The Best ERP Software For the Australian Construction Industry 2024

The ‘best’ construction ERP software depends on a wide range of factors, such as –  

• Business needs 
• Business size 
• Business subsector 
• Internal IT resource 
• Budgets 

When reviewing construction ERP systems, start by defining your construction software needs, including your ‘must-haves’ and ‘nice-to-haves’.  

Construction ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software is a solution developed to centralise and streamline siloed data across a construction business under a ‘single source of truth’.  

Construction ERP manages the following under a single system -   

• Operations and project control 
• Financials 
• Workforce management and payroll 
• Subcontractor management 
• Supply chain management  
• Equipment and plant 

Construction ERP systems have a huge range of functionalities, from financial forecasting to managing the complexities of payroll including EBA and awards.  

As these functions are integrated into a single system, it is much easier to link departments and streamline both processes and communications.   

Construction projects are incredibly complex, with many stakeholders, tight deadlines and low profit margins. Construction ERP is designed to simplify these processes within and across multiple large-scale projects.  

Read our in-depth guide to Construction ERP here >

What you are seeking in a Construction ERP obviously depends on your businesses’ needs, size and construction vertical.  

However, features commonly found in Construction ERPs include: 

• The ability to link the back office with the job site through a shared, cloud-hosted system and mobile applications. 
• Electronic capture abilities to accurately gather and track data. 
• Commercial management, scope control and cost transparency to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget. 
• Specialised construction accounting features to handle subcontractors, job costing and progress claims. 
• Integration into other systems and applications to ensure all data is collected and the system is integrated within the business.  
• Plant and equipment control to help schedule and track plant, equipment and fleet assets. 
• Workforce management tools built for tracking the diverse and ever-changing construction workforce, including time collection and automated payroll including EBA and award interpretation. 
• Compliance management to ensure local, state and national construction regulations are easily met. 
• Granular reporting and analytics, including board-level reporting, to help track current jobs and plan future work.  
• Centralised supply chain data to drive insights, build trust with suppliers and manage assets in one system. 

These are just a few of the features and functionality found in a construction ERP.  

Selecting the right construction ERP system can feel like navigating a labyrinth. Follow these steps to help pick the best construction ERP to suit your specific needs: 

Define Your Needs 

Start by analysing your current challenges. Are you struggling with cost control, project scheduling, or communication gaps? Make a list of features essential for your business. This could include project management tools, financial tracking, field reporting, or mobile access. 

Do Your Research 

Carefully compare the features offered by different vendors against your prioritised list. Ensure the software can handle your specific needs. Seek out reviews and case studies to gain insights into real-world experiences. Look for platforms with positive user feedback and a track record of successful implementations.

Consider Implementation and Support 

Evaluate the complexity of implementation for each option. Look for vendors with experience in your industry and a proven implementation process. Reliable customer support is vital for mission-critical software like construction ERP. Research the vendor's support offerings, including training resources and response times. 

Budget and Scalability 

Get quotes from shortlisted vendors and factor in initial licensing costs, implementation fees and ongoing subscription charges. 

Choose a system that can grow with your business. Consider future expansion plans and ensure the ERP can adapt to your evolving needs. 

User Adoption and Training 

Select a system with a user-friendly interface that minimises training time for your employees. Look for vendors that offer comprehensive training programs to ensure successful user adoption of the new system. 

Download our Buyer’s Guide to Construction Management Software for more insights into choosing the right ERP, including a useful checklist for comparisons.

Comparing Construction ERP Software 

Here is a comparison of some of the most popular construction ERP options for your business in 2024.  

**Please be aware that the pricing may vary based on region, users and custom packages. Finally, user ratings are accurate as of August 2024.

These are ERPs designed to address the unique needs of the construction industry. Unlike generic ERP systems used in other industries, construction ERP offers a comprehensive suite of features tailored for construction companies such as contract management, subcontractor management, construction compliance, and plant and equipment management. 

Access Coins

Access Coins overview 

Access Coins is a powerful cloud-based construction ERP software designed specifically for the construction industry. It provides a complete, centralised platform for managing all aspects of construction projects. 

Highly customisable and scalable, Access Coins is a construction-first ERP built around a robust financials module integrated with advanced project control. It builds automated, streamlined workflows for construction-specific needs including supply chain management, payroll, plant control and compliance.  

Key Features: 

• Integrated Functionality: Access Coins offers a comprehensive suite of integrated modules built around a core financials product, including project control, supply chain management, and workforce management.  
• Project Management & Control Tools: From cost management to end of month project performance reviews, Access Coins minimises risks by simplifying the process of commercial and financial control to ensure margins and cashflows are optimised. Commercial management, scope control and cost transparency ensures projects are delivered on time and within budget. 
• Supply Chain Management: Strengthen the supply chain with a solution that makes it simple to evaluate and track suppliers, alongside automating processes from requisition to invoice. 
• Financial Management: Offers powerful budgeting and forecasting tools including contract performance measurement, and cashflow and profit margin tracking. 
• Business Planning & Forecasting: Focused on project performance reviews, opportunity pipeline and overhead management to simplify end of month processes, optimise commercial outcomes and manage risks.  
• Compliance: Configurable workflows to meet industry requirements such as Project Bank Accounts, Security of Payments Act (SOPA), and Taxable Payment Annual Report (TAPR). 
• Plant Control: Full lifecycle management and tracking of plant, equipment and fleet assets. 
• Workforce Management & Payroll: Tailored solutions to meet the dynamic needs of the construction industry from direct labour management, labour hire and compliance tools, to expense management, to remote timesheet collection, and automated payroll compliance for EBA and awards. 

Best For: 

In the APAC market, Access Coins caters to civil contractors, commercial contractors, specialty and MEP contractors, and home builders. 

Coins is best suited for construction companies with a turnover above $50 million. 

Viewpoint Jobpac Connect 

Viewpoint Jobpac Connect is a cloud-based ERP that integrates financials, operations and project management tools, designed to connect teams across a construction company, be that in the office or on site, giving visibility across an entire business.  

The solution focuses on accounting, forecasting and project management tools, and provides customisable visual analytics, and real-time project and business performance dashboards. 

Key Features: 

• Project Data Insight: Monitors project performance and margin variances so adjustments can be made mid-project. 
• Cloud-Based ERP: Allows construction workers to access from anywhere with an internet connection. 
• Module-Based Integrated Suite: Specialised modules for project management, finance, payroll, assets and more.  
• Dashboards and Analytics: Role-based dashboards available to view key business information and metrics.  
• Field Management: A mobile application for field personnel provides easy capture and share data.  
• Project Forecasting: Review the position of projects including a month-by-month analysis of changes and insight into variations, fully integrated with accounting modules. 
• Collaboration: A mobile app for document and drawing management as well as RFI and issue register, to keep track of communications for project teams. 
• Business Intelligence: Business management reporting including dashboards to present key pieces of information.  

Best For:  

Viewpoint Jobpac Connect caters to Australian and New Zealand commercial, industrial and civil contractors.  

Viewpoint Vista ERP

Viewpoint Vista ERP is a construction accounting suite for contractors to manage all areas of their business. Features include accounting, project management, business intelligence, project collaboration, mobile estimating, document management and service management. 

Vista incorporates connected workflows to manage the construction lifecycle in one system. 

Key Features: 

• Job Costing: Provides extensive reports and drill down inquiries to deliver timely, accurate accounting and operational data on job progress. 
• Service Management: Streamlines back office processes and empowers field workers with real-time information and mobile work order tools. 
• Equipment Management: Tracks construction equipment location and usage, and schedules preventative maintenance for equipment fleet with automated alerts. 
• HR Management & Payroll: Integrates construction HR management and payroll, efficiently facilitating complex processes and contractual construction requirements. 
• Project Management: Provides project insight with accurate, up-to-date data and workflows to manage the health of every project. 
• Digital Onboarding: Manages onboarding and training online from a mobile device providing an efficient employee experience. 

Best For:  

Vista is well suited to commercial contractors, civil contractors, MEP and HVAC contractors. 

Cheops 

Cheops ERP construction management software is an all-in-one solution for job costing, contract management and financial accounting. The system includes a core construction management package centered around financials and accounting, with mobile solutions, a time sheet portal and a range of optional modules available. 

Key Features: 

• Project Financial Management: Offers a range of financial management modules including project budgets, procurement, subcontracts, plant management, job costing and forecasting. 
• Document Management: An industry-specific document management solution which stores documents in one centralised, secure and shareable space. 
• Field Management: Empowers teams to deliver and report on field and site operations with streamlined workflows to enhance productivity. 
• Construction Accounting: Navigates the unique Australian and New Zealand construction sector compliance and government regulations. 
• Business Insights: Provides real-time visibility across project finances with dashboards making key data easily accessible. 

Best For: 

Developed for the Australian and New Zealand construction sectors, Cheops caters to small family-owned companies to multi-national, multi-currency publicly listed corporations.  

These are ERP systems designed to cater to a wide range of industries. While construction industry functionality may be limited in some, many generic ERPs offer construction-specific product suites, configurations, integrations or can be customised to suit business needs.  

Oracle 

Oracle is a multinational cloud technology company that caters to businesses across a wealth of industries including education, healthcare, hospitality, professional services, retail and construction, and engineering. 

Oracle’s construction and engineering suite of products include construction management, project management, payment management, preconstruction, analytics and portfolio management, which can all be brought together on one platform. 

Aconex Construction Management is Oracle’s solution for project management and delivery best suited to design-build projects.  

Key Features: 

• Capital Program Management: Strategic capital portfolio planning, facilities asset management and project execution. 
• Construction Project Management: Streamlines preconstruction processes, project scheduling, real-time budget and costs analysis, data sharing across teams and payment management. 
• Payments: Automated workflows and invoice documents, centralised compliance documents and audit trails, subtier compliance visibility and payment analytics. 
• Predictive Analytics and AI: Assess project health and predict and address potential risks and keep projects on track.   
• ERP: Streamlines financials, project management, procurement, analytics, enterprise performance management and environmental impact tracking. 
• Human Capital Management: Solutions for centralises HR operations, talent management and employee experience. 
• Supply Chain and Sustainability: Demand management and replenishment, modular construction tools, asset management and logistics management.  

Best For: 

Oracle’s construction and engineering suite has solutions typically taken on by large corporations across construction verticals with higher ICT budgets.  

IFS  

IFS (Industrial and Financial Systems) is a popular generic ERP system which incorporates some features tailored to the construction industry. These include tools for managing heavy equipment, subcontractor performance tracking and safety compliance. 

IFS offers a core ERP for a single-source-of-truth, incorporating useful features such as Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), service management and mobile access for real-time data available on-the-go. 

IFS are now focusing on incorporating AI functionalities within their solutions. This translates to features like predictive maintenance and anomaly detection. 

Key Features: 

• Project Lifecycle Management: IFS manages the construction project lifecycle, from initial bidding and planning to execution, closeout, and handover. 
• Contract Management: IFS ERP offers contract management tools, enabling efficient handling of bids, subcontracts, and change orders. 
• Document Management: Centralised document management keeps all project-related documents organized and readily accessible to authorised personnel. 
• Field Management and Mobile Access: Features like mobile access empower field workers to update data on-the-go, linking field to office.  
• Advanced Analytics and Reporting: IFS ERP provides powerful analytics and reporting tools that generate real-time insights into project performance. 

Best For: 

IFS caters for a wide range mid-to-large sized construction companies, including general contractors, heavy civils, engineering firms and industrial construction companies.