Lexware Inventory Management versus Microtech
Lexware Inventory Management and Microtech are two German SMB trade-and-inventory products serving the small-business segment of German operations. Lexware Inventory Management is the inventory-and-trade module within the broader Lexware Office suite (Haufe Group). Microtech serves a slightly larger SMB-and-lower-mid-market segment with broader ERP scope. This comparison covers the practical differences for German SMB trade-and-inventory operations.
Vendor positioning
Lexware Inventory Management: part of the Lexware product family by Haufe Group. Targets small trade and inventory operations (typically under 30 employees) with simple operational patterns. Strong integration with Lexware accounting and Lexware Lohn. Microtech: established DACH SMB ERP from Microtech GmbH. Targets slightly larger SMB-and-lower-mid-market trade operations (typically 10-100 employees). Broader ERP scope including some manufacturing and project-business capabilities. Both products are German-built with native German-market features. Positioning targets adjacent customer-size segments.
Functional comparison
Lexware Inventory Management strengths: simple-and-accessible UX, fast deployment, tight Lexware ecosystem integration, accessible pricing for very-small operations. Microtech strengths: broader ERP scope, stronger inventory and warehouse capabilities, multi-warehouse support, customer-specific pricing depth, light-manufacturing capabilities. Where Lexware wins: very small SMBs (under 10 employees), pure-Lexware-ecosystem operations, minimal complexity requirements. Where Microtech wins: 10-100 employee operations, multi-warehouse, complex pricing scenarios, broader operational scope.
Pricing and architecture
Lexware Inventory Management: traditional Windows-based desktop application with subscription pricing (typically 25-60 EUR per user per month depending on edition). Cloud-deployed variants increasing. Microtech: Windows-based client-server architecture with subscription or perpetual licence options. Pricing higher than Lexware reflecting broader scope (typically 60-150 EUR per user per month). Both products are pre-modern in cloud-native terms; both have cloud-hosted variants increasing in maturity.
Selection guidance
Lexware Inventory Management for: very small operations (under 10 employees), simple trade and inventory operations, Lexware-ecosystem-centric organisations, cost-sensitive choice with limited complexity. Microtech for: 10-100 employee operations, more complex trade and inventory scenarios, light-manufacturing operations, broader operational scope than pure trade. Beyond either: organisations outgrowing both typically migrate to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, weclapp or Sage 100 depending on specific industry-and-scope needs.
Implementation considerations
Implementation considerations beyond pure functional fit. Partner-network depth: the implementation partner often matters more than the product within a peer set. Both products typically have multiple credible DACH partners; evaluating partner-specific team CVs and project references matters substantially. Reference customers: speak to at least two customers per vendor in your specific industry segment. Industry-specific operational patterns reveal which product fits better in real operations. Total Cost of Ownership: compare 5-year TCO including software subscriptions, implementation services, ongoing support, infrastructure (where applicable) and internal effort. Cost differences typically 20-40% across comparable proposals; the absolute cost matters less than the operational outcome. Roadmap orientation: evaluate the vendor's investment trajectory and ecosystem strategy. Products with strong roadmap investment and growing ecosystem deliver better long-term value than products in maintenance mode despite functional parity at selection time.
Long-term operational considerations
Three additional patterns matter for long-term operations. (1) Upgrade and update model: cloud-SaaS products receive automatic updates; on-premises products require customer-managed upgrade projects. The cumulative cost-and-effort of upgrades over 5-10 years matters substantially. (2) Customisation discipline: products with constrained-customisation (clean-core) reduce long-term maintenance burden at the cost of operational flexibility. Products with flexible customisation enable operational specificity at the cost of upgrade complexity. Match the discipline to organisational capability. (3) Skills and talent: products with larger user-bases have larger pools of available IT-skilled professionals. Specialist products with smaller installed bases produce talent-acquisition friction over time. Selection should reflect not just current capability but long-term sustainability of the operations model.
Related Topics
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lexware Warenwirtschaft cloud-based?
Lexware Warenwirtschaft has been moving toward cloud-deployment with hosted variants and increasing browser-based access. Pure cloud-native delivery is not yet equivalent to modern cloud-ERPs like weclapp. The Lexware Cloud transition is ongoing.
Does Microtech support manufacturing?
Microtech includes light-manufacturing capabilities suitable for assembly and simple production scenarios. For more demanding manufacturing operations (multi-level BOMs, capacity planning, complex variants), specialist manufacturing ERPs (abas, proALPHA, Business Central with manufacturing modules) typically fit better.
When should we migrate from either to broader ERP?
Common triggers: above 30 employees with operational complexity, multi-entity needs, complex pricing or rebate management, multi-warehouse with inventory complexity, manufacturing requirements beyond simple assembly. Mid-market ERPs (Business Central, weclapp, Sage 100) typically fit when these triggers apply.