Every kind of ERP, in plain words.
What an ERP is, which kind fits which business and industry, what each module does, and which Indian rules it has to keep. Short enough to read before a demo.
ERP basics 7 By business 6 By industry 19 By module 20 Monthly due dates
ERP basics
Start here: what an ERP is and how to pick one
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What is an ERP?
One system for the whole business, and how it differs from accounting software.
3 rules · 4 points -
Moving from Tally or Excel
What to bring across, in what order, and how long it takes.
2 rules · 4 points -
Cloud vs on-premise ERP
Rented in the browser or installed on your own server.
3 rules · 3 points -
What an ERP really costs
Licence, setup, training and the costs nobody quotes.
2 rules · 4 points -
ERP implementation steps
From the first meeting to go-live, in six steps.
2 rules · 6 points -
How to choose an ERP
A checklist and the questions to ask every vendor.
3 rules · 5 points -
Data security and who owns your data
Access, backups, logs and getting your data back.
3 rules · 4 points
By business
Which ERP fits which business
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Manufacturing ERP
Order to dispatch in a factory: material, machines, lots and cost.
5 rules · 4 gains -
Trading and distribution ERP
Buy, stock and resell: wholesalers, distributors and stockists.
5 rules · 4 gains -
Retail ERP
Counter billing, many items, barcodes and stock in every store.
4 rules · 4 gains -
Services and project ERP
Projects, people's time and billing for service firms.
4 rules · 4 gains -
Enterprise ERP
Several companies, plants or states under one group.
5 rules · 4 gains -
ERP for small businesses (MSME)
For a business that has outgrown Tally, Excel and WhatsApp.
6 rules · 4 gains
By industry
ERP for your industry, with its own rules
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Auto components
Schedules from OEMs, lots, rejections and job work.
4 rules · 4 gains -
Engineering, fabrication and foundry
Machine shops, fabricators, pumps and valves, castings and forgings.
4 rules · 4 gains -
Textiles: spinning, weaving, processing
Yarn and fabric lots, counts, job work and inverted duty.
4 rules · 3 gains -
Garments and knitwear
Styles, sizes and colours, export orders and job work.
4 rules · 3 gains -
Plastics, rubber and packaging
Moulds, batch weights, scrap regrind and EPR.
4 rules · 3 gains -
Electrical and electronics
Multi-level assemblies, serial numbers, warranty and e-waste.
3 rules · 3 gains -
Food processing and FMCG
Batches, expiry, FSSAI labels and recall.
5 rules · 3 gains -
Rice mills and agri-processing
Buying from farmers, yields and by-products.
4 rules · 3 gains -
Chemicals and paints
Formulas, batches, hazardous waste and consents.
3 rules · 3 gains -
Pharmaceuticals
Batch records, GMP, licences and QR codes.
4 rules · 3 gains -
Furniture and wood
Made-to-order BOMs, timber stock and finishing.
3 rules · 3 gains -
Jewellery
Gold by weight, karigar job work, hallmarking.
3 rules · 3 gains -
FMCG distribution
Beats, schemes, credit notes and fast stock.
4 rules · 3 gains -
Exporters
Foreign currency, LUT, shipping bills and realisation.
4 rules · 3 gains -
E-commerce sellers
Marketplace orders, TCS credit and returns.
4 rules · 3 gains -
Construction and real estate
Projects, sites, contractors and RERA.
4 rules · 3 gains -
Logistics and transport
Fleet, trips, e-way bills and GTA tax.
3 rules · 3 gains -
Healthcare and clinics
Pharmacy stock, bio-medical waste, registrations.
4 rules · 3 gains -
Education institutions
Fees, staff, purchase and student data.
3 rules · 2 gains
By module
The modules inside an ERP
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Finance and accounting
Ledgers, receivables, payables, bank and the financial statements.
5 rules · 4 gains -
GST and tax compliance
Invoices, returns, e-invoice, e-way bill and TDS done right.
6 rules · 4 gains -
Sales and CRM
From the first enquiry to the delivered, invoiced order.
4 rules · 4 gains -
Purchase and procurement
Buy against need, receive against the order, pay against the bill.
4 rules · 4 gains -
Inventory and warehouse
What you hold, where, in which lot, and what it is worth.
4 rules · 4 gains -
Production planning
Plan the work, issue the material, record the output.
3 rules · 4 gains -
Quality management
Catch the defect, tie it to its lot, stop it coming back.
3 rules · 4 gains -
HRMS
Employees, attendance, leave and hiring in one place.
5 rules · 4 gains -
Payroll
Salary, PF, ESI and slips, correct and on time.
5 rules · 4 gains -
Maintenance and assets
Machines serviced before they break; assets on one register.
3 rules · 4 gains -
Projects and timesheets
Tasks, deadlines and the hours that went into them.
3 rules · 4 gains -
Reports and dashboards
Answers for the owner, not exports to sort out.
2 rules · 3 gains -
Job work and subcontracting
Material out on challan, back on time, ITC-04 filed.
5 rules · 4 gains -
Dispatch, logistics and fleet
Deliveries, vehicles, drivers and e-way bills.
3 rules · 3 gains -
Receivables and collections
Who owes what, since when, and the next follow-up.
3 rules · 3 gains -
Banking and payments
Payments in and out, bank balances and cash rules.
2 rules · 3 gains -
Approvals and documents
Who approved what, and the files behind it.
3 rules · 3 gains -
Service, helpdesk and warranty
Complaints, service tickets and response times.
2 rules · 3 gains -
Compliance and internal audit
Obligations, due dates, risks and audit evidence.
4 rules · 3 gains -
Portals and integrations
Customer and vendor portals, and an API.
2 rules · 3 gains
Monthly due dates
Four dates every Indian business watches.
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7th
Salaries paid
Code on Wages s.17
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11th
GSTR-1 (sales)
Monthly filers
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15th
PF ECR and ESI contribution
EPFO and ESIC
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20th
GSTR-3B and GST payment
Monthly filers
For standard monthly filers. Quarterly GST filers (QRMP) and state taxes have their own dates.
See it on your own business.
Fourteen days, every module, no card. Load the sample factory, or enter your own products and customers.
Rules checked on 7 November 2026 against government sources. Laws and limits change; confirm with your CA before you act on them.