Home/Capability Framework

Reference · Version 1.0 · October 2026

The Construction ERP Capability Framework

The 25 capabilities we consider necessary for construction, infrastructure and EPC businesses, and exactly what we check for each one. Every module and add-on you can select in Find my ERP, every row in the side-by-side table and every vendor profile uses these definitions.

CoreEvery construction ERP should cover thisRecommendedExpected by most mid-size and large contractorsSpecialistDecisive for specific segments or project types

Pre-construction

Estimating / BOQ

Core

Building cost estimates and bills of quantities (BOQ) from resources, rates and productivity norms.

Why it matters: The estimate becomes the budget. If it lives outside the ERP, every later cost comparison is manual.

What we check

Multi-level BOQ / WBS with resource build-up
Import from Excel, CAD or BIM quantities
Turn the approved estimate into the project budget

Most relevant for
General contractors, EPC, Infrastructure / civil, Specialty / subcontractors

12 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Dynamics 365, 1C:ERP, FirstBit, RIB 4.0, NEVARIS, Odoo, Sage 300 CRE, InEight, FOUNDATION, ComputerEase

Tendering / bidding

Recommended

Managing bids from invitation to award: bid packages, clarifications, pricing and win/loss tracking.

Why it matters: Tender cost and margin decisions drive the whole contract; tracking them in the ERP keeps assumptions auditable.

What we check

Bid/no-bid workflow and bid register
Pricing adjustments for overheads, risk and profit
Hand-over from tender to awarded project

Most relevant for
General contractors, EPC, Infrastructure / civil

6 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Dynamics 365, RIB 4.0, NEVARIS, CMiC

Project control

Planning / scheduling

Recommended

Project schedules, activities and milestones linked to cost and progress.

Why it matters: Cost without time can't show earned value or forecast delays.

What we check

Gantt / CPM scheduling or two-way link to a scheduler
Activities linked to cost codes and BOQ items
Baseline vs actual progress

Most relevant for
EPC, Infrastructure / civil, General contractors, Developers & owners

12 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Oracle, SAP, Dynamics 365, 1C:ERP, FirstBit, RIB 4.0, Access Coins, IFS Cloud, Odoo, InEight

Cost control / budgeting

Core

Budgets, commitments, actuals and forecast-to-complete per project and cost code.

Why it matters: The core job of a construction ERP: knowing margin per project while there is still time to act.

What we check

Budget, committed, actual and forecast columns per cost code
Cost-to-complete and margin forecasting
Drill-down from project to transaction

Most relevant for
General contractors, EPC, Infrastructure / civil, Specialty / subcontractors, Developers & owners

19 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Oracle, SAP, Dynamics 365, 1C:ERP, FirstBit, RIB 4.0, NEVARIS, Access Coins, IFS Cloud, Trimble Viewpoint, CMiC, Acumatica, Sage Intacct, Sage 300 CRE, InEight, FOUNDATION, ComputerEase

Contracts & variations

Core

Main contracts, change orders and variations, including claims and approvals.

Why it matters: Variations are where construction margin is won or lost, especially under FIDIC-style contracts.

What we check

Variation register with status and approvals
Link variations to budget, billing and subcontracts
Claims and extension-of-time tracking

Most relevant for
General contractors, EPC, Infrastructure / civil

13 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Oracle, Dynamics 365, 1C:ERP, RIB 4.0, IFS Cloud, Trimble Viewpoint, CMiC, Acumatica, Sage Intacct, Sage 300 CRE, InEight

Progress billing / IPC

Core

Interim payment certificates (IPC) or progress billing: measured work, retention, advances and deductions.

Why it matters: Cash flow in construction depends on billing accurately and on time each month.

What we check

Measurement-based and milestone billing
Retention, advance recovery and deductions
Certified vs claimed amounts per period

Most relevant for
General contractors, EPC, Infrastructure / civil, Specialty / subcontractors

15 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Oracle, SAP, Dynamics 365, FirstBit, RIB 4.0, Access Coins, IFS Cloud, Acumatica, Sage Intacct, Sage 300 CRE, InEight, FOUNDATION, ComputerEase

Supply chain

Procurement

Core

Purchase requisitions, RFQs, purchase orders and goods receipt for projects.

Why it matters: Materials are often half of project cost; commitments must hit the project budget the moment they are made.

What we check

Requisition to PO to receipt workflow
Committed cost posted to the project
Supplier comparison and approval rules

Most relevant for
General contractors, EPC, Infrastructure / civil, Specialty / subcontractors

16 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Oracle, SAP, Dynamics 365, 1C:ERP, FirstBit, RIB 4.0, Access Coins, IFS Cloud, Odoo, Trimble Viewpoint, CMiC, Acumatica, Sage Intacct, Sage 300 CRE, ComputerEase

Subcontract management

Core

Subcontract orders, subcontractor valuations, retention and back-charges.

Why it matters: Most contractors deliver the majority of work through subcontractors; their payments mirror your own IPCs.

What we check

Subcontract agreements with scope and rates
Subcontractor valuations and payment certificates
Retention, back-charges and compliance documents

Most relevant for
General contractors, EPC, Infrastructure / civil

13 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Oracle, SAP, Dynamics 365, 1C:ERP, RIB 4.0, Access Coins, IFS Cloud, CMiC, Acumatica, Sage Intacct, Sage 300 CRE

Inventory / warehouse

Recommended

Site stores and central warehouses: stock, transfers and issue to projects.

Why it matters: Material on site is money; uncontrolled stock means hidden cost overruns.

What we check

Multi-site and site-store inventory
Issue materials to project cost codes
Transfers between sites and returns

Most relevant for
General contractors, EPC, Infrastructure / civil

16 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Oracle, SAP, Dynamics 365, 1C:ERP, FirstBit, RIB 4.0, Access Coins, IFS Cloud, Odoo, Trimble Viewpoint, CMiC, Acumatica, Sage Intacct, Sage 300 CRE, ComputerEase

Equipment / plant

Recommended

Owned and hired equipment: allocation, utilisation, maintenance and cost recovery.

Why it matters: Plant is a major cost for civil and infrastructure firms and must be charged to the right job.

What we check

Equipment register and utilisation logs
Internal hire rates charged to projects
Maintenance scheduling and fuel tracking

Most relevant for
Infrastructure / civil, EPC, General contractors

14 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, SAP, Dynamics 365, 1C:ERP, FirstBit, RIB 4.0, Access Coins, IFS Cloud, Trimble Viewpoint, CMiC, Acumatica, Sage 300 CRE, FOUNDATION, ComputerEase

Finance & people

Accounting / GL

Core

General ledger, accounts payable and receivable, multi-company and multi-currency accounting.

Why it matters: Without a native ledger, the system is a project tool, not an ERP.

What we check

Project-dimension accounting on every transaction
Multi-company, multi-currency, consolidation
Local tax and statutory reporting

Most relevant for
General contractors, EPC, Infrastructure / civil, Specialty / subcontractors, Developers & owners, Real estate, Engineering consultants

18 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Oracle, SAP, Dynamics 365, 1C:ERP, FirstBit, RIB 4.0, NEVARIS, Access Coins, IFS Cloud, Odoo, Trimble Viewpoint, CMiC, Acumatica, Sage Intacct, Sage 300 CRE, FOUNDATION, ComputerEase

Payroll / HR

Recommended

Employees, timesheets, payroll and labour cost allocation to projects.

Why it matters: Labour is a top cost line; local payroll rules (WPS, union, certified payroll) are often deal-breakers.

What we check

Site timesheets allocated to cost codes
Local payroll compliance
Crew, skills and certification tracking

Most relevant for
General contractors, Specialty / subcontractors, Infrastructure / civil, EPC

17 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Oracle, SAP, Dynamics 365, 1C:ERP, FirstBit, NEVARIS, Access Coins, IFS Cloud, Odoo, Trimble Viewpoint, CMiC, Acumatica, Sage Intacct, Sage 300 CRE, FOUNDATION, ComputerEase

CRM / sales

Specialist

Leads, clients, opportunities and bid pipeline.

Why it matters: Useful for firms that want one record from opportunity to project, especially developers and specialty contractors.

What we check

Opportunity pipeline linked to tenders
Client and contact history
Hand-over from won opportunity to project

Most relevant for
Developers & owners, Specialty / subcontractors, Real estate

8 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

SAP, Dynamics 365, 1C:ERP, FirstBit, NEVARIS, Odoo, CMiC, Acumatica

Site & data

Document management

Recommended

Drawings, transmittals, RFIs, submittals and correspondence with version control.

Why it matters: Document control is contractual evidence in disputes and claims.

What we check

Versioned drawings and transmittals
RFI and submittal workflows
Links between documents and contract events

Most relevant for
EPC, Infrastructure / civil, General contractors, Engineering consultants

14 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Oracle, FirstBit, RIB 4.0, Access Coins, IFS Cloud, Odoo, Trimble Viewpoint, CMiC, Acumatica, Sage 300 CRE, InEight, ComputerEase

Field / site management

Recommended

Site diaries, progress capture, labour and material logs, usually on mobile.

Why it matters: Field data is the source for progress billing and cost-to-complete; paper delays both.

What we check

Mobile daily reports and photos
Progress quantities feeding IPC
Offline use on remote sites

Most relevant for
General contractors, Infrastructure / civil, Specialty / subcontractors, EPC

15 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Oracle, SAP, FirstBit, NEVARIS, Access Coins, IFS Cloud, Odoo, Trimble Viewpoint, CMiC, Acumatica, InEight, FOUNDATION, ComputerEase

BIM integration

Specialist

Linking 3D models (IFC, Revit, Navisworks, Tekla) to quantities, cost and schedule (4D/5D).

Why it matters: Model-based quantities and 5D cost cut estimating time on complex projects and are increasingly required by owners.

What we check

IFC import or native model viewer
Model elements linked to BOQ and cost
4D/5D views of schedule and cost

Most relevant for
EPC, Infrastructure / civil, General contractors, Engineering consultants

6 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Oracle, RIB 4.0, NEVARIS, InEight

Quality / HSE

Specialist

Inspections, non-conformances, snag lists, incidents and safety observations.

Why it matters: Owners and regulators audit quality and safety records, especially on infrastructure.

What we check

Inspection and test plans
NCRs and punch lists
Incident and safety reporting

Most relevant for
Infrastructure / civil, EPC, General contractors

4 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

Procore, Oracle, IFS Cloud, FOUNDATION

Analytics / BI

Recommended

Dashboards and reports across projects, portfolios and companies.

Why it matters: Executives need portfolio-level margin, cash and risk without exporting to Excel.

What we check

Project and portfolio dashboards
Self-service reporting
Data export or BI tool connectors

Most relevant for
General contractors, EPC, Infrastructure / civil, Developers & owners, Real estate

18 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Oracle, SAP, Dynamics 365, 1C:ERP, FirstBit, RIB 4.0, Access Coins, IFS Cloud, Odoo, Trimble Viewpoint, CMiC, Acumatica, Sage Intacct, Sage 300 CRE, InEight, FOUNDATION

Property / real estate

Specialist

Property sales, leasing, units and owner/developer project finance.

Why it matters: Essential for developers and real-estate groups that both build and sell or lease.

What we check

Unit inventory, sales and leasing contracts
Payment plans and collections
Development cost and feasibility

Most relevant for
Developers & owners, Real estate

4 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

SAP, Dynamics 365, 1C:ERP, Sage 300 CRE

AI

Embedded AI

Recommended

AI assistants, agents or machine-learning features built into the product.

Why it matters: AI is starting to automate invoice matching, forecasting, document search and estimating; native AI works on your live ERP data.

What we check

AI assistant or agents inside the product
Automation of routine steps (matching, coding, alerts)
Data stays inside the ERP's security model

Most relevant for
General contractors, EPC, Infrastructure / civil, Specialty / subcontractors, Developers & owners

15 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Oracle, SAP, Dynamics 365, FirstBit, Access Coins, IFS Cloud, Odoo, Trimble Viewpoint, CMiC, Acumatica, Sage Intacct, FOUNDATION, ComputerEase

Add-ons

E-auctioning / procurement portal

Specialist

Online supplier portal for RFQs and tenders, including reverse or e-auctions.

Why it matters: Competitive online sourcing cuts procurement cost and leaves a transparent audit trail, which public and EPC clients often require.

What we check

Supplier self-service portal
Electronic RFQs, bid comparison and award
Reverse or sealed e-auctions

Most relevant for
EPC, Infrastructure / civil, General contractors

8 of 20 systems confirmed

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Oracle, SAP, Dynamics 365, RIB 4.0, IFS Cloud, CMiC

Oracle P6 connector

Specialist

Two-way integration with Oracle Primavera P6 schedules.

Why it matters: P6 is the standard scheduler on large capital and EPC programmes; re-keying schedules into the ERP is a common source of error.

What we check

Import and export of P6 activities and WBS
Link activities to cost codes
Progress sync back to the schedule

Most relevant for
EPC, Infrastructure / civil

5 of 20 systems confirmed · 1 via partner

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Oracle, IFS Cloud, InEight
Via partner: SAP

MS Project connector

Specialist

Integration with Microsoft Project schedules.

Why it matters: Most mid-size contractors plan in MS Project; linking it avoids double entry.

What we check

Import and export of MS Project plans
Activity-to-cost-code mapping
Progress update round-trip

Most relevant for
General contractors, Specialty / subcontractors, Developers & owners

5 of 20 systems confirmed · 2 via partner

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, Oracle, Dynamics 365, InEight
Via partner: SAP, Odoo

Quantity take-off (QTO)

Specialist

Quantity take-off from 2D drawings or BIM models.

Why it matters: Measuring quantities is the slowest part of estimating; built-in QTO feeds the BOQ directly.

What we check

2D PDF/CAD digitising
Model-based (IFC/BIM) quantities
Quantities flow straight into the estimate

Most relevant for
General contractors, EPC, Infrastructure / civil, Specialty / subcontractors

6 of 20 systems confirmed · 2 via partner

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, Procore, RIB 4.0, NEVARIS, Trimble Viewpoint, InEight
Via partner: Acumatica, FOUNDATION

MCP connector

Specialist

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lets AI assistants such as Claude or ChatGPT securely read and act on ERP data.

Why it matters: MCP lets teams query projects, costs and documents in natural language and automate work through AI agents.

What we check

Official MCP server from the vendor
Permission and audit controls for AI access
Read and write actions exposed to AI agents

Most relevant for
General contractors, EPC, Infrastructure / civil, Developers & owners

5 of 20 systems confirmed · 2 via partner

Which systems

ProjectVIEW, SAP, Dynamics 365, Acumatica, Sage Intacct
Via partner: Procore, Odoo

Platform factors

Beyond functionality, these factors decide whether a system can work for you. Together with company size and scope, they carry more than half of the weight in our fit model.

Regional presence

Confirmed customers, offices or certified partners in the region. Local implementation capacity matters more than features on paper.

Localization & compliance

Language (Arabic, Russian), tax and e-invoicing (UAE VAT, Saudi ZATCA, EU VAT), payroll files (WPS) and local accounting standards.

Deployment

Cloud SaaS, on-premise or hybrid, plus mobile apps for site teams. Some public and defence clients require on-premise or in-country hosting.

Company-size fit

The size of firm the system is designed and priced for, from under 50 staff to multinational groups.

Pricing model & tier

Per user, per module or by construction volume, and the typical total cost including implementation.

User evidence

Ratings and review counts on Capterra, G2 and Software Advice. Thin evidence is flagged, not penalised.

How the framework is maintained

We review the framework as the market changes and welcome input from contractors, consultants and implementation partners. A capability is marked as covered for a vendor only when we find public evidence: product documentation, release notes, official integration listings or verified reviews. "Not confirmed" means we found no evidence, not that the capability is impossible.

Vendors can submit evidence for a correction to consulting@constructionerpindex.org.