Compiere is open source Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Compiere ERP includes all of the core elements that many small to medium size business and organisations require including:
- Accounting
- Point of Sale
- Distribution and Inventory/Stock
- E-commerce
- Workflow
- Partner Relations Management
- Supply Chain Management
Traditionally ERP includes Manufacturing or Material Requirements Planning (MRP). Manufacturing is not currently included in the core package and is planned for the future but a manufacturing module is available from an independent project CMPCS.
Compiere has two ways of using the software the traditional windows (fat client) interface (see below) and a web interface for a remote or hosted solution. Currently not all functionality is available through the web interface but both can be used in conjunction. Very few solutions have this functionality and it could deliver the best of both worlds.
Compiere is a Java solution (which installs with JBoss) and is designed to run on an Oracle database. There has been some complaints from the open source
community as the Oracle database is not open source and can be quite
expensive (it is included if you take a Compiere support contract). Compiere
has recently released a database kit so it can be ported across to
other databases, there are projects for both mySQL and PostgreSQL. Compiere
plan to add support for the Apache Derby database in July 2006 followed
sometime by Microsoft SQL Server and IBM’s DB2 support. Although not open source there are free versions (with some limitations) of Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server and IBM DB2.
Installing Compiere can be quite difficult but there are other options available. Firstly there is a full virtual setup for VMware with Compiere installed and configured available from IKU a German Compiere partner. The image includes Ubuntu Linux and is in German but you can change the language. Also there is CODAF COmpiere and DAFodil database, a commercial setup which states a 5 minute install time. The first 30 days are free.
Compiere had a list of multi’s
* Multi-Language for Documents and User Interface
* Multi-Currency for transacting or reporting foreign currencies
* Multi-Tax supporting different tax systems (Sales, VAT, and combinations)
* Multi-Costing in parallel (e.g. Standard Costing, Average, Lifo, …)
* Multi-Accounting for your legal reporting using different accounting
principles (e.g. Cash/Accrual, International/US/German/.. GAAP)
* Multi-Organization for different branches/outlets and/or legal entities
Compiere is one of the most popular Open Source ERP systems and according to Jorg Janke, Compiere founder and president “Our software has been downloaded more than a million times”. It has also just raised $6 million of venture capital
allowing it to move from Portland, Oregon, to California’s Bay Area and
to further develop the software particularly its manufacturing and CRM
capabilities.
There are currently 43 projects on Sourceforge which are related to to Compiere
from integration into other software such as Jasper Reports (business
Intelligence) to additional modules including Human Resources and Fixed
Assets. There are also projects to use other databases including the open source databases PostgreSQL and mySQL.
Summary
Current Version
2.5.3b
Platform
Installation – Windows, Linux, Unix, Solaris and Mac OS
License
Compiere Public License (based on the Mozilla Public License)
Well known Users/Case Studies
Case Studies
Proprietary ERP Competitors
SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics
{ 6 trackbacks }