Open source ERP-solutions: financial accounting and more for SMEs – 19th TEWI Forum
The use of open source software (OSS) is gaining more and more interest and now represents a serious alternative to proprietary software. In practice, open source products are used in various areas today, be it in servers, on smartphones or on the internet. In contrast, the spread of open source in business software, especially ERP-systems, is still relatively modest. This is despite the fact that powerful products are also available in this segment.
The trend in the OSS ERP-market is towards cost savings, flexibility, mobility, stability and user-friendliness of the system. Since OSS ERP-systems can basically fulfill these requirements, the systems could gain in importance in the future and be increasingly used.
At the 19th TEWI Forum, the audience gained an in-depth insight into the potential and application of open source ERP-systems. Competent experts presented the topic from different perspectives and discussed the opportunities and risks that these systems bring with them.
The forum began with an introduction to the topic of “open source ERP-systems” by Dr. Matthias Stürmer, senior assistant at the Institute of Information Systems at the University of Bern and head of the Research Center for Digital Sustainability. The presentation gave an introduction to the advantages and challenges of open source software as well as an overview of the current market situation of open source ERP-solutions.
You can find the whole presentation here.
Afterwards, Pascal Zenklusen, managing director of brain-tec, presented a customer example with Odoo. From the very beginning, the brain-tec company has relied on open source technologies and supplies both micro-enterprises and large corporations in any sector with Odoo (OpenERP). This application is characterised above all by the flexibility it offers, which can be guaranteed by means of various additional apps. In doing so, brain-tec consistently pursues the goal of making professional SME solutions manageable in terms of costs.
You can find the whole presentation here.
Next, Stefan Flück, managing director of Leuchtner Open Source Solutions AG, presented a customer example with Tryton. With a free ERP-solution, not only can diverse requirements be implemented, but also different customer segments can be served. The presentation showed this by means of two different practical examples, both of which were implemented with Tryton. Based on the open source application framework Tryton, Leuchter Open Source Solutions AG provided an ERP-package in the cloud, which is optimised for smaller but demanding Swiss organisations.
You can find the whole presentation here.
Finally, the referees took part in a discussion led by Prof. Dr. Thomas Myrach. The aim was to take up the various interesting aspects of the referees and discuss them controversially. They offered the audience opportunities for questions and comments. A thank you to all our sponsors who make the annual forum possible!
You can find the discussion round here.
