementation quote in Australia, how partner day rates, fixed-price scopes, migration and training are costed, and how to spot gaps.

How ERP vendors charge, including named and concurrent users, full and light licences, base fees, modules, transaction tiers and minimums, with illustrative maths.

How ERP is priced in Australia, from per-user subscriptions to implementation, migration, support and renewals, with an illustrative five-year cost breakdown.

How USD billing changes your ERP budget, how GST applies to imported digital services for GST-registered businesses, and how to quote your ABN correctly.

The core and optional modules in an ERP, how they differ from accounting software, and how to scope phase one so you do not pay for modules you will not use.

Illustrative ERP project timelines by business size, the phases and decisions in each, Australian calendar dates to avoid, and how delays add cost.

How to estimate ERP savings honestly, net them against higher running costs, and calculate payback, including a post-go-live productivity dip. Illustrative figures.

How SaaS and ERP renewal uplifts work, the clauses that set them, how they compound over five years, and how to negotiate a cap before you sign. Illustrative maths.

A practical ERP selection process for small and mid-sized Australian businesses, from requirements and shortlisting to scripted demos, references, quotes and contract review.

How SaaS subscriptions, licences, implementation work and hardware are generally treated for Australian tax, the $20,000 small business instant asset write-off, GST credits and where to check.

A step-by-step ERP TCO calculation comparing an SMB suite and a mid-market cloud ERP over three and five years, including internal time, contingency and renewal uplifts.

A method for putting differently structured ERP proposals on the same basis, with a three-quote illustrative example covering AUD vs USD, GST, fixed vs time-and-materials and exclusions.

The cost lines that most often exceed an ERP budget, an illustrative overrun breakdown, how to size and control contingency, and what to do when spend runs ahead of plan.

The SaaS and ERP contract clauses that cost small businesses most, how Australia's unfair contract terms regime and its penalties since 9 November 2023 apply, and what to negotiate.

How to plan your exit from an ERP or SaaS contract before you sign, what data to export and in what format, illustrative exit costs, and how to meet record-keeping duties after switching.

Steps to resolve a dispute with an ERP vendor or implementation partner, the federal and state bodies that help small businesses, and the official sources for tax, payroll, privacy and contract rules.

What the Privacy Act 1988, the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme and the 2024 amendments mean for businesses running ERP, plus data location, sub-processors and contract terms.

The recurring patterns behind failed or troubled ERP projects, the warning signs at each stage, and the practical controls that small and mid-sized businesses can put in place.

What ERP and SaaS service level agreements promise, how uptime percentages translate into hours of downtime, how small service credits are, and what to ask for.