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.

Vendor homepage of ZEP

Current view of the website https://www.zep.de/

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Häufig gestellte Fragen

Is ZEP cloud-based or on-premise?

Deployment options vary by vendor — many systems today offer both variants or a hybrid model. Details on the pros and cons can be found under Cloud ERP vs on-premises. On-premise remains relevant above all in regulated industries and where deep customising is required, while cloud dominates new projects from the mid-market upwards.

Who is the vendor behind ZEP?

Vendor master data (headquarters, employee count, ownership structure) can be found in the vendor profile above. These factors are important for assessing the future viability of an ERP vendor and should be examined in every selection process. Owner-managed vendors score points for continuity, while publicly listed ones offer investment security and greater roadmap stability.

Which reports and dashboards does ZEP offer?

Standard reports cover financial accounting, sales, warehousing and production. Custom dashboards via Power BI, Tableau or built-in BI tools are often optional — see business intelligence. Self-service BI tools such as Power BI, Tableau or Qlik are increasingly integrated directly, enabling users to run their own analyses without IT support.

Which AI features does ZEP offer?

Current ERP systems integrate AI for forecasting, anomaly detection, invoice OCR and conversational UI (Microsoft Copilot, SAP Joule). The specific AI modules are shown in the vendor profile. AI modules with practical relevance today include demand forecasting, predictive maintenance, invoice OCR and conversational UI for back-office staff.

How does ZEP compare to SAP?

SAP is the market leader for large corporations; in the mid-market there are numerous leaner alternatives, often with deeper industry expertise. For specific comparisons, see our ERP comparison pages. SAP solutions offer the greatest functional depth but are more expensive to customise than their mid-market competitors.

ZEP