The verdict in three sentences
For a B2B distributor in Toronto, an off-the-shelf ERP license (EUR 40-120/month/user + EUR 25,000-60,000 integration) covers industry standards fast. A custom core (EUR 70,000-120,000) is justified when your customer pricing, discounts and B2B e-commerce fall outside the vendor's boxes. The decider: -20% stockouts and 8 hours/week returned to the order team.
Off-the-shelf license or custom core: the comparison
A license brings a proven standard but bills per user, with costly customizations. Custom fits your pricing rules and connects natively to your B2B e-commerce. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude for a 15-user distributor in Toronto.
| Item | Off-the-shelf ERP license | Custom core |
|---|---|---|
| License | EUR 40-120/mo/user | EUR 0 |
| Annual cost (15 users) | EUR 7,200 - 21,600 | 15%/yr maintenance |
| Integration/rollout | EUR 25,000 - 60,000 | included |
| Initial build | — | EUR 70,000 - 120,000 |
| Customer pricing + discounts module | often limited | EUR 12,000 |
| EDI connector | optional | EUR 8,000 |
| Code ownership | no | yes |
| Deployment time | 12 - 20 weeks | 18 - 26 weeks |
Over 3 years a license at EUR 80/month for 15 users totals EUR 43,200 plus EUR 40,000 integration, so EUR 83,200, with no final asset. A custom core at EUR 95,000 plus three years of maintenance (about EUR 42,750) reaches EUR 137,750, but you own an ERP that matches your pricing grids and depots exactly.
What an ERP changes in wholesale
An ERP is measured by stockouts avoided and data-entry hours removed. Here is the impact at a multi-depot distributor in 2026.
| Metric | Before ERP | After ERP | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockout rate | 9.5% | 7.6% | -20% |
| Order entry/week | 22 h | 14 h | -8 h |
| Order processing time | 3.5 h | 1.2 h | -66% |
| Customer pricing errors | 6% | 1.5% | -75% |
| Inventory turns (per year) | 5.2 | 6.8 | +31% |
| Orders placed online (B2B) | 18% | 55% | +37 pts |
At 22 hours of weekly entry, saving 8 hours frees the equivalent of a fifth of a role, redeployed to advisory selling and collections. Moving from 18% to 55% online orders cuts calls and re-keying errors accordingly.
Mini case study
Claire, CFO of an industrial-supplies distributor in Toronto (15 users, 3 depots), runs 9.5% stockouts and 22 hours/week of manual entry. She invests EUR 95,000 in a custom core with a pricing/discount module (EUR 12,000) and an EDI connector (EUR 8,000), wired to her B2B e-commerce. Result: -20% stockouts, 8 hours/week saved, 55% of orders placed online. At EUR 35/hour loaded, 8 weekly hours are EUR 14,560/year saved on entry alone, before the drop in stockouts and pricing errors.
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FAQ
Is an ERP license enough for a B2B distributor?
Yes for standard processes. But per-customer pricing grids, volume discounts and B2B e-commerce integration often exceed vendor standards, where each customization is expensive and fragile on upgrades.
How much does off-the-shelf ERP integration cost?
Budget EUR 25,000 to 60,000 for configuration, data migration and training, on top of the per-user license (EUR 40-120/month). It is this line that pulls the total close to a custom build.
Is the EDI connector essential?
If you work with large retail or industrial buyers, yes. Budget about EUR 8,000 for an EDI connector that automates orders and invoices, removing re-keying and its 6% error rate.
How long for a custom core?
From 18 to 26 weeks for purchasing, multi-depot stock, customer pricing and invoicing, with history migration and integration to existing B2B e-commerce.
What annual maintenance budget?
A 15%/year fee on the build, about EUR 10,500 to 18,000/year for a EUR 70,000-120,000 project, including fixes, regulatory updates and monitoring.
Let's scope your project. Give us your user count, depots and pricing rules: we will frame a license or a custom core with an indicative budget. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
