xTupler #29 | April 2013
Dear Community —
Greetings from Norfolk, Virginia, where spring is finally emerging!
You may have already heard, thanks to the overwhelming support from our community, that xTuple PostBooks was voted "Project of the Month" on the SourceForge open source portal. It was a tremendous honor for all of us, and we share the accolade with all of you.
So we started thinking about more ways we could engage with you to make sure this software is meeting your needs. Most major development on all xTuple ERP Editions today happens as a result of someone's great need that spurs them to action, i.e., writing an enhancement themselves or working with us, or one of our Partners, to do so. We do not add new features for the sake of adding new features - that would be arbitrary and out of touch with the user base, a primary reason for the bloat we see in commercial software.
That is not to say we view xTuple as 100% feature-complete. While we believe the software meets or exceeds the capabilities of any modern ERP product in the mid-market, there are a number of small areas where we could do better. And we've been brainstorming ways to build that list, hopefully with the help of as much of our community as possible.
Then, fate intervened. I blogged recently about my friend who used Kickstarter to crowd-fund a new movie based on a TV show he produced several years ago. The response was amazing! As of this writing, over 64,000 people contributed, raising more than twice the amount of money they expected. Now, the "Veronica Mars" movie is interesting to people in a different way than ERP software - but it still seemed as if there was an idea there. So we asked for your feedback on missing features you'd like to see in xTuple PostBooks. And, did you respond! Over 50 detailed suggestions, which we are reviewing over the next few weeks.
What's next with Kickstarter? We will condense the requests into a comprehensive list, one which is do-able in a relatively short period of time, and affix a cost to the work. Then, we will launch our own Kickstarter campaign, and just do it! In addition to great enhancements added to PostBooks (and yes, all of this will go to the free core product, not one of the commercial add-ons), contributors enjoy terrific "rewards" at certain levels. Stay tuned, we'll be in touch soon with all the details!
Finally, one more exciting bit of community news to share. Many of you have asked if we ever planned to expand xTuple into the area of Human Resources Management (HRM). It's not a core competency of ours, but we certainly recognize the need and importance of these systems - and particularly the value in having HRM information available in your ERP system. I'm pleased to say we've partnered with the global leader in open source human resources software, OrangeHRM. We are already using the integrated OrangeHRM solution internally here at xTuple and will be rolling out to our respective communities in the weeks and months ahead. If you'd like to be one of the first to try OrangeHRM with xTuple ERP, please contact us today.
Thanks again for your support of the world's #1 open source ERP.
Ned Lilly
President and CEO
IN THIS ISSUE
- SourceForge POTM!
- xWD Tip Off
- 1st Sign of Spring
- Customer Corner
- Partner Feature
- Cintas Safety Notes
FEATURED EVENTS
- IMARK Showcase
- FREE Webinars
- Upcoming Training
- Project Mgmt Online
JOBS & INTERNSHIPS
Hiring:
Where's Wally? xWD Distribution Tip Off in Chicago
Wally heads to the big game with Account Executive Stacey Pandeloglou and Software Engineer Tom Atkins. That game is the IMARK Showcase, an annual marketing conference and trade show that gives the group's Wholesale Distribution members an inside track on the latest products.
Distributors have three problems: items, items and items.
To the rescue is xWD, the xTuple add-on package for Wholesale Distribution, making its industry debut at the 2013 IMARK Showcase this April. It extends xTuple ERP software's enterprise-class functionality for companies with sophisticated inventory control needs, thanks to development enhancements led by close collaboration with IMARK members.
One feature of xTuple's xWD is the External Vendor Catalog which gives access - via a company such as Trade Service Integrated Products - to every offering for immediate sales fulfillment and generation of a corresponding purchase order.
One of the primary motivations for the development of xWD was the integration of Trade Service with xTuple ERP. Established in 1931, subscription-based Trade Service, headquartered in San Diego, California (USA), serves a wide variety of distribution-heavy industries, such as electrical; plumbing; heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R); pipes, valves and fittings (PVF); industrial; office products; and automotive. Trade Service is a content solution for these industries helping them effectively merchandise non-stock products (which could number in the millions of items) by providing standardized price updating services, catalog content and product reference publications. Today the Trade Service customer base includes approximately 20,000 contractors and 12,000 distributors in the U.S. and Canada.
Learn more about xTuple solutions for Distribution.
xTuple's First Day of Spring: New Sign at Headquarters
This year the first day of Spring, metaphorically a sign of new life, brought xTuple HQ a new sign of a different kind.
Delivery of the first of two LED-lighted signs caused a buzz of activity in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, thanks to xTuple ERP customer, sign manufacturer Blair Companies of Altoona, PA. The first new sign lights up the Bute Street entrance with the xTuple logo in channel letters mounted on a custom raceway matching the building's exterior.
As an ode to our software development team and our global community of coders, the xTuple marketing department - with Blair's help - designed angle brackets to replace the 1940s era lighted sconces that originally graced each side of the entrance.
You can see the entire (amazing!) installation and other pictures at the xTuple Photo Gallery.
xTupleR Staffer Feature
Mike O'Donnell
Software Engineer
Joining xTuple in July 2012 after a college internship the previous summer, Mike is primarily focused on Mobile Web application development.
"I like the challenges I'm presented with - every day is a new puzzle, something new to figure out. But my absolute favorite thing about xTuple is that I get to work with such awesome people. Everyone is really fun and friendly and it's a really positive environment," said Mike.
Mike graduated from Virginia's James Madison University with a B.S. in computer science in May 2012. He got into technology as a kid "because my dad was a coder, and I wanted to be him."
A guitarist in his spare time, Mike lives in his hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Thanks for voting!
Our global community of satisfied customers and developers drove xTuple to enjoy a resounding victory for its enterprise resource planning software solution. Read more on xTuple's win as SourceForge's Project of the Month.
Watch your step!
By Adam Alphin, Industries United
- 9 million cases annually
- $20,953 average cost per claim
- $50,000 average cost to defend a lawsuit
- 28% of workers miss work
- 31+ days of work on average are missed
Those are big numbers for any business, let alone a small or mid-sized company. One of the best ways to avoid these risks is a proper facility mat system. Other great value-adds for a mat system include elevating your company's image through overall cleanliness and saving money on the wear and tear of your existing floors.
Our new partner, Cintas, is the America's leader in providing such a system. If you want to find out more about their floor cleaning solutions, download their full report and Safe Floors Brochure.
Grab a discount, courtesy of xTuple, too.
xTuple Partner Feature: Compusolv Data Management Consultants, Inc.
Compusolv DMC, Inc., in business in Northern Ohio-Pittsburgh (USA) since 1986, is heavily devoted to software customization to give customers exactly what they want. President Randy Saler joined xTuple as an Authorized Consultant in 2012, as he tells us, for that very reason, to leverage open source technology to give his customers not only what they want, but also what they need.
At a recent corporate training event, Randy expressed dismay that other large legacy software vendors required many third party applications, and xTuple ERP would delight his customers with the same functionality built-in.
Excited to join the team at xTuple, Randy shared the importance of a software being nimble and flexible.
xTuple Customer Corner: Distributor - One Pack, LLC
George Kolbeck works for New Jersey (USA)-based xTuple customer One Pack, LLC, distributors of packaging supplies, janitorial supplies and warehouse equipment.
One Pack decided to use xTuple for the open source advantages (such as ease of use), and they love us for the unbelievable community support.
"I've had a few surprises with xTuple. It's done things that I didn't even think would be eligible to be tracked," said George.
See the One Pack, LLC, video [direct video link].
Contact us now and share your story as a featured xTuple Customer with xTuple's Marketing Department.
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Learn more about training: xTuple Knowledge Series.
April 3: Using xTuple ERP for Service-Based Companies
April 17: xTuple for Accountants
May 1: Introduction to xTuple ERP
May 15: Advanced Tips for Accounting with xTuple
June 5: Using xTuple CRM -Corporate Relationship Management
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