How is the build effort calculated?

Point-to-point is 2.5 days per system-entity pair. Middleware is 5 days per system, 6 per entity, and 0.8 per pair. A canonical API layer is 20 days of setup, 4 per system, and 10 per entity. The result is multiplied by an ERP factor (SAP 1.4, Oracle 1.3, Dynamics 1.15, NetSuite 1.1, other 1.0) and an update-frequency factor (real-time 1.3, hourly 1.15, daily 1.0, weekly 0.95), then by your day rate.

How does the integration approach change the cost?

Point-to-point effort grows with every system-to-entity pairing, middleware reduces the per-pairing effort, and a canonical API layer adds upfront setup but scales with systems and entities instead of pairings. The comparison table shows build cost for all three approaches at your inputs.

How are maintenance and reconciliation costed?

Maintenance is FTEs × day rate × 220 days a year. Reconciliation hours per week are systems × entities × 1.5 for point-to-point, 0.8 for middleware, or 0.3 for a canonical layer, costed at your hourly rate for 52 weeks.

Why can a canonical layer cost more to build for a small landscape?

It carries a fixed setup and a per-entity modelling cost, so with few systems and entities it can exceed point-to-point. As the number of systems and entities grows, pairings grow faster, and the comparison usually flips. Check the comparison table at your own inputs.

How is the timeline estimated?

Build days divided by 10, rounded up to whole weeks. Adjust for your team size and how much of the work runs in parallel.

What currency are the results in?

US dollars, using the day rate and hourly rate you enter. If you enter rates in another currency, read the results in that currency instead.

Can I use this estimate as a project budget?

Treat it as a planning estimate built from the day rate and effort assumptions you enter. It excludes software licensing, infrastructure, and change management, so validate it against vendor quotes before committing a budget.

Are my system details sent to a server?

No. The estimate runs entirely in your browser and nothing is uploaded.

ERP integration cost calculator

ERP integration cost is the effort to connect an ERP with other systems, plus the ongoing cost of maintaining those connections and reconciling the data they exchange.

Estimate ERP integration build cost, timeline, maintenance, reconciliation and 3-year TCO, and compare integration approaches. Runs in your browser.

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Last reviewed 30 Oct 2026

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Jump to result

Result

Build cost (mid)$52,500

Build range$42,000 – $65,625

Annual maintenance$330,000

Annual reconciliation cost$101,400

Estimated timeline7 weeks

3-year total cost$1,346,700

Planning estimate from the effort assumptions and rates you entered; excludes software licensing, infrastructure, and organisational change management. Validate against vendor quotes.

Build cost by approach

Approach	Build days	Build cost
point-to-point (selected)	70	$52,500
middleware	91	$68,250
canonical-layer	112	$84,000

Cost breakdown

Line	Amount
Build (mid estimate)	$52,500
Annual maintenance	$330,000
Reconciliation (30 hrs/week)	$101,400
3-year total cost of ownership	$1,346,700

ERP integration cost estimate
Build cost (mid): $52,500
Build range: $42,000 – $65,625
Annual maintenance: $330,000
Annual reconciliation cost: $101,400
Estimated timeline: 7 weeks
3-year total cost: $1,346,700

Planning estimate from the effort assumptions and rates you entered; excludes software licensing, infrastructure, and organisational change management. Validate against vendor quotes.

ERP integration cost estimate
Build cost (mid): $52,500
Build range: $42,000 – $65,625
Annual maintenance: $330,000
Annual reconciliation cost: $101,400
Estimated timeline: 7 weeks
3-year total cost: $1,346,700

Planning estimate from the effort assumptions and rates you entered; excludes software licensing, infrastructure, and organisational change management. Validate against vendor quotes.

Examples

Default scenario

5 systems, 4 entities, SAP, point-to-point, daily updates, 2 maintenance FTEs, $750 a day and $65 an hour: build about 70 days or $52,500 (range $42,000 to $65,625), about 7 weeks; reconciliation 30 hours a week or $101,400 a year; maintenance $330,000 a year; 3-year total about $1,346,700.

Same landscape, other approaches

Middleware: 91 build days ($68,250) and 16 reconciliation hours a week. Canonical API layer: 112 build days ($84,000) and 6 hours a week. At this size point-to-point is cheapest to build, but the model's 3-year totals are $1,220,490 and $1,134,840 because reconciliation falls.

A larger landscape

10 systems and 8 entities on SAP with daily updates: point-to-point 280 build days ($210,000), middleware about 227 days ($170,100), canonical API layer 196 days ($147,000). Point-to-point effort grows with every system-entity pair.

Real-time updates

Switching the default scenario from daily to real-time multiplies build effort by 1.3: 91 days, $68,250, and about 10 weeks.

A different ERP

The default scenario with NetSuite instead of SAP uses a 1.1 multiplier instead of 1.4: 55 build days, or $41,250.

Maintenance usually dominates

Each maintenance FTE is costed at the day rate × 220 working days, $165,000 a year at $750. In the default scenario two FTEs cost more each year than the whole build, so test this input first.

How to use it

Enter the source systems to integrate and data entities to sync, and pick your primary ERP.
Choose the integration approach: point-to-point, middleware, or a canonical API layer.
Set the update frequency, maintenance FTEs, blended implementation day rate, and reconciliation hourly rate.
Review build cost, annual maintenance, reconciliation, timeline, and three-year total cost (in USD), and compare all three approaches in the table.

Questions

How is the build effort calculated?: Point-to-point is 2.5 days per system-entity pair. Middleware is 5 days per system, 6 per entity, and 0.8 per pair. A canonical API layer is 20 days of setup, 4 per system, and 10 per entity. The result is multiplied by an ERP factor (SAP 1.4, Oracle 1.3, Dynamics 1.15, NetSuite 1.1, other 1.0) and an update-frequency factor (real-time 1.3, hourly 1.15, daily 1.0, weekly 0.95), then by your day rate.
How does the integration approach change the cost?: Point-to-point effort grows with every system-to-entity pairing, middleware reduces the per-pairing effort, and a canonical API layer adds upfront setup but scales with systems and entities instead of pairings. The comparison table shows build cost for all three approaches at your inputs.
How are maintenance and reconciliation costed?: Maintenance is FTEs × day rate × 220 days a year. Reconciliation hours per week are systems × entities × 1.5 for point-to-point, 0.8 for middleware, or 0.3 for a canonical layer, costed at your hourly rate for 52 weeks.
Why can a canonical layer cost more to build for a small landscape?: It carries a fixed setup and a per-entity modelling cost, so with few systems and entities it can exceed point-to-point. As the number of systems and entities grows, pairings grow faster, and the comparison usually flips. Check the comparison table at your own inputs.
How is the timeline estimated?: Build days divided by 10, rounded up to whole weeks. Adjust for your team size and how much of the work runs in parallel.
What currency are the results in?: US dollars, using the day rate and hourly rate you enter. If you enter rates in another currency, read the results in that currency instead.
Can I use this estimate as a project budget?: Treat it as a planning estimate built from the day rate and effort assumptions you enter. It excludes software licensing, infrastructure, and change management, so validate it against vendor quotes before committing a budget.
Are my system details sent to a server?: No. The estimate runs entirely in your browser and nothing is uploaded.