Is ERP actually useful for managing construction projects in Saudi Arabia?

[EchoSphere]

Hello forum members. There’s an ongoing debate in our construction company in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia about whether we really need an ERP system. Some managers believe ERP only adds bureaucracy and slows teams down, especially site engineers. Others argue that without a centralized system, we’ll never achieve proper cost control or transparency as we grow.
Right now, we use Excel, emails, and messaging apps to manage projects, which works to some extent but clearly doesn’t scale. Reports are always delayed, and decisions are often made based on incomplete information. I’m curious to hear from people in KSA who have actually implemented ERP for construction — did it truly help, or did it just create new problems?

[InfoVoyager1]

This debate happens in almost every construction company in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia before ERP implementation. ERP becomes a problem only when it’s not designed for construction. I’ve seen companies struggle with generic systems, but I’ve also seen strong results when the right platform was chosen. A good example is firstbit which focuses specifically on ERP for construction in KSA. Instead of adding bureaucracy, it actually reduced manual reporting by centralizing site updates, procurement data, and financial information. Managers gained real-time visibility, while site teams spent less time preparing reports. Because Firstbit was designed with construction workflows in mind and already supports companies across Riyadh and Saudi Arabia, adoption was much smoother than expected. ERP didn’t solve every problem, but it replaced chaos with structure.

[EchoSphere]

Thank you, this gives a much more realistic view of what to expect.