Custom trading ERP software in Dubai
Supplier prices in Excel, customer orders in WhatsApp, stock in a notebook and cheques in a drawer. We build one ERP around how your trading company really buys, stocks, sells and gets paid.
Custom ERP software for general trading, import and export, wholesale and distribution companies in Dubai and across the UAE. A system built around your suppliers, price lists, warehouses, delivery notes, invoices and collections, one stage at a time, so you see the first stage working before you commit to more.
| Document | Status |
| Purchase order | Received |
| Delivery note | Issued |
| Invoice | Due |
Where a trading company loses time and margin
Prices in too many places
Supplier prices, customer price lists and margins live in separate files, so a quote can go out on an old cost.
Stock counted by hand
Stock sits in more than one warehouse, and partial deliveries and back orders are tracked on paper or in a chat.
Costs that are not complete
Freight, duty and clearing charges are not added to the item cost, so the margin on a sale is a guess.
Credit and cheques out of sight
Credit terms, post-dated cheques and overdue invoices are spread across several files, so chasing payment starts late.
The same details typed again
Customer and item details are typed into the quote, the delivery note, the invoice and the statement.
New rules on every invoice
UAE VAT and e-invoicing put more required data on every tax invoice and credit note.
These are common patterns, not a diagnosis of your company. The free workflow audit starts from how work really moves in yours.
A trading ERP built from the stages you use
Price lists and quotations
Quotes built from your price list and current cost, with the margin visible before you send, and follow-up reminders until the quote is accepted or lost.
Customer orders
Orders from WhatsApp, email or a customer purchase order on one record, with partial deliveries and back orders tracked to completion.
Purchasing and suppliers
Purchase orders to suppliers in their currency, goods received against the order, and supplier bills checked against what arrived.
Stock by warehouse
Stock by item and by warehouse, transfers between warehouses and stock counts, so you can see what is available before you promise it.
Landed cost
Freight, duty, clearing and handling charges added to the item cost, so each sale shows the margin you really made.
Delivery notes and tax invoices
Delivery notes against orders, tax invoices with your registration number and VAT, credit notes, and invoice records laid out for UAE e-invoicing where it applies.
Collections and cheques
Credit limits and terms by customer, a register of post-dated cheques with due and cleared status, ageing, statements and payment reminders you approve.
Reports
The numbers you ask for every week: stock value, margin by item and customer, what is overdue and what you owe suppliers.
| Stock | Status |
| Warehouse 1 | Counted |
| Warehouse 2 | Low |
| In transit | Due |
| Cheque | Status |
| Cheque 1 | Due |
| Cheque 2 | Cleared |
| Cheque 3 | Deposited |
These are examples of what a system can cover. The first stage is agreed after the free workflow audit, based on your documents and your process.
The details that make a trading company different
- More than one currencySupplier prices and costs in dollars, euros or another currency, with totals and VAT in dirhams. Rates are handled the way your accountant prefers.
- Units and pack sizesItems bought in cartons or pallets and sold by the piece, with the conversion held once.
- Customer-specific pricesPrice lists and discounts by customer or group, with approval for anything outside your rules.
- Partial deliveriesA customer takes part of an order now and the rest later, and the delivery notes and invoices follow.
- Several warehousesStock in more than one place, including goods in transit, so available stock is not overstated.
- Returns and credit notesGoods returned by a customer or to a supplier, with the stock and the credit note updated together.
- Export paperworkWhere you export, commercial invoices and packing lists can be produced from the same order record.
- Batches where they matterBatch or serial numbers for items where you need to trace what was sold to whom.
Not every company needs all of these. We build what you use and leave out what you do not.
VAT, e-invoicing and records for a UAE trading company
VAT and tax invoices
Tax invoices carry your tax registration number, VAT by line and the other details the Federal Tax Authority expects. Sales to free zones, exports and re-exports can be treated differently for VAT, so the treatment of each type of sale is set with your accountant and built into the system.
E-invoicing
If you are VAT-registered and sell to other businesses, UAE e-invoicing covers your tax invoices and credit notes. We design the invoice records around the data your accredited provider needs and agree in writing how the system connects. We are not an accredited provider.
Records and history
Every quote, order, delivery note and invoice keeps its history and who changed it, so your accountant can follow the numbers for VAT returns and corporate tax filings.
We are not tax advisers. Our guide to UAE e-invoicing for trading and contracting companies explains the dates and the steps, with sources.
Eight questions to ask before you choose any trading ERP
Custom or ready-made, these are the questions a trading company should ask. We answer them in writing before you decide.
| Ask the vendor | Why a trading company needs it |
|---|---|
| Can it hold prices and costs in more than one currency, with totals in dirhams? | Supplier invoices are often in another currency, and the margin depends on the rate. |
| How does it work out landed cost? | Freight, duty and clearing charges change the real cost of every item. |
| How does it handle partial deliveries and back orders? | Customers rarely take a full order at once, and invoices must follow what was delivered. |
| Can I see stock by warehouse before I promise it? | The same item can sit in several places, or still be on a ship. |
| How are post-dated cheques recorded and followed up? | Post-dated cheques are part of how many UAE customers pay, and a cheque only counts when it clears. |
| How does it handle VAT, credit notes and e-invoicing? | Every tax invoice and credit note has to carry the right data. |
| Can I export all my data, and who keeps it? | Your customers, prices and history should never be locked in. |
| Who do I call when something goes wrong, and how are changes priced? | Support and change terms decide what the system costs after launch. |
For how custom and ready-made ERP compare in general, see our page on custom ERP and software.
How a trading ERP project works, one stage at a time
Free workflow audit
We follow a quote, an order, a delivery and an invoice through your company today, using your real documents and price lists. You get a short list of what to fix first. If a spreadsheet or an existing tool is enough, we say so.
Scope and fixed quote
A written scope for the first stage and one fixed price before anything is built. Later stages are quoted separately, so you decide each step.
Build and approve
We build the first stage with your real data, such as your item list and customer list. Someone on your side approves each part and tests it before your team starts to use it.
Launch, train and support
We launch it, train the people who use it and agree in writing how support and changes work after launch.
What we need from you to build it
- Your documentsA few real quotes, supplier invoices, delivery notes and tax invoices. Remove names if you prefer.
- Your price listsSupplier price lists, customer price lists and how you set margins and discounts.
- Your items and stockYour item list with units and pack sizes, the warehouses you use and a recent stock count.
- Your customers and suppliersNames, tax registration numbers, credit terms and currencies, and a view of what is clean and what is not.
- Your rulesDiscounts, credit limits, approvals, payment terms, VAT treatment and anything that must never happen.
- One person to approveSomeone who can answer questions, approve each stage and test it with a colleague.
What a trading ERP costs in Dubai, how long it takes and who keeps control
How we price
Each stage has a written scope and one fixed price, agreed after the free workflow audit. We do not publish a price list, because a quotation tool and a full system from purchase to payment are very different jobs.
Timeline
You get a timeline with each quote. It depends on the scope and on how quickly documents, answers and approvals reach us. We usually recommend starting with the part that costs you the most time or money.
Running costs
Hosting and any paid services the system uses, such as messaging, are explained before you commit, so you know the full running cost.
Your data and your system
Your data and logins stay in your name. What happens with the source code, hosting and future changes is agreed in writing before the build starts.
Where UAE e-invoicing applies to you, we design the invoice records around the data your accredited provider needs and agree in writing how the system connects to that provider. We are not an accredited service provider. Our guide to UAE e-invoicing for trading and contracting companies explains the dates and the steps.
What we have published for trading companies
Case studyThermolink: logo and online store for an HVAC spare parts supplierWe designed the logo and built the website for a Sharjah supplier of HVAC and AC spare parts. See what we made and what the site includes.Read the case study →
Our published client work for trading companies is websites, and for Thermolink the logo as well. We have not published a back-office system yet, so we start with a free workflow audit and a small first stage that you can judge before committing to more. For how we approach marketing for trading companies, see our page for trading companies.
Questions we get asked
What is trading ERP software?
Trading ERP software is one system that connects the main parts of a trading company: price lists and quotations, purchasing, stock, delivery notes, invoices and collections. A custom trading ERP is built around your suppliers, price rules, warehouses and approvals instead of a standard process. It usually starts with the stage that costs you the most time, then grows one stage at a time.
What should a trading company expect an ERP to do?
At a minimum: hold your price lists and costs, produce quotations with the margin visible, turn orders into delivery notes and tax invoices, show stock by warehouse, record supplier purchase orders and goods received, and show who owes you money and since when. Which of these you need first is agreed after the free workflow audit.
Custom trading ERP or ready-made ERP: which is better for a trading company?
It depends on how standard your process is. A ready-made ERP suits a standard buy, stock and sell process, offers many modules and is updated by the vendor. A custom system suits customer-specific prices, unusual approvals, WhatsApp-led ordering or a process your team has built over years, and lets you start with one stage instead of a full implementation. We say which one fits at the free workflow audit, even when the answer is a ready-made tool. Our ERP buyer's guide shows how to compare the options.
Can it handle prices and costs in more than one currency?
Yes, this is a common need in trading companies. Supplier prices and costs can be held in the supplier currency, with totals and VAT in dirhams. The exchange rates and the way differences are treated are set with your accountant.
How does it work out landed cost?
Freight, duty, clearing and handling charges are added to the purchase cost of the items they relate to, so each item carries its true cost into stock and into the margin on every sale. The method you use, for example by value or by weight, is agreed with your accountant before the build.
Can it handle partial deliveries and back orders?
Yes. A customer can take part of an order now and the rest later. Each delivery gets a separate delivery note, the order shows what is still to deliver, and the invoices follow what was delivered.
Can it show stock in several warehouses?
Yes. Stock can be held by item and by warehouse, with transfers between warehouses and a place for goods in transit. You see what is available before you promise it to a customer.
Can it track post-dated cheques and customer credit?
Yes. Credit limits and payment terms are set by customer, and a cheque register shows each post-dated cheque with its due date and whether it has been deposited, cleared or returned. Overdue invoices show by customer and age, and payment reminders go out only after you approve them.
Will it support UAE VAT and e-invoicing?
Tax invoices and credit notes carry your tax registration number, VAT by line and the other details the Federal Tax Authority expects. Where e-invoicing applies to you, we design the invoice records around the structured data your accredited provider needs and agree in writing how the system connects to that provider. We are not an accredited service provider. See our guide to UAE e-invoicing for trading and contracting companies.
Can we bring our Excel price lists and customer lists?
Yes. We agree which data comes across, such as items, price lists, customers, suppliers and open orders, look at what is clean and what is not, and test the system with your real documents before your team starts to use it. Your spreadsheets stay as they are.
How much does a custom trading ERP cost?
Each stage has a written scope and one fixed price, agreed after the free workflow audit. We do not publish a price list, because a quotation tool and a full system from purchase to payment are very different jobs. The main things that change the price are how many stages you need, how many connections to other tools are involved and how much data has to come across.
How long does it take to build?
You get a timeline with each quote. It depends on the scope and on how quickly documents, answers and approvals reach us. We usually recommend starting with the part that costs you the most time or money, then adding stages once the first is working.
Can we start with only quotations, stock or collections?
Yes, and we recommend starting small. A first stage might be quotations with margin and follow-up, orders to delivery notes and invoices, collections and the cheque register, or purchasing and stock. You see it working with your real data before you decide on the next stage.
Can it connect to our accounting software?
Often, where the tool offers a way to connect. We check what is possible at the audit and agree in writing which connections are in scope, for example posting invoices to your accounting software. Some connections carry fees from the tool provider, and we tell you before you commit.
Do you build ERP for general trading, import and export and distribution companies?
Yes, these are the sectors we are building for. Our published client work for trading companies is websites, and for Thermolink the logo as well, so we do not claim results from a back-office system yet. We start with a free workflow audit and a small first stage that you can judge before committing to more. See the Thermolink case study.
Where is your team, and how do we work together?
We are a Mumbai team that works remotely, with a registered point of contact in Sharjah. Everything is done remotely, and we work with you on WhatsApp and email. We work Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm India time, which is 8:30am to 4:30pm in the UAE, and we usually reply on WhatsApp within a few hours during working hours.
Pair it with
Book a free workflow audit
Tell us where buying, stock, delivery and invoices get stuck. We will map how work moves through your company and show you the one or two stages worth building first, or tell you if an existing tool is enough.
- Quotes
- Supplier invoices
- Delivery notes
- Buying and receiving
- Stock and delivery
- Collections
- Accounting software
- WhatsApp and email
- Spreadsheets