TAIFUN openBusiness
TAIFUN openBusiness is the upper-end product in the TAIFUN Software AG portfolio of business solutions for the German skilled-trade sector (the Trades & Crafts). Where the TAIFUN Trades & Crafts product targets smaller artisan businesses with a simplified workflow set, openBusiness is positioned for medium and large skilled-trade companies that have outgrown the smaller product and need the depth of a full ERP with trade-specific extensions. The functional centre of gravity is the German Trades & Crafts verticals: sanitary, heating and air-conditioning (SHK), electrical, painting and decorating, metalworking and similar trades that combine project work, service business and product distribution under one roof. TAIFUN is one of the established specialists in the DACH Trades & Crafts-ERP segment alongside vendors such as Streit V.1 and Sander & Doll.
Functional scope
TAIFUN openBusiness covers the full ERP perimeter with deep trade-specific extensions: project management with bill-of-quantities (Leistungsverzeichnis) handling, GAEB-compliant tender and quote processing, time-and-materials tracking with mobile capture on construction sites, integrated service-call management with field-service dispatch, contract management for maintenance contracts, project controlling with post-calculation against bid budgets, materials purchasing with frame contracts and supplier portals, finance with GoBD-aligned bookkeeping and native DATEV integration. The vertical depth in GAEB, Trades & Craftser-Leistungsverzeichnis logic and trade-specific invoicing patterns is the functional differentiator versus horizontal Mid-Market ERPs that handle trade as a generic vertical.
Target segment
The natural openBusiness customer is a medium or large German skilled-trade company between roughly 30 and 300 employees in SHK, electrical, painting, metalworking or similar trades with mixed project, service and distribution business. The product is purpose-built for the German Trades & Crafts verticals and is rarely the right answer for organisations outside this segment. For smaller artisan businesses below 30 employees, the simpler TAIFUN Trades & Crafts product is the appropriate alternative. For pure trade or pure manufacturing businesses, horizontal Mid-Market ERPs such as Sage 100, myfactory or Business Central typically deliver better value. Within the Trades & Crafts segment, the long-list usually includes TAIFUN openBusiness, Streit V.1, Sander & Doll and the trade-specific add-ons of horizontal ERPs.
Architecture and deployment
TAIFUN openBusiness is delivered as an on-premises product with a hosted managed-service option through TAIFUN Software or qualified partners. The technology stack is conservative, aligned with the operational requirements of skilled-trade businesses that need stability over latest-generation cloud features. Mobile data capture for site time-and-materials and service-call workflows is supported through dedicated mobile apps that synchronise with the central system. Integration with DATEV, banking, supplier portals (Niedax, Sonepar and similar trade-specific platforms), shipping carriers and GAEB-compliant tender systems is part of the standard product. The product is not multi-tenant SaaS in the strict cloud-native sense.
Pricing and TCO
TAIFUN openBusiness is sold under classical perpetual or rental licensing with annual maintenance, plus implementation services charged on a project basis. The vendor does not publish a public per-user price list. As a directional benchmark for a 50-user mid-sized skilled-trade deployment with project, service and distribution workflows, software licences typically land between 40,000 and 100,000 euro, implementation services between 60,000 and 200,000 euro, and five-year total cost of ownership between 180,000 and 400,000 euro depending on customisation depth and the number of supplier-portal integrations. This places openBusiness in the mid price segment of the DACH Trades & Crafts-ERP market.
Selection considerations
TAIFUN openBusiness is a strong choice for medium and large German skilled-trade companies that need a vertical ERP with deep GAEB, Leistungsverzeichnis and Trades & Craftser-specific workflows. The vendor's focus on the Trades & Crafts segment and the maturity of the vertical-specific functionality are the competitive moat versus horizontal Mid-Market ERPs that handle the trade vertical generically. The trade-offs are the smaller vendor profile compared with Sage or Microsoft, the on-premises-first delivery model and the dependency on a specialist vendor's long-term roadmap. For organisations that fit the Trades & Crafts profile, openBusiness belongs on the long-list alongside Streit V.1 and Sander & Doll; for organisations outside the Trades & Crafts verticals, a horizontal Mid-Market ERP is almost always more appropriate.
Related Topics
Vendor homepage of TAIFUN openBusiness
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between TAIFUN Handwerk and openBusiness?
TAIFUN Handwerk targets smaller artisan businesses with a simplified workflow set. TAIFUN openBusiness is the upper-end product for medium and large skilled-trade companies that need the depth of a full ERP with trade-specific extensions. Customers typically move from Handwerk to openBusiness as they grow beyond approximately 30 employees.
Does openBusiness support GAEB tender workflows?
Yes. GAEB-compliant tender and quote processing is part of the standard product, with full handling of the Leistungsverzeichnis structure used in German construction and skilled-trade tenders. The depth of GAEB integration is one of the functional differentiators versus horizontal ERPs.
Is openBusiness cloud-only?
No. TAIFUN openBusiness is delivered primarily as an on-premises product with a hosted managed-service option through the vendor or partners. It is not multi-tenant SaaS in the strict cloud-native sense.