[Case Study Revealed] Transforming ERP Implementation with AI and Open Source: The Full Picture of Manufacturing DX Achieved with 100 Hours of Free Trial and Approximately 1.3 Million Yen

1. Introduction: ERP implementation moves to the next stage with "AI x Open Source"

In promoting digital transformation (DX) within a company, refreshing core systems (ERP) is an unavoidable challenge. However, when companies actually request quotes, they are often presented with figures ranging from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of yen, causing many medium-sized and small manufacturing companies to hesitate before implementing such systems.

At ERPNext.JP, we will fundamentally transform this opaque and expensive estimation structure by combining the latest AI technology with open source.

This article reveals the complete details of our ERPNext implementation, which, thanks to the dramatic improvement in development productivity enabled by AI, compressed the implementation process, which would normally take 600-700 hours, to approximately 230 hours. Furthermore, by providing the first 100 hours as a "free proof-of-concept (PoC) phase," we were able to keep the total cost to our customers to approximately 1.3 million yen.

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2. [Real-world example revealed] Model quotation for a manufacturing company

This time, we will introduce a model case of how ERPNext can be used to implement "building a foundation for automated order processing, production quantity calculation (MRP), and cost visualization", which is a common request from medium-sized and small manufacturing companies (with 50 to 100 employees).

■ Project Requirements (Scope)

• Target Operations: Order management, production planning (MRP), manufacturing performance management, cost management (material costs + process costs)
• Main requests:
• I want to automatically import order data from the e-commerce site.
• We want to semi-automatically calculate the required quantities of necessary parts based on order information (MRP).
• We want to know the exact manufacturing cost for each product.
• Duration: Approximately 3-4 months (including shortening of requirements definition and development through the use of AI)

■ Cost Summary

	Time	Cost
Phase 1: Free PoC (Proof of Concept)	100 hours	0 yen (1 million yen equivalent waived)
Phase 2: Production Transition and Stabilization Support	130 hours	¥1,300,000 (excluding tax)
Total	230 hours	Total payment: 1,300,000 yen (excluding tax)

With traditional ERP vendors, implementing a system of this scale would typically cost 600-700 hours and tens of millions of yen. By utilizing AI, we've reduced the total work time to approximately 230 hours (about one-third), and by making the first 100 hours free, we've achieved this price.

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3. Why does "work time become 1/3"? Overwhelming development productivity in the age of AI

Our specialist engineers' hourly rate is ¥10,000. While this is a fair rate for highly specialized work, we achieve overwhelmingly low costs, short turnaround times, and high quality by reducing total work time to approximately one-third of the conventional rate (approximately 230 hours).

The secret lies in the following three strengths:

① The "amazing compatibility" of open source and AI

Generative AIs like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot learn from publicly available code worldwide. ERPNext's source code, being completely open source, is particularly well-trained, reaching a state where "the AI ​​deeply understands the system's internal structure and optimal configuration methods." This allows you to fully leverage AI-driven automated code generation and configuration optimization, something absolutely impossible with closed commercial packages.

② The "hard-to-break" mechanism of the Frappe framework

ERPNext runs on a very robust and sophisticated framework called "Frappe". Because Frappe has built-in mechanisms for checking the integrity of data models and validation, even if the AI ​​writes and modifies a large amount of code, the overall integrity of the system is easily maintained, and it has the strong advantage of being less prone to "AI-specific bugs" (less likely to break).

③ "Thorough review" by engineers with extensive development experience

Our engineers, who are highly familiar with ERPNext, carefully review, verify, and optimize the 80-90% of code and configuration proposals that the AI ​​generates at high speed. "Ultra-fast development using AI" x "Quality assurance by humans" -- This combination results in a system that is fast, inexpensive, and of high quality.

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4. 100 Hours of "Free Proof of Concept"—Why Go to Such lengths?

ERPNext.JP's "first 100 hours free" offer is not just a simple discount campaign. This is a Proof of Concept (PoC) phase to bring the success rate of implementation closer to 100%.

Why are we offering "100 hours" for free? That's because, with the overwhelming speed of AI x ERPNext, you can reach a conclusion on whether it's truly usable in just 100 hours.

We will not compromise on our professional quality standards until our customers are absolutely certain that "this will work!", but we will bear the risk of the costs ourselves.

■ Contents to be implemented in the "100-hour free PoC"

• Prototype Construction: Presentation of a working system using your company's actual data.
• Verification of core operations: Confirm that the flow from order placement to MRP (Material Requirements Planning) to actual manufacturing is functioning correctly.
• Fit & Gap Analysis: Identifying areas requiring additional customization and improving the accuracy of estimates.

In other words, you can see a working prototype rather than just a theoretical proposal, and determine whether it's right for your company.

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5. Detailed explanation of the breakdown of costs (what is included in a standard 230 hours)

"Even with AI-driven efficiency improvements, there's a certain amount of time that simply cannot be cut when implementing an ERP system." -- That's what we believe.

This involves fine-tuning to suit on-site usability and thorough support after the system goes live.

We are releasing details of a more reliable model case in which, out of a total of 230 hours of work, the first 100 hours were allocated to a "free PoC" (Proof of Concept), and the remaining 130 hours to "production migration and adoption support".

[Phase 1] Free Proof of Concept — A period to verify "whether it's truly usable" with no risk.

Work Details	Estimated Time	Price
Environment construction/requirements organization ERPNext installation, rapid fit & gap analysis with AI	20 hours	Free
Prototype Construction Setting up key screens using your company's data, and verifying MRP logic	50 hours	0 yen
Verification and UI Adjustment On-site operation verification and configuration changes based on feedback	30 hours	0 yen
Phase 1 Subtotal	100 hours	0 yen (1 million yen equivalent waived)

[Phase 2] Production Transition and Stabilization Support — A period to ensure successful implementation and stable operation in the field.

Work Description	Estimated Time	Price (Unit Price: 10,000 yen)
Detailed Custom Development Complex report creation, e-commerce integration, custom UI implementation, etc.	40 hours	400,000 yen
Production Data Migration Data migration from the current system using AI cleansing	20 hours	¥200,000
Operation Training Key personnel training and thorough implementation in the field	20 hours	200,000 yen
Production Release Support On-site supervision immediately after launch, handling of irregular issues	30 hours	300,000 yen
Post-implementation improvement support Addressing "We want to do this more" requests that emerged after the system went live	20 hours	200,000 yen
Phase 2 Subtotal (Total Payment Amount, Excluding Tax)	130 Hours	¥1,300,000

*If you have specific requirements (such as complex API integration with external systems), a separate estimate will be provided. *If a site visit requiring business travel is necessary, actual transportation and accommodation expenses may be charged separately.

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6. Why spend time on the "production transition" and beyond?

It is said that 80% of ERP implementation failures begin with rejection from the field immediately after release, with comments such as "It's not what we expected" or "It's difficult to use."

By leveraging AI, we dramatically reduced the time spent on the initial "configuration" and "code creation" phases. The time saved by AI is then reallocated to the most crucial processes: "on-site implementation" and "improving usability."

This is intentional design.

• Complete requirements definition without any setbacks in a "100-hour PoC".
• In the "production phase", we refine it until the on-site team is satisfied.

Our approach isn't "implementation and then done," but rather "we'll support you until it's firmly established in the workplace." This is the investment allocation for a successful digital transformation (DX) proposed by ERPNext.JP.

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Summary: "Fast, inexpensive, and high quality" — and "Until it takes root in the field"

Strengths of ERPNext.JP	Content
Unprecedented Development Speed	AI x Open Source: Reducing traditional 600-700 hours of work to 230 hours
Risk-free proof-of-concept	The first 100 hours (worth 1 million yen) are free of charge
Transparent Fees	Payment is only 1.3 million yen (excluding tax) for the production phase
Thorough on-site support	Reallocate time freed up by AI to training and retention support

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ERPNext.JP will support you from consideration to implementation and stabilization.

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We at MyHaTch provide support from the implementation to the operation of ERPNext. We provide support tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in Japan.

• "What would the timeline and cost be like for our company?"
• "I'd like to try it out with a free proof-of-concept first."
• "I'd like to discuss how to proceed with the implementation."

👉 Start by exploring the feasibility of ERP implementation for your company with our free simulation. ERPNext.JP will fully support your company's first steps towards digital transformation.