What types of ERP vendor are there in Switzerland?
Broadly there are four types. Which one fits depends mainly on your size and on how far your processes differ from the standard.
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Makers of their own software
Software and implementation come from one source. In return, you are tied to that maker.
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Partners for international systems
They implement a large vendor's software. Check who supplies the Swiss features.
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Subscription programs for small firms
Quick to start and inexpensive. They are more likely to reach their limits with individual processes.
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Partners for open‑source ERP
No licence fees and open data. Quality depends heavily on the partner.
What should you ask an ERP vendor?
Ask every vendor the same questions and have the answers shown to you in the system.
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Swiss features
Are QR-bill, VAT return and payroll standard, and who maintains them when the law changes?
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Implementation and operation
Who implements, who runs the system and who is your contact when something fails?
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Total cost
What do software, implementation, operation and changes cost over several years?
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Data and exit
Where is your data, and in what format do you get it at the end of the contract?
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References
Which customers in your industry can you talk to yourself?
How do you recognise a good ERP quotation?
A good quotation separates one-off and running costs and describes what each work package includes. It is based on a documented assessment of your processes, not on an estimate from a sales meeting.
Ask who carries the risk if the effort turns out higher: with a fixed price per work package, the vendor does.
When is Centura the right vendor, and when not?
Centura suits Swiss SMEs that want end-to-end processes on ERPNext, with implementation, operation and support from one team. Our focus is manufacturing.
We are not the right fit if you only need simple bookkeeping or have a budget below the entry level from CHF 15'000. For companies outside the DACH region, we are usually not the first choice either.