Webcash's rERP gains traction as institutions seek to curb research fund misuse

Webcash (CEO Kang Won-ju), a B2B financial AI agent company, has developed the integrated research administration system rERP (Research Enterprise Resource Planning), and a growing number of institutions are adopting it. Designed as a dedicated research administration platform, rERP connects and manages the entire research administration process in a single system — from research project management and fund execution to budgeting and accounting, human resources and payroll, research outcomes, intellectual property management, and coordination with dedicated agencies.

Webcash said Monday it had completed deployment of rERP at KATRI (Korea Apparel Testing and Research Institute), following an earlier rollout at Korean Register (KR) in March.

KATRI is a global professional testing organization that conducts testing, inspection, certification and R&D work across fields including textiles and fashion, component materials, and lifestyle products. Through the rERP deployment, KATRI has unified its previously fragmented research project and budget management systems, standardized its research administration processes, and created an environment that allows researchers to focus more fully on their core work. Korean Register, which deployed rERP earlier, is the body responsible for establishing safety technical standards for ships and offshore structures and carrying out inspection and certification work.

Webcash is also expanding rERP's reach beyond university industry-academic cooperation foundations into research-focused hospitals. Kyung Hee University Hospital's Medical Technology Cooperation Foundation — selected last year as a first-round certified research-focused hospital — is on track to officially launch rERP in the second half of this year. Once the project is complete, it is expected to become the first medical technology cooperation foundation among the country's 21 research-focused hospitals to adopt an integrated research administration system.

"rERP has expanded its reach from university industry-academic cooperation foundations to major research, testing and certification institutions such as Korean Register and KATRI, as well as medical technology cooperation foundations at research-focused hospitals, building on the research administration expertise we accumulated in the university sector," said Oh Se-eok, a director at Webcash. "We will continue to respond swiftly to evolving research administration regimes and the unique operational needs of each institution, establishing rERP as the standard for research fund management and the go-to platform for research administration."

A key feature of rERP is its full automation of the management process for science and engineering research stipends at research institutions. The system automatically calculates any shortfall by comparing monthly payment records against benchmark amounts and reflects the results in an institution-wide labor cost management framework tied to institutional accounts. It minimizes payment omissions and calculation errors caused by manual data entry while reducing the administrative burden on managers.

Student researchers can submit supporting documents online through a dedicated portal, and once a manager grants approval, the details are immediately reflected in the system. With the approval and payment process now fully digitized, research institutions can improve administrative efficiency while researchers are guaranteed stable and transparent support.