ERP for Electrical Contractors in Switzerland — Jobs, Materials, Hours
Florian Grbic
Fluxaro Software GmbH
Swiss electrical contractors face a dilemma: standard ERPs like Bexio do not match the industry reality, industry-specific tools like Electris or Hayasoft are often expensive and inflexible — and Excel solutions don't scale.
In this article we show what a good ERP for Swiss electrical contractors must really do — and what to look for when selecting one.
Why standard ERPs are not enough
Classic accounting ERPs cover finance well. But electrical contractors need more:
- Job management with measurement protocols — NIN-compliant safety records are not an optional add-on
- Material tracking per job — who installed what material where?
- Service contracts and maintenance dates — installation history over years
- Mobile technician apps — must work on site, even without internet
- Supplier integration — Otto Fischer, Hager, Demelectric directly from the system
The 7 core requirements
1. Mobile-first for technicians
Time tracking, material booking, photo documentation and customer signature must work on smartphone. Offline sync is mandatory — many sites have no reliable internet.2. NIN/SIA-compliant documentation
Measurement protocols, safety certificates, acceptance documents — captured in a structured way, automatically generated as PDF, archived per installation.3. Material and warehouse management
Who installed what? Current stock? Reservations per job? Automatic re-orders at minimum stock?4. Job margin in real time
Don't wait until end of month to see if a job was profitable. Planned vs. actual hours, material costs, margin — live in dashboard.5. Service contract management
Maintenance cycles, automatic appointment proposals, installation history. No customer should be forgotten, no maintenance date missed.6. Supplier integration
Hager Online Shop API, Otto Fischer EDI, Demelectric — orders directly from the system, incoming deliveries captured automatically.7. Accounting integration
Connection to Bexio, Abacus, Sage, Topal — no double entry of invoices.Standard software vs. custom ERP
| Aspect | Industry-specific standard ERP | Custom ERP |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition | low (often as SaaS) | mid-high |
| License costs | recurring (CHF 50-200/user/month) | one-time or reduced |
| Customizability | limited by vendor roadmap | freely flexible |
| Lock-in | high (data in proprietary format) | low (open data) |
| Time-to-value | immediate (3-6 weeks setup) | 4-9 months first release |
| Total cost (5 years) | CHF 60,000-200,000+ | CHF 80,000-180,000 |
Rule of thumb: Up to ~5 employees → standard software. From ~10 employees with special processes → custom ERP becomes economical.
What makes a good custom ERP project
From our practice with Swiss electrical contractors:
- Process workshop first — we understand your workflows before we write code
- Modular rollout — use module 1 while module 2 is being developed
- Real on-site tests — technicians test on the construction site, not in the office
- Training and onboarding — software is only as good as its use
- Maintenance contract — clean code access, no maintenance lock-in
Conclusion: Which ERP for your electrical contractor business?
The answer depends on your size and process complexity:
- Very small contractors (1-3 people): Bexio + Excel may be enough
- Small contractors (4-10 people): check industry SaaS like Electris or Hayasoft
- Mid-size contractors (10-50 people) with special processes: custom ERP often pays off
- Larger contractors (50+): definitely custom or massive customization of standard
Let's talk about your electrical contractor business. Free initial conversation — we analyze your processes and show whether a custom ERP makes economic sense for you.
