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Introduction

Introduction The purpose of this book is to help IT and business professionals learn, configure and audit an open source ERP system. This book is best positioned for companies that maintain strong accounting and technical resources. If you have the right talent, you help ensure your team understands how ERP works and ensure your system works accurately the days, months, and years following your ERP go-live.

Companies ranging between $10M and $200M USD in revenue stand to benefit the most from open source ERP. Their combination of talent to understand the core processes, the ability to innovate and create strategic advantage, and financial impact associated with their number of concurrent users drops the total cost of ERP ownership by about half. This does not mean that a smaller company cannot use open source ERP. It just means you need to have the right talent and opportunities to maximize open source ERP benefits.

If you would like to know more about open source ERP benefits, ROI, and cost savings, look to the following resources:

Why iDempiere

I use iDempiere, open source ERP, as the primary reference; however, the concepts can be applied to almost any ERP system, large or small. I choose iDempiere because:

  • It is easy to install.
  • It runs on a small server.
  • It scales to hundreds of users.
  • It uses dominant and commonly available technologies.
  • It features an enterprise quality accounting system.
  • It supports multiple entities (sets of books) inside a single login.
  • It is commonly used around the word.

I plan to include as many OpenERP references as is possible. OpenERP approaches the ERP topic from a different perspective, and comparing the systems will add value to your understanding.

iDempiere and ADempiere Getting Started

The best way to get started is to simply get in and play. Use your knowledge of your company’s products and services, and apply them to ERP. Here are resources that will help you:

Why include ADempiere and Compiere? Because iDempiere came from ADempiere, and ADempiere came from Compiere. All three sites have useful information in them.