AN OPEN EXPERIMENT BY CONSTRUCT365
Can AI build a construction ERP worth trusting?
We're finding out — in public. One module at a time. The easy stuff first, the financial core last, and every release exercised against automated checks and realistic UK project scenarios as the experiment runs — with its maturity labelled honestly so you decide what to lean on.
Big contractors have had proper ERP for decades. SMEs got spreadsheets and a prayer. If AI has changed what a small team can build, this is where we prove it — or show our working when it breaks.
The rules of the experiment
We set these before writing a line of code, and we publish against them:
- 1
Everything ships in the open. What we built, what the AI got wrong, what a QS told us was missing. The devlog is the product until the product earns trust.
- 2
Low blast radius first. Document capture, approvals, POs, portals, reporting — tools where a mistake costs an hour, not a month-end.
- 3
The financial core waits. Job costing, applications for payment, retentions, payroll allocation, WIP and close come last, and only after validation against live historical project data — partial approvals, back charges, ugly exceptions and all.
- 4
Humans own the posting logic. AI writes screens fast. It doesn't absorb the cost of a retention release posting wrong. Architecture, source-of-truth design, permissions and auditability stay human-decided and human-checked.
- 5
Your data is yours. Export everything you've entered as a ZIP of CSV files whenever you like, straight from the ERP hub — no lock-in, UK/EU hosting. An experiment earns participation; it doesn't take hostages.
Read the full thinking — "Building a Construction ERP the Safe Way" →
What should we build next?
Public poll, results visible. One vote per person — vote again to change it.
No votes yet — be the first to have your say.
Module board
Live status, straight from the build. Every module has its own page with what it does, known limitations and a changelog.
DiaryAgent
Shipped before the experiment formally began. Runs standalone today; ERP project integration is on the roadmap — vote for it below.
Free standalone app — not currently part of the ERP-suite subscription.
Document & Receipt Capture
In daily use — capture delivery notes, receipts and invoices against projects.
Approvals & Purchase Orders
Live — POs, approval routing and reminder emails against cost codes.
Subcontractor Portal & Compliance
Live — invite subbies, track insurance and CIS documents, expiry reminders.
Reporting & Dashboards
Live — read-only views across projects, spend, POs and compliance, with CSV export.
Job Costing, Budgets & Change Orders
Built — inside the validation gate, being proven against real project data.
Applications for Payment, Retainage & Back Charges
Built — retention and back-charge handling under validation on historical data.
Accounting Foundation: Multi-tenancy & Master Data
Built — the master-data bedrock every ledger module stands on.
Purchase Ledger & BACS
Built — double-entry posting and BACS batches under validation.
Subcontract Ledger & CIS
Built — cumulative certification, CIS and retention under validation.
Cost Value Reconciliation
Built — period-by-period CVR under validation with real contract data.
Payroll Allocation & Timesheets
Built — labour allocation into job costing under validation.
Cash Book, Bank Reconciliation & VAT Returns
Built — bank rec and VAT preparation under validation.
WIP, Month-end Reconciliation & Close
Built — the exam at the end of the course, sitting the exam now.
Who this is for
UK construction SMEs — subcontractors, specialist trades, small main contractors — who run the business on spreadsheets and a shared drive because Procore-class tooling was priced for someone else. If that's you, you can use the live modules today and shape what comes next. If you just want to watch an AI try to survive contact with retention clauses, the devlog is free.
One subscription. Every ERP-suite module.
Every ERP-suite module we release is included automatically — no per-module pricing, no tiers, no surprises. Subscriptions aren't switched on yet; pricing will be announced before anyone is asked to pay a penny.
What you're really buying at this stage: the live low-risk modules, a front-row seat, and a loud voice in what gets built. What we promise in return: clearly labelled maturity on every module, full data export at any time, and no financial-core module marked "ready" until it has survived validation on real projects.
DiaryAgent: Free standalone app — not currently part of the ERP-suite subscription.
Frequently asked questions
Latest from the build log
From Approved PO to Paid Supplier: the Construction Purchase Ledger
A purchase ledger only earns trust when every supplier invoice ties back to an approved order, posts a balanced double entry, and pays out cleanly through BACS. Here's how Construct365 closes that loop.
Cost Value Reconciliation Without the Spreadsheet Sprawl
Committed and actual cost pulled straight from Job Costing, certified sales and subcontract values pulled from the ledgers, your surveyor adjustments layered on top, and a cost-vs-value report that rolls forward each period. Here's how Construct365's CVR module works.
The Subcontract Ledger and CIS Without the HMRC Headache
Subcontract orders, cumulative certificates, retention held automatically and CIS deducted at the rate HMRC verified — with a balanced ledger behind every certificate and a monthly return you can file. Here's how Construct365's Subcontract Ledger module works.
Watch us build it — or help us build it.
The devlog is free. The live modules are one subscription.