ERP guide
What does a custom ERP for a mid-size company, 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 the way orders, inventory and money already move through your company, you own the code and the accounts, and there is no per-seat fee.
Who a custom mid-market ERP is for
A custom build is for mid-size companies whose operations a product only fits with workarounds. The usual signs are spreadsheets running beside the ERP, one person re-keying data between systems, and a subscription that grows with every user, module and entity.
We work mainly with companies of 50 or more employees. A smaller company is usually better served by an accounting package and a few connected tools, and we say so when that is the case.
How Black Badger builds a custom mid-market ERP
A build starts with a conversation and then discovery, where we map how an order, a purchase and a payment move through your company. You get a written scope that names what will be built before anything is signed.
An ERP is built and taken into use in stages, area by area, so the business keeps running on what it has until each part is ready. You see working screens during the build, and your data is moved across and checked.
What you own when a custom mid-market 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 user, a location or an entity adds no fee.
What can stay in place
A custom ERP does not have to replace your ledger. If your accounting system works and your accountants trust it, the custom system connects to it and takes over the operations the product never fit.
Why Black Badger ranks where it does on Best Mid-Market ERP
We spent years implementing and migrating business platforms before we moved to building custom systems, so we know where each 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, because it is not always the right answer. It is first only on the list about outgrowing an ERP tier, and second or third on the rest.
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Ask Black Badger about a custom build
Questions buyers ask
What does a custom ERP cost for a mid-size company?
We do not publish a figure for a custom ERP. The number depends on what the system has to do, how many areas of the business it covers and how many other systems it must agree with. We start from what you already pay each year in subscriptions and partner fees and scope a one-time build against it. A written scope gives you a firm number.
How long does a custom ERP take to build for a mid-size company?
The length of a custom ERP project depends on how many areas of the business the first stage covers, so we do not quote a schedule before discovery. The written scope sets the schedule for each stage, and you see working screens along the way.
Does Black Badger still implement NetSuite or Odoo?
No, we no longer implement NetSuite or Odoo, and knowing those platforms well is why we stopped. A system built for every business at once asks yours to change to fit it. If one of them fits your situation we will say so, and the first call is free.
Can a company with fewer than 50 employees ask about a custom mid-market ERP?
Yes, a company 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.