tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21562646840656029122024-03-05T03:29:39.363-05:00OpenSurgeOpenSurge Group is a specialized technology firm in Atlanta, GA assisting small and midsized enterprises in the southeast select, implement and optimize management solutions, featuring open source xTuple. We are also big Mac fans and love helping businesses avoid the Microsoft tax.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-38734509199263717702014-02-28T10:15:00.000-05:002014-02-28T10:15:11.406-05:00LEAN your Business - ERP as a ToolA recent article in <a href="http://www.industryweek.com/systems-integration/can-lean-and-erp-work-together" target="_blank">Industry Week</a> stated, "For many large and midsize manufacturers, the challenge of enabling the corporatewide enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to mesh with their lean initiatives on the plant floor requires a delicate balance."<br />
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In order to get the most out of your employees and resources it is critical that everyone is able to collaborate around common principles. One main objective of implementing business management software is to have an integrated solution where data is generally enter once, actions create further actions (think supply chain management) and processes are automated - all <b>LEAN Concepts</b>. In order to accomplish this objective your management solution must utilize a robust relational database which allows for many users to be accessing and updating information simultaneously while providing security and data integrity. Further the database and the application work hand in hand to manage users, privileges and transactions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk3X06jgAoiSqN2yvLj9JKs_Jr1nADxH_YF7WilQzp0WDnhrR8czPSbjzlvUj_VLiPUhQi0Y2zusDiDiEfuaxX_E7AQO2HYye99ozBdP9jaBq8GiPcIdotIb0JHyNoDL4CVER8nISrNKm/s1600/barcode_ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk3X06jgAoiSqN2yvLj9JKs_Jr1nADxH_YF7WilQzp0WDnhrR8czPSbjzlvUj_VLiPUhQi0Y2zusDiDiEfuaxX_E7AQO2HYye99ozBdP9jaBq8GiPcIdotIb0JHyNoDL4CVER8nISrNKm/s1600/barcode_ship.jpg" height="160" width="200" /></a>The key differentiator of business management software solutions is the capability of the solution to be a true multi-user application. There simply is no such thing as an enterprise class integrated business management and accounting solution that is not designed to be used simultaneously by multiple individual users. By far the leading accounting software package used by startup businesses is Quickbooks, mainly because its cheap and easy to use, but Quickbooks is not a multi-user application. (Yes, the Enterprise Edition is and by definition the online version is -sorta, but that's not the point of this post). "Sharing" an application is not the same as having multiple users.<br />
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So when your business has grown and you realize its time to leverage technology to increase your business's efficiency and ability to service your customers - start you ERP search with those solutions that provide multiple user functionality as a fundamental concept.<br />
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Learn more about multi-user open source accounting and business management software at:<br />
<a href="http://www.opensurge.com/">www.opensurge.com</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-55026728442580294082013-12-10T11:40:00.000-05:002013-12-10T11:40:00.685-05:0011 Steps to a Successful ERP ImplementationUnderestimating the difficulty of implementing your business management software (ERP) is a grave mistake. From the link below, are 11 helpful steps for a successful implementation of your ERP system. These 11 steps are more of a philosophical anchor, than task items to be crossed off a “to do” list. Learn about “Selecting the Right ERP Vendor”, “Managing Change Effectively”, “Putting Your ERP Team Together”, “When to Adapt your Business Processes” and more.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUz29cipjnGMYqtCjfkSopfkXIBb0oFkkW26sTBhpDaXgiU1sJ51aONLm2_aKR9itVLnCqu-vEE7IV_vPzCt_sDIxmS0mhdyL3Ewk1KCKOxYy_7aImv9iaQ6IavIm9ilZgh8Kd5ewGy-r/s1600/ERP_flow_clear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUz29cipjnGMYqtCjfkSopfkXIBb0oFkkW26sTBhpDaXgiU1sJ51aONLm2_aKR9itVLnCqu-vEE7IV_vPzCt_sDIxmS0mhdyL3Ewk1KCKOxYy_7aImv9iaQ6IavIm9ilZgh8Kd5ewGy-r/s200/ERP_flow_clear.jpg" width="200" /></a>Every day, every decision and interaction is passed through a filter of what will make the team stronger, <br />
what will make the end users more prepared, what will keep the leadership committed, and how your ERP professional can test these ideas. Whether you’re upgrading from Quickbooks, or looking for an enterprise system to leverage the growth of your business – make sure you have all the information you need before making this important decision for your company.<br />
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These steps are not new, or creative; they are the cumulative knowledge of the thousands of ERP implementers who have gone before. Within each success step there are degrees; it not possible to be perfectly successful at all eleven. The intent is to make clear the risks and the benefits such that you can make an informed decision about where you spend your time and resources.<br />
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Get the report <a href="http://www.erpfocus.com/erp-implementation-11-steps-to-success-982.html" target="_blank">here</a> and let me know what you thinkAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-1862130767617329812013-11-14T17:34:00.000-05:002013-12-10T11:41:36.161-05:006 Great Reasons to Replace your AS/400If you are running your business on an AS/400 IBM iSeries and wondering how much longer you can wait - then consider the following:<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0075b2;">6. Data Availability -</span></b> High availability and point-of-time data requirements for audit purposes have become the norm in this stringent regulatory climate. This is easily possible with today's RDBMS systems like open source PostgreSQL. With AS/400 this feature is available only through table journaling, impacting performance and costing money.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dxfbx3Fuu2_Gbr2uEGLYLplqxwnvHVeNsDAS3q2iyQUBrU8BZ2BrIdt-jid9Onuq0bDQtfDVOD__aT7f8NTmScIchbW2rQ0eIcuKJxDRq4ZgelraE86EGTQxsBlNOTz3asIZqQKxZKHB/s1600/as400_box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dxfbx3Fuu2_Gbr2uEGLYLplqxwnvHVeNsDAS3q2iyQUBrU8BZ2BrIdt-jid9Onuq0bDQtfDVOD__aT7f8NTmScIchbW2rQ0eIcuKJxDRq4ZgelraE86EGTQxsBlNOTz3asIZqQKxZKHB/s200/as400_box.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They just look old</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0075b2;"><b>5. Hardware Cost -</b></span> The cost of a iSeries hardware and software combination is higher than that of a comparable Linux, Mac OS or Windows based system. In this age of increased data loads for businesses, increasing the cluster size is inexpensive on a Linux/Mac based hardware when compared to an iSeries based expansion.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipL5B-VNWbhJuZmg6xT0x7fmIokFD14eFiDz-jqKfoQo0VSui9v_SpUXS0Qy5mzu8F22EdlNVuXCyBjB31NcFOh2voH7ju-nECIAhadYq1GMHSn9MWV38sGbQ0Y-XV28EW00ZbSt2KXqQ5/s1600/as400_screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipL5B-VNWbhJuZmg6xT0x7fmIokFD14eFiDz-jqKfoQo0VSui9v_SpUXS0Qy5mzu8F22EdlNVuXCyBjB31NcFOh2voH7ju-nECIAhadYq1GMHSn9MWV38sGbQ0Y-XV28EW00ZbSt2KXqQ5/s200/as400_screen.jpg" width="100" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the user interface</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0075b2;"><b>4. Support Cost -</b></span> Even though total cost of ownership was the basis of using AS/400 initially, the landscape has changed today with ever increasing interactivity between disparate applications across the enterprise. Administering a legacy AS/400 in this environment is not cost effective because of high cost of support.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0075b2;"><b>3. Declining AS/400 Staff -</b></span> One of the main factors in switching from an AS/400 is internal support. There is a declining availability of AS/400 experts and programmers in RPG within the company. Companies that do have staff in this area are 20-25 year veterans who are close to retirement.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0075b2;"><b>2. Application Support -</b></span> More and more ERP providers in the mid-market are no longer supporting RPG versions of their products. You might have already received that call from your provider informing you that support will no long be available after the end of the year.<br />
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<a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/xTuple/overview.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Text for Mouseover" border="0" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfxYO0v8o6rCU-z5fiZkfH6q-VqvRvpskynkXYlvmGsXfwUclHSBR0LWpsYVkf-Lq4Gmzc2Vbx1zPE9mnCdPiX77e84ydVwpqO8bFsppMvghfGUs_VkInaR-BX0ieooyVMA9ruqUIIE3R/s200/xTuple+ERP-shine_sm.jpg" width="150" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0075b2;"><b>1. Award winning open source xTuple ERP -</b></span> Manufacturing, distribution, planning, accounting and CRM functionality you need to manage your business. For hardware use a Linux, Mac or Windows server - or a managed data center. xTuple runs on PostgreSQL, the leading open source database, giving you all the tools you need let technology work for you. <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0075b2;">Visit OpenSurge for more info.</span></a><br />
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The AS/400 was the system of choice in the mad dash to prepare for Y2K. The A/S400 started as a System 34 and has since become the iSeries and later simply System i as <a href="http://bit.ly/dvkPq8"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0075b2;">IBM continues to evolve the hardware</span>.</a> This is just hardware, but the software makes the difference. One of the reasons the AS/400 and its offspring are still around is that the legacy software was too hard to migrate to the latest generation of server. For the reasons stated above - you can save money by replacing your AS/400 in favor of the latest server technology (I'm an Apple fan) which is reason enough. So why wait until you find yourself caught with software that is no longer supported? Investigate, plan and execute on your schedule, but the time is now.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-86561153552918094362013-03-15T11:17:00.001-04:002013-03-15T11:17:35.546-04:00One Big Reason and 6 Considerations for Replacing Sage BusinessVision, MAS90 or MAS200<br />
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<b>Is your company currently using Sage BusinessVision, MAS90 or MAS200 as your business system, and is it still a struggle?</b> Does it take too many hours of effort to get the information you need to run the business – using spreadsheets, emails, hand-written notes, and lots of digging? Do you have other outside applications like CRM or production planning that aren‘t tied into your main system, and its difficult to coordinate the two?<br />
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While many companies change ERP systems because they are dissatisfied with their current system and understand its limitations are hampering the effective, efficient operation of the business,many others have resigned themselves to using their current system - with all the aggravation, duplicated work, lost productivity and work arounds simply baked into the way things are done. If the later describes your company, then there is one compelling reason for you to consider a switch - your business is at risk from an application that is no longer supported and has no clear path forward.<br />
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The 1 Big Reason</h3>
It’s likely that with Y2K approaching, you were one of those businesses that went out and installed an application for the first time or switched to, what was then, state of the art enterprise technology. Then time marched on. Like many companies you partnered with an IT firm that supported your system, but since then the landscape has significantly changed. ERP solution providers consolidated, applications have been dropped or no longer enhanced, the technology has certainly changed - and your outdated system is now at risk of failing, causing serious disruptions in your business and the supporting eco-system is gone.<br />
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Replacing a system is a strategic investment in your business. Its hard work, but with the right approach, not only will your investment eliminate the risk your business is facing, but will enable you to more effectively manage your business - which results in happier customers, smother operations and an improved bottom line.<br />
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BusinessVision, MAS90 and MAS200 are applications that have simply fallen behind the technology curve and will need to be replaced.<br />
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6 Specific Considerations for Replacing Sage with xTuple</h3>
<b>1. Broad Integrated Functionality</b> - While a product like BusinessVision/MAS90/200 has a reasonably comprehensive set of applications modules to choose from, many of the modules lack the very specific functionality needed by companies today. Extra work is then required to make up for missing functionality and to 'work around' missing or inadequate functionality. As the company grows, the business might become a lot more complex with multiple locations, more products and services, and broader aspects of the business beyond simple accounting, such as:<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>increasing functional needs around CRM<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>mobile workforce<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>multi-currency<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>project accounting<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>manufacturing<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>field service<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>job costing<br />
•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>inter-company processing<br />
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These either do not exist within the BV/MAS90/200 family or are only available as third-party add-ons. These features and many others, such as manufacturing planning, MRP and one of the leading open source<a href="https://www.xtuple.com/solutions/crm" target="_blank"> CRM capabilities are included in xTuple ERP</a>.<br />
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<b>2. Current Technology with a Focused Product Roadmap</b> - Some Sage products have fallen behind the technology curve and will need increased R&D investment. It is obvious from the previous points above that BusinessVision and MAS90/200 may not be considered examples of today‘s technology, and while Sage is apparently committed to upgrading the products, this process will take quite some time and there‘s no telling how successful the company will be in its efforts. Further it is not at all clear whether the BusinessVision product will be eliminated all together. By contrast, <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/xTuple/overview.html" target="_blank">xTuple ERP</a>, using the open source development model is on the leading edge of available technology. Making the most of open source tools and the ability to operate on Mac OS X, Linux and Windows. xTuple has a reputation for consistently rolling out new features and functionalities; both specific ERP related functionalities (e.g. project management accounting), integrations using the Web Portal and xTuple Connect, and mobile web client functionality for the connect workforce - advances that help you do more work with less effort.<br />
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<b>3. Ability to Grow</b> - While all systems have an upper limit on the number of users and activities that can be supported at given transaction volumes, the underlying technology is the determining factor of how far a system will scale. Some versions of BusinesVision/ MAS90, for example, are designed to support a very limited number of users with reasonable response time at which point system response times deteriorate, processes take unacceptably long to complete, and it is not uncommon for the system to 'lock‘, fail, or otherwise become unreliable. xTuple works hand in hand with enterprise class PostgreSQL to deliver a secure, multi-user environment - capable of handling all the parts, transactions and growth for your future.<br />
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<b>4. Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools</b> - BusinessVision/MAS90/200 is not built on a relational database and users do not have access to advanced analysis tools. xTuple runs on PostgreSQL the leading open source relational database where all your information can be accessed through standard tools, particularly the Structured Query Language (SQL), making retrieval and analysis more flexible, open, and usable. xTuple includes an integrated report writer and options for advanced data mining tools.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgfAcXxpENcbkOXNbU-Ax8nxQU61Kt5WGqkAm7hixaC5J1nRD-THECp36TUaKTnowlbYib6i9F1o1lC8jgnwnMjJOQEQ-FZ_280jINU81XOSuk2tpsny60qtbt8-49MbpRh0WIKDEtEPF/s1600/xTuple-mobile-promo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibgfAcXxpENcbkOXNbU-Ax8nxQU61Kt5WGqkAm7hixaC5J1nRD-THECp36TUaKTnowlbYib6i9F1o1lC8jgnwnMjJOQEQ-FZ_280jINU81XOSuk2tpsny60qtbt8-49MbpRh0WIKDEtEPF/s1600/xTuple-mobile-promo.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><b>5. Connect, Expand and Connect</b> - Extending the applications to partners and customers, such as a customer portal to allow trading partners to view orders, shipments, schedules, and invoices is difficult at best with Sage BusinessVision. Reports are distributed on paper or through e-mail. Connecting to analytical and decision support facilities like Excel is mainly a copy and paste function. xTuple allows you to connect to your customers, partners and suppliers through the xTuple Web Portal. Using xTuple Connect you can seamlessly integrate email into xTuple ERP, automatically send reports, invoices PO's and other documents via email.<br />
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<b>6. User Experience </b>- BusinessVision, MAS90/200 is designed in the traditional style with standard menus and limited ability to customize the screens that people work from every day. And because they are unique to BusinessVision, users require considerable training and orientation to know where to find the functions they need. The xTuple user interface displays a graphic workflow by functions, allows for user preferences and custom hot-keys. xTuple's role-based screens are far more efficient for the user, easier to use, resulting in greater adoption of system functionality. Users can get right to the functions they use most without having to work their way through generic menus and screens.<br />
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For more information on <a href="http://www.xtuple.com/" target="_blank">xTuple</a> or to schedule a technical review of your existing management system – please contact<a href="http://www.opensurge.com/" target="_blank"> OpenSurge</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlGfIwwRP1Ol4BBAx-5edoJEyD_iDN2__GLObIOBBGuDp32K2oMfKQTlmcHtKqYZsbTS6eUnaNQJiFN8Q7eGY2S8vznCuWBi_uKWKwDt5N20ys66R83xq5J3QfWC0CW411EKIaG0dP6W4/s1600/xTuple_iPad-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlGfIwwRP1Ol4BBAx-5edoJEyD_iDN2__GLObIOBBGuDp32K2oMfKQTlmcHtKqYZsbTS6eUnaNQJiFN8Q7eGY2S8vznCuWBi_uKWKwDt5N20ys66R83xq5J3QfWC0CW411EKIaG0dP6W4/s1600/xTuple_iPad-sm.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.xtuple.com/node/2337" target="_blank"><b>xTuple's new Mobile Web</b></a> client (works on the iPhone, iPad and Android's) will interoperate seamlessly with the desktop client. Both will talk to the same PostgreSQL database back end and, by the end of the 4.x series, the entire application will have been ported to the Mobile Web platform. We’re not aware of any ERP vendor that has come close to doing this. One little phone can make a big difference!<br />
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As reported by Sudeeep Reddy in the <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2012/09/10/iphone-5-sales-could-offer-big-boost-to-gdp/" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal</a>:<br />
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J.P. Morgan’s equity analysts expect Apple to sell about 8 million iPhone 5 units in the final three months of the year. If the phone sells for around $600, with about $200 of it counted as imported components, then $400 per phone would figure into the government’s measure of gross domestic product. (Even though consumers may not pay that much for the phone, because of subsidies from wireless carriers, Feroli explains that phone-selling companies often report the sales based on the price of the standalone product.)<br />
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The bottom line: the<b> iPhone 5 </b>sales could boost GDP by $3.2 billion, or $12.8 billion at an annual rate. That amounts to an increase of 0.33 percentage point in annualized GDP growth. It could be even higher, he says. Even a third of a percentage point would limit the downside risk to J.P. Morgan’s fourth-quarter growth projection of 2%.<br />
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Feroli warns that the estimate “seems fairly large, and for that reason should be treated skeptically” but adds: “we think the recent evidence is consistent with this projection.” When the iPhone 4S became widely available last October, he writes, over half of the 0.8% increase in core retail sales came in the categories of online sales and computer and software sales. The two categories together had their largest monthly increase on record. The fourth-quarter sales growth at those stores over the third quarter would have boosted fourth-quarter growth by a tenth to a fifth of a percentage point if due to the iPhone. The iPhone 5 launch will be even bigger than that, he says, making the latest estimate “reasonable.”<br />
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<a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/"><b>OpenSurge</b></a> can help you grow your business too! Using the latest <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/Landing/AcctSmallBus.html">business management ERP solutions</a>.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-79643185277254288152012-09-08T15:30:00.001-04:002012-09-08T15:31:09.561-04:00What's This Cloud Thing Anyway? <br />
Was recently putting some thoughts together on the tipping point for a business to finally make the plunge and replace their <a href="http://www.xtuple.com/" target="_blank">ERP system</a> and it seems that many "experts" and "articles" like to include the cloud or "The Cloud" in this discussion. Recalling an event where Oracles' Larry Ellison expressed his opinion of the the cloud.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRy4z-oNY39kav463zFyR7dQjYvs-V9JWq4FR9zEOTlpAbTnMxv1gZXVk-toPkpKsM1B3tGDW_-byGYktHVXmOsm3qeYgq9cz2fYkUmn7DX0MPGQcGo0HSQLIgiDlcr9nzLx6WC3k-lhF/s1600/cloud_ERP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRy4z-oNY39kav463zFyR7dQjYvs-V9JWq4FR9zEOTlpAbTnMxv1gZXVk-toPkpKsM1B3tGDW_-byGYktHVXmOsm3qeYgq9cz2fYkUmn7DX0MPGQcGo0HSQLIgiDlcr9nzLx6WC3k-lhF/s200/cloud_ERP.jpg" width="200" /></a> "The interesting thing about cloud computing is that we've redefined cloud computing to include everything that we already do. I can't think of anything that isn't cloud computing with all of these announcements. The computer industry is the only industry that is more fashion-driven than women's fashion. Maybe I'm an idiot, but I have no idea what anyone is talking about. What is it? It's complete gibberish. It's insane. When is this idiocy going to stop?" <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13953_3-10052188-80.html" target="_blank">Full remarks</a><br />
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So what is this cloud thing anyway? And specifically related to ERP or business management systems? I think that it breaks down into two simple concepts. The first, my application can be accessed from anywhere and the second, some or all of my software/hardware investments have been outsourced.<br />
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Accessed anywhere simply means that if the internet can be accessed, my ERP can be accessed. This is done through a VPN, Citrix, RDP connection; <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/Landing/Landing/hosted_erp.html" target="_blank">natively through the ERP client</a> or a browser based application with user authentication. Big surprise, nothing really new here. Access of this type has been around certainly longer than "free" internet access at every coffee shop on the planet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwumSB_ILKa8r7y8pXIDO7SeOKPAkrywbvPmLE_M0dIKuR4iIDhTupcYWd8Loiw1oghUp2gp1WZeHjutzL0WcRljfSo2kSb_tMiT1yv5dpxZFQzaW9GZ_Su_lJq3CYeldiOlNRMfUg0yDC/s1600/racksapce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwumSB_ILKa8r7y8pXIDO7SeOKPAkrywbvPmLE_M0dIKuR4iIDhTupcYWd8Loiw1oghUp2gp1WZeHjutzL0WcRljfSo2kSb_tMiT1yv5dpxZFQzaW9GZ_Su_lJq3CYeldiOlNRMfUg0yDC/s200/racksapce.jpg" width="200" /></a>Outsourced software/hardware - certainly a newer concept, but not the outsource part. Businesses have been outsourcing aspects of their operations for as long as there have been businesses. Anybody still doing their office cleaning? So with "cloud ERP" one end of the spectrum would be having a 3rd party facility provide a rack space (<a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/host/host/facility.html" target="_blank">no real pun intended</a>) for the ERP server. At the other end of the spectrum is a subscriber relationship where the vendor provides all of the software and all of the hardware. With any outsource relationship, the customer calculates the internal costs and compares them to the outsource price, then picks the one that makes the most business sense. And as anyone who has spent time selling outsourced services can attest - everyone has a different opinion.<br />
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Outsource hardware is fairly new, but not so new that it hasn't been commoditized already. Outsourced software, while there certainly has been some enabling technology, is really just a pricing model that's been around since the beginning of time.<br />
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Put me in Larry Ellison's camp - "It's compete gibberish".<br />
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But if you're wondering if your business has reached the tipping point and its time to consider next generation business management solutions - <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/" target="_blank">OpenSurge</a> would be delighted to help.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-66500417128392183262012-06-09T15:32:00.000-04:002012-06-09T15:36:10.824-04:00xTuple Mobile Web App<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwDs3ZMstLIkHvFG6ugHEzann7xYoE57ImpZOyJ6SbbXDSU_rP1gAjH80jDRC7khFMs-vSU-J2fyNhyphenhyphenYDdGAOK72AT_GrG6hyEXAghiJ9fYqwOeJpzUg99Oj_FJe3XEgv6i0shUcLL_kl/s1600/xTuple_iPad.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwDs3ZMstLIkHvFG6ugHEzann7xYoE57ImpZOyJ6SbbXDSU_rP1gAjH80jDRC7khFMs-vSU-J2fyNhyphenhyphenYDdGAOK72AT_GrG6hyEXAghiJ9fYqwOeJpzUg99Oj_FJe3XEgv6i0shUcLL_kl/s200/xTuple_iPad.png" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/xTuple/overview.html">xTuple ERP</a> is the industry-leading open source business management software now includes a Mobile Web application – empowering you to manage your business without being tethered to a physical office – improving productivity and profitability.<br />
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It is unlike anything on the market today - written in 100% JavaScript and making use of a whole new generation of open source HTML5 technologies. So, it is actually *faster* than the existing xTuple Desktop client.<br />
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Starting with the release of version 4.0, the functionality in the Mobile Web begins with CRM (the full module) as well as the Accounts Receivable portion of the accounting module over the course of the 4 series, additional functionality will be released- next up is Accounts Payable, the full General Ledger as well as the Time & Expense module which is useful for Professional Services companies – in fact, we use it ourselves at OpenSurge.<br />
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Ned Lilly, xTuple CEO, give a concise explanation of the technology, the plan and why it matters in this video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/VK0Ai17WQ3s?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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One of the ongoing advantages of open source software is the continuous and rapid adaptation of technology. The result is a seamless ERP solution that can be accessed using a browser or mobile device- while increasing speed and performance.<br />
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Visit the <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/">OpenSurge</a> website to learn more.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-86087923498437119142012-05-05T08:28:00.000-04:002012-05-05T08:37:47.504-04:00Learn Your Business Management Solution<br />
A recent article in USA Today, “Ask an Expert: Entrepreneurs, avoid these these 5 tech traps,” included one of the things many companies overlook related to their business management software. Item number four on expert Steve Strauss’ list:<br />
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"4. Never really learning the software: Like the brain, people tend to use only about 10% of what their software can actually do. That’s the mistake. Software companies spend a lot of time and money studying small business and creating software to meet our needs. If you spend a little extra time actually learning what your software can do, you will be amazed." - <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/columnist/strauss/story/2012-03-26/entrepreneurs-computer-hazards-to-avoid/53789242/1">Here's the full article</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRkPIufw088n3PRoK_olF7Zfb2O62pytRrikWN6q9ZXoPKstWn6KK0_YwyjbRVrL937jYDBRAx0iUdvCLmucpZdz7m8eEEbyxo1WN9quH7I5RI1BgRcsQQXivgSztZKa1qOLKwJaJcPSu/s1600/erp_learn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRkPIufw088n3PRoK_olF7Zfb2O62pytRrikWN6q9ZXoPKstWn6KK0_YwyjbRVrL937jYDBRAx0iUdvCLmucpZdz7m8eEEbyxo1WN9quH7I5RI1BgRcsQQXivgSztZKa1qOLKwJaJcPSu/s200/erp_learn.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Business management software</b> and solutions have evolved over the last 20 years with plenty of best practices and cross-pollination of features and functionality. What this means is that more most any business process that your business performs, there is a corresponding function in your business management software.<br />
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Just spending an hour or two every week studying your small business management software, learning about the functionality will continuously open your mind to the possibilities. Those possibilities include organizing your business, saving time and smoothing out the flow of your operation, so you are in a better position to take on more customers, more business with the same resources- improving your bottom line.<br />
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Your ERP business management solution should be considered a strategic investment in keeping your business competitive and enabling your particular business model to far outperform your competitors - whether that be through customer service, shorten lead times, better inventory availability or simply sharing information. Granted your business is always what you know best - and you might need an outside specialist to help you with creative and innovative ways to get the most from your investment. And many times this a long term, evolving process.<br />
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At <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/"><b>OpenSurge</b></a> we have helped many clients unleash the power of <b>xTuple ERP</b> related to their specific needs. As an example, one of our clients had a compelling need to be able to readily access documentation and test results for specific batches of materials. Further they had a requirement to provide this documentation with each customer shipment. Utilizing the existing xTuple functionality, creative application of bar code technology and simplified work flow resulted in the ability to produce the necessary documents the time of shipment.<br />
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Be sure to check out the other four tech mistakes to be avoided on Steve Strauss’ list. One of which is "not scheduling regular data back-ups". So if you haven't backed up in a while - here's your reminder!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-25908602504299850112012-02-08T17:27:00.000-05:002012-02-08T17:27:27.932-05:00Payroll and ERP Selection - How it Fits<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSntpxvu3xO5d4_HcXpRTwyViX8EP-qpbrugRW0e33v5DmNPBxD2XQ5iUcXEkaWtCAc9Ra4Y8Pud_Qea6DxZcZs3yLsRpa5G4j1NjJg7nwbUAQCT9hJumb-bAqO0NzZgvQRnYSzkpiCP8R/s1600/payroll1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSntpxvu3xO5d4_HcXpRTwyViX8EP-qpbrugRW0e33v5DmNPBxD2XQ5iUcXEkaWtCAc9Ra4Y8Pud_Qea6DxZcZs3yLsRpa5G4j1NjJg7nwbUAQCT9hJumb-bAqO0NzZgvQRnYSzkpiCP8R/s200/payroll1.jpg" width="200" /></a>Technology's great! When you started your business it was a simple (and cheap) decision to begin running your accounting and invoicing with Quickbooks. Intuit does lots of neat things and is responsive to it's small business base. One of those things that Intuit does is provide payroll services. Note this is a "service" not "functionality". As a service Intuit prepares checks, direct deposits, calculate taxes, etc., but some of the work is still left up to the user, such as filing and paying taxes.</div>
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The problem is that your business isn't small any more. You have some complex issues to address such as managing your inventory and supply chain, quickly and efficiently processing orders for your customers, tracking your cash flow - maybe you even have manufacturing or production issues to address. Quickbooks is no longer able to keep up with the complexity, size and speed of your business.</div>
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A key step in a <b>business management solution</b> (ERP) selection process is to prepare a needs analysis. I often see "payroll" classified as a critical need. Don't get me wrong paying your employees is definitely a top priority, but it really shouldn't be part of the selection criteria. The "service" part of payroll is far more important than the "functionality" piece. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNoMhEwP8gtJhy5BAGC6hfuQx1Oe1Aa2Np43FlhIiiuLlYUpAQU5lRjY-gfZZru_rYup_u8zXeLqbCMLDVpO7akpR5cpga8GVy8BI1NwW6FVVTu_FsbHuMEJGqlmasxhO1FlaY_IbSPge/s1600/payroll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNoMhEwP8gtJhy5BAGC6hfuQx1Oe1Aa2Np43FlhIiiuLlYUpAQU5lRjY-gfZZru_rYup_u8zXeLqbCMLDVpO7akpR5cpga8GVy8BI1NwW6FVVTu_FsbHuMEJGqlmasxhO1FlaY_IbSPge/s200/payroll.jpg" width="200" /></a>Payroll service is a very competitive market (ADP and Paycheck being the current leaders) producing low prices and good services. Your payroll provider will be able to handle every aspect of your payroll needs, including giving your employees access to their own information (Pay stubs, W-2's, etc.) over the web.</div>
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The data provided from you payroll provider can be easily (even automated) imported into virtually every current technology enterprise class accounting and business management solution. The result is you get the best of both worlds; competent comprehensive payroll services and a complete picture of your payroll costs reflected in your enterprise solution.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtZY_sG51yLS6ZS_cw8GFQt5Y1I12EPLy0P0PpQxBLn5IeMXmBryowrxvSbyR1EmLV_0eHRC5kdVyC1zS3oQviWlPkwoI6n8PcLZ5TVQlp8UgT_dJtBJaOdvyKNjpZSRRaZJdVgoKnb-W/s1600/adp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtZY_sG51yLS6ZS_cw8GFQt5Y1I12EPLy0P0PpQxBLn5IeMXmBryowrxvSbyR1EmLV_0eHRC5kdVyC1zS3oQviWlPkwoI6n8PcLZ5TVQlp8UgT_dJtBJaOdvyKNjpZSRRaZJdVgoKnb-W/s1600/adp.jpg" /></a>Developing a needs analysis is an important step in the <b>ERP selection process</b>. In general, the Intuit/Quickbooks payroll model isn't replicated in the enterprise class solutions for the reasons outlined above. You should take this into consideration when developing your ERP selection criteria.</div>
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Since our customers and prospects still want an integrated approach to payroll, we partnered with <b>ADP</b> - the leading payroll provider, to deliver the payroll functionality to xTuple. So we can now answer "<b>Yes, xTuple does payroll</b>". Using ADP's web portal you can have all the payroll functionality you require (direct deposits, employee website, tax payments, reports, etc.) and the results are automatically reflected in your xTuple general ledger.</div>
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<a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/">Visit our website to learn more</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-84316791989800646692011-11-28T08:17:00.001-05:002011-11-28T08:33:12.437-05:00Business Accounting Software is for Everyone<br />
A recent study by the U.S. Bureau of the Census , Business Success: Factors Leading to Surviving and Closing Successfully by Brian Headd, Center for Economic Studies, found that:<br />
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"Major factors in a firm's remaining open include an ample supply of capital, the fact that a firm is large enough to have employees, the owner's education level, and the owner's reason for starting the firm in the first place, such as freedom for family life or wanting to be one's own boss."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi792hmGRuC1AFErGNuXjYqrsePImmKr6GRkECwiNFFsLeoNDNqPMtSBgq1Z2jhEoVJ-JXabtz-GvwxsAEsUjsANkTDTTN8mtPKX6xq_YMC85uBp0H-XmdtsrNNnv8YCp-nPfwZXlHG0l-V/s1600/gathering.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi792hmGRuC1AFErGNuXjYqrsePImmKr6GRkECwiNFFsLeoNDNqPMtSBgq1Z2jhEoVJ-JXabtz-GvwxsAEsUjsANkTDTTN8mtPKX6xq_YMC85uBp0H-XmdtsrNNnv8YCp-nPfwZXlHG0l-V/s200/gathering.jpg" width="200" /></a>Let's look at that second reason for remaining open, "large enough to have employees". By far, most business startups are because an individual has an idea, a belief in their abilities and a desire to be their own boss. They cobble together the resources they need and invest a generous portion of their own human capital. The business grows, customers are added, new products introduced and the next thing that new owner knows - its time to start hiring employees. Then the challenge begins.<br />
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The key differentiator of business management software solutions is the capability of the solution to be a true multi-user application. There simply is no such thing as an enterprise class integrated business management and accounting solution that is not designed to be used simultaneously by multiple individual users. By far the leading accounting software package used by startup businesses is Quickbooks, mainly because its cheap and easy to use, but Quickbooks is not a multi-user application. (Yes, the Enterprise Edition is and by definition the online version is -sorta, but that's not the point of this post). "Sharing" an application is not the same as having multiple users.<br />
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In order to get the most out of your employees and resources it is critical that everyone is able to collaborate around common principles. One main objective of implementing business management software is to have an integrated solution where data is generally enter once, actions create further actions (think supply chain management) and processes are automated. In order to accomplish this objective your management solution must utilize a robust relational database which allows for many users to be accessing and updating information simultaneously while providing security and data integrity. Further the database and the application work hand in hand to manage users, privileges and transactions.<br />
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So when your business has grown and you realize its time to leverage technology to increase your business's efficiency and ability to service your customers - start you ERP search with those solutions that provide multiple user functionality as a fundamental concept.<br />
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Learn more about multi-user open source accounting and business management software at:<br />
<a href="http://www.opensurge.com/">www.opensurge.com</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-71481837841991593322011-10-27T10:50:00.001-04:002011-10-27T10:57:26.683-04:00Manufacturing Software from xTupleDo you need a better solution for managing your manufacturing business? Looking for better manufacturing software or accounting software?<br />
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Take a look at the recent webinar with Wally Tonra on the manufacturing functionality in xTuple.<br />
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In this webinar, we took a closer look at the powerful tools available to manage your inventory, manufacturing, and distribution operations. This presentation is especially valuable for companies that have some degree of manufacturing / packaging / assembly in their business.<br />
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We focused on the tools and functionality available in all three xTuple product versions including our Free and Open Source edition, PostBooks. We also covered some of the more advanced functionality found in our Standard and Manufacturing Editions.<br />
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<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Imc3vvrHXqY?fs=1" width="459"></iframe><br />
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For more information or to schedule a demo, please visit the OpenSurge website.<br />
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<a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/">www.opensurgegroup.com</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-88905626822955013332011-06-29T11:24:00.000-04:002011-06-29T11:24:11.062-04:00Go Square to Take Mobile Payments and iPad CheckoutDo you have a mobile business? Do you sell trinkets and do-dads out of your car, your suitcase or have a little roadside stand?<br />
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Or are you a roadie for a rock band selling t-shirts and CD's- which is where I saw my first Square in action.? If you don't know anything about how to process credit cards and need to start taking credit cards in person or over the phone, then the <a href="https://squareup.com/">Square</a> is the way to go. Take a look at the video below from the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/home-page">Wall Street Journal</a> and get started.<br />
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<b>What about open source xTuple ERP?</b><br />
xTuple allows you to process credit cards both as payment for standard invoices and using the point of sale functionality. Setup is pretty standard for this type of application. A payment gateway is required along with a merchant account -not the most difficult thing to do, but then there's the encryption key and mapping the general ledger accounts. Enterprise management solutions are designed to handle complex operations which at times means the configuration can be challenging for the casual <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/xTuple/overview.html">PostBooks</a> user.<br />
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I can see using the Square with an iPad application where we populate the item list, i.e. the catalog, from the xTuple item list, use the iPad remotely and then download the resulting transactions. The capability does not exist with the Square just yet - but it can't be far behind.<br />
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<b>And at </b><a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/index.html"><b>OpenSurge</b></a><b> we can't wait to get started! </b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-5706589340272457162011-05-20T18:44:00.000-04:002011-05-20T18:44:57.593-04:00Are you still using Quickbooks to manage your growing business?Wondering if its finally time to move your business to the next level? Time to replace Quickbooks?<br />
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<i><u>Here are 3 top reasons to switch to a true enterprise class business management solution: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></u></i><br />
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<b>1. Collaboration</b> - Growing companies reach a point where multiple people have to collaborate on financial processes, often from multiple business locations as well as from home and on the road. As multiple people become involved, everyone needs visibility into what is going on so they can make the right decisions and collaboration so they can all work together.<br />
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<b>2. Business Growth</b> - There are many growth-driven indicators - when multiple people need to have access to the financial system, when financial tasks need to be delegated, when dollar volumes become significant and when new offices are opened - it's time to think about graduating to a more powerful system. There are also brick walls that require you to graduate - when you need to operate in more than one currency, when you have more than one business entity, if you need to work effectively from multiple locations or when you need to deal with specialized requirements like revenue recognition or managing the profitability and utilization of billable services personnel.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Financial Accountability and Transaction Capability</b> - Full audit trails, business reporting, double-entry accounting and automation are a must, no matter the size of your business. If you're growing, you need it now more than ever. And as your company gets bigger, you have more of everything: inventory, vendors, customers and customer requirements. You have a need for speed and greater transaction volumes. Don't be held back by an insufficient financial system.<br />
<br />
So what replaces Quickbooks and how much does it cost?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/xTuple/overview.html">PostBooks from xTuple </a>is a full featured business management solution (accounting, sales, inventory, purchasing, CRM, etc.) that you will never outgrow. PostBooks is open-source so its free for anyone to use. But if you need help with installing, support or training - there's a world-wide community here to help. If you need additional features - multi-site, drop shipping, returns management, manufacturing scheduling, etc - xTuple's paid version has all the functionality you would ever need.<br />
<br />
Take a look our latest webinar on the advantages of moving your business to xTuple!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/R1sfoE3IpII?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Open source ERP and business management solutions from <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/index.html">OpenSurge</a>. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-31609914231087138012011-04-15T19:05:00.000-04:002011-04-15T19:05:42.100-04:00Now's the Time to Replace your old MAS 90/200 with xTupleERP<ol><li>Is your company is currently using MAS 90 or MAS 200 as its business system, and it‘s not going well? </li>
<li>Does it may take many hours of effort to get the information you need to run the business – using spreadsheets, hand-written notes, and lots of digging? </li>
<li>Do you have other outside applications that aren‘t tied into your main system and it can be difficult to coordinate the two?</li>
</ol><br />
<div>If your answer to the questions above is "yes", then following are some issues that you need to consider.</div><div><br />
</div><div><div><b>1. Business Intelligence</b> - MAS 90/200 is not built on a relational database and users do not have access to advanced analysis tools. xTuple runs on PostgreSQL the leading open source relational database where all your information can be accessed through standard tools, particularly the Structured Query Language (SQL), making retrieval and analysis more flexible, open, and usable.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>2. Functionality</b> - While a product like MAS 90/200 has a reasonably comprehensive set of application modules to choose from, many of the modules lack the very specific functionality needed by companies today. Many growing companies will experience increasing functional needs around electronic banking, multi-currency, project accounting, manufacturing, field service and inter-company processing. This functionality either does not exist within the MAS 90/200 family or are only available as third-party add-ons. This features and many others, such as manufacturing planning, MRP and one of the leading open source CRM capabilities are all included in xTuple ERP.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>3. Scalability</b> - While all systems have an upper limit on the number of users and activities that can be supported at given transaction volumes, the underlying technology is the determining factor of how far a system will scale. Some versions of MAS 90, for example, are designed to support a very limited number of users with reasonable response time at which point system response times deteriorate, processes take unacceptably long to complete, and it is not uncommon for the system to 'lock‘, fail, or otherwise become unreliable.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>4. Connectivity / Interoperability</b> - Extending the applications to partners and customers, such as a customer portal to allow trading partners to view orders, shipments, schedules, and invoices is difficult at best. Reports are distributed on paper or through e-mail. Connecting to analytical and decision support facilities like Excel is mainly a copy and paste function. xTuple allows you to connect to your customers, partners and suppliers through the xTuple Web Portal. Using xTuple Connect you can seamlessly integrate email into xTuple ERP, automatically sending reports, invoices PO's and other documents via email. </div><div><br />
</div><div><b>5. Productivity</b> - MAS90/200 is designed in the traditional style with standard menus and limited ability to customize the screens that people work from every day. Because the menus are unique to MAS, users require considerable training and orientation to know where to find the functions they need. The xTuple user interface displays a graphic workflow by functions, allows for user preferences and custom hot-keys. xTuple's role-based screens are far more efficient for the user, easier to use, resulting in greater adoption of system functionality. Users can get right to the functions they use most without having to work their way through generic menus and screens.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>6. Foundational Technology and Product Roadmap </b>- Some Sage products have fallen behind the technology curve and need increased R&D investment. It is obvious from the previous points above that MAS 90/200 may not be considered examples of today‘s technology and while Sage is apparently committed to upgrading the products, this process will take quite some time and there‘s no telling how successful the company will be in its efforts. By contrast, xTuple ERP, using the open source development model is on the leading edge of available technology. Making the most of open source tools and the ability to operate on <b>Mac OS X</b>, Linux and Windows. xTuple has a reputation for consistently rolling out new features and functionalities; both specific ERP related functionalities (e.g. project management accounting) and integrations using the Web Portal and xTuple Connect that help you do more work with less effort.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>It‘s easy to find fault with any application system – each has its own particular strengths and weaknesses. It‘s also easy to praise the strengths of any given system and down-play weaknesses. The real value of any system, however, is in how well the user company is able to use the tools to more effectively run the business.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Open source xTuple ERP is an ideal accounting solution for midsize and small business. xTuple can easily be hosted for cloud computing and clients can run on Apple Mac OS X as well as PC's.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-88514020475556836102011-02-16T09:12:00.000-05:002011-02-16T09:12:55.380-05:00Time and Expense Tracking with xTuple Open Source ERP<div>Just a short post for this video on using xTuple's open source ERP solution for managing time and expense for services.</div><div><br />
</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmipSwPYaxDSrzwg-ZCiAs9vVyweQ_Uwk_10YlkjLRndzYBc77puGpWyvnW1fTzyWRDnyhANds4mTl2BOZdZXVrPqHHIdC8GB8h8IMtQuIwHUTjNe6b-TzvMdxPRxZWAw_f8AlxfrHZ27u/s1600/elite_small_blog.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmipSwPYaxDSrzwg-ZCiAs9vVyweQ_Uwk_10YlkjLRndzYBc77puGpWyvnW1fTzyWRDnyhANds4mTl2BOZdZXVrPqHHIdC8GB8h8IMtQuIwHUTjNe6b-TzvMdxPRxZWAw_f8AlxfrHZ27u/s1600/elite_small_blog.png" /></a>xTuple's robust business management solution will let you use Mac OS X for you accounting and invoicing requirements. This cross-platform accounting software solution is great solution to put in a cloud computing environment where all your business colleagues and co-workers can access the same database. And using xTuple's CRM functionality, one of the leading open source CRM solutions, your workforce can collaborate and manage all the projects to run your business and service your clients.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Visit <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/">OpenSurge</a>, an Atlanta, GA based xTuple Elite Development Partner to find out more.</div><div><br />
</div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kb_-my5PkSM?fs=1" width="425"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-1900195296766816862010-11-12T16:21:00.000-05:002010-11-12T16:21:59.746-05:00Another Mossberg Answer to the Mac Vs PC QuestionWalter Mossberg is the outstanding technology columnist for the Wall Street Journal where he recently entertained another question from the parent of a college bound student on whether to buy a Mac or a PC.<br />
<br />
He correctly points out the obvious - PC's come in many styles, configurations and specifications from a multitude of manufacturers. He didn't point out another obvious point. What do all these machines have in common? They run Microsoft Windows.<br />
<br />
<b>But here's the killer quote:</b><br />
<br />
"Macs have extremely high customer satisfaction, according to most major surveys, better built-in software and, perhaps most important, they aren't susceptible to the vast majority of malicious software, a particular problem on college campuses that can cost money and time and risk losing work." <a href="http://on.wsj.com/b9tKog">(See the full story)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvy_mfrqInnTNc6Iiu4Y32b1BdvWXBeydW2M9r9rwTOCxvHTRPIHB4TwdJv5ZOI1VbyFnj3n8YQEfEoG21bTWim_ndbXX5P4xBGbIo6buBdn44FRL_tnjWmIrKzxZrjc1z0kGUYKYi-5W/s1600/student_apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvy_mfrqInnTNc6Iiu4Y32b1BdvWXBeydW2M9r9rwTOCxvHTRPIHB4TwdJv5ZOI1VbyFnj3n8YQEfEoG21bTWim_ndbXX5P4xBGbIo6buBdn44FRL_tnjWmIrKzxZrjc1z0kGUYKYi-5W/s200/student_apple.jpg" width="200" /></a>He does recommend checking with your particular college or university to see if they support Macs as well as PC's. My son is in his final year at a large public university and he and over half of his classmates arrived with Macs - to a university that did not support Apple. And as a Civil Engineering major he was never limited using his Mac. The university has since started to support Apple. And like many universities, has an Apple store on campus.<br />
<br />
And while I do miss my son - I've never had a phone call that started with "dad my computer is broken".<br />
<br />
College and life's hard enough - buy a Mac.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-10044540866968934162010-11-11T13:44:00.000-05:002010-11-11T13:44:21.621-05:00So What's Your Reason for Starting Your Own Business?The number one reason for starting your own small business is because you simply <b>need a job!</b> You looked for a job, you wanted a job - but a job was no where to be found. This is when the resourceful, independent entrepreneur launches into what they hope will be a successful enterprise. Maybe it works, but you keep a eye out just in case that job finally shows up.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ey1civXMqFSsTU5FBYRUOTfiL5aFa5vSIqWNDuPaTzSctjQ9qWPJoR0sW4C6OmuEAGnHprB0of4A0UW3m5Snef7ZpXWzvrgIWnILBr2OWIUfxl-zQpwq6p9T6ztNl-2-MyCmYRXmYarJ/s1600/new_biz_cloud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ey1civXMqFSsTU5FBYRUOTfiL5aFa5vSIqWNDuPaTzSctjQ9qWPJoR0sW4C6OmuEAGnHprB0of4A0UW3m5Snef7ZpXWzvrgIWnILBr2OWIUfxl-zQpwq6p9T6ztNl-2-MyCmYRXmYarJ/s200/new_biz_cloud.jpg" width="155" /></a>A close second is the job you have is <b>the one you hate</b>. Whether its the work, the company or the boss. According to Dilbert creator Scott Adams in a recent WSJ article:<br />
<br />
"<i>Our system requires a continuous supply of highly capable people who are so disgruntled with their jobs that they are willing to chew off their own arms to escape their bosses. The economy needs hamster-brained sociopaths in management to drive down the opportunity cost of entrepreneurship. Luckily, we're blessed with an ample supply</i>." <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704353504575596372042140924.html?KEYWORDS=dilbert">Read the full article</a><br />
<br />
Either way, find something you love, make a plan, count your pennies (use <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/">open source erp</a>) and go out and make it happen. You might not be a success the first time out, so you take the lessons learned and make another run at it.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>So what's your reason?</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-64971262932059008842010-09-27T18:45:00.000-04:002010-09-27T18:45:28.595-04:005 Reasons Why Thymly Products Selected xTuple ERP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLuWbgCstGyNyvSvTBoibyvk2rZZQBbx59a55enQclli6YKr99OwpkYoiDzO29iNRhikrwZ0pV7ADgunjDmPVHlQt_6wbaBeQCUVh61E7wH5xopX1GUlG9_Zq2R4TrapwdhCzw5LRhfqK/s1600/tpi_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLuWbgCstGyNyvSvTBoibyvk2rZZQBbx59a55enQclli6YKr99OwpkYoiDzO29iNRhikrwZ0pV7ADgunjDmPVHlQt_6wbaBeQCUVh61E7wH5xopX1GUlG9_Zq2R4TrapwdhCzw5LRhfqK/s1600/tpi_logo.jpg" /></a>Thymly Products, Inc., a major dry mix manufacturer on the East Coast, provides specialized food ingredients to the food and pharmaceutical industries, ranging from enzymes to phosphates.<br />
<br />
With a rigid, legacy accounting software vendor that continued to lock down the source code of its aging product, Thymly didn’t have the control over its operations it needed to take its business to the next level. In 2007, the company began searching for a more agile ERP solution that would help its business grow.<br />
<br />
“As part of our due diligence we spoke with several companies that were running ERPs of all sizes, and the feedback was consistent—the bigger the software house, the more problems with the ERP program,” says Harry Muller-Thym, Sr., founder of Thymly After looking at both large and small vendors, Thymly chose xTuple because of its open source ERP philosophy and excellent customer support.<br />
<br />
“Since September 11, 2001, restrictions and regulations have continued to tighten in the food industry, and xTuple works very closely with us to understand our specific needs and ensure that we are able to meet the changing requirements,” adds Muller-Thym.<br />
<br />
Thymly shut down its previous accounting system on March 31, 2009, and went live with Linux-based xTuple the next day. Some of the many <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/xTuple/xTuple/mfg.html">benefits the open-source software</a> provides for Thymly include: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDF_ekOax3l3Mp8p1-ccMGwA0iahTzfoLQYJV1iWLU2T7mpliWIcpWIuBwsqL8PrJyynf8WisZB65MMDlZ2D7eEvq14qNzdHtBjU_M0UeLiWEFQ8zUB8JqxemW9inDjSwn_uosEijolfhF/s1600/Bread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDF_ekOax3l3Mp8p1-ccMGwA0iahTzfoLQYJV1iWLU2T7mpliWIcpWIuBwsqL8PrJyynf8WisZB65MMDlZ2D7eEvq14qNzdHtBjU_M0UeLiWEFQ8zUB8JqxemW9inDjSwn_uosEijolfhF/s1600/Bread.jpg" /></a></div><ul><li>Cost savings in inventory control—Thymly was able to reduce its inventory considerably within three months of implementation.</li>
<li>Traceability—The new ERP system allows Thymly to tag each product with lot numbers and weights and to track it 100 percent through the supply chain. In the case of an FDA recall, the company is able to respond within minutes, much faster than industry norms.</li>
<li>Integration—With its open-source technologies, the ERP package allows for integration with other software and production equipment. This allows Thymly to consistently produce the same quality product each and every time.</li>
<li>Better control over accounts receivable—By automating invoicing and A/R follow-up, Thymly is able to significantly speed up collections.</li>
<li>Permissions-based access—The software’s support for application permissions assigned by employee roles has helped Thymly with additional regulations set in place after September 11.</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FJ5cukikY3u4HtD5dREAff5AXQcTHCOBRT2cIsknC-kcC6HdCNBk4DKAtmnb7cOcZsPJjuFhF4OKZXCxXlWdvaAyyIUabqqQp72S7SyY5Hnjtn80m_mMqrhm_e67spP3Gtw2tghV3bhg/s320/people_banner.jpg" width="320" /></div><div>“The latest version of xTuple is the best yet,” says Muller-Thym. “It demonstrates xTuple’s commitment to taking feedback from its customers and incorporating those ideas back into the product. For every reason that we decided to purchase the <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/xTuple/overview.html">xTuple solution</a>, it has worked out, and it continues to exceed our expectations.”</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-85739346389904768502010-08-25T07:25:00.000-04:002010-08-25T07:25:23.632-04:00In Mac vs PC Cost Comparison- Downtime Statistics KeyThere's a long running debate, or argument depending on your point of view, concerning the cost of an Apple Computer vs that of a Windows PC. It really isn't much of a debate if the only measurement is how much does it cost to walk out of the store with an Apple vs. a PC. And its more of an apple to orange comparison, because it can be difficult to decide which Mac to compare to which PC. In order to be fair, the models were chosen based on similar hardware specifications.<br />
<br />
<b>The Contenders</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNUkbDmAJVyrzfzTeHH5CMQBRuv3-KpymiM0D9PUdH3ZoJNco8qsUBE1ZOCC9DPIg6bGge7kY9X-yDvYjlbjE2HkwcprxZJdlNbDrIScR0sm-lWp9HwHb3MjJNsbnSsnUMLuZlOjpeps2/s1600/13+Mac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNUkbDmAJVyrzfzTeHH5CMQBRuv3-KpymiM0D9PUdH3ZoJNco8qsUBE1ZOCC9DPIg6bGge7kY9X-yDvYjlbjE2HkwcprxZJdlNbDrIScR0sm-lWp9HwHb3MjJNsbnSsnUMLuZlOjpeps2/s200/13+Mac.jpg" width="120" /></a></div>The 13" <a href="http://www.apple.com/mac/whichmacbook/compare.html">MacBook Pro</a> vs 14" HP EliteBook 8440 with the same or similar processor, memory and hard drive. The Mac comes in at $1199. The HP sells for $1053. So you save $150 by walking out the door with the HP. In case you are wondering, I picked the best selling laptop off the <a href="http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=2091383">CDW website</a>. If you still want to pick another data point, the comparable <a href="http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/fasttrack-vostro-laptops">Dell Vostro 3400</a> is $718. And while I would wonder why PC users are selecting the HP over the Dell and paying a premium - for sake of this comparison, the out of the store difference between Mac vs PC is $500 (yep, rounded up).<br />
<br />
Now check this quote out concerning how the sagging economy is motivating midsize companies to find ways to save money:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi501P6RBBTj2P4TD3u_yTfey2gBUSh9HvamUl0pp6nObi1RC7jLHtOopR1fRO0Oc1KkBFBg1gN0-QLGPuRRTgdg28-i6t157ipxG2Xn_m6F_DUM3BrUMFlhJZ1tVmrPf3BboA2kyjvdfOt/s1600/hplap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi501P6RBBTj2P4TD3u_yTfey2gBUSh9HvamUl0pp6nObi1RC7jLHtOopR1fRO0Oc1KkBFBg1gN0-QLGPuRRTgdg28-i6t157ipxG2Xn_m6F_DUM3BrUMFlhJZ1tVmrPf3BboA2kyjvdfOt/s200/hplap.jpg" width="100" /></a>"<i>In a <a href="http://www.igniteyoursmallbusiness.com/contests/acqua/Rules/Microsoft%20Win%207%20White%20Paper.pdf">recent report by IDC</a>, an impressive number of midsize companies migrating to Windows 7 say they realized a full return on their investment in just seven months. The migration also helped significantly reduce the time help desks spend dealing with malware, downtime and reboots by replacing Windows XP and Windows Vista.</i>"<br />
<br />
Read it again. What the report finds is that the support requirements of Windows Vista and XP are so great that the cost of migration to Windows 7 can be justified in reduced support cost alone. By the way the report was sponsored by Microsoft.<br />
<br />
<b>So how much was the support cost reduced?</b><br />
<br />
End users spent considerably less time dealing with malware, downtime, and reboots when using Windows 7 compared with previous Windows products. In fact, when 14 categories of common end-user activities related to keeping Windows PCs operational are considered, the savings result in 43 additional hours of productivity per year per user when using Windows 7. That amounts to in excess of one full work week per year of productive time.<br />
<br />
So if you're doing a good job of following along, what we have learned is that if you switch from Windows Vista/XP to Windows 7 you will pick up an extra 43 hours of productive time. Now at a labor rate of $25/hour you just saved over $1000/year. And over the 3 year life of the PC, you saved $3000. All because Windows 7 is better than Vista or XP.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOAgnxJo4HQwwx5nAsb2O1oxhrf4Za8Nl62e3hIUXOKzELAVYEL10KDDeqZ3hbbhlV4zG6wSH2BW8apF5PFDBZXnZwCyVkj4tmC-rk-FFX87eg3VbU4J9nTkTernJYmTeeq4q0Wy_CyJC/s1600/apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOAgnxJo4HQwwx5nAsb2O1oxhrf4Za8Nl62e3hIUXOKzELAVYEL10KDDeqZ3hbbhlV4zG6wSH2BW8apF5PFDBZXnZwCyVkj4tmC-rk-FFX87eg3VbU4J9nTkTernJYmTeeq4q0Wy_CyJC/s320/apple.jpg" /></a></div>Okay you Mac users out there, I know what you're saying "<i>we knew Vista was a piece of crap and no doubt the geniuses at Microsoft improved Windows 7, but that only means its a little less crappy. How does this relate to the Mac vs. PC cost equation?</i>".<br />
<br />
The data shows Windows 7 to be a 42% improvement over Vista/XP when measured by downtime. According to the report, a Windows 7 PC will have 57.6 hours of downtime a year. At $25/hour that's $1440/year. If the Mac is only twice as good as the PC (no snickering out there) it saves you $720/year, which multiplied by 3 years for the service life of the Mac, results in a total savings of $2160. Since we paid $500 more for the Mac, the 3 year net savings of using a Mac vs PC is $1660<br />
<br />
Using data to support migrating from one Windows version to another, it is easily shown that the Mac is clearly the better financial decision, <b>based just on comparative downtime!</b><br />
<br />
The only thing left to support is whether the Mac has half the downtime as a PC. While I wish that I could point you to a study on Mac downtime, I couldn't find one. Google "mac downtime statistics" - zero hits. Must be why there is that long line at the Apple store. If anyone finds Apple downtime data, please pass it along.<br />
<br />
So go tell your boss you want a Mac because its cheaper - <b>of course that means you'll end up working one more week a year!</b><br />
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArx2lDgioaXykT_uNdHTU4O2pjlgF2lDDZLu_KpaXU_KNFPNjjiFla-tOH_N8hd0nBx-qJOKInqet7YWDWiB8SrcipTAyiKDfDH2ONp5Dc17ow_htGavFUM8CZmzebO1Kcf_81l8po2V0/s1600/talking1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArx2lDgioaXykT_uNdHTU4O2pjlgF2lDDZLu_KpaXU_KNFPNjjiFla-tOH_N8hd0nBx-qJOKInqet7YWDWiB8SrcipTAyiKDfDH2ONp5Dc17ow_htGavFUM8CZmzebO1Kcf_81l8po2V0/s200/talking1.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-50430428886775642722010-08-17T12:17:00.000-04:002010-08-17T12:17:15.665-04:00B-Schools using Open Source ERP to Teach Business ProcessesFor years, there has been a need for teaching students about business process integration. The use of ERP systems has been proposed as a mechanism to meet this need. Yet, in the midst of a recent economic crisis, it is difficult to find funding for the acquisition and implementation of an ERP system for teaching purpose. While it is recognized that the use of ERP systems might provide a variety of benefits in a business school curriculum, how could business schools overcome the limited resources in order to bring in and integrate ERP systems into their business core classes?<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
I first started thinking about this several years ago in discussions with <a href="http://www.goizueta.emory.edu/faculty/stevewalton/">Steve Walton</a>, Associate Dean of Executive MBA Programs at Emory's Goizueta Business School. What I wanted to do was teach a 'mini' class on business management systems and the supporting IT systems. The problem was how do you get the licenses and support of true enterprise software so that the students can have access to it?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUci0hbCvq8jAFn1b0tZ2wcEl1LXyobkVEf5FTvqo50dVwcJsm6SVLYkL5Q-_hOsGk-zWZBu2UvPxpDBXqDDhiQ4m5ekFMYrZnZBF5qbte5jp6zdUVEkdO4Bi_H8ACcnJLrFMxdBKJJiSW/s1600/cloud-bar-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="81" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUci0hbCvq8jAFn1b0tZ2wcEl1LXyobkVEf5FTvqo50dVwcJsm6SVLYkL5Q-_hOsGk-zWZBu2UvPxpDBXqDDhiQ4m5ekFMYrZnZBF5qbte5jp6zdUVEkdO4Bi_H8ACcnJLrFMxdBKJJiSW/s200/cloud-bar-1.jpg" width="200" /></a>Not long after <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/">OpenSurge became an xTuple Development Partner</a>, it all came back to me and the solution was actually at hand. Using open source xTuple ERP (okay we would probably donate the server space), the students would have access to true enterprise software where they could learn the interactions between the business processes, cost accounting, supply chain management - even get to look at data table structure and report writing. I believe this is an outstanding and innovative approach to introduce the next generation of business leaders to business processes.<br />
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And it runs on a Mac! See the <a href="http://opensurge.blogspot.com/2010/07/when-will-business-realize-approaching.html">nearby post!</a><br />
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My thoughts on the next step is to solicit companies within the metro Atlanta area that are considering changing, updating or implementing a new ERP system. The students could then perform the discovery work, configure the application and proceed to conference room pilot. The participating company would need to provide access for the discovery phase - probably 8-12 hours would be sufficient. The idea is not to "nail" the install, but to gather enough data to make a realistic stab at the pilot.<br />
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If anyone has some thoughts or feedback, post a comment or email me. You can find my contact information on the <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/about/about.html">OpenSurge website</a>.<br />
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Thanks to a piece from Minh Huynh and Ivan Pinto at Southeastern Louisiana University for reminding my of the topic - all of which you can get <a href="http://isedj.org/8/69/index.html">here</a>, the intro is theirs.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-49457666008011427772010-07-29T12:55:00.001-04:002010-08-18T17:49:05.201-04:00When will Business realize the approaching wave of Apple users has arrived?<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVKuaaLVJAVOhCHxLPveCxZj7djDPeMa4gy4fYC1122VttJ6vrv9q4kL2cvtgf5SCezC7HuICoie2tTjN9wRQuWwmsJoVZvM0iVPpo0AUx92hn7tUn_wFmmG0xrjbl7ionVNEs8hyphenhyphenCuJu/s1600/new_sidebar2_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVKuaaLVJAVOhCHxLPveCxZj7djDPeMa4gy4fYC1122VttJ6vrv9q4kL2cvtgf5SCezC7HuICoie2tTjN9wRQuWwmsJoVZvM0iVPpo0AUx92hn7tUn_wFmmG0xrjbl7ionVNEs8hyphenhyphenCuJu/s200/new_sidebar2_05.jpg" width="130" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We want a Mac!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>Starting a couple of years ago the first wave of college graduates entered the business world that had never used a Windows machine. Right now I'm looking over the 15 or so people gather in the local coffee shop - all on their computers, and only one using a Windows machine.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Being a <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/index.html">Business Management Software guy</a> - I struck up a conversation with her and asked about her Windows usage. Yep - because that's what her company uses. She has a Mac and an iPad at home (I don't even have one!), and hates having to use Windows - I told her to change jobs - she asked me for one. Well maybe, because she currently sells software and I'm guessing pretty good at it. Even with the Windows handicap!</div><div><br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div>The conversation then gets into how a business would go about moving to an all Apple environment. Of course you need to start by using xTuple ERP and putting it on a Mac server (hosted or local) - because you can't convert your company unless your <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/xTuple/overview.html">ERP can run on a Mac</a>. Since open source xTuple ERP is cross platform (Mac, Linux and Windows) you can start replacing clients with Mac's as the old machines become obsolete. In the meantime start using OpenOffice for documents, spreadsheets and presentations and Thunderbird for email on the Windows machines.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Then your world's is all roses and sunshine! </div><div><br />
</div><div>(And special thanks to my Windows focus group of one!)</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-83634344693061974962010-07-09T11:25:00.001-04:002010-08-04T19:38:12.978-04:00Family Business Continuity Planning and Enterprise Management SystemsLet's discuss enterprise software and why it should be important to a family business looking to insure that the business can successfully transition from one generation to the next.<br />
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Simply put, an organized, well run business following a consistent set of business rules is easier to hand off to the next generation. Business management software is an integrated systemic approach to managing all the data about a business, its finances, sales, inventory, etc.; resulting in an operational culture that shares information, eliminates silos and promotes best practices across the organization. The successful implementation of a first rate enterprise system, one that allows for the flexibility of your unique business, can be that key ingredient to a successful transition of a family business from one generation to the next.<br />
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First, what exactly is enterprise software, also known as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)? Basically it is an integrated business management system that connects users and information, enhances communication, identifies bottlenecks and standardizes business practices. A good ERP system, properly implemented, can bring about massive improvements to operational efficiency, shine a bright light on hidden organizational costs, and strengthen relationships with customers and suppliers. All of that translates into real growth - often exponential growth - even in a challenging economic climate.There are many different forms and types of ERP, but for purposes of this discussion it is those solutions that include functionality for accounting, sales, purchasing, inventory, supply chain management, production planning and CRM. Additionally, the system should utilizes an accessible relational database and custom report writer.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Now there is a wide range of products that meet the definition above. To name a few - Oracle, SAP, Infor, Microsoft Dynamics, Sage, Epicor. These are all proprietary software products with one thing in common - <b>they cost a lot of money.</b><br />
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But a few years ago several projects were started in the open source community to develop ERP alternatives. One of these projects has matured and been commercialized - meaning that a business was created around the project to provide coordination, development, documentation and support. As a result, xTuple has become the global leader in the emerging field of open source ERP, bringing the discipline of a real enterprise product company to open source. xTuple ERP is a complete package, running on open source PostgreSQL- the top open source relational database, with its own open source report writer. This is no starter kit, or collection of piece-parts. You can download, install, and be up and running with a full <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/xTuple/xTuple/postbooks.html">xTuple ERP system in 10 minutes</a>.<br />
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As with all open source projects, there is a free open source license version of xTuple ERP called PostBooks. Anyone can get started with the xTuplePostBooks Edition - and thousands of companies are running their business on PostBooks every day. PostBooks is the ideal business software platform for many small- to medium-sized businesses. Of course, the heart of any business system is accounting, and PostBooks features a powerful General Ledger accounting system. Financial Reports are completely user-definable, and the system's open architecture facilitates simple interfaces to third party applications such as spreadsheets and outside payroll processors. The accounting module rivals anything available from commercial software vendors. But PostBooks is much more than great (free) accounting software. In addition to basic accounting features (general ledger, accounts receivable and payable, etc.), PostBooks includes fully-integrated CRM, sales and purchasing, product definition, inventory, light manufacturing and OpenRPT, xTuple's open-source report writer software.<br />
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And xTuple is more than good. The open source ERP community drives a relentless pace of improvements and refinements to the product. Every user - from the 2-person startup using the free PostBooks Edition, to the global enterprises using xTuple commercial Editions - every user benefits from the constant cycles of innovation that makes this open source ERP system so powerful.<br />
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The commercially-licensed editions of xTuple are designed for enterprises with larger-scale distribution and manufacturing operations, including Global 1000 companies that are powering their businesses with xTuple ERP. The xTuple Standard and Manufacturing Editions include advanced functionality for larger companies with more complex operations, as well as companies of any size who want or require a commercial license. But all customers still have full access to the source code of the commercial Editions, and enhancements made to any of the Editions of xTuple are handled through the same community development and managed release process.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/xTuple/xTuple/StandardEdt.html">Standard Edition of xTuple</a> is a fully-integrated end-to-end software system for companies with more sophisticated inventory control needs. It contains everything in the open source PostBooks Edition, plus additional enterprise-class functionality specifically for distributors and light manufacturers, such as advanced returns management, batch processing of emailed documents, multi-warehouse control, sophisticated lot/serial tracking and tracing, and other features.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/xTuple/xTuple/mfg.html">Manufacturing Edition of xTuple</a> contains everything in the PostBooks and Standard Editions, plus additional enterprise-class functionality specifically for manufacturers.<br />
xTuple's roots in manufacturing run deep. The Manufacturing Edition of xTuple ERP, the original award-winning ERP suite first released in 2002 is the premium commercial offering, recommended for manufacturing companies in both discrete and batch process production; make to order, make to stock, or mixed-mode; even job shops and engineer-to-order. The Manufacturing Edition software is currently deployed in a wide variety of successful customer manufacturing situations, including food production, piston manufacturing, industrial pumps, specialty garments and many others.<br />
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The Standard Edition starts at $300 per month and the Manufacturing Edition starts at $500 per month. All community members - whether they're using free PostBooks or a commercial license version, have access to the full source code of the core open source solution and to the xTuple user community where they can utilize extensive online documentation, user training videos and get advice and feedback from the global xTuple user community.<br />
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Award winning xTuple ERP is clearly the best option for the small and midsize family business to take advantage of the latest innovation in business management software.<br />
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For more information or to schedule a demo visit <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/index.html">OpenSurge</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-67521724866218172672010-06-28T11:02:00.001-04:002010-08-04T19:40:16.289-04:00Does "Open Source" Mean that the ERP Implementation Effort is Less?Stumbled upon a blog post where the author was making the case that open source ERP is "free", implementation is "simple" and user training is somehow "optional". The author also seemed to think that all the documentation was available that would make customizations a "snap". Okay that's not exactly what was said, but the implication was that open source ERP implementation and training was somehow easier and cheaper.<br />
<br />
Open source ERP solutions are certainly less costly than proprietary solutions. Open source means that there is a "free" version available, but in general the "free" version will not have the functionality that a business of any substance would require. Licensed versions (like all software, functionality varies by product) of open source software are still considerably less expensive (25 - 50%) than proprietary solutions of the same functionality and scope.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
With open source solutions the licensee typically gets the code and can make changes as required to meet their needs or use a partner to make these changes. Solutions that are supported by a commercial enterprise will always have superior documentation, user community/forums and training materials. The xTuple training videos are on the web, including a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/xTupleERP">YouTube channel.</a><br />
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Its is simply incorrect to think that open source ERP (again of the same scale as a proprietary equivalent) is some how easier to implement and requires less training of employees. This is simply not the case nor does it make logical sense - just because the license fee is less does not translate to a smaller implementation project.<br />
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Let's not forget that ERP implementations are first and foremost business process projects and should not be viewed as an "IT Project". If so the implementation is destined for failure.<br />
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<a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/">OpenSurge</a> is a xTuple Development Partner providing open source ERP implementation, customization and support.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-17212765164893505612010-06-02T13:05:00.001-04:002012-05-01T17:40:27.536-04:00A Humorous View into the ERP Sales CycleRan across a bit on the web, while doing one thing or another - its not called the Web for nothing!! Kind of sucks you in and then you've lost 2 hours of your life. But sometimes you stumble across something that is just delightful and needs to be shared, which is what happened to me.<br /><br />I found an outfit in Austria called <a href="http://sevenlakessoftware.com/">Seven Lakes Software</a> that developed a single user inventory application for the Mac. They have a page on their website called CO-ERP course, which they describe as "how to sell overpriced, crappy ERP software that doesn't fit in a prospect's business". This is a clever, funny and uncomfortable accurate account of the ERP sales process.<br /><br />Please do go <a href="http://sevenlakessoftware.com/information/COERPCourse/">here</a> to read the entire post, but I'm going to borrow a snippet to illustrate how open source xTuple ERP is different from other solutions - who shall remain unnamed. Here's the snippet from <b>Lesson 1 Hide your Product:</b><br /><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><b>What you have to think of when hiding your product.</b><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">No screenshots of your app should be available on your website.</span><br />Except they're completely fake (you know, the ones with the colourful 3D charts).<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Do not provide your software's manual for download.</span><br />Your customer is too silly to understand it anyway.<br />Remember: there is no manual for your software! You're selling support and training, not manuals.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">"A demo version makes no sense".</span><br />Tell the customer that it's much easier for you to show your product AFTER he signed the contract and paid thousands of Dollars.<br /><br />Don't tell him that he has no chance to use your app without days of costly training.<br /><br />Remember, it would cost YOU two working days to have your app installed. Your not an IT guy. He would install it in only one day. AFTER the customer has signed the contract, you can charge for anything.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Never do a real world presentation.</span><br />Your customer would discover that your software's user interface is ugly, that your app is hard to use, slow like molasses and buggy.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Pretty funny isn't it? although just a little sad and scary if you really need a better way to run your business</div><div><br /></div><div>So how is <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/xTuple/overview.html">open source ERP from xTuple</a> different?</div><div><ul><li>You can have you own <a href="http://www.xtuple.com/free-demo-of-xtuple-erp">online demo</a> to play with as long as you want.</li><li>You can <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/xTuple/xTuple/postbooks.html">download and install</a> the fully functional PostBooks edition to your computer in minutes.</li><li>All the documents are <a href="http://www.xtuple.org/docs">online</a></li><li>Training videos are available at xtuple.org and YouTube</li><li>OpenSurge encourages a real live <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/Contact/request-demo.php">onsite demo</a></li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>And finally <a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/">OpenSurge</a> will gather your requirements, show how the requirements fit into xTuple, identify where further development is required and give you realistic assessment of the implementation project.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hope you enjoyed the CO-ERP course as much as I did. Thanks to the guys at Seven Lakes Software.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2156264684065602912.post-56654166018273048572010-05-22T14:34:00.002-04:002012-05-01T17:40:26.762-04:00xTuple Migrates Training Videos to YouTubexTuple is in the process of publishing training videos to YouTube. Just another example of how xTuple differentiates itself from the traditional ERP company.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9lh2f1_j8B8qD7Pi0zh9B621G4YR_x1n3E3BGm8Jdw260Cqk1-fbRx7CylCvQerc64VpGFkyntvp35bhKQ55wCdlkXhig3OyVjRKNLmvcGWh_13hX0E7xNIfbb8JUL1etbtfX-IYQMlu/s1600/ERP_flow_clear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW9lh2f1_j8B8qD7Pi0zh9B621G4YR_x1n3E3BGm8Jdw260Cqk1-fbRx7CylCvQerc64VpGFkyntvp35bhKQ55wCdlkXhig3OyVjRKNLmvcGWh_13hX0E7xNIfbb8JUL1etbtfX-IYQMlu/s200/ERP_flow_clear.jpg" width="200" /></a>One of the challenges in the open source ERP world is demonstrating that ongoing commitment to the user community. xTuple supports a world-wide user group through its <a href="http://xtuple.org/">xtuple.org</a> website, where users can post questions, search archives and get all the documentation on xTuple. Licensed users of xTuple ERP can also post and track bugs and fixes to the software.<br /><a name='more'></a>The xTuple site also contains a Product Roadmap so you can see what new developments are in the works. If you had been following the roadmap you would have seen (and even commented on) the development of the Drop Shipping functionality that is now in the latest release of open source xTuple ERP version 3.5. Want to see the drop ship functionality and how xTuple is using YouTube? The go view the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHLWV1kqbK4">Drop Shipment Training</a> video.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UW1X_e09C-NEWnaCPt2CHSXmhk3ZfbrROxu41yp_UKnRmg74ojd5342Kkr5OUPp0xD3uUbPI3sNYnbkAFFKJikNle6RfvqPlpFqar1AAmM6t_hyLLHKcHQFiBmrTz9jZ__QLqwVHxRcm/s1600/OpenPRlogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="54" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UW1X_e09C-NEWnaCPt2CHSXmhk3ZfbrROxu41yp_UKnRmg74ojd5342Kkr5OUPp0xD3uUbPI3sNYnbkAFFKJikNle6RfvqPlpFqar1AAmM6t_hyLLHKcHQFiBmrTz9jZ__QLqwVHxRcm/s200/OpenPRlogo.png" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://www.opensurgegroup.com/">OpenSurge Group</a> just completed a great event in Atlanta, GA where we had the chance, along with Wally Tonra xTuple's VP of Sales, to perform side by side demonstrations of xTuple ERP with other proprietary products. We certainly generated a lot of interest in both open source ERP and the ability to run enterprise class software on Apple's Mac OS X.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18201171800309232068noreply@blogger.com1