What about local value-added-resellers (VARs) and solution providers? How do they fit in?

VARs (partners) are more important than ever. There is a temptation with open source solutions to think you can do it all by yourself — download, install, setup, and have the business running on the new software in no time at all. It's easy, right? Just read the documentation, follow the basic steps, and you're ready! That sound you're hearing is the gnashing of teeth by experienced ERP professionals around the world. There's a widely-publicized statistic that over 80% of ERP implementation projects — in companies of all sizes — fail, and often spectacularly. We're software people with a strong product, so we like to believe that software choice has a lot to do with the failure rate. While it certainly plays a significant part — despite everything we say about rising commoditization of software — not all ERPs are created equal. Many get worse over time. Simply put, the human component of an ERP implementation is by far the most important, i.e., developing and following an established project plan, with strong buy-in from management and strong leadership of the overall project effort. Business process assessment, data migration and entry, configuration and setup of hundreds of details that support observed and desired business processes — these are the things that xTuple business partners have been doing for decades. Whether you're considering PostBooks® or one of the commercial Editions of xTuple ERP, xTuple HQ works with our partners to combine the right resources that fits your goals, and your budget.