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What an ERP really costs a small business (it is not the licence)
The licence is the price of the ticket. The trip is what costs money.
18 September 2026 · 8 min read
Short answer: count five things, not one: the licence, the implementation, customisation, training, and the support you will need after go-live. For many small businesses, implementation alone ends up larger than years of licence fees.
The licence was the cheap part. Every small change after that was a quote.
The five costs to count
| Cost | What it is | Where it hides |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Per user or per app, monthly | Apps you need sold separately |
| Implementation | Setup, data migration, configuration | Partner day rates |
| Customisation | Making it fit how you work | Basic needs that become paid development |
| Training | Getting the team to use it | Time away from real work |
| Support | Help after go-live | Fast answers sold as a premium package |
Warning signs in a quote
- Local tax and mobile money are "possible with customisation".
- A coaching package is presented as if it were a full implementation.
- Go-live is planned in quarters, not weeks.
- Changing a workflow needs a developer.
How KromaOS keeps the cost where you can see it
Questions to ask any ERP vendor
- What is the total for year one, including setup?
- Is Rwanda's tax built in, or a partner add-on?
- Can my team change a workflow without paying anyone?
- Can I run several companies in one account?
- What happens to my data if I leave?
A day, after
Go-live week, not go-live year
- MondayPick the industry, import clients and products from CSV.
- TuesdayConnect the bank and wallets, set opening balances.
- WednesdayInvite the team. Each department sees its own tabs.
- ThursdayFirst invoices out with EBM receipts.
- FridayYou look at one dashboard instead of five spreadsheets.
Questions people ask
Why are ERP implementations so expensive?
Because general-purpose systems need to be shaped to each business and country. The more that comes ready, the less you pay someone to build.
Is an open-source ERP free?
The software may be, but setup, hosting, local tax configuration and support are not. Count those before deciding.
Run the whole business from one place
Sales, books, money, people and trucks in one workspace. Set up in an afternoon, built for how business works in Rwanda.
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