ERP

Best ERP for Professional Services Firms in Australia (2026)

Sherman Hsieh

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Last updated: 6 October 2026 · Independent buyer’s guide · We do not sell rankings or coverage.

The best ERP for an Australian professional services firm depends on how many entities you run, how you bill, and where your payroll sits. Oracle NetSuite with SuiteProjects or SuiteProjects Pro fits multi-entity consultancies that want finance, projects and resourcing in one platform and can fund a separate Australian payroll product. Sage Intacct fits finance-led firms whose main need is dimensional reporting and fast consolidation. MYOB Acumatica fits firms that want project accounting and native Australian payroll from one local vendor, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central fits firms that want published AUD pricing inside the Microsoft ecosystem. Smaller practices on Xero are often better served by a PSA tool such as WorkflowMax by BlueRock or Accelo.

Who this guide is for

This guide is for managing partners, CFOs and finance managers at Australian consulting, engineering, IT services, accounting, legal and marketing firms with roughly 20 to 500 staff. Your system has to capture time accurately, turn it into invoices, show which projects make money, and tell you who is free next week.

Most firms in this range started on Xero or MYOB AccountRight with a separate timesheet tool. The usual trigger for an ERP project is a second entity, days of month-end WIP spreadsheets, or partners who cannot see margin by client. Our guide to outgrowing Xero or MYOB covers these warning signs. For a general view of how AI features in ERP affect project profitability, see our global article on professional services ERP and AI. This guide focuses on Australian requirements.

What a professional services ERP has to do in Australia

Project accounting and WIP

Your system must hold budgets by project and task, capture cost from timesheets, expenses and supplier bills, and value work performed but not yet billed. That unbilled amount is your WIP. In a services firm it is often the largest balance that finance has to estimate each month, and it is where spreadsheet errors tend to hide. Look for a system that calculates WIP from the same time and rate data it uses for billing.

Revenue recognition under AASB 15

AASB 15 sets out three tests for recognising revenue over time. Revenue is recognised over time when the customer receives and consumes the benefit as you perform, when your work creates or enhances an asset the customer controls, or when your work has no alternative use to you and you have an enforceable right to payment for work completed to date (AASB 15, paragraph 35, compilation dated 31 December 2022). Many consulting engagements meet one of them.

When revenue is recognised over time, paragraph 39 requires you to measure progress towards completion. For time-and-materials work, paragraph B16 allows you to recognise revenue at the amount you have a right to invoice, if that amount corresponds directly with the value delivered. Fixed-fee work needs a percent-complete or similar measure your auditor will accept. Ask each vendor to demonstrate a fixed-fee project with a revised estimate to complete, including the contract asset or liability posting.

Time, expenses and utilisation

Timesheet capture has to be quick enough that consultants use it, with approval by the project manager or line manager. You also need utilisation by person, team and practice, and resource planning with soft and hard bookings so you can see who is pencilled in for proposals as well as won work.

Payroll, Payday Super and awards

From 1 July 2026, employers must pay super guarantee contributions with each pay cycle rather than quarterly, and contributions must reach the employee’s fund within seven business days (ATO, 10 August 2026). Your payroll system, and the way your ERP receives payroll journals, must support that frequency.

Awards also matter more than many firms expect. The Professional Employees Award 2020 covers degree-qualified engineers, scientists and IT employees, among others, but excludes managers and staff who mainly do clerical work (Fair Work Ombudsman, no date shown). Since the first full pay period starting on or after 16 September 2023, covered employees paid less than 25% above their award minimum are entitled to overtime beyond 38 hours a week and to penalty rates for early, late, Sunday and public holiday work. Employers must keep records of those hours (Fair Work Ombudsman, no date shown). Your project timesheets may therefore be payroll records for part of your workforce.

Multi-entity and complex reporting

Many consultancies run an Australian trading company plus overseas subsidiaries. You need intercompany time charging, automated eliminations and consolidated reporting by practice and client across entities. If this is your main concern, read our guide to multi-entity ERP in Australia alongside this one.

The shortlist at a glance

Vendor-by-vendor assessment

Oracle NetSuite with SuiteProjects and SuiteProjects Pro

NetSuite offers two project options. SuiteProjects is the native project module inside NetSuite, with project records, task assignments and resource allocations. Oracle’s documentation describes hard and soft allocations and a grid showing estimated, allocated, assigned and worked hours by resource (Oracle NetSuite Help, no update date shown). Revenue for projects attached to sales orders can be recognised on percent complete, driven by time entered against project tasks (Oracle NetSuite Help, no update date shown).

SuiteProjects Pro is the product previously sold as NetSuite OpenAir, and Oracle positions it as a complete professional services automation application (Oracle, created 16 January 2025). SixLakes Consulting, a NetSuite partner, says the rename happened in 2025 and that SuiteProjects Pro has a dedicated resource module and supports percent complete, as-billed, fixed amount and incurred-versus-forecast revenue methods. The trade-off is that it runs as a separate application, so you must decide which system approves time and expenses and map the data flow to NetSuite (SixLakes Consulting, 26 July 2026). Native SuiteProjects generally suits simpler resourcing, and SuiteProjects Pro suits larger firms that manage resources daily.

NetSuite OneWorld is the main reason multi-entity consultancies shortlist it. The weakness is payroll. Oracle states that SuitePeople Payroll supports only US federal, state and local payroll taxes (Oracle NetSuite Help, checked 6 October 2026). You will need an Australian payroll product. Employment Hero, a payroll vendor, publishes a NetSuite integration that exports pay run journals to NetSuite, although that page does not mention timesheet sync (Employment Hero, no date shown).

Oracle does not publish a NetSuite price list. Annexa, a NetSuite partner, explains that cost depends on the SuiteSuccess edition (Starter up to 10 named users, Standard up to 30, Premium above 30), any industry package, and the service tier (Annexa, updated 21 September 2026). Neither Oracle nor the Australian partners we reviewed publish a price or range for SuiteProjects Pro licences, so ask for it as a separate line in your quote. For more detail, see our guides to NetSuite pricing in Australia and NetSuite implementation.

Sage Intacct

Sage launched Sage Intacct in Australia in August 2019 (Accounting Today, 29 August 2019). Its Australian help documentation covers the GST tax solution, BAS calculation through Sage Regulatory Reporting, TPAR, Reduced Input Tax Credits, Australian bank payment files, and multi-entity, multi-currency project support (Sage Intacct Help, last updated 1 October 2026).

Sage’s Australian professional services page claims project accounting with dimension-level tracking, AI-suggested timesheet entries through Sage Intelligent Time, multiple revenue recognition methods, utilisation and margin visibility, and consolidation of many entities with automated eliminations. It names Galilee Solicitors and DFP Recruitment as customers (Sage Australia, no date shown). Its dimensional structure lets you report by client, practice, partner and entity without a separate chart of accounts for each, which is why finance teams with complex reporting choose it.

The limitations are clear. Sage Intacct documents no Australian payroll, so you will integrate a payroll product such as Employment Hero, which publishes a Sage Intacct integration (Employment Hero, no date shown). Its resource scheduling is lighter than a dedicated PSA, so larger firms often add one. Leverage Technologies, a Sage Intacct partner, publishes estimates of about $20,000 a year in software for a small business, $50,000 for mid-market and $90,000 for large or global firms, with implementation from $40,000 to more than $75,000 (Leverage Technologies, 20 August 2026).

MYOB Acumatica

MYOB Acumatica, previously sold as MYOB Advanced, is the Australian-localised version of Acumatica sold by MYOB. Its project accounting documentation covers budgets with original and revised values, fixed-price and cost-based projects, timecards against projects and tasks, progress and time-and-materials billing, a rate engine by project, task and employee class, pro forma invoices, WIP tracking, change orders and project templates (MYOB Acumatica Help, no date shown).

Its strongest point for Australian firms is payroll. MYOB documents STP Phase 2 changes in the product (MYOB Enterprise Support, 25 September 2024), and Kilimanjaro Consulting, an MYOB partner, describes a payroll module that handles multiple pay groups, pay frequencies and leave approvals and posts to the general ledger (Kilimanjaro Consulting, 14 July 2026). MYOB has also released Payday Super changes: the MYOB Acumatica 2026.1.2 release notes include Payday Super improvements that let you correct qualifying earnings already reported to STP in completed pay runs (MYOB, release 2026.1.2, no date shown). One system for timesheets and payroll helps when staff fall under the award’s overtime provisions.

The trade-offs are scale and resource planning depth. MYOB Acumatica suits firms with one or a few Australian and New Zealand entities better than firms with a wide international footprint. Kilimanjaro Consulting estimates implementation at $50,000 to $100,000 for standard deployments and licence fees of $2,000 to $5,000 a month. For a direct comparison, see NetSuite compared with MYOB Acumatica.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Business Central handles project work in its Projects module, which earlier versions called Jobs. Microsoft documents five standard WIP methods (Cost Value, Sales Value, Recognizable Cost, Percentage of Completion and Completed Contract) and allows custom methods. WIP is calculated and then posted to the general ledger when you choose (Microsoft Learn, 3 July 2026). Weekly time sheets are linked to resources, and you can route approval to the resource’s approver or the project’s person responsible (Microsoft Learn, 21 August 2025).

Business Central has the clearest published pricing on this list. Microsoft lists Essentials at AU$119.70, Premium at AU$164.60 and Team Members at AU$12.00 per user per month, paid yearly and excluding GST (Microsoft Australia, checked 6 October 2026). Microsoft’s October 2026 licensing guide lists project management, including jobs, job quotes, capacity management and time sheets, among Essentials capabilities, and it allows a Team Members user to edit job time sheets for approval (Microsoft Dynamics 365 Licensing Guide, October 2026). That means consultants who only record time can use the AU$12.00 Team Members licence. Microsoft does not document Australian payroll in Business Central, so you will need a payroll product or a partner app. Business Central also has less built-in resource planning and utilisation analytics than a PSA, so you may need a partner extension or Power BI reporting. Our NetSuite versus Business Central comparison covers the wider differences.

PSA-first options: WorkflowMax by BlueRock and Accelo

Xero retired its original WorkflowMax on 26 June 2024. BlueRock acquired the brand and launched a rebuilt WorkflowMax in early 2024, with quoting, job management, scheduling, time tracking, invoicing and reporting (WorkflowMax, 5 May 2026). Its pricing page lists Essentials at AU$12.22, Pro at AU$22.00 and Advanced at AU$37.78 per user per month on monthly billing, with minimums of three, five and ten users. Advanced adds capacity planning and individual WIP ledger management, and every plan integrates with Xero and QuickBooks (WorkflowMax, checked 6 October 2026). The page does not state whether prices include GST.

Accelo was founded in Wollongong in 2011 as AffinityLive and still has an office there, as well as in Denver (Accelo, no date shown). It integrates with Xero, QuickBooks Online and Sage Intacct. Accelo publishes no prices and quotes by team size (Accelo, checked 6 October 2026).

Neither product is an ERP. They do not hold your general ledger, consolidate entities or run payroll, but they suit firms whose accounting system is adequate and whose real problem is job management and WIP visibility.

Australian buyer scenarios

A Sydney engineering consultancy with three entities. A 180-person firm runs an Australian operating company, a New Zealand subsidiary and a Singapore office, with mostly fixed-fee design work. It needs intercompany time charging, percent-complete revenue under AASB 15 and a resource plan across all three offices. NetSuite OneWorld with SuiteProjects Pro is a strong fit, provided the firm budgets for an Australian payroll product and a partner who has integrated SuiteProjects Pro before. Sage Intacct with a PSA is the alternative if the firm prefers to keep resource planning outside the ledger.

A Melbourne IT services firm with award-covered staff. A 70-person managed services and project firm has one entity and many degree-qualified engineers paid close to the Professional Employees Award minimum, so overtime records matter. It wants timesheets, project billing and payroll in one place. MYOB Acumatica is the most natural fit, because MYOB documents both project accounting and STP Phase 2 payroll. Business Central is an alternative if the firm is committed to Microsoft and will add a payroll product.

A Brisbane marketing agency on Xero. A 30-person agency bills monthly retainers and some fixed-price campaigns, runs one entity and is happy with Xero for accounting. Its problems are untracked time, scope creep and unclear WIP. WorkflowMax by BlueRock on the Advanced plan, or Accelo if the agency wants retainer and client service workflows, will solve these problems faster and at lower cost than an ERP.

When NetSuite is not the right choice

NetSuite is not the right choice if you run a single Australian entity with straightforward reporting, because you will pay for OneWorld-level capability you do not use. It is also a poor fit if you want payroll and timesheets in one vendor’s product, since NetSuite has no Australian payroll and you will always be integrating a second system.

Firms that need a published budget may also struggle, because Oracle does not publish prices and SuiteProjects Pro is licensed and implemented as a separate application. If you have fewer than about 50 staff and no international entities, MYOB Acumatica, Business Central or a PSA with Xero will usually cost less. Our article on whether NetSuite is worth it covers this decision in more depth.

What implementation costs look like

Software is usually the smaller part of first-year cost. The slowest work is designing rate cards, migrating open WIP and unbilled time, and connecting payroll. The partner estimates quoted in each vendor section above are a starting point: about $20,000 to $90,000 a year for Sage Intacct software, $2,000 to $5,000 a month for MYOB Acumatica, and implementation from $40,000 upwards for both. Business Central has published licence prices, and NetSuite is quote only.

These figures are estimates based on list pricing and implementation partner labour, and actual pricing depends on scope.

How we evaluated

We considered systems sold and supported in Australia that offer project accounting, time and expense capture, and a route to Australian payroll. We checked vendor documentation for WIP methods, revenue recognition, resource allocation, consolidation and Australian tax localisation, and Australian government sources for AASB 15, Payday Super and the Professional Employees Award. Prices come from vendor pages or named partners with the date checked, and we note when a source sells the product. We do not name an overall winner.

Related guides

• Best ERP for SaaS and Subscription Companies in Australia (2026)
• NetSuite vs Sage Intacct for Australian Finance Teams (2026)
• The Easiest ERP Systems to Implement in Australia, and the Most Scalable (2026)
• Best Xero Alternatives for Growing Australian Businesses (2026)
• Best ERP Software in Australia (2026): Independent Buyer’s Guide

Frequently asked questions

What is the best ERP for professional services businesses in Australia?

It depends on your structure. NetSuite with SuiteProjects or SuiteProjects Pro suits multi-entity consultancies, Sage Intacct suits finance-led firms with complex reporting, MYOB Acumatica suits firms that want projects and Australian payroll from one vendor, and Business Central suits Microsoft-centric firms that want published AUD pricing. Single-entity firms under about 50 staff are often better served by Xero with WorkflowMax by BlueRock or Accelo.

Which ERP system is best for businesses with complex reporting needs?

For professional services firms, Sage Intacct and NetSuite OneWorld are the strongest options on this list. Sage Intacct uses dimensions such as client, practice, partner and location to report across entities without a separate chart of accounts for each, and Sage claims it can consolidate hundreds of entities with automated eliminations. NetSuite OneWorld combines consolidation with project and resource data in one platform.

Does NetSuite run Australian payroll?

No. Oracle documents that SuitePeople Payroll supports only US payroll taxes. Australian NetSuite customers use a separate payroll product and import pay run journals into NetSuite.

How does AASB 15 affect project revenue in an ERP?

Much consulting work meets one of the paragraph 35 tests for recognising revenue over time. Time-and-materials work can usually use the right-to-invoice approach in paragraph B16, while fixed-fee work needs a measure of progress such as percent complete. Your ERP should calculate this from project data and post contract assets and liabilities to the general ledger.

Do project timesheets matter for award compliance?

Yes, for some staff. Professional Employees Award employees paid less than 25% above their award minimum have been entitled to overtime and penalty rates since September 2023, and employers must record the relevant hours. If project timesheets are your record of those hours, they need to feed payroll accurately.

Sources

Every figure and claim in this article traces to one of these. Prices were checked on the date shown. Partner and vendor sources are marked because those firms sell the software they describe.

• Australian Accounting Standards Board, AASB 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, compilation dated 31 December 2022, Federal Register of Legislation. legislation.gov.au
• ATO, About Payday Super, 10 August 2026. ato.gov.au
• Fair Work Ombudsman, Professional Employees Award summary (MA000065), no date shown. fairwork.gov.au
• Fair Work Ombudsman, Changes to overtime and penalty rates in the Professional Employees Award, no date shown (changes effective from 16 September 2023). fairwork.gov.au
• Oracle, NetSuite SuiteProjects Pro documentation home, created 16 January 2025. Vendor. docs.oracle.com
• Oracle NetSuite Help, Using Project Resource Management, no update date shown. Vendor. docs.oracle.com
• Oracle NetSuite Help, Advanced Revenue Management (Essentials) for Projects, no update date shown. Vendor. docs.oracle.com
• Oracle NetSuite Help, SuitePeople Payroll country support, checked 6 October 2026. Vendor. docs.oracle.com
• SixLakes Consulting, NetSuite OpenAir, now SuiteProjects Pro, compared with SuiteProjects, 26 July 2026. NetSuite partner. sixlakesconsulting.com
• Annexa, How much does NetSuite cost in Australia and New Zealand, updated 21 September 2026. NetSuite partner. annexa.com.au
• Employment Hero, NetSuite integration, no date shown. Payroll vendor. employmenthero.com
• Employment Hero, Sage Intacct integration, no date shown. Payroll vendor. employmenthero.com
• Accounting Today, Sage Intacct opens in Australia, 29 August 2019. accountingtoday.com
• Sage Intacct Help, Australia region overview, last updated 1 October 2026. Vendor. intacct.com
• Sage Australia, Sage Intacct for professional services, no date shown. Vendor. sage.com
• Leverage Technologies, Sage Intacct cost and pricing in Australia, 20 August 2026. Sage Intacct partner. leveragetech.com.au
• MYOB Acumatica Help, Project accounting features, no date shown. Vendor. help.myob.com.au
• MYOB Enterprise Support, Changes in MYOB Acumatica for STP Phase 2, 25 September 2024. Vendor. enterprise-support.myob.com
• MYOB, MYOB Acumatica 2026.1.2 release notes, Payroll: Payday Super Improvements, no date shown. Vendor. help.myob.com.au
• Kilimanjaro Consulting, MYOB Acumatica for project accounting, last modified 14 July 2026. MYOB partner. kilimanjaro-consulting.com
• Microsoft Australia, Dynamics 365 Business Central pricing, checked 6 October 2026. Vendor. microsoft.com
• Microsoft, Dynamics 365 Licensing Guide, October 2026. Vendor. microsoft.com
• Microsoft Learn, Monitor project progress and performance, 3 July 2026. Vendor. learn.microsoft.com
• Microsoft Learn, Set up time sheets, 21 August 2025. Vendor. learn.microsoft.com
• WorkflowMax, BlueRock acquires WorkflowMax brand, 5 May 2026. Vendor. workflowmax.com
• WorkflowMax, Pricing, checked 6 October 2026. Vendor. workflowmax.com
• Accelo, About Accelo, no date shown. Vendor. accelo.com
• Accelo, Pricing, checked 6 October 2026. Vendor. accelo.com

1398 Overall Score

Sherman Hsieh

CEO & Editor-in-Chief, Business-Software.com
Independent analysis of enterprise software — ERP, CRM and more

Sherman Hsieh is the founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of Business-Software.com. He leads the site's independent, buyer-focused coverage of ERP, CRM, and other business systems, including vendor-neutral comparisons, pricing analysis, and implementation guidance. Before founding Business-Software.com, Sherman was an executive at Siebel ...