Estimate localization effort per country and ERP from the evidence
Early in a rollout someone asks how much work each country will be. The honest answer depends on two things you can count: how many obligations the country imposes, and how well the evidence shows your ERP covers them. This guide turns those two counts into a score and the score into an effort band in person-days. It deliberately leaves out money. Day rates, licences and provider fees vary too much to estimate from public data, and this site does not publish prices.
Part 1 of 3 in the series Sizing and moving. Next: Localization for a small subsidiary: a decision tree and the minimum obligation list.
The method is a planning aid, not a quote. Its value is that it is repeatable and that every point in the score traces back to a requirement row or an evidence cell you can open.
Start from the site's counts
The table below is computed from this site's data each time the site is built. The first column counts how many of the twelve ERP cells in the e-invoicing matrix are backed by verified evidence for that country. The second counts the VAT returns and audit files listed for the country. The third counts how many of the reporting cells (requirements × ERPs) have documented or partner evidence.
| Country | E-invoicing matrix cells verified | VAT returns and audit files listed | Reporting cells with ERP evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 11 of 12 | 2 | 6 of 24 |
| Croatia | 6 of 12 | 1 | 3 of 12 |
| France | 10 of 12 | 4 | 16 of 48 |
| Germany | 10 of 12 | 3 | 15 of 36 |
| Hungary | 4 of 12 | 2 | 4 of 24 |
| India | 10 of 12 | 2 | 7 of 24 |
| Italy | 7 of 12 | 2 | 5 of 24 |
| Malaysia | 10 of 12 | 1 | 3 of 12 |
| Mexico | 7 of 12 | 2 | 8 of 24 |
| Poland | 11 of 12 | 3 | 17 of 36 |
| Romania | 7 of 12 | 4 | 14 of 48 |
| Saudi Arabia | 9 of 12 | 1 | 1 of 12 |
| Spain | 7 of 12 | 5 | 18 of 60 |
| United Arab Emirates | 9 of 12 | 2 | 3 of 24 |
Low evidence does not mean an ERP cannot do something. It means nobody has yet found public documentation for it, so you must budget time to find out. That time is real effort and belongs in the estimate.
For countries outside the matrix, use the country page: count the requirement rows under VAT reporting and SAF-T, and note the e-invoicing model from e-invoicing models.
Score each obligation
List the obligations for one entity in one country, using the obligation map. Give each a base weight by type, then multiply by a support factor for your ERP.
| Obligation type | Base weight (points) |
|---|---|
| E-invoicing with clearance or real-time reporting | 5 |
| E-invoicing exchange or post-audit model | 3 |
| Real-time ledger or transaction reporting | 4 |
| Periodic audit file submission | 4 |
| Ordinary periodic VAT return | 3 |
| Audit file on request | 2 |
| EU sales list, recapitulative or information return | 2 |
| Other statutory output (statutory accounts, payroll filings) | 3 each |
| Support evidence for your ERP | Factor |
|---|---|
| Verified, documented in the standard product or its localization | 1.0 |
| Verified, but through an add-on, partner or provider | 1.5 |
| Unverified, or evidence not established | 2.0 |
| Documented as not supported | 2.5 |
These weights are the method's assumptions, chosen to rank work, not facts about any country. Change them if your history says otherwise, but change them for every country at once.
Add the weighted points. Then add fixed points for the work every country needs regardless of obligations: 3 for master data and chart of accounts, 3 for testing and cutover, 2 for banking and payments, 2 for hypercare.
Convert the score into a band
Use a band, never a single number. The bands below are an example calibration for one legal entity on an ERP the group already runs. Replace them with figures from your own past rollouts as soon as you have two or three.
| Score | Band | Example effort (person-days, internal and external together) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 20 | S | 10–25 |
| 21–35 | M | 25–60 |
| 36–55 | L | 60–120 |
| Over 55 | XL | 120 or more; split into phases |
Record the main driver next to each band, such as "clearance e-invoicing via provider, evidence unverified". The driver is what a sponsor needs to hear, and it tells you which uncertainty to remove first.
Worked example: two countries, one ERP
A group plans entities in two matrix countries. Its ERP shows verified native e-invoicing support in Country A and only unverified evidence in Country B. Points are from the tables above; the countries are anonymized so the example does not depend on any one cell.
| Item | Country A | Country B |
|---|---|---|
| E-invoicing, clearance model | 5 × 1.0 = 5 | 5 × 2.0 = 10 |
| Periodic VAT return | 3 × 1.0 = 3 | 3 × 1.5 = 4.5 |
| Information return | 2 × 1.0 = 2 | 2 × 2.0 = 4 |
| Periodic audit file | — | 4 × 2.0 = 8 |
| Fixed items | 10 | 10 |
| Score | 20 | 36.5 |
| Band | S (10–25 days) | L (60–120 days) |
| Main driver | none dominant | unverified e-invoicing and audit-file support |
The sponsor can now see why Country B is larger, and the team knows the first task: confirm support for the three unverified items, using verify ERP localization support. If all three turn out to be documented and native, Country B drops to 25.5 points (5 + 4.5 + 2 + 4 + 10) and band M. Re-score after each verified answer.
Keep the estimate honest
- Re-run the score when the site's data changes. The table above shows the evidence as of the latest build.
- Do not move a country to a lower band because a vendor said so in a meeting. Move it when you have the document.
- Add a separate line for anything the score does not see: a new language, a second VAT registration, a local GAAP book or a heavy data migration.
- Compare actual days with the band after go-live and update the calibration.
Worksheet
Use the localization effort scoring worksheet.
Worksheet: Localization effort scoring worksheet
Copy this worksheet for each case. It records decisions and evidence; it does not determine the tax or legal treatment.
Show the worksheet
Use with the effort estimation guide. One copy per entity, country and ERP. No prices or rates.
Scope
- Legal entity, country and ERP:
- Country page and matrix rows used:
- Date of the site data used:
Obligations
| Obligation (link to row) | Type | Base weight | Evidence for this ERP | Factor | Points |
|---|
Fixed items
| Item | Points |
|---|---|
| Master data and chart of accounts | 3 |
| Testing and cutover | 3 |
| Banking and payments | 2 |
| Hypercare | 2 |
Result
- Total score:
- Band (S, M, L, XL) and person-day range from your calibration:
- Main driver:
- Items outside the score (language, second registration, local GAAP book, migration):
- First uncertainty to remove and owner:
After go-live
- Actual person-days:
- Calibration change agreed:
Sources checked: 27 October 2026. Counts come from this site's matrix and reporting data at build time. Weights and bands are illustrative assumptions of the method, not benchmarks.
Related guides and data
Part 1 of 3 in the series Sizing and moving. Next: Localization for a small subsidiary: a decision tree and the minimum obligation list.
- How to verify an ERP localization before signing a contract
- How to map invoices, tax returns, audit files and statutory accounts
- ERP localization rollout guide: approaches, risk matrix & checklist
- Localization for a small subsidiary: a decision tree and the minimum obligation list
Data on this site: E-invoicing country × ERP matrix · VAT reporting requirements by country · SAF-T and audit files by country · ERP profiles and country support
In Planning and rollout: previous How to prepare master data for ERP localization · next Go-live and hypercare for a new country: the first 30 to 90 days · Guides by task · All guides
Vendor documentation is cited only as an example of the level of evidence to ask for; it is not a recommendation or a ranking. This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Checked 2026-10-27.
Related: Glossary – abbreviations and terms used in these guides (SAF-T, Peppol, CTC, EN 16931, IFRS and more).
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