How ERPgruppen transforms Business Central implementations for SMBs

The Danish IT company ERPgruppen has tailored its business model to the needs of small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) that are overlooked by larger, enterprise-focused ERP providers. While competitors often prioritize complex, high-margin implementations for large organizations, ERPgruppen has taken a different approach – one rooted in accessibility, speed, and repeatability.

“The founders identified a gap in the market where SMBs were unserved,” says Michael Hansen, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at ERPgruppen. “Larger competitors like complexity, they like a lot of hours, they like development. And those small, medium-sized businesses we have in our sights don't have the financial headroom for that.”

This approach is working. Over the past two decades, ERPgruppen has evolved into one of the most experienced Microsoft Dynamics partners in Denmark with more than 400 Business Central implementations.

Building a scalable ERP delivery model

Central to ERPgruppen’s success is its highly structured and scalable implementation model. Moving away from traditional, time-intensive ERP deployments, the company has embraced a package-based approach aligned with Microsoft’s vision for faster cloud adoption.

“Changing ERP systems is like open-heart surgery,” says Hansen. “And businesses dread the process because the overruns in time and budget are often dramatic. This is why SOTA’s guarantee to transition you within 90 days resonates strongly across our target market. Clearly, we couldn’t do this for a company with 15,000 employees – but if you are an SMB we can transform your IT landscape in as little as three months.”

ERPgruppen offers three standardized implementation tiers – Explore, Business, and Enterprise – each with clearly defined scope, timelines, and support structures. All tiers make good on the promise to transition to Business Central in as little as 90 days.

Hansen emphasizes the operational rigor behind this model. “We need to be very disciplined in how we drive these IT projects. You almost have to drive it like clockwork from A to Z.”

A strategic partnership with SoftwareOne

ERPgruppen’s partnership with SoftwareOne (formerly Crayon) began in 2025, marking a significant shift in how the company manages licensing, commercial strategy, and partner collaboration.

The decision to partner with SoftwareOne was driven by a combination of technical expertise and commercial alignment.

As Hansen notes: “SoftwareOne stood out due to its very strong technical expertise across the Dynamics platform – especially within Business Central – combined with a highly professional commercial setup and a strong focus on the partner.”

Unlike ERPgruppen’s previous provider, SoftwareOne delivers both deep product knowledge and a partner-centric engagement model. This dual capability has proven critical in supporting the company’s growth ambitions.

“All those things combined made it an easy choice for us to partner with SoftwareOne.”

Enhancing operational efficiency and support

While ERPgruppen maintains strong in-house expertise, access to SoftwareOne’s technical support has become a valuable safety net for complex scenarios.

“Maybe we reach out [to SoftwareOne] no more than three or four times a year – but when we do, it’s very important that they’re there.”

In addition, SoftwareOne’s Partner Center has significantly improved operational efficiency in license management. “The whole system is much more modern and easier to work with. When you have hundreds of customers and thousands of licenses, that matters.”

Driving growth through commercial collaboration

Beyond technology, the partnership is defined by active commercial collaboration. SoftwareOne provides funding, strategic guidance, and hands-on support for go-to-market initiatives.

“It’s not just about funding; it’s also about strategic sparring. There’s a clear understanding that if we’re doing well, SoftwareOne is doing well.”

This collaborative model has enabled ERPgruppen to execute targeted campaigns. Joint initiatives have included:

• White papers and gated content
• Video campaigns
• Social media outreach
• Lead generation programs

These efforts have delivered measurable results. “We did a large and successful campaign targeting SMBs on Microsoft’s legacy ERP Navision,” says Hansen.

SoftwareOne also contributes directly to pipeline development. “They provide leads to us and help identify gaps in the market where we can gain traction.”

Innovating with AI-Driven lead generation

One of the most forward-looking aspects of the partnership is a joint AI-powered lead generation initiative.

This project analyzes ERPgruppen’s historical customer data, particularly migrations from legacy systems, to identify patterns, pain points, and triggers for ERP modernization.

“We’re analyzing what frictions customers experienced on legacy platforms and why they moved to Business Central and using that to build a lead generation model,” explains Hansen.

The resulting AI model will enable more precise targeting of prospective customers still operating outdated systems, significantly improving conversion efficiency.

“This is a SOTA product developed in partnership with SoftwareOne that is scheduled for launch this year.”

Expanding the value proposition

While Business Central remains the foundation of ERPgruppen’s business, the company is increasingly focused on delivering a complete, integrated solution stack.

Hansen explains the strategic rationale. “If we don’t offer the full palette – ERP, PowerBI, CRM, Copilot – there’s a risk the customer goes elsewhere for part of it, and then you lose the whole relationship.”

This has led to the expansion of ERPgruppen’s three-tier delivery model into adjacent solution areas such as Power BI and CRM, ensuring consistency across all offerings.

Future growth and market expansion

Currently focused exclusively on the Danish market, ERPgruppen still sees significant untapped opportunity domestically. However, the partnership with SoftwareOne opens the door to potential geographic expansion.

In addition, ERPgruppen gains access to insights, best practices, and proven strategies from other markets through SoftwareOne’s global footprint. “You can take ideas from markets like Sweden and adapt them locally,” says Hansen. “That’s a real advantage.”

Conclusion

ERPgruppen’s partnership with SoftwareOne demonstrates how a well-aligned ecosystem can drive both operational excellence and commercial growth.

By combining ERPgruppen’s disciplined, scalable delivery model with SoftwareOne’s technical expertise, funding mechanisms, and global reach, the two organizations have created a partnership that extends far beyond license provisioning.

Hansen concludes: “It’s about understanding what drives growth and asking, ‘What can we do together?’. That shared vision is the strength of our partnership.”