When to invest in a custom ERP in Algeria: the complete guide

In many companies, management relies on a patchwork of tools: one spreadsheet for sales, another for stock, separate accounting software, paper slips and messages for everything else. As long as the business stays small, the patchwork holds. When it grows, it becomes a brake.

An ERP, or enterprise resource planning system, brings this information into a single system shared by every department. Building a custom one is a real investment. This guide helps you recognise the right moment, choose between custom and packaged software, and prepare a rollout that does not stall the business.

01The signs that it is time

None of these signs is enough on its own, but when several add up, the current setup already costs more than it brings:

• spreadsheets everywhere, copied and renamed, with nobody sure which one is up to date;
• the same information typed two or three times, in the quote, the invoice and the stock file;
• figures that do not match from one department to another, and management waiting for month end to know where things stand;
• stock gaps discovered too late;
• know-how concentrated in one or two people, without whom nothing moves;
• several sites or warehouses each working with their own files.

02Custom or packaged software?

Packaged software installs quickly and suits standard processes well. Custom development is justified in other cases:

• your processes are specific to your business and part of your edge;
• the available solutions force too many workarounds or side files;
• per-user licence costs weigh more and more as the team grows;
• you need to connect existing tools that packaged solutions handle poorly;
• you want to own the code and control how the tool evolves.

The article custom software or packaged solution details this comparison.

03The typical modules

An ERP is built in modules that share the same database. The most common:

1. 01
   Sales. Customers, quotes, orders and sales follow-up, from first contact to delivery.
2. 02
   Purchasing. Suppliers, purchase requests, purchase orders and receipts.
3. 03
   Stock. Goods in, goods out, transfers between warehouses and stock counts, with threshold alerts.
4. 04
   Invoicing. Invoices, credit notes and payments, generated from orders without retyping.
5. 05
   Human resources. Staff records, leave, absences and payroll items.
6. 06
   Finance. Receipts, disbursements, cash position and customer and supplier due dates.
7. 07
   Dashboards. The key indicators of each department, up to date without exports or reworking.

The BZ Telecom ERP, designed by Codex, illustrates this approach: a custom ERP with a sales dashboard, financial tracking, indicators and real-time charts.

04Users, roles and rights

Each user sees what they need, and nothing more. Roles are defined from the design stage:

• Management: an overview, dashboards and approval of sensitive operations.
• Sales staff: their customers, quotes and orders, without access to other people’s margins.
• The warehouse: stock movements, receipts and stock counts for its own site.
• Accounting and finance: invoices, payments and cash position.
• The administrator: accounts, rights and the log of who did what.

05Migrating existing data and connecting tools

An ERP does not start empty. Existing data is migrated methodically: inventory of files, removal of duplicates, mapping to the new fields, a test import, then checks with the teams. You also decide what stays in the old system, such as older history.

The ERP then exchanges data with the tools that remain in place:

• the accounting software, if general accounting stays separate;
• the e-commerce site, so online orders flow straight into sales and stock;
• the mobile apps used by sales staff or delivery drivers;
• other existing tools, through import, export or a technical interface.

On the e-commerce side, Codex built AZ fulfillment, a management platform that brings together orders, stock and statistics in one dashboard.

06What is specific to Algeria

• invoice details, VAT and tax returns are configured with your chartered accountant, to match the rules in force;
• payroll and contribution rules are validated with a specialist before being automated;
• companies present in several wilayas need reliable access from every site, even on an average connection;
• interfaces and some documents are planned in French and Arabic.

07Hosting, backups and reporting

The ERP can be hosted in the cloud, on AWS or Google Cloud for example, or on a company server, depending on your constraints; any data location requirements are checked with your legal adviser. In both cases, backups are automatic, tested regularly and stored away from the main server. The Codex cloud and DevOps service handles this part.

For steering, the built-in dashboards cover daily needs; deeper analysis can rely on Power BI. The data and analytics service supports this step.

08A phased rollout, with training

Replacing every tool at once is risky. A phased rollout limits the impact on the business:

• start with the module that hurts most today, often sales and stock;
• run the old and new systems side by side long enough to check the figures;
• train each department on its own screens, with key users as relays;
• add the next modules once the first one is adopted.

09Mistakes to avoid

• wanting every module from day one;
• migrating data without cleaning it;
• designing screens without the future users;
• neglecting access rights and the action log;
• choosing a provider that keeps the code or the hosting in its own name.

10What changes the budget

The cost depends on the scope, not on a standard rate. The main factors:

• the number of modules and how complex the business rules are;
• the number of roles and sites;
• the volume and condition of the data to migrate;
• integrations with accounting, e-commerce and existing tools;
• the level of reporting and support expected.

Codex sends a detailed quote after the scoping workshop. To prepare it, read how to write a project brief.

11The steps with Codex

1. 01
   Discovery. Workshops with each department to map current processes, files and tools. You leave with a clear scope, a phased rollout plan and a detailed quote.
2. 02
   Design. Data model, screens by role, access rules and technical architecture. You approve every screen before development.
3. 03
   Development. Short sprints with a demo at each step, and a data migration tested on your real files.
4. 04
   Launch and support. Go-live module by module, training for your teams, then maintenance and new features. The code, the hosting and the data stay in your name.

Read next: how to create a logistics application and the Codex custom software service.

12Building it with Codex

Codex is a software studio founded in Algiers in 2014. More than 15 engineers and designers build products in French, Arabic and English, and the team has built more than 20 products in-house. The source code, the accounts and the data stay in your name. See the published projects and the certificates of completion.

The work starts from the studio in Algiers: Cité 440 Logements, Ain Malha, Djasr Kasentina. Doha and Marseille stay the offices already published.