What are the reasons for the popularity of Open Source ERP?

It is a well known fact that open source ERP has done away with the concept of license fees. However that does not become the only reason for the

growing popularity of open source ERP applications. Some more reasons contribute to open source ERP popularity.

Some of the reasons are as follows:

Bringing down the costs and doing away with Vendor's Dependence

The amount of money invested in ERP deserves no special mention. It is no exaggeration to say that ERP occupies a significant place in the budget of the company. In this context open source ERP has helped in reducing the amount spent not only by way of offering source code and software programs at free of cost but also by easing the procedures. Since the codes are readily available the chances of mistakes are considerably reduced even if they are not nil. This has become possible due to open source erp technicalities.

The ERP vendor need not be called every time because the source code acts as a guide to the company. His services may be used only when there is absolute necessity. Moreover the company can carry modifications on its own just by clarifying with the ERP vendor. Normally they stay in the company till the process of migration especially if the company is new and lacks a proactive approach to ERP. This stage was often considered to be a troublesome one since there could be more clashes between the vendor and the company regarding the process. The intensity of these clashes could be than during the initial restructuring stage because the vendor will press for more changes now given that ERP has been experimented and the exact gaps and loopholes have been identified.

Flexibility

Open source ERP is more flexible that a partial ERP application. A partial ERP application is selected for the particular function/functions. But when it comes to ERP the codes can be selected based on the requirements. This is an advantageous feature made possible by open source erp technicalities. The remaining codes can be ignored. It is also to be noted that this feature will be absent if the company chooses a proprietary technology. This does not necessarily mean diminish of open source ERP popularity.

Easy to understand and use

A unique feature of Open Source ERP technology is that it can handle the functions without any complexities. This is by and large the reason for small companies to choose Open Source ERP for their operations. Open Source ERP finds itself unacceptable in large companies that adopt difficult process though not in all cases. Open Source erp technicalities are also suited for member concerns from the same industry. The common databases of these concerns have helped a lot. For e.g. the hospitals sharing the information about patients will find this service extremely useful during cases of emergency more so when a doctor takes care of a particular patient and he has no clue about his history, though there are lots of arguments for intrusion into one's privacy and sharing of confidential details.

Training and security

The training part of open source ERP is negligible. Infact no amount of formal training is required to run an Open Source ERP application. Some orientations on how it all works wills do. The user can learn the rest. He gets to learn unlearn and relearn during the course of working. When it comes to security open source ERP is less risky when it comes to bringing things under public domain.

Conclusion

Open Source is equally famous for the limitations. Firstly if the codes are not handled by efficient persons it may retaliate on the company's future if irrelevant details are shared in the database. This does not mean that the companies should not share the details in the database. They have to be shared without losing the competitive edge. If they are done successfully then open source ERP popularity is bound to increase.

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