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Enterprise resource planning

Your ERP system should adapt to your business, not the other way around. With the Thinkwise Platform, you modernize or build a custom ERP that fits your processes, integrates into your IT landscape, and never becomes legacy
An ERP system needs to keep up

ERP systems are the backbone of operational business processes, from order management and production to procurement, logistics and finance. Many of those systems are decades old, extended over the years with custom code, add-ons and additional applications.

That is understandable: you do not replace a system that works. But at some point, the system stops keeping up with the organization. Changes take longer and longer, integrations grow more complex, and the underlying technology receives less and less support.

That is the moment organizations face a strategic choice: modernize the existing ERP, or rebuild on a modern foundation.

Three common situations

Custom-built ERP

Many organizations work with an ERP that was built in-house and supports their business processes well. The challenge is not the functionality, it is the technology underneath. RPG applications on IBM i, older .NET or Java systems, Delphi applications: they do what they need to do, but further development is slow and costly. Knowledge is concentrated in a handful of people, and every change feels like a risk.

Heavily customized standard ERP

A standard package that has been modified for years grows into a system with a life of its own. Updates become complex, vendor dependency increases, and every change requires a separate project. The system drifts further from the standard — and with it, from the support and flexibility you originally chose it for.

Industry-specific ERP with growing pains

Industry ERP solutions offer a solid functional starting point for typical sector processes. But as soon as the organization has requirements outside that standard scope, they hit a wall. Customizations take time, integrations are limited, and the vendor's roadmap determines your pace, not the other way around.
Modernize or rebuild:
two paths, one platform

Depending on the situation, organizations choose modernization, a new build, or a combination of both. With the Thinkwise Platform, both paths are possible, on the same model-driven foundation.

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ERP modernization

Proven business processes remain intact while the technology underneath is renewed. This is the right choice when the ERP is functionally sound but has reached its technical limits. The result: a system that integrates with modern tooling, scales in the cloud, and stops accumulating technical debt. 

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Custom ERP development

Sometimes the changes required are so fundamental that starting fresh delivers more value than renovating. That applies when multiple systems need to be consolidated, when extensive customization has made the system unmanageably complex, or when new business models require capabilities the current system structurally cannot offer. A new ERP is an opportunity to redesign processes without carrying forward the technical debt of the past.

When is a custom ERP the better choice?

For standardized processes such as financial administration, a standard package works well. But in operational core processes (procurement, production, logistics, order management) organizations with specific or complex requirements regularly run into the limits of off-the-shelf ERP.

A custom ERP is particularly relevant for organizations that:

  • Manage complex operational processes

  • Support highly individualized workflows

  • Need to integrate many systems and data streams

  • Work with an IT landscape full of additional solutions and interfaces

  • Want to replace a custom-built or heavily modified ERP without losing accumulated business logic 

Trusted by industry leaders
ERP modernization and development with Thinkwise

The Thinkwise Platform is built for the development and modernization of business-critical applications. The model-driven approach makes it possible to develop complex ERP systems in a structured way and adapt them quickly — without every change becoming a separate project.

What that means in practice:

  • Development up to 10x faster than traditional trajectories
  • Never legacy again: the platform grows structurally with the organization, preventing technical debt from accumulating
  • Seamless integration with CRM, e-commerce, logistics, data platforms and other systems
  • Cloud-native, API-first and AI-ready
  • Proven at organizations including VDL, Sligro and VRR

    For migration of existing applications, including RPG on IBM i, Thinkwise offers the Upcycler: an automated approach that significantly shortens the transition.
Clients’ evidence...
  • “As a business architect, I have created applications with Thinkwise in less time myself than it would have taken to explain them to a programmer. “
    Edwin Saan
    Business architect bij Koninklijke Saan
  • “Thinkwise has proven that model-driven software development is the best solution for Wagenborg to advance both its IT as well as its business.”
    Arie Versluis
    ERP program manager at Royal Wagenborg
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Frequently asked questions about ERP modernization
1. What is the difference between ERP modernization and custom ERP development?

With modernization, existing business logic is largely preserved and the technological foundation is renewed. With a new build, you start from scratch — which allows more room to redesign processes, but also requires a larger investment. The right approach depends on the state of the current system, the desired flexibility, and the organization's strategic goals.

2. What is model-driven ERP development?

In model-driven development, an ERP system is built from a functional model rather than traditional code. This makes changes faster, applications easier to maintain, and the risk of new legacy structurally smaller. The Thinkwise Platform works entirely model-driven.

3. Can an existing ERP be replaced step by step?

Yes. With the Thinkwise Platform a phased approach is possible: parts of the existing system are migrated or rebuilt step by step, while the organization keeps running. The Upcycler specifically supports this for existing applications such as RPG on IBM i.

4. Which organizations is Thinkwise suitable for?

Thinkwise focuses on organizations with complex, business-critical applications — particularly in sectors such as manufacturing, wholesale, food & agri, transport & logistics and financial services. Customers including VDL, Sligro, Omoda , and VRR build and maintain their core systems on the Thinkwise Platform.

Considering renewing your ERP?

In an initial conversation, we look at your current situation together, explore possible approaches, and discuss what a future-proof ERP means for your organization.