Why ERP Systems Are Often Oversized
ERP systems — whether SAP, proALPHA, abas, or Microsoft Dynamics — were designed for large enterprises and later scaled down for mid-sized companies. The result: Even the “small” ERP packages come with hundreds of modules, most of which a manufacturing shop with 10–30 employees will never use. Accounting, warehouse management, HR, CRM, procurement — all integrated, all licensed, all requiring configuration.
The consequences for small and medium-sized manufacturers are significant:
High Costs
License costs starting at €20,000–50,000 in the first year, plus consultant day rates of €1,000–1,800, training costs, and ongoing maintenance. For many SMEs, this means a six-figure investment before the first planning view is even up and running.
Lengthy Implementation
Typical ERP projects take 6–18 months until go-live. Workshops, data migrations, customization, testing phases — this ties up internal resources that are needed in day-to-day operations. And during the rollout, planning continues with Excel.
Complex User Interface
ERP interfaces are designed for power users. Production managers who simply want to know which order is running on which machine have to navigate through screens, menu trees, and transaction codes. User acceptance suffers.
Overkill for SMEs
Modules for warehouse management, HR, CRM, and financial accounting sound great in a sales pitch. In practice, most job shops use only a fraction of them — yet still pay for the full package.
This does not mean ERP systems are bad — for large enterprises with complex supply chains, they are indispensable. But for a contract manufacturer with 8 CNC machines who wants to route orders through the shop floor on time, an ERP is like an ocean liner for a river cruise: technically possible, but entirely oversized.
What GanttWork Does Differently
GanttWork was built from the ground up for a single purpose: production planning on the shop floor. No attempt to do everything. No modules nobody needs. Instead, a tool that does exactly what production managers need every day — fast, visual, and without an IT project.
Focus on Production Planning
GanttWork covers the entire planning process: capture orders, assign operations to machines, chain dependencies, monitor capacity. All on a visual Gantt planning board that any production manager understands within minutes. No accounting module, no warehouse, no HR — only what matters on the shop floor.
Productive in One Hour
No months-long implementation project, no consultant workshops. You set up your machines, define shift schedules, and import your first orders via Excel import or manual entry. Within one hour, you see your production on the planning board — with real data, not demo scenarios.
Worker Terminals Included
What many ERP systems offer only as an expensive add-on is standard with GanttWork: worker terminals at the machine where operators report start and end times of every operation. Real-time feedback instead of yesterday’s planning status.
Predictable Costs
From €179 per month for the complete feature set — including all worker terminals, cloud hosting, updates, and support. No hidden consultant fees, no surprises at the next license renewal. You know from day one what GanttWork costs.
GanttWork vs. a Typical ERP — Head-to-Head
The following table highlights the key differences between a traditional ERP system and GanttWork as a specialized production planning without ERP solution. The comparison refers to typical mid-market ERPs such as proALPHA, abas, Sage, or Microsoft Dynamics NAV/Business Central.
| Criterion | Typical ERP | GanttWork |
|---|---|---|
| Implementation time | 6–18 months | 1–2 hours |
| First-year cost | €20,000–100,000+ | From €2,148 (€179/month) |
| Training effort | Days to weeks per employee | 30–60 minutes |
| Production planning | Module, often limited visually | Core function — visual Gantt planning board |
| Worker connectivity | Expensive add-on (SFC/MDC) | Included, unlimited terminals |
| Flexibility | Rigid processes, changes = consulting project | Drag & drop, instantly re-plannable |
| Cloud / On-premise | Mostly on-premise (own servers) | Cloud — EU-hosted, GDPR-compliant |
| IT dependency | High — own IT dept or system integrator needed | None — runs in the browser |
| Contract commitment | Multi-year contracts common | Cancel monthly |
The math is simple: While an ERP project is still stuck in requirements analysis, you are already planning your active production with GanttWork. For the price of a single ERP consultant day, you get a full month of GanttWork with complete functionality and unlimited users.
GanttWork Complements Your Existing ERP
If you already have an ERP system in place, GanttWork is not an either/or proposition. Many companies find that their ERP handles orders, materials, and invoices well — but reaches its limits when it comes to visual production planning. That is exactly where GanttWork steps in: as a specialized planning tool that complements your ERP where it falls short.
In practice, this looks as follows: You continue to create orders in your ERP, export the order list as an Excel file, and import it into GanttWork. The actual machine scheduling takes place there — visually, via drag & drop, with automatic cascading and real-time feedback from the shop floor. The ERP remains your commercial backbone, while GanttWork becomes your operational planning tool for production.
This hybrid approach offers the best of both worlds: You leverage your ERP’s structures for procurement, accounting, and customer management — while benefiting from production planning that was actually built for the shop floor. No expensive ERP extensions, no weeks-long customization projects.
Typical Workflow: ERP + GanttWork
Order is created in the ERP (customer data, materials, delivery date)
Order list is exported as Excel and imported into GanttWork
Production manager schedules operations on the Gantt board via drag & drop
Workers report start/end times at the terminal — progress visible in real time
Planned vs. actual data feeds into lead time analysis
Who Is GanttWork the Right Choice For?
GanttWork is not the right fit for every company — and that is perfectly fine. If you need full-scale enterprise resource management, you need an ERP. But if what you want above all is to plan your production clearly and efficiently — GanttWork is the better solution. These businesses benefit the most:
SMEs with 3–30 machines that do not need ERP complexity but have outgrown Excel. GanttWork fills exactly the gap between spreadsheets and enterprise software.
Job shops and contract manufacturers producing one-off parts and small batches to customer order. Every order is different, every workpiece has individual processing steps — this is exactly where a flexible planning board plays to its strengths.
Companies looking to complement their ERP — with a specialized planning tool that is ready in hours, not months. GanttWork runs alongside your ERP and takes over operational production scheduling.
CNC shops (milling, turning) where workpieces pass through multiple machines and order chaining must be visually traceable — including automatic cascading when deadlines change.
Companies that want to get started fast — without an IT project, without a requirements specification, without months of customization. GanttWork is set up in one hour and immediately productive.
Frequently Asked Questions About Production Planning Without ERP
Can GanttWork fully replace an ERP?
No — and that is not the goal. GanttWork replaces the production planning that in many companies today is done with Excel or not done at all. Accounting, procurement, and customer management remain with your existing tools or ERP. GanttWork focuses on what happens on the shop floor.
What if we implement an ERP later?
No problem. GanttWork runs in parallel and independently. Many companies start with GanttWork because they need a solution now — and keep it even after a later ERP rollout, because the ERP’s visual production planning cannot match it.
Is there an interface to our ERP?
Data exchange currently runs via Excel import/export — this fully covers the planning needs of most job shops. Direct ERP interfaces (API integration) are in preparation. Contact us if you need a specific integration.
How secure is our data?
GanttWork runs on EU servers and is GDPR-compliant. All data is transmitted and stored encrypted. There is no data sharing with third parties. On request, we also offer an on-premise installation on your own server.
Production Planning Without ERP Overhead
Try GanttWork for free with no obligation. We will set up a dedicated demo instance for you — with your machines, your shift schedules, and, if you wish, with real order data. In one hour you will know whether GanttWork is the right fit for your business.
No credit card · No obligation · Cancel monthly