Unanet ERP GovCon

Government contracting runs on rules. Miss a DCAA requirement, and you're looking at audit findings that can cost you contracts. Unanet ERP GovCon was built specifically for this reality.

What Makes Unanet Different

Unlike generic ERPs that bolt on government features as an afterthought, Unanet started in the GovCon space. Every module — from timekeeping to revenue recognition — understands FAR/DFAR regulations. The incurred cost submission (ICS) tool alone saves firms 40-80 hours during annual submissions.

The project accounting engine tracks costs at a granularity that GovCon demands. You can drill into labor categories, ODCs, subcontractor costs, and indirect rate pools without exporting to spreadsheets. Real-time dashboards show estimated-at-completion (EAC) figures that actually match what your project managers calculate manually.

Strengths Worth Noting

Time and expense tracking is where Unanet really shines. The system enforces labor charging rules automatically — no more employees accidentally billing to the wrong contract. Approvals route correctly based on project hierarchy, and the audit trail satisfies even the most thorough DCAA auditors.

Revenue recognition handles ASC 606 and percentage-of-completion methods natively. For firms juggling 50+ active contracts across different types, this eliminates the month-end scramble. The system calculates provisional and actual billing rates, then handles the truing-up process when final rates are established.

Where It Falls Short

Why does the reporting module still feel like it's from 2015? Custom reports require significant setup time, and the built-in options don't always slice data the way financial analysts need. Many customers end up exporting to Excel anyway for board presentations.

The user interface has improved in recent years but still lags behind modern SaaS standards. New employees typically need 2-3 weeks of training before they're comfortable navigating the system independently. Mobile access exists but feels limited compared to the desktop experience.

Implementation and Pricing

Expect a 3-6 month implementation for mid-size contractors. Unanet doesn't publish pricing, but typical deployments for 100-user firms run $150,000-$300,000 annually depending on modules selected. That's competitive for the GovCon ERP space, though significantly more than horizontal solutions.

Integration with Deltek GCS, Costpoint migrations, and federal procurement systems works reasonably well. The API has gotten better, though connecting to niche subcontractor management tools sometimes requires middleware.

Bottom Line

For government contractors doing $10M-$500M in revenue, Unanet delivers purpose-built functionality that generic ERPs simply can't match. It won't wow you with its interface, but it'll keep you compliant and give your PMs the visibility they need.