ERP - Crunch the Real Numbers

Most ERP quotes look reasonable (here’s a typical mid-sized manufacturing company costs example - for illustration purposes): $50k for software, $25k for basic implementation, $10k for training. Total = $85k. Tempting? That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Real‑world projects often balloon to $550k after custom coding, data migration, integrations, change management and consultant fees. Small business makers just don’t have that kind of cash.

The 5 Biggest Money Pits

1. The Customization Trap – If you want your ERP to match how you actually work—managing cut lists, batch recipes or track sample kits—vendors call it “custom development.” You’re on the hook for the bill and every future upgrade.
2. The Integration Tax – Connecting your CRM, e‑commerce site, machine monitors or lab instruments becomes a mini‑project. $20k for CRM, $15k for shipping, $30k for machine monitoring. It adds up.
3. The Upgrade Ransom – Stay current or lose support. Upgrades break your customizations. You pay either way.
4. The User License Gotcha – You start with ten users. Growth means more licenses forever. It’s a tax on your success.
5. Consultant Dependency – Your own team can’t touch the core system. Every change is billable hours back to the vendor.

Why Tangle Wins

Tangle.io smashes this model. Pricing is transparent—one subscription covers everything. Updates and support are included, and they don’t break your operations. Configurations—not customisations—let you adapt the system without code. AI prompts empower your team to build new checks and workflows by simply describing them in plain english.

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