The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 4 (of 5) - Web based ERP + CRM solution?

Web based ERP + CRM solution?

Anyone with experience with those? What are some good open source projects?

I've tried ARIA(S), Open Accounting, Web-Erp, OSSuite, SQL-Ledger, but I was looking for a solution which integrates ERP and CRM better.

TJ Haeser
Sunday, April 25, 2004

"Open source" or "Free"?

Philo

Philo
Sunday, April 25, 2004

http://www.compiere.org/

ITDirector
Sunday, April 25, 2004

I don't mind paying, but if there's a good free/OS solution (which just happens to be the case more often than not), I give preference to the free option.

I know there are better places to look for this, but I'm more interested in actual experiences with implementation and whatnot instead of marketing B.S.

TJ Haeser
Monday, April 26, 2004

Compiere is a GUI Java app and requires Oracle. Enough said.

I'm a bitch to give advice to, aren't I? :-)

TJ Haeser
Monday, April 26, 2004

So you want an application that integrates Enterprise Resource Planning/Management and Customer Relationship Management. You haven't specified a vertical market, so we're looking for a "one size fits all" solution.

I'm assuming you don't want consultantware.

And "it requires Oracle" was a downcheck, so it apparently can't require any kind of infrastructure.

And you want it to be free.

I will, indeed, be most interested to see what pops up. :-)

Philo

Philo
Monday, April 26, 2004

TJ Haeser,

I'm yet to see ANY data processing applications software which is good AND open/free.

The only "good" open source software I've seen is systems software - stuff like operating systems, web servers, database management systems, etc.

Can you suggest some open/free enterprise-standard data processing applications?

HeWhoMustBeConfused
Monday, April 26, 2004

Latency is an issue for web based ERP.

Snacky
Monday, April 26, 2004

Why is latency an issue? Latency over the internet was last an issue for me when trying to play Q3 on a 56k modem.

DomF
Monday, April 26, 2004

"And "it requires Oracle" was a downcheck, so it apparently can't require any kind of infrastructure"

No, it just can't require $40000 in licenses (Compiere basically won't work with anything else, like PostgreSQL, or so I'm told)

As for the dude who asked examples of good OS stuff: I've heard lots of good things about Compiere itself, but it just won't suit my case. The other ERP solutions I've investigated seem to be of high quality (NOLA, WEB-ERP, SQL-LEDGER etc) but they're just ERP. As for CRM packages, basically search for CRM on sourceforge.net. I have looked into the first 5 or 6 PHP-based projects of the dozens that come up and quite liked what I saw. Actually, XRMS would fit my needs pretty much perfectly, but, as I said, I was looking for an integrated ERP + CRM solution. I think we'll just have to pick one ERP and one CRM project and integrate them ourselves.

This is for a consulting job for migrating 300+ desktops from Windows to Linux. Eh, it never hurts to ask. Unless of course you get punched in the face or something like that.

TJ Haeser
Monday, April 26, 2004

> I don't mind paying, but if there's a
> good free/OS solution (which just
> happens to be the case more often
> than not), I give preference to the
> free option.

I don't mind OSS apps. I use them sometimes. I also use Linux.

But, whenever I have to recommend a free or a paid-for solution, all other criteria being equal, I recommend the paid solution.

Why? Because in this way, my client will know that the work of a programmer is NOT free, and that SOFTWARE IS A VALUABLE THING.

If I keep giving them free software, the clients will get used to the idea "Hey, software is free, most software should be free"... and when having this idea, it is easy for the client to start thinking "so.. the programmers who work for me should also work for very low wages, also, since other programmers work for free".

This is why programmers who care about programming as a well paid job should NOT promote open source and free software.

G33K
Monday, April 26, 2004

I'm from Brazil. Here, if you're not looking into ways of capitalizing on OSS, you're screwed.

TJ Haeser
Monday, April 26, 2004

Getting your desktops of Winders will save you the 40k for Oracle.

More
Monday, April 26, 2004

There are quite a few apps that might fit your bill with varying degrees of success. As always, hotscripts is your friend...

http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Scripts_and_Programs/Groupware_Tools/index.html

etc etc (check ASP/Perl/Python(languages) as well as Portals and Customer Management (categories)).

Another app that springs to mind, is Open For Business,
http://ofbiz.org

Tapiwa
Monday, April 26, 2004

Thanks. I'll look into those as well... man oh man... the list keeps growing... this is gonna be a lot of work.

TJ Haeser
Monday, April 26, 2004

I wonder how they're going about it in Munich :-)

TJ Haeser
Monday, April 26, 2004

Please let us know how the project proceeds. Whether you go OSS or you go paid, and what swung your decisions.

Tapiwa
Tuesday, April 27, 2004

just found this:
www.hipergate.org

ronnie rebel
Monday, May 3, 2004

I ve seen OpenPro.com that says its the first web based ERP software solutions. It is open source where you can have it hosted for you, or you can host it on your own servers. This browser based business packages includes Accounting (ART AP GL CR JC), Supply chain distribution (invenotry Control, Order Processing, Warehouse, Purchase Order Processing), retail point of sale, CRM customer management and Manufacturing (bill of materials, routings, MRP, MPS and CRP). So its very complete

john clark
Thursday, June 24, 2004

the site location is
https://www.openpro.com
for the first complete web based ERP Package with CRM

john clark
Thursday, June 24, 2004