8 Best ERP Solutions for Operations and Maintenance in 2026

Operations and maintenance play a critical role in business reliability. When assets fail or maintenance is delayed, the impact is immediate in the form of downtime, higher costs, and disrupted operations. 

Research shows that about two out of every three companies experience unplanned downtime at least once a month, with downtime costing around $125,000 per hour on average.

As Saudi businesses scale under Vision 2030, operations grow more complex. Asset volumes increase, teams spread across sites, and maintenance processes built on spreadsheets or disconnected tools struggle to keep up. 

ERP helps address this by bringing assets, maintenance, inventory, and operational data into one system.

In this guide, we explore what to look for in an ERP for operations and maintenance, review leading platforms, and share best practices for implementation.

At a glance:

• In operations and maintenance, ERP acts as the central control system for assets, work orders, inventory, labor, and costs, replacing fragmented tools and reactive workflows.
• Without ERP, growing operations fall back on manual work orders, reactive repairs, siloed asset data, and slow approvals, driving higher downtime and maintenance spend.
• The most effective ERP systems focus on preventive maintenance, unified asset data, real-time visibility, and tight inventory alignment, not just finance or reporting.
• ERP fit varies by scale and complexity: HAL ERP supports Saudi mid-sized and growing, maintenance-heavy businesses; SAP S/4HANA and IBM Maximo serve large, asset-intensive enterprises; Acumatica and Microsoft Dynamics 365 suit mid-market teams needing flexible, cloud-based operations.
• For Saudi organizations, ERP must also handle VAT compliance, multi-site operations, and local regulatory workflows, making regional readiness as critical as functional depth.

What Is ERP in Operations and Maintenance?

In operations and maintenance, ERP is the central platform that connects assets, people, maintenance tasks, and operational data into one structured workflow.

For businesses managing equipment, facilities, or service teams, ERP helps you plan, execute, and monitor maintenance activities while keeping costs, inventory, and accountability under control.

An ERP system for operations and maintenance typically covers:

• Asset lifecycle tracking, from installation to replacement
• Preventive and corrective maintenance scheduling
• Work order creation, assignment, and closure
• Spare parts and inventory availability
• Labor tracking and cost reporting
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Without ERP, these activities often sit across spreadsheets, emails, and standalone tools. As operations grow, this fragmentation leads to delayed maintenance, higher downtime, and limited visibility for management.

For Saudi businesses scaling under Vision 2030, ERP brings structure to operations by replacing reactive fixes with planned, data-driven maintenance.

Why Operations and Maintenance Break Down Without ERP

Operations and maintenance challenges rarely come from a lack of effort. They emerge when growing businesses continue to rely on tools and processes that were never designed to scale.

As asset counts increase, teams expand, and sites multiply, traditional methods begin to show clear limits.

1. Manual Work Orders Create Delays

When maintenance requests are raised through emails, calls, or paper forms, tasks move slowly. Information is often incomplete, approvals take time, and tracking progress becomes difficult. Over time, this leads to missed jobs, repeated follow-ups, and unclear accountability.

2. Reactive Maintenance Becomes the Norm

Without structured scheduling, maintenance teams respond to failures rather than prevent them. Equipment is repaired after breakdowns instead of being maintained proactively. This increases downtime, disrupts operations, and raises long-term maintenance costs.

3. Siloed Asset Data Reduces Control

Asset details, service history, and usage data often sit across different systems or files. When teams lack a single source of truth, decisions are based on partial information. This results in repeated issues, inconsistent servicing, and poor lifecycle planning.

4. Delayed Approvals Slow Execution

Maintenance approvals that rely on manual sign-offs slow down urgent work. Whether it is a spare part request or a service task, delays impact response time and productivity. As organizations grow, these bottlenecks become more frequent.

5. Lack of Real-Time Visibility Limits Decisions

Without live dashboards or consolidated reporting, management struggles to see what is happening on the ground. Downtime trends, maintenance costs, and asset performance are reviewed after issues escalate, not before.

At scale, these gaps create operational risk. ERP addresses this by acting as a structural upgrade, not just a new tool. It replaces fragmented processes with connected workflows that support reliability, accountability, and growth.

Must read: A Complete Guide to the Common Types of ERP Systems

What Defines the Best ERP Solution for Operations and Maintenance

Not every ERP system is built to support operations and maintenance effectively. Choosing the best ERP solution for operations and maintenance requires evaluating how well it supports daily execution, long-term planning, and local business requirements.

Here are the core criteria that matter.

• Centralized Asset and Maintenance Data: Maintain a single, accurate record for every asset, including location, condition, service history, warranties, and lifecycle status. Centralization ensures maintenance decisions are based on complete and up-to-date information.
• Preventive Maintenance Capabilities: Support planned maintenance through schedules based on time, usage, or asset condition. Automated task creation and reminders help teams prevent breakdowns instead of reacting to failures.
• Inventory Alignment with Maintenance Demand: Link maintenance activities directly to spare-parts availability. This ensures critical parts are available when needed without excessive overstocking or last-minute delays.
• Workforce Scheduling and Accountability: Enable clear task assignment, technician scheduling, and job tracking. This improves accountability, reduces delays, and ensures maintenance teams know exactly what needs to be done and when.
• Real-Time Dashboards for Management: Provide live visibility into downtime, maintenance costs, and asset performance. Real-time dashboards allow leaders to monitor operations continuously and act before issues escalate.
• Support for Saudi VAT and Operational Workflows: Align with Saudi VAT requirements and local operational practices, including compliant reporting, structured approvals, and workflows designed for multi-site operations.
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With a clear understanding of what to look for, the next step is to see how different ERP platforms support operations and maintenance.

Top 8 ERP Platforms for Managing Operations and Maintenance at Scale

As operations grow, managing assets, maintenance tasks, and teams becomes harder to control with disconnected tools. Below, you’ll find ERP solutions that bring structure, visibility, and reliability to operations and maintenance, starting with HAL ERP.

1. HAL ERP

HAL ERP is an enterprise-grade ERP built specifically for mid-sized and growing businesses in Saudi Arabia. It brings operations, maintenance, inventory, and workforce workflows into one unified system, helping teams move from reactive fixes to planned, data-driven maintenance without disrupting day-to-day operations.

Key Features:

• Centralized Asset Lifecycle Management: Maintain complete records for assets across facilities, production lines, fleets, or sites, including service history, condition tracking, and lifecycle status, all in one system.
• Preventive Maintenance Scheduling: Plan and automate maintenance based on time, usage, or operational needs to reduce breakdowns, extend asset life, and avoid unplanned downtime.
• Integrated Work Order Management: Create, assign, track, and close maintenance tasks with clear ownership and real-time status visibility across teams and locations.
• Maintenance-Driven Inventory Control: Link maintenance activities directly to spare-parts availability, ensuring critical items are available when needed without excess stock or last-minute delays.
• Real-Time Operational Dashboards: Give managers instant visibility into downtime trends, maintenance costs, asset performance, and team productivity through live dashboards and reports.
• Saudi-Ready Compliance and Workflows: Designed for businesses in Saudi Arabia, HAL ERP supports VAT-compliant reporting, structured approvals, and workflows suited for multi-site and asset-heavy operations.

Best suited for: Mid-sized and growing Saudi businesses that need strong operational control, preventive maintenance, and asset visibility without heavy system complexity.

See how HAL ERP supports operations and maintenance in one system. Book a free demo today.

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2. SAP S/4HANA

SAP S/4HANA is an enterprise ERP suite built on SAP’s in-memory HANA platform, designed to manage complex, large-scale operations with real-time data and integrated asset and maintenance processes.

Key Features

• Real-Time Operational Processing: In-memory architecture enables instant access to operational and asset data for faster decision-making.
• Enterprise Asset Management: Supports plant and asset maintenance within broader enterprise workflows.
• Integrated Business Processes: Connects maintenance with procurement, manufacturing, and supply chain operations.
• Advanced Analytics and Intelligence: Built-in analytics support performance tracking and operational insights.
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Best suited for: Large enterprises with complex operations, high transaction volumes, and mature IT teams managing plant and asset-intensive environments.

3. Acumatica

Acumatica is a cloud-native ERP platform focused on providing unified visibility across operations, inventory, and service workflows through a browser-based system.

Key Features

• Cloud-Native Architecture: Enables access to operational and maintenance data from any location.
• Unified Operations Management: Brings inventory, projects, and service activities into one system.
• Configurable Dashboards: Provides real-time reporting and operational visibility.
• Industry-Specific Editions: Offers tailored workflows for manufacturing, construction, and distribution.
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Best suited for: Mid-market organizations looking for a cloud-first ERP with configurable workflows and moderate operational and maintenance needs.

4. Kinetic by Epicor

Kinetic by Epicor is an ERP platform designed for manufacturing and operations-driven businesses, supporting production, asset visibility, and operational execution in a single system.

Key Features

• Manufacturing-Centric Design: Built for discrete and make-to-order operational environments.
• Operational Dashboards: Delivers real-time insights into production and operational performance.
• Integrated Supply Chain and Operations: Connects inventory, production, and service workflows.
• Flexible Deployment Options: Available in cloud, on-premise, or hybrid environments.
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Best suited for: Manufacturing-focused businesses that require tight integration between production, inventory, and operational execution.

5. Azentio

Azentio provides modular ERP solutions designed to support operations-heavy industries through integrated project, resource, and operational management.

Key Features

• Project and Resource Planning: Supports structured planning and tracking of operational activities.
• Integrated Operational Workflows: Connects procurement, finance, and operations in one system.
• Real-Time Reporting: Offers dashboards and reports for operational performance monitoring.
• Industry-Focused Solutions: Provides ERP editions for contracting, manufacturing, and distribution.
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Best suited for: Operations-heavy organizations in contracting, manufacturing, or distribution that need structured project and resource management.

6. Microsoft Dynamics 365

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based ERP and business application suite that helps organizations manage operations, assets, and maintenance activities through connected data and configurable workflows.

Key Features

• Asset and Operations Management: Supports tracking of assets, service tasks, and operational workflows within a unified platform.
• Workflow Automation: Enables structured approvals and task flows to reduce manual coordination in maintenance processes.
• Real-Time Reporting and Insights: Provides dashboards and analytics to monitor operational performance and asset health.
• Cloud and Hybrid Deployment: Offers flexibility to run operations across cloud or hybrid environments based on IT needs.
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Best suited for: Organizations seeking a flexible ERP ecosystem with configurable workflows and strong reporting across operations and assets.

7. IBM Maximo

IBM Maximo is an enterprise asset management (EAM) platform designed to help organizations manage asset performance, maintenance activities, and operational reliability across complex environments.

Key Features

• Enterprise Asset Management: Manages asset lifecycles, maintenance history, and performance data in one system.
• Preventive Maintenance Planning: Supports scheduled and condition-based maintenance to reduce unplanned downtime.
• Work Order and Service Management: Enables structured creation, tracking, and closure of maintenance tasks.
• Operational Analytics: Provides insights into asset performance, maintenance costs, and reliability trends.
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Best suited for: Asset-intensive enterprises that require deep enterprise asset management and maintenance reliability across large infrastructures.

8. NetSuite

NetSuite is a cloud-based ERP platform designed to unify business operations across finance, inventory, procurement, and supply chain, supporting asset visibility and operational reporting in multi-entity environments.

Key Features

• Cloud-Based ERP Platform: Centralizes operational and asset-related data across locations and entities.
• Inventory and Supply Chain Management: Supports spare-parts tracking and inventory control tied to operations.
• Operational Reporting and Dashboards: Provides real-time visibility into operational performance and trends.
• Scalable Architecture: Designed to support growing organizations with complex structures.
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Best suited for: Organizations with multi-entity or multi-region operations that prioritize standardized cloud ERP processes and centralized reporting.

Once you’ve identified the ERP that fits your operations and maintenance needs, the next step is ensuring it’s implemented in a way that supports day-to-day work without disruption.

Must read: Why ERP Implementations Fail: Exploring Common Causes and Cases

Best Practices for Implementing ERP for Operations and Maintenance

A successful ERP implementation for operations and maintenance depends less on the software itself and more on how the rollout is planned and executed. Following proven best practices helps you gain value quickly without disrupting daily operations.

1. Start with Clear Operational Priorities

Begin by identifying which maintenance and operational processes need the most structure. Focus first on critical assets, frequent maintenance activities, and workflows that directly affect uptime or service delivery.

2. Prepare Asset and Maintenance Data Early

Accurate asset records, service histories, and maintenance schedules form the foundation of ERP success. Cleaning and organising this data before implementation reduces confusion and accelerates adoption after go-live.

3. Implement in Phases, Not All at Once

Rolling out ERP in stages allows teams to adjust gradually. Core maintenance workflows can go live first, followed by advanced scheduling, reporting, and optimization. This phased approach minimizes risk and disruption.

4. Involve Maintenance Teams from the Start

Technicians and supervisors should be part of the process early. Their input helps shape practical workflows, improves system usability, and encourages ownership of the new processes.

5. Align Inventory with Maintenance Needs

Maintenance planning works best when spare parts and consumables are aligned with work orders. Integrating inventory planning into the implementation prevents delays caused by missing or excess stock.

6. Train Teams Based on Roles

Effective training focuses on how each role uses the system, not on every feature. Simple, task-based training helps teams adopt ERP without slowing down execution.

7. Monitor, Refine, and Improve

After go-live, review how workflows are performing and make adjustments. ERP implementation is not a one-time activity; continuous refinement helps businesses move from reactive maintenance to proactive, planned operations.

Following these best practices can help you implement ERP as a long-term operational foundation rather than a short-term system change.

Conclusion

Operations and maintenance directly affect uptime, costs, and service reliability. As businesses grow, managing assets and maintenance through disconnected tools becomes difficult to sustain. ERP helps bring structure to this complexity by centralizing assets, work orders, inventory, and operational data in one system.

The best ERP solution for operations and maintenance is one that fits how your business actually runs. It should support preventive maintenance, provide real-time visibility, and scale smoothly while aligning with local operational and compliance requirements.

HAL ERP is built for Saudi businesses managing maintenance-heavy operations. With industry-focused modules, automation, and dedicated implementation teams, HAL ERP helps organizations move from reactive fixes to planned, reliable operations.

Book a free demo of HAL ERP to see how it can support your operations today and as you grow.

FAQs

1. What is the best ERP solution?

The best ERP solution is the one that fits your business size, industry, and operational complexity. It should centralize data, automate key workflows, and provide real-time visibility across operations, maintenance, and inventory, while supporting local compliance and scalable growth.
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2. What is ERP in maintenance?

ERP in maintenance refers to using a central system to manage assets, maintenance schedules, work orders, and spare parts. It helps businesses move from reactive repairs to preventive maintenance by providing structured planning, tracking, and reporting in one platform.
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3. What is ERP in operations management?

ERP in operations management connects daily activities such as asset usage, workforce coordination, inventory movement, and reporting into a single system. It enables better control, faster decision-making, and more reliable execution across operational teams.
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4. How does ERP help improve preventive maintenance?

ERP improves preventive maintenance by automating schedules, tracking asset usage and service history, and triggering work orders before failures occur. This helps reduce unplanned downtime, extend asset life, and control maintenance costs more effectively.