Sound familiar?
Three patterns we see in every company that ends up working with us.
AI tools that don't talk to each other
You've bought AI tools. None of them integrate with your ERP, CPQ, CRM, or operational systems. Disconnected software, manual workarounds, a patchwork only your longest-serving employees know how to navigate.
4–6 months before any return
Every new system takes months before you see results. Discovery, scoping, build from scratch, testing — by the time it's live, the business has moved on. You've paid for process, not outcome.
Custom development = permanent dependency
You can't change vendors. You can't update the system yourself. Every fix requires a project. The system you built is now a liability you're maintaining forever.
is this.right.for.you;
Open Mercato works best for companies with complex business processes that are currently held together by people, email, and spreadsheets — and who are ready to move fast on a limited scope before committing to a larger programme. It fits especially well when your business has outgrown off-the-shelf tools — processes too specific for SaaS, but not yet justifying a multi-year custom build.
Successful scale-up with operational chaos
Companies generating €2M–€10M+ revenue with exceptional profitability — but struggling with a patchwork of disconnected software solutions pushed forward by manual human effort.
You've bought AI tools. You attend AI training. But production-grade solutions haven't arrived because you lack the internal engineering expertise to own them.
- →Key processes running on email and shared spreadsheets
- →Multiple tools that don't talk to each other
- →Too dependent on specific people to run operations
- →Ready to invest — not looking for the cheapest option
Enterprise with IT defending legacy systems
Manufacturers, telcos, and financial services companies where even a modest EBITDA margin represents massive financial scale — but where the internal IT department is actively defending legacy solutions and resisting a new approach based on agentic engineering.
Management is already burning AI tokens faster than engineers. The tension is real. A 5-day PoC that proves value is often the breakthrough.
- →Legacy ERP or CRM that can't be replaced wholesale
- →New processes need a system — ERP can't handle them
- →Executive buy-in exists, IT resistance is the blocker
- →Need proof of value before a board-level commitment
If your challenge is specifically around product configuration and quoting — see our Elfsquad CPQ implementation page →
how.we.start;
Every engagement follows the same phased model. Value at every stage — not just at the end. We never ask you to commit to the full scope before you've seen something real.
Discovery Workshop
We identify one concrete process to start with — the quoting flow, the order management, the CRM chaos — and define what "done" looks like. You leave knowing exactly which one process we'll have running on Open Mercato in 5 working days.
5-day Proof of Concept
The one process we scoped together in the workshop, built and running on Open Mercato in 5 working days. A working module of that exact process — real code, real flow, yours to try. Your team validates it internally. Integrations with your live systems and full rollout follow in the next phase.
Review & Decision
You review the PoC with your team. We review the business value together. This is the buying decision point. If it works, we keep going. If it doesn't, you've spent a fraction of what a traditional project would have cost — and you have clear information to make the next decision.
Expand — process by process
Same model, more scope. The first PoC graduates to full production — proper integrations with your ERP and CRM, team training, go-live for that process. Then we move to the next process. And the next. Each one gets its own scoped workshop and build. We don't hand off and leave. Through a Development Package retainer the same team keeps building as your operations grow. Our longest partnerships run for years — because the platform never stops evolving.
who.owns.what;
There is no ambiguity about who is responsible for what. Open Mercato owns the platform standard and enterprise certification. We own the delivery, the client relationship, and every line of code we write for you.
- ●Platform standard and open-source core
- ●Enterprise License — safety for your production
- ●Pre-deployment architecture audit
- ●Monthly security and performance reviews
- ●Production certification (Homologation)
- ●Priority technical support 24/7
- ✓Discovery, process analysis, and business workshops
- ✓Technical design and architecture decisions
- ✓Custom module development (your 20%)
- ✓ERP, CRM, and system integrations
- ✓Data migration and rollout
- ✓Team training and adoption support
- ✓Long-term evolution via Development Package
The 80% you don't
need to build.
Done before we start.
Open Mercato is an open-source CRM and ERP foundation with AI built into the architecture. 80% of every enterprise system is the same— authentication, permissions, workflows, CRM, orders, catalogue. Open Mercato delivers all of that out of the box. We build the 20% that's specific to your business.
Open-source · MIT · GitHub →CRM with full customer lifecycle, order management with shipping workflows, product catalog with CPQ capabilities, self-service portals, and ERP core operations. All integrated. All ready to customize.
work.with.us;
Bring one real problem; leave with a clear answer.