Professional Services · ERP Australia

ERP for Australian professional services firms

ERP for consulting, engineering, architecture and agency firms that bill for time and projects.
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Professional Services ERP in Australia

ERP for professional services in Australia ties time, projects, billing and finance together so WIP and project margins are visible while work is under way. SyncBricks helps consultancies, engineering practices, architects and agencies map how they quote, deliver and bill, choose between a PSA tool and a full ERP, then implement and integrate it.

Common professional services problems an ERP should solve

  • Time is captured in one system, billed in another and reported in a third
  • Utilisation and realisation are calculated monthly in spreadsheets
  • WIP and write-offs are found too late to act on
  • Project profitability is unclear until invoices go out
  • Resource planning lives on a whiteboard or shared sheet
  • Retainers and recurring billing depend on someone remembering

What to look for in a professional services ERP

Use these as scenarios in vendor demos, not as a tick-box list.

Time and expense capture

Simple time entry against projects and tasks on any device, with approvals and expenses that flow straight to billing.

Project budgets and WIP

Budgets by phase or stage, unbilled WIP visible at any time, and write-ups and write-offs recorded with a reason.

Billing models

Fixed fee, time and materials, milestones, retainers and progress billing, sometimes on the same project.

Utilisation and resourcing

Who is booked, who is available and what the forecast workload looks like, with utilisation and realisation reported without spreadsheets.

Finance integration

Invoices, payments and payroll costs flowing to the general ledger, whether that is inside the same system or in Xero or MYOB.

The options businesses usually compare

Australian professional services firms commonly compare dedicated practice and PSA tools, such as WorkflowMax, Accelo, Kantata and Deltek, connected to Xero or MYOB, with ERPs that include projects and timesheets, such as NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central with a project add-on, and ERPNext. Smaller firms often do well with a PSA tool and Xero. Larger or multi-entity firms tend to look at an ERP when billing, resourcing and finance need to share one set of data.

For a neutral overview of the general platforms, see the best ERP software in Australia.

Systems we often see

WorkflowMaxAcceloKantataDeltekNetSuiteMicrosoft Dynamics 365 Business CentralERPNext

Common integrations

XeroMYOBHubSpot or SalesforceHarvest or TogglExpense management (Weel, Expensify)Microsoft 365

How we help professional services businesses

We map the process first, then help you choose, implement and connect the system.

What we do

  • Process mapping from proposal and engagement through delivery, billing and collection
  • Independent selection between a PSA tool with Xero and a full ERP
  • ERPNext configuration for projects, timesheets, billing rules and approvals
  • Integration with Xero or MYOB, CRM, payroll and expense tools
  • Data migration of clients, active projects, WIP and rates
  • Training for project leads, staff and accounts, plus ongoing support

What we aim for

  • WIP and project margin visible during the engagement, not after
  • Utilisation reported from the system instead of spreadsheets
  • Invoices prepared from approved time and agreed billing rules
  • Resourcing decisions based on a shared view of who is booked

FAQ

Professional Services ERP questions

Which ERP suits an Australian professional services firm?

It depends on headcount, billing models, the number of entities and how much resource planning you need. Smaller firms are often well served by a PSA tool such as WorkflowMax or Accelo with Xero. Larger or more complex firms commonly look at NetSuite, Business Central with a project add-on, Kantata or ERPNext. We compare options against your mapped process rather than a generic feature list.

Can we keep Xero and add a PSA tool on top?

Yes, and for many firms that is the sensible answer. The PSA tool handles time, projects and invoicing, and pushes invoices, contacts and payments to Xero. We set up and support the integration, including what happens when an invoice is edited or voided, so the two systems stay in agreement.

Does ERPNext work for professional services?

ERPNext includes projects, tasks, timesheets, billing from timesheets, sales invoices and accounting in one system, with no per user licence fee. It suits firms that bill for time and want projects and finance in the same place. Resource planning is more basic than in specialist PSA tools, which we cover during selection so you can judge whether it matters for you.

How do you handle retainers and recurring fees?

We set up retainer agreements with scheduled invoices, track time used against each retainer, and define what happens with overruns or unused hours. Reports show retainer consumption by client so account leads can raise it with the client before the next renewal, rather than after an overrun has built up.

Related

Planning a professional services ERP project?

Tell us how the business runs today and what is not working. We will help you work out what to do next.

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