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Jacques Le Roux sent the following on 4/2/2009 12:55 AM: > Hi David, > > I'd see this detailled explanation in a wiki main ENDUSER page like > "Some questions and answers about OFBiz to help you make your choice" > > Jacques > > From: "David E Jones" <[email protected]> >> On Mar 31, 2009, at 2:05 AM, [email protected] wrote: >> >>> Hi colleagues, >>> >>> I am writing to the list to request information concerning OFBiz. I am >>> doing a eCommerce Software comparative between the main commercial and >>> open source products. >>> >>> I have achieved to find information about client segmentation (use of >>> groups), campaign managment (through Marketing Manager and promotions), >>> stocks management (Facility Manager), product catalog (Product >>> Manager), >>> order management (using Order Manager application), content management >>> (through Content Manager)... >>> >>> However, there are other features I have not been able to document. I >>> would be very grateful if you could send me details about the following >>> features: >>> >>> - Reports & analytics capabilities >> >> OFBiz currently has a few dozens pre-written reports OOTB, and more >> can be added using the OFBiz tools, or an external reporting tool >> (which is still very common, ie companies that use something like >> Crystal Reports or Business Objects will use that with their OFBiz >> applications). OFBiz has tools in the framework to facilitate >> building of user interfaces, and these same tools are used for >> building reports. This provides a high level of efficiency, and >> allows developers to use the same tools they are used to... and in >> some cases scripts and other things can even be reused in reports. >> >> OFBiz also includes some BI infrastructure to support defining and >> populating star schemas, which can then be used for ad-hoc or pre- >> written reports. A limited star schema exists, and work is going on >> to extend it. >> >>> - Integration and Interoperability (SOA Architecture, Web Services >>> offered) >> >> The OFBiz logic layer is itself a Service-Oriented tool, and all >> primary logic in OFBiz is implemented as services. Many of these >> services can be exposed externally as web services automatically, and >> the more complex ones can be exposed as web services (or call web >> services) through web services code that maps to them. >> >>> - Usability (for final customers, and administrators) >> >> Usability is very subjective, but I'll try to answer in a helpful way. >> >> OFBiz is often customized for larger organizations, and in those >> cases the best usability is achieved by analyzing processes and then >> building user interfaces to directly support those processes. This >> results in something specific to end-user requirements and is far >> better than any OOTB user interface that even the best designers >> could create without specific requirements. >> >> That is the main design goal behind OFBiz: easy customization since >> the only way to get a really good UI is to do so based on very >> specific requirements... and those requirements tend to change >> dramatically between organizations, in many cases even organizations >> in the same industry. >> >> The OOTB user interfaces are primarily meant for easy reuse in custom >> user interfaces, so they mostly avoid automating any specific process >> and are instead meant to fit into any process desired. However, using >> the OOTB interfaces is pretty common and is usually best done by >> documenting where and how to do common tasks according to the >> processes of the organization. In other words, instead of creating a >> custom UI when you are on a tighter budget you can simply document >> how to use the OOTB interfaces, and while not usually excellent this >> way it is quite adequate for smaller organizations and gives them >> more functionality and ability to automate things than they would >> have in most software, allowing them to avoid large numbers of >> spreadsheets and such. Overall this results in tools to keep track >> and automate organizational information that are far more efficient >> and usable that a hodge-podge of various systems. >> >>> - Personalization potential >> >> Personalization is an extremely general term, broadly meaning >> behavior or data that changes according to the user. There are >> hundreds of features in OFBiz ecommerce and the OFBiz back-end >> (manager) apps that would fit this description. >> >> Please feel free to send over more details and I (or others) will be >> happy to comment on them. >> >>> - Multidevice sites available? >> >> It is pretty easy to build sites targeted at different devices, and >> there are some available OOTB. If by "device" you mean a specific UI >> then the hhfacility component is a good example. If by "device" you >> mean specific hardware control (like cash drawers and CC scanners), >> then the pos component (point-of-sale) has some good stuff. >> >>> - Accessibility considered? >> >> In ecommerce the templates are often changed so much that >> accessibility ends up more in the hands of the designers and >> developers who customize the system (so make sure you have a good >> service provider!). The OOTB ecommerce templates do a pretty good job >> of this by using styled text instead of images, alt-text on images, >> and so on. >> >> For the OOTB back-end functionality, accessibility is considered, and >> to be maintained it must be considered in customizations. These are >> primarily web-based applications and to improve accessibility are >> very text-heavy, etc. >> >>> Thank you for your help in advance. >> >> No problem, best wishes in finding a solution that meets your needs. >> >> -David >> > > > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFJ1KFGrP3NbaWWqE4RAtZGAJ9VUTvoyTijWYJxKYKkzK7R1U2l6gCfQ6Lb QSYpKGpwgcfWmvzmmw9Huo8= =MeKG -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
