ERP Software for Engineering & EPC
Engineering and EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) firms deliver complex capital projects across oil and gas, power, industrial, and infrastructure sectors under fixed-price or reimbursable contracts where cost control, procurement execution, and schedule performance determine profit or loss. ERP platforms for this sector must integrate project controls, engineering hours tracking, bulk procurement, vendor management, and financial reporting across multi-year, multi-geography programs.
Compare ERP Systems for Engineering & EPC
Select up to 4 ERP vendors to compare side by side. Filtered to show systems with strong engineering & epc capabilities.
Key Challenges for Engineering & EPC
Managing cost and schedule performance across multi-year, multi-discipline EPC programs spanning engineering, procurement, and construction phases
Tracking engineering hours and deliverable progress against detailed WBS and earned-value baselines for reimbursable and lump-sum scopes
Coordinating bulk material procurement — valves, piping, electrical equipment — with long lead times and global supply chains on fixed-price contracts
Managing change-order negotiations and claim documentation on large contracts where scope changes can number in the thousands
Administering multi-currency project accounting, intercompany cost transfers, and reimbursable billing across global joint-venture structures
Integrating engineering data management (CAD, 3D models, document control) with project cost and progress reporting systems
Maintaining subcontractor and vendor performance data across a global supply chain with complex pre-qualification and compliance requirements
Best Engineering & EPC ERP for SMBs
Recommended for companies with $10M–$250M revenue and 10–200 employees.
Deltek Vantagepoint
mid-rangePurpose-built for project-based engineering and professional services firms with strong resource planning, project accounting, and reimbursable billing workflows for AE and consulting firms.
Best for: Architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms
Acumatica Construction Edition
mid-rangeCloud-native ERP with project accounting, change-order management, and unlimited-user licensing suited to mid-size design-build and specialty engineering contractors.
Best for: Mid-size design-build and engineering contractors modernizing their ERP
Sage Intacct Construction
mid-rangeCloud financial management platform with strong multi-entity consolidation, project accounting, and revenue recognition for engineering and professional services firms.
Best for: Engineering consultancies and AE firms needing strong cloud financials
CMiC
mid-rangeUnified construction and engineering ERP with strong project controls, subcontract management, and procurement for mid-to-large EPC contractors and design-build firms.
Best for: Mid-size EPC and design-build contractors with complex project controls needs
Viewpoint Vista
mid-rangeIntegrated construction ERP with project management, cost control, and procurement workflows adopted by mid-size engineering and construction firms across North America.
Best for: Engineering and construction firms seeking an integrated back-office platform
BST Global
mid-rangeProject management ERP built specifically for large architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms with strong resource management and reimbursable billing.
Best for: Large AE and environmental consulting firms with complex resource management needs
Best Engineering & EPC ERP for Enterprise
Recommended for companies with $250M+ revenue and complex multi-site operations.
Oracle Primavera P6 EPPM
enterpriseThe dominant platform for EPC project scheduling, resource management, and earned-value controls on complex capital programs across oil and gas, power, and infrastructure sectors.
Best for: Large EPC contractors and capital project owners managing multi-year programs
SAP S/4HANA
enterpriseEnterprise ERP with deep project systems (PS), procurement, plant maintenance, and multi-currency financial consolidation for global EPC contractors and engineering conglomerates.
Best for: Global EPC contractors and engineering conglomerates with complex SAP landscapes
Oracle ERP Cloud
enterpriseFull cloud ERP with project costing, procurement, and financial consolidation for large engineering enterprises and capital-project-intensive organizations.
Best for: Large engineering enterprises pursuing cloud-first ERP transformation
Infor CloudSuite Construction
enterpriseEnterprise platform supporting complex multi-entity EPC financials, procurement, and project controls for large engineering and construction organizations.
Best for: Large EPC firms with complex multi-entity and multi-currency requirements
Essential ERP Capabilities for Engineering & EPC
Work breakdown structure (WBS) and control account management for complex multi-phase EPC programs
Earned-value analysis with cost and schedule performance index reporting
Engineering hours tracking and deliverable progress against reimbursable billing plans
Bulk material procurement with long-lead-time tracking and vendor expediting
Multi-currency project accounting with intercompany cost transfers and reimbursable billing
Change-order management and claim documentation across lump-sum and reimbursable contracts
Vendor and subcontractor pre-qualification, performance tracking, and compliance management
Resource demand planning and utilization management across multi-discipline engineering teams
Document control integration with engineering data management systems
Revenue recognition for long-term contracts under ASC 606 and IFRS 15 percentage-of-completion methods
Engineering & EPC ERP Cost Ranges
SMB
$25,000 – $100,000
10–50 users
Implementation: $30,000 – $150,000
Mid-Market
$100,000 – $500,000
50–300 users
Implementation: $150,000 – $750,000
Enterprise
$600,000 – $5,000,000+
300–3,000+ users
Implementation: $1,000,000 – $10,000,000+
Implementation Considerations
Define your WBS and cost-account structure before system configuration — the control account plan drives all cost, schedule, and earned-value reporting
Plan integration with your scheduling tool (Primavera P6, Microsoft Project) and document management system (Aconex, ProjectWise) early to avoid data silos
Establish multi-currency and intercompany accounting policies before implementation, especially for JV structures and global cost-transfer arrangements
Engage project controls staff (planners, cost engineers) alongside finance in the implementation — they are the primary users of project-cost data
Define revenue recognition policies under ASC 606 with your auditors before configuring percentage-of-completion milestones and billing rules
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an EPC contractor and a general contractor?
An EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contractor holds single-point responsibility for all three phases of project delivery under a typically fixed-price contract. This requires integrated management of engineering resource hours, bulk material procurement, and construction execution — a broader scope than most general contractors who subcontract design and focus primarily on construction management.
What ERP is most widely used by EPC contractors?
Oracle Primavera P6 EPPM is the dominant project controls platform for scheduling and earned-value management. For back-office ERP, SAP S/4HANA is most common in large global EPC firms (Bechtel, Fluor, Jacobs), while Deltek Vantagepoint leads in the AE consulting segment. Many EPC firms use a combination of Primavera for project controls and SAP or Oracle for financial ERP.
How does EPC billing and revenue recognition work?
EPC contracts typically use percentage-of-completion revenue recognition under ASC 606 or IFRS 15, based on either cost incurred as a percentage of total estimated cost or physical progress milestones. Reimbursable contracts bill actual costs plus a negotiated fee, while lump-sum contracts may bill based on schedule of values or progress milestones defined at contract execution.
How do EPC firms manage procurement for long-lead equipment?
EPC ERPs track long-lead items from purchase requisition through RFQ, vendor selection, purchase order, factory inspection, shipping, and installation. Material control modules monitor planned vs. actual delivery dates, flag expediting risks, and link procurement status to the project schedule to surface any critical-path impacts early.
What is earned-value management (EVM) and why is it critical for EPC?
EVM is a project performance measurement methodology that integrates scope, schedule, and cost to produce objective performance indicators. On large EPC contracts, EVM provides early warning of cost and schedule overruns, supports owner reporting requirements (DOE, DOD, major private owners), and enables quantitative forecasting of final cost and completion date.
How do engineering consulting firms differ in their ERP needs from EPC contractors?
Engineering consulting (AE) firms primarily bill time and expenses on reimbursable contracts, making resource utilization, timesheet accuracy, and billing realization rate the critical metrics. EPC contractors additionally manage bulk procurement, construction subcontracts, and physical progress. Deltek Vantagepoint and BST Global are purpose-built for AE consulting; Oracle Primavera and SAP target EPC.
Can construction ERP manage joint-venture project accounting for EPC?
Yes, but capability varies significantly. Leading platforms support separate JV entity financials, partner equity contributions, cost-share allocations, and consolidated reporting for each sponsor. SAP, Oracle, and CMiC have the deepest JV accounting capabilities, which is why they dominate the large EPC contractor segment where JV delivery is common.
What is Deltek Vantagepoint best suited for?
Deltek Vantagepoint (formerly Deltek Vision) is optimally suited for project-based professional services firms — architecture, engineering, environmental consulting, and management consulting. It excels at resource planning, utilization reporting, reimbursable billing (T&M, cost-plus), and project profitability analysis for firms of 25 to 5,000 employees.
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