xTuple's Collective Brainpower Blog

Why should SMB and enterprise decision-makers consider open source for their management applications? The debate around open source has been a hot-button tech topic for decades now. Ned Lilly, CEO of xTuple, discusses some of the intriguing value propositions offered by open source ERP software. With open source: code access provides new opportunities for customization; end-users have more impact on product development; and transparency elevates quality standards.

xTuple Partner Larry Cartee of Magical Custom Programming co-hosts a half-day technology event, featuring a case study presented by Hunt Engine. Located in Houston, Texas since 1985, Hunt Engine traces its roots back to the early 1950s with deep engineering and manufacturing experience for the energy industry. The company will share how xTuple solutions helped them meet the demand of their customers, compete better in the marketplace, and exponentially grow their business.

This week, Andrey Mikheychik, xTupleCommerce’s lead developer, and I will be heading to the largest annual Drupal event in the world: DrupalCon 2017, this year held in Baltimore, Maryland. Drupal, for those who don’t know, is an open source content management system (CMS) for building websites. Our team has used it as the foundation for xTupleCommerce. Andrey and I have been working with Drupal for over a decade, and we have extended the technology in some extremely innovative ways.

It's been a while since we talked in any great detail about xTuple's roadmap for the future, and I thought this might be a good time to do so. You can always look at the near-term xTuple development plan for the next couple of releases — which will include specification links to confirmed customer-sponsored features when available.

But I'd like to take it up a notch, if I could, and...

Largest independent online marketplace sees xTuple products well-positioned for best-in-class manufacturing and distribution operations solutions: xTuple announces the company’s top listing in GetApp's quarterly ranking which showcases the top cloud-based Business Management applications. Ranking is based on five unique data points: user reviews, software integrations, media presence, mobile availability and security.

From alternatives to Microsoft Office to full-blown ERP systems, open source software can provide free options for small businesses that don't have the budget for big-ticket enterprise applications.

Exploring the latest breakthroughs in sustainable technology and manufacturing solutions — xTuple is proud to announce being showcased in the 2017 season of the award-winning nationally televised series Innovations with Ed Begley, Jr. Initial air dates include: Fox Business on Saturday, April 15 at 5:00 p.m. ET (nationwide) and Discovery TV (regionally) Northeast and Southwest on Friday, April 14, and again on Monday, April 17 at 8:30 a.m. local time.

Here at xTuple, we're often asked, "what makes you different? Why shouldn't I go with one of the big guys?" It's a fair question, and our answer has usually revolved around open source, and how it enables us to deliver a higher quality, more flexible and less expensive solution. More recently, we've started talking about how xTuple is one of a very few systems out there with a fully-integrated Customer Web Portal.

xTuple open source ERP+CRM 4.10.1 patch release is now available for download from GitHub as well as the xTuple open source project page on SourceForge. A number of bugs have been fixed since the 4.10.0 release. Thanks to all who contributed to this release.

What is Industry 4.0? Since the dawn of the first Industrial Revolution (i.e., Industry 1.0) welcomed mechanization and steam power, a numbering system was been created out of necessity to delineate each "time period." Industry 2.0 came about with mass production enabled by assembly lines. Industry 3.0 saw the age of computers and robotics in manufacturing technologies. Industry 4.0 ushers in automation and data exchange with cyber-physical systems as they communicate and cooperate with each other and with humans in real time, the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing. Industry 4.0 creates what is today called the "smart factory." According to Forbes...

Complimentary event features new online sales and service solutions for Manufacturing and Distribution: xTuple's team of technology experts takes the product on the road to share long-term strategies using the next generation in business management software, including online Customer Web Portal. Registration is now open for the series of events scheduled across the U.S. and Canada in 2017.

At xTuple, we're always looking for ways to help more manufacturers grow their businesses using the latest in business management solutions and digital technology. And I’ve read a few interesting articles on current trends in the Automotive Aftermarket Industry that made me stop and think about their marketplace opportunities.

According to Hedges & Company — a highly regarded...

That's something we say a lot here at xTuple when people ask, " Why open source ?" Yes, we're proud to call ourselves the world's #1 open source ERP software. For us, though, open source is important because it is how we're able to make better, faster, cheaper software — not because we set out to make free software for some kind of ideological reason.

Turns out we're in good company in...

Due to a recent increase in intrusion attempts on Internet-connected business databases, we are writing to strongly encourage all our users to review the security of your PostgreSQL database. The following information will guide you through the process of updating important security settings for your database server. The following steps (described in detail below) should be taken to prevent intruders from accessing your data.

Around the world, Valentine's Day (also known as Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine) is an annual celebration of love and affection — February 14 for those of us here in the United States. While it's an occasion most often associated with flowers, candies, greeting cards and candlelight dinners, we're celebrating this year with Customer Reviews . Every day marketers are tasked with "tooting the horn" of their companies. And, touting the features and benefits of their products are delegated to the company's sales teams. As our good fortune would have it — open source ERP xTuple enjoys the value of a community of users who report bugs, submit feature requests, engage on forums with and for help, propose new code and extensions they've built to enhance the software, and review our products and services on highly acclaimed software review sites.

ERP has changed markedly over the past two decades. So where is it heading in 2017? Some see the end of old ways that have lingered too long and now need to head off into the sunset. Others predict market shakeups and whole new vistas of possibilities. xTuple comes in on the prognostication list at #3 with "Consumerized ERP" — Josh Fischer, product manager for xTupleCommerce, said that the biggest thing to expect in 2017 is demand for the equivalent of a consumer eCommerce experience in B2B transactions. Uber, eBay and Airbnb have revolutionized their respective fields. Now it’s time for enterprise apps to get in on the act.

Whenever my husband buys a new toy ('er, I mean power tool), the very first thing he does is read the manual. If I ever agree to invest in the CNC machine he really wants, I know he would attend a training class to ensure he was fully aware of how to properly setup and use his new toy (oops… there I go again!). The same is true for ERP training. xTuple is an extremely powerful tool that enables you to streamline your business. But if you don’t know how to properly use this tool, you may only benefit from 20 or 30% of its capabilities.

Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC) principal analyst PJ Jakovljevic sat down with xTuple's CEO Ned Lilly to get the nitty gritty on xTuple’s research and development (R&D) focus and much more. PJ also reviewed the various editions of xTuple’s open source ERP software for accounting, manufacturing and distribution, and eCommerce, including xTuple 4.10, the latest release of its ERP and CRM package. He also reviewed xTuple’s development efforts and its approach to mobility, and introduces the new dashboards and other nifty features of the latest release now available to customers.

“You don't know what you don't know” was the resounding message at the "I Love it When You Call Me Big Data" day-long summit held by the Pittsburgh Technology Council* last week. Thanks to the reach of the Internet and today's low data storage costs, we are now accumulating geopbytes of information that include text messages, photos, videos, and browsing activities. What’s a geopbyte, you ask?

If you've been running PostBooks® under a single-user license, you may have noticed a license expiration message. Yes, it's true: single-user keys that were distributed two years ago will be expiring at the end of this month. But don't worry. New keys — now set with an annual renewal — are freely available for anyone who requests one. Here's how to get your renewal PostBooks® key now. In fact, you can get free PostBooks® licenses for up to four (4) concurrent users, personalized for your company. All you have to do is ask...