accelent — Microsoft Business Central Partner and MEGABAU Provider
accelent GmbH (part of the Network Dimensions group) positions itself in the German-speaking market as a specialist Microsoft partner for mid-market ERP projects, going to market with the MEGABAU industry solution that sits on top of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Where Business Central provides the technical foundation, accelent layers construction-specific workflows, calculations and documents on top. The product targets construction businesses across multiple trades — classical building and civil engineering, general contractors, scaffolding firms, mechanical and plumbing trades, and steel-construction businesses. Specialist trade media and Microsoft partner directories list accelent as a long-running implementation and vertical-industry partner; the company itself cites roughly twenty-five years of market presence and support for more than forty industry standards including GAEB, OENORM and VOB.
Overview
accelent is positioned between a technical Microsoft platform and a deep functional construction-ERP solution, which is a model that has proven itself across the German Mid-Market (mid-market) for vertical-industry coverage. The vendor relies on the Microsoft platform for upgrade reliability, DACH localisation and ecosystem reach, while building its own industry-specific competitive position through depth of construction know-how. The combination is comparable to other Business Central industry-partner plays such as acadon for timber or KUMAVISION for manufacturing — the buyer chooses both the underlying ERP platform and the vertical-industry team in a single decision.
Functional sweet spot
MEGABAU covers the typical processes of a construction business along the project lifecycle. The core consists of calculation, bill-of-quantity (Aufmass) capture, billing and project management, complemented by purchasing and subcontractor management, inventory and equipment management, and financial accounting and controlling on the Microsoft Business Central base. Users can import bills of quantity through GAEB and OENORM interfaces, perform quantity and price calculations, manage variation orders (Nachtragsmanagement) and produce progress and final invoices according to VOB/B — the German construction-contract regulations. Mobile capture of quantities, hours and equipment use is supported online and offline through dedicated apps. Industry-specific topics such as building-element management, tool and machinery management, site diaries and safety briefings are covered. Open Microsoft interfaces support third-party CAD, calculation, document management and HR tools.
DACH positioning
accelent is engineered for German construction businesses: support for GAEB (the German exchange standard for tendering and contracting in construction), OENORM (the Austrian standards body) and VOB (the German construction contract regulations) is central to the value proposition rather than an extension. The Business Central foundation provides standard DATEV (the German accounting exchange standard) integration, GoBD (digital-bookkeeping) compliance, ZUGFeRD and XRechnung e-invoicing without bespoke development. The reference base sits in Germany and Austria with selected Swiss customers. The competitive set is mainly other construction-specific ERPs such as Nemetschek Bau-Software or BRZ in the DACH market — accelent competes through the combination of Microsoft platform standards with depth of construction know-how.
Pricing and implementation
MEGABAU follows the standard Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central licence model, with the accelent industry extension priced as a separate per-user subscription. The vendor does not publish list prices: total cost depends on user count, module scope and operating model, and stacks on top of the Business Central licence cost. Implementation is delivered directly by accelent, which keeps the project chain short and ensures consistent transfer of construction-industry knowledge. Total cost of ownership stacks the Business Central platform cost on top of the MEGABAU extension — more expensive than a generic Business Central but typically far cheaper than customising Business Central to construction-industry depth from scratch.
Selection considerations
accelent with MEGABAU is a defensible shortlist entry for DACH construction businesses, general contractors, scaffolding firms, mechanical-and-plumbing trades and steel-construction businesses that already plan to use Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and want a productised construction-industry extension rather than a custom build. It is less compelling for non-construction buyers (generic Mid-Market ERPs fit better), for very small craft businesses without project-volume to justify the Business Central platform, or for buyers that prefer non-Microsoft construction ERPs such as Nemetschek Bau-Software or BRZ. The defining buyer profile is a German Mid-Market construction company with project-volume scale that values the Microsoft platform standards alongside vertical-industry depth.
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Häufig gestellte Fragen
Which interfaces does accelent support?
Most ERP systems offer REST APIs, EDI connectors and common accounting interfaces such as DATEV. E-commerce integrations such as Shopware, Shopify or Amazon can often be implemented via connectors. Standardised interface protocols (REST API, OData, EDIFACT, ZUGFeRD) are a must today and should be supported out of the box.
Does accelent offer a free trial version?
Cloud providers frequently offer free 14- to 30-day trial accounts or demo versions. Traditional mid-market ERPs are usually provided as test installations through implementation partners — see independent selection support. The exact details depend on the industry, size class and customising depth of the specific ERP setup.
Which industry specialisations does accelent have?
The vendor profile shows the industry focus and reference customers. Specialisations are often strengths in PPS (mechanical engineering), batch/serial number management (pharmaceuticals/food) or multi-channel (retail/e-commerce) — see the industry overview. Industry specialists have preconfigured master data structures and compliance modules that drastically reduce customising effort.
Which compliance standards does accelent meet?
ERP systems in the DACH region must support GoBD (audit-proof accounting), GDPR and e-invoicing. Depending on the industry, GxP (pharmaceuticals), HACCP (food) and GAEB (construction) come on top. The exact details depend on the industry, size class and customising depth of the specific ERP setup.
What is the user experience of accelent like?
UX depends heavily on the generation of the system. Cloud-native ERPs (NetSuite, weclapp) have a modern web UX. Traditional mid-market ERPs have been catching up strongly since around 2020 — demo testing is essential.