ZEP
ZEP is a time-tracking and project-management software developed in Germany, focused consistently on the requirements of project-driven service firms. Behind the product stands ZEP GmbH, which emerged from provantis IT Solutions GmbH and is headquartered in Stuttgart-Leinfelden. More than 3,000 companies use the cloud solution for time tracking, expense management, invoicing and controlling. Customers range from classical Mid-Market businesses to large groups such as DB Cargo, Mercedes-Benz and the Fraunhofer-Institut. ZEP positions itself as a professional services-and-project ERP rather than as a generic time-tracking tool — the integration of time, project, billing and controlling in one product is the core differentiator from point-tool competitors like Toggl or Clockodo.
Product overview
ZEP covers project setup with budget and team planning, time recording (web, mobile, terminal-based and offline-capable), expense and travel-cost recording, project controlling with budget-versus-actual reporting and utilisation tracking, billing with multiple project-pricing models (fixed-price, time-and-material, milestone, retainer), basic financial-data integration into DATEV-connected accounting, and reporting dashboards focused on professional-services KPIs. The product is delivered as multi-tenant SaaS from German data centres with regular release cycles. Implementation and support are provided in German directly by the ZEP team. The product also has specialised modules for German time-tracking law compliance (Arbeitszeitgesetz), which became more relevant after the 2022 Federal Labour Court ruling on mandatory time tracking.
Functional sweet spot
The functional sweet spot is project-driven service organisations between 10 and 500 users where billable time, project controlling and German labour-law-compliant time tracking are operational requirements. Typical customers include IT consultancies, engineering firms, architectural offices, management consultancies, agencies and research institutes. ZEP is also widely used by large groups (Mercedes-Benz, DB Cargo, Fraunhofer-Institut) for specific departments or subsidiaries where the integrated time-and-project workflow is needed even when a different ERP runs at corporate level. The product is not designed for trade or manufacturing businesses — for those scenarios, dedicated ERPs like Sage 100, myfactory or Business Central are the correct choice. ZEP's strength is the depth of the time-and-project workflow, not the breadth of finance, inventory and operational functions.
DACH positioning
ZEP's DACH localisation is built into the product from the ground up. German labour-law-compliant time tracking under Arbeitszeitgesetz (the German working-time law) and the BAG ruling on mandatory time tracking is supported with the specific documentation and audit-trail requirements that German tax-and-labour audits expect. GoBD compliance (the German principles for proper digital bookkeeping) is built in for the financial-relevant data the product handles. DATEV (the dominant German payroll and accounting standard used by most tax advisors) integration is supported for the project-billing data that flows into accounting. ZUGFeRD and XRechnung e-invoicing are handled. Austrian and Swiss variations are addressed. Data residency is German. The depth of native DACH service-firm workflow and the German labour-law compliance is a meaningful differentiator versus international PSA platforms.
Pricing and implementation
Pricing follows a per-user-monthly subscription pattern with tiered editions (typically Basic, Compact, Professional, Enterprise) depending on the depth of project-controlling, billing and integration features needed. Indicative all-in TCO for a 50-user professional-services firm over five years typically lands in the 80,000 to 250,000 euro range, with implementation services representing a small share because the product is configurable rather than customisable. Implementation cycles run 2 to 8 weeks for the standard scope. The pricing is materially simpler than the typical PSA-platform pricing matrix (Certinia, Kantata, NetSuite SRP) and is well-aligned with the procurement expectations of DACH professional-services-firm buyers.
Selection considerations
ZEP is a strong choice for project-driven service firms between 10 and 500 users in the DACH region where billable time, project controlling and German labour-law-compliant time tracking are operational requirements. It is less compelling for trade or manufacturing businesses (Sage 100, myfactory or Business Central fit better), for very small services firms below 10 users where simpler time-tracking tools like Clockodo or Awork are cheaper, for global services firms above 500 users where international PSA platforms scale further, or for organisations needing deep CRM and full ERP functionality on the same platform (Vertec or a generic ERP with PSA extensions are the broader choice). ZEP works particularly well as a focused time-and-project layer alongside a dedicated finance system.
Related Topics
Vendor homepage of ZEP
Current view of the website https://www.zep.de/
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is ZEP headquartered?
Stuttgart-Leinfelden, Germany. ZEP GmbH emerged from provantis IT Solutions GmbH and serves more than 3,000 companies across the DACH region.
Is ZEP just a time-tracking tool?
No. ZEP is a professional services-and-project ERP that integrates time tracking, expense management, project controlling and billing. The depth of the time-to-billing workflow is the core differentiator from pure time-tracking point tools like Toggl or Clockodo.
Does ZEP support German Arbeitszeitgesetz compliance?
Yes. German labour-law-compliant time tracking is built into the product, including the documentation and audit-trail requirements that became more relevant after the 2022 Federal Labour Court (BAG) ruling on mandatory time tracking.
Who uses ZEP?
Project-driven service firms across the DACH region: IT consultancies, engineering and architectural offices, management consultancies, agencies and research institutes. Large groups like Mercedes-Benz, DB Cargo and Fraunhofer-Institut also use ZEP in specific departments and subsidiaries.