Process diagnosis
We map how you currently manage projects, timesheets, quotes and invoicing. We identify the bottlenecks and the data that gets lost between tools. We deliver a requirements document that serves as the basis for configuration.
ERP sectorial
ERP for professional services
Service businesses don't fail for lack of work; they fail because they can't tell which projects are profitable, whose hours to invoice and how much they're really collecting. An ERP built for your sector unites project management, time tracking, invoicing and treasury in a single system.
A consultancy, a law firm or an engineering company faces a data problem that generic ERPs don't solve well: the product it sells is time and knowledge, not stock units. It needs to know how many hours have gone into each client, which portion is billable, what the real project margin is, and whether the team is overloaded or underutilised. Without that information in real time, decisions are made blind or with spreadsheets nobody keeps up to date.
A sector-specific ERP for professional services — implemented and configured for your business model — solves exactly that. It connects each consultant or technician's timesheet with the project record, automatically applies the agreed rates (standard hour, hour bank, fixed price or time & materials), generates the invoice draft without manual work and submits it to the e-invoicing system in compliance with the Verifactu requirements, mandatory from 2027. The project manager and the CFO see the same numbers at the same time.
At Summum Sistemas we have been implementing management software for SMEs in Castilla y León and the Canary Islands since 2007. We know the real workflows of a service business: the delivery note approval before invoicing, the personal income tax withholding on the invoice, the tracking of advance payments and the monthly bank reconciliation. We don't arrive with a generic demo; we arrive with a process questionnaire and leave with a system that fits the way your team works, not the other way round.
The ERP for professional services process.
The process · four stagesERP selection and configuration
Based on your size, sector and budget, we recommend the most suitable platform (Odoo, Holded, Dynamics 365 Business Central or another). We configure the project, timesheet, CRM, invoicing and treasury modules to match your rates and cost structures.
Data migration and training
We import clients, active projects, rates and outstanding balances from your current systems. We train each user profile: technical staff for time entry, project managers for monitoring, and the finance team for invoicing and month-end close.
Go-live and ongoing support
We accompany you through the first full billing cycle in the new system. We resolve the issues that arise in real operations and adjust workflows when practice reveals needs not spotted during analysis. Afterwards we provide ongoing functional support.
What is included
What ERP for professional services includes.
The operational detail: what we deliver as part of the work and what we keep alive afterwards.
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Integrated project management
Project records with budget, phases, tasks, assigned team and real-time status. The financial progress (hours consumed vs. budgeted) is visible to the project manager without extracting data.
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Time tracking and profitability
Daily or weekly timesheets per employee and project. Differentiation between internal, billable and non-billable hours. Automatic calculation of margin per project and per client.
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Automated invoicing
Invoice generation from approved timesheets, with automatic application of rates, income tax withholdings, VAT and agreed payment terms. Compatible with Verifactu e-invoicing requirements.
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CRM and sales pipeline
Opportunity pipeline, quotes and one-click conversion to project. Complete relationship history for each client: proposals, projects, invoices and payments on a single screen.
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Treasury and collections
Due-date control, SEPA direct debits, automatic bank reconciliation and 30–90-day cash flow forecasting. The finance team stops chasing scattered information.
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Management dashboards
Control panels showing team utilisation, active project portfolio, cumulative monthly invoicing and the new-opportunity pipeline. Exportable to Excel or connectable to BI tools.
Summum cluster
How it connects with its sisters.
A services ERP doesn't work in isolation: document-workflow automation is covered by Summum IA, Verifactu e-invoicing compliance by our dedicated Sistemas service, and HR and time-and-attendance management by the HR module we also implement.
sistemas
Summum sistemas
The services ERP generates the invoices; Verifactu ensures they are issued in the legally required format with registration at the AEAT.
View service → sistemasSummum sistemas
Automate the repetitive back-office workflows (approvals, notifications, synchronisation with other apps) that surround the ERP.
View service → iaSummum ia
AI processes and classifies client emails, extracts data from proposals and feeds it into the ERP's CRM without manual work from the sales team.
View service →Frequently asked questions about ERP for professional services.
What is the difference between a generic ERP and one configured for professional services?
A generic ERP is designed for businesses that buy, transform and sell physical products: it manages stock, warehouses and manufacturing orders. A service business has no stock; its asset is its team's hours. An ERP configured for services includes modules for time entry, project profitability tracking, time-based invoicing and management of hour banks contracted by the client. Installing it without configuring it for your sector means working with features you don't need and without the ones you do.
How long does implementation take?
For a company of between 10 and 50 people, the typical range is 2 to 4 months: one month of analysis and configuration, one of testing with real data, and one or two of supervised operation through the first monthly close in the new system. Larger projects or those with complex integrations require longer timelines that we define in the proposal.
Which ERP platforms do you implement for professional services?
We work primarily with Odoo (Community and Enterprise), Holded and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. The recommendation depends on size, the level of customisation required and the budget. We are not exclusive resellers of any platform; we recommend whichever fits your business best.
Can the ERP handle fixed-price and time-and-materials projects at the same time?
Yes. Most service businesses mix both models depending on the client or the engagement type. The ERP is configured so that each project has its own independent billing method: fixed price with milestones, hour bank, hourly rate or combinations. Billing rules are applied automatically when the timesheet is closed.
How does it integrate with mandatory e-invoicing (Verifactu)?
Invoices generated by the ERP are submitted to the Verifactu system before being delivered to the client, in compliance with the Anti-Fraud Act (Ley 11/2021) and the e-invoicing regulation. Our Sistemas team configures and maintains that integration. For more detail on regulatory compliance, see our dedicated Verifactu and e-invoicing service.