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In-Depth Review
ComPiere CRM
ComPiere, Inc.
3600 Bridge Parkway, Suite 102
Redwood Shores, CA 94065
Telephone: 650-632-1504
Fax: 650-632-1509
Email:
info@compiere.com
Web:
http://www.compiere.com/
The ComPiere, Inc. team
is the lead developer of the Compiere Open Source ERP software solution.
As a Professional Open Source company we concentrate on developing Compiere
and providing second-level support and training services to our Partners and
to users of Compiere. Our
Partners are our
"sales force." They provide local presence and complement our product and
service offerings with consulting services that help our customers to get
Compiere in Production fast. We do not compete with our Partners, and have
no channel conflicts.
ComPiere, Inc. does not have any operating subsidiaries or (exclusive)
authorized representatives.
Developer Background
Compiere was originally designed and written by Jorg Janke. Jorg has 20+
years experience in packaged ERP systems, is Java Certified, and is an
Oracle Certified DBA.
Jorg founded and then sold his first company, "SoftCream," to ADV/Orga in
1982. He worked with ADV/Orga, and then with their client UNISYS, on this
Cobol and ISAM-based UNIX integrated retail solution until it’s
discontinuation. Jorg then went on to manage the UNISYS Business Management
Systems in Europe. At this time he wrote an early prototype of Compiere in
Smalltalk with Oracle 5.
In 1992, Jorg joined Oracle Germany as an Application Localization Manager.
He then transitioned to Oracle's Application Development team in Redwood
Shores, CA as Director for Enterprise Systems where he led the development
of Oracle's Multi-Currency Reporting and Euro Java solution and "invented"
the Application Implementation Wizard, which dramatically reduced the
implementation time.
Oracle Applications grew from a bespoke application, as did SAP and similar
software. The problem with this is that the "multi" features (language,
organization, etc.) were added later. This resulted in huge inefficiencies,
costs, and delays. Jorg realized that Compiere should be designed to handle
the "multi" dimensions in the core, resulting in very low cost of
development and maintenance.
Compiere Vision
We don't want to be just another ERP/CRM system for some niche industry.
We want to become a primary horizontal ERP and CRM solution for small-medium
enterprises.
The technology behind the product is not just state-of-the-art but much more
advanced compared to the architecture of the current and emerging ERP or CRM
vendors.
The marketing of a product is a major issue in a saturated market. That is
why we decided to make Compiere a truly Open Source application. This
dramatically reduces the cost of ownership and also ensures the guidance of
the product by customers and development partners.
You can't hide anything on Open Source projects and we don't want to. To
support the communication process, we moved to SourceForge for everyone to
participate and give feedback.
Current Use
Compiere is used by small- to medium-sized enterprises worldwide. There
are nearly 100 Compiere Partners supporting Compiere clients around the
globe, while the Compiere development community is more active than ever.
The program has been implemented in a wide variety of industries as well as
by government agencies.
Product: ComPiere CRM
Current Version: 2.6.1
Category: On-Premise Mid Market CRM Solution
Sub-Category: Open Source Solution
Client Platform: 100% pure Java solution
Server Platform: Compiere Application Server
Database Platform: Oracle
The Compiere CRM tool is an open source application that comes fully
integrated in the Compiere ERP & CRM package. When you marry the benefits of
great CRM tools with great ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) tools, you
have the best opportunity to create a satisfied and loyal customer base.
Traditionally ERP has the notion of a back-office application attached to
it, while CRM (customer relations management) concentrated on the
front-office, i.e. the sales effort. However, today's business person knows
that the back-office needs to be turned into a front-office…or at least the
back office needs to concentrate on supporting the front-office. Customer
loyalty and satisfaction are significant sources of new lead generation and
potential revenue in all enterprises. ERP and CRM work together to help
insure customer satisfaction by tracking every portion of the transaction
and any subsequent customer issues. This information is then easily
accessible by customer service representatives, or even by the customer
themselves through various automated systems, whenever the customer has
inquiries.
Compiere is designed with the philosophy that the front-office directly
drives the business. Total customer orientation is a must and the entire
business needs to support this. The first sale is made by a sales person,
the following sales are made by production, shipping, call centers,
accounting. With Compiere, you always have the 360 degree view for your
customer and product related activities enabling one-to-one marketing.
Compiere's unparalleled flexibility makes it a perfect tool for the front
office. Change is inevitable in any business, so don't get stuck with a
system that won't transition with you as your company sets new priorities
and goals. With Compiere, all of the information you provide during
implementation can be adapted or modified at any time to meet the changing
needs and demands of your company. By choosing Compiere, you can reduce
hidden organizational, on-going-integration, operational and maintenance
costs.
Does my enterprise need CRM software?
If you have a very small clientele, you can probably easily remember your
customers and their individual preferences, so it isn't hard to anticipate
their needs. CRM comes rather naturally to most business people in that
situation. In larger companies, though, CRM software can be a critical
component in an enterprise, helping them track individual customer orders
and requests to provide excellent customer service. CRM also offers your
enterprise the ability to offer upgrades or to cross-sell products to
customers in an intelligent manner based on their previous purchase history.
If your company is large enough that you lack personalized customer service
and you suspect you are missing out on opportunities to create a loyal
customer base then you would want to consider implementing a CRM system.
Can CRM software improve my company's business performance?
ERP solutions give you the ability to save time and money across your
entire enterprise. With ERP software you need only input customer, vendor,
and order data once and then share it across your functional departments.
You can automate inventory and warehouse procedures as well as billing and
accounting procedures. You can use ERP applications to create reports and
analyze enterprise trends quickly and easily, allowing you to respond
quickly to shifts in the market. Compiere also helps make e-commerce easy.
The information in our Web Store is shared with the standard application, so
no synchronization or extra integration work is required.
What are the costs associated with CRM implementation?
Compiere open source ERP and CRM software frees you from the burden of
the initial product licensing fees that accompany all commercial CRM
applications. Instead, use your budget to create a successful CRM
implementation for your particular enterprise. Rather than paying software
fees, you may decide to have a Compiere Partner create an industry specific
feature, or you may have a large staff that could benefit from training on
your new system. You may also find that years of working with multiple
incompatible data sources has left you with "dirty data" that needs to be
cleaned up prior to importation in the new CRM system. Perhaps you've
decided that now is the time to upgrade some of your servers or
workstations. However you decide to use the money you've saved, you can feel
confident that Compiere provides you the best ERP and CRM solution at the
lowest total cost of ownership.
How long will an CRM implementation take?
The actual installation of Compiere can be done in a day or two by
experienced IT staff. However, keep in mind that implementation of any
ERP/CRM system also includes importing old data from various sources into
the new system, the integration and testing of the new system with existing
corporate software, the training of employees on the use of the new system,
and the completion of any enterprise-specific customizations. The whole
process traditionally takes several months to a year depending on the size
and complexity of your business.
Compiere's flexibility makes the installation process much easier than a
similar installation with traditional ERP/CRM software because, unlike other
enterprise applications, with Compiere the decisions you make today can be
changed tomorrow. All of the information provided during implementation can
be adapted or modified at any time to meet the changing needs and demands of
your company. Other systems don't allow these on-the-fly changes. The result
is that with these traditional ERP/CRM applications, changing anything -
whether something complex, like your chart of accounts or even something as
simple as a product search key - can require expensive and time consuming
modifications or even complete product reinstallations.
For pricing details, see:
http://www.compiere.com/wstore/
We have yet to review this product.
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