Overview of OpenERP

Open ERP is an open source integrated Enterprise Resource Planning(ERP) software manufactured by OpenERP s.a.

Open Source is a philosophy, that promotes free redistribution and access to an end product's design and implementation details.

Open Source software is software whose source code is published and made available to public, enabling anyone to copy , modify and redistribute the source code with out paying the fees

Examples:

7-Zip — file archiver ,Blender — 3D graphics editor ,Eclipse — development environment comprising an IDE ,GIMP — graphics editor ,Mozilla Firefox — web browser,OpenOffice.org (and the LibreOffice fork) - office suite

Programming languages:  PERL,PHP,Python, Ruby

Enterprise Resource Planning

 ERP systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application. Their purpose is to facilitate the flow of information between all business functions inside the boundaries of the organization and manage the connections to outside stakeholders.

ERP systems initially focused on automating back office functions that did not directly affect customers and the general public. Front office functions such as customer relationship management (CRM) dealt directly with customers, or e–business systems such as e–commerce, e–government, e–telecom, and e–finance, or supplier relationship management (SRM) became integrated later, when the Internet simplified communicating with external parties.

Characteristics Of ERP:

• an integrated system that operates in real time (or next to real time), without relying on periodic updates 
•  A common database, which supports all applications. 
•  A consistent look and feel throughout each module. 
•  Installation of the system without elaborate application/data integration by the Information Technology (IT) department.

Finance/ Accounting : General ledger, payables, cash management, fixed assets, receivables, budgeting, consolidation

Human resources :Payroll, training, benefits, recruiting, diversity management

Manufacturing :Engineering, bill of materials, work orders, scheduling, capacity, workflow management, quality control, cost management, manufacturing process, manufacturing projects, manufacturing flow, activity based costing, product life cycle management.

Project management :Costing, billing, time and expense, performance units, activity management