Is your company currently using Sage BusinessVision, MAS90 or MAS200 as your business system, and is it still a struggle? 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

xTuple ERP 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.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

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:"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

Do you have a mobile business? Do you sell trinkets and do-dads out of your car, your suitcase or have a little roadside stand?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 Square is the way to

Wondering if its finally time to move your business to the next level? Time to replace Quickbooks?Here are 3 top reasons to switch to a true enterprise class business management solution:  1. Collaboration - 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

Let'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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ran 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.

I found an outfit in Austria called Seven Lakes Software 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.

Please do go here 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 Lesson 1 Hide your Product:

xTuple is in the process of publishing training videos to YouTube. Just another example of how xTuple differentiates itself from the traditional ERP company.

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 xtuple.org 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.

As an open source xTuple ERP Development Partner, I'm starting to see more acceptance for an open source ERP solution. xTuple is a robust ERP, with 100% of the functionality an inventory centric manufacturing or distribution would need. And more times than not all the requirements of other types of enterprises. Because of the open source approach - changes, modifications and extensions can be easily

The integrated Corporate/Customer Relationship Management functionality is core to the xTuple application.  xTuple's CRM can help you organize, synchronize and manage ALL of your business contacts and communications. Join this upcoming webinar to learn more about how xTuple's CRM can help your business nurture and retain your existing customers, attain new customers and reduce costs.Interested

1. Negligible Investment and Maintenance CostsOf course, this is the biggest advantage of open source ERP packages – you get everything totally free of cost! It hardly matters if you use the package on 10 computers or 1000, you don’t need to spend even a single penny out of your pocket!There are no hidden costs involved and there’s minimal dependency on the ERP vendor.2. Training is EasyOpen

Kicking off a marketing campaign to let small and midsized business know that there is a enterprise solution that has all the functionality they need.The promo is here.

You started your business with an idea, a concept, a product or a service that you believed in - then you went out and made it happen. You called on customers, built products, performed services and worked your tail off to make your customers happy. You hired associates, built factories and invested time and sweat, worked nights and weekends - because you knew you could do it better than your competitors.