Hi Sharan, I didn't really explain myself very well...
On my current project I'm not using any OOTB components except for party management. I'm really just doing custom development using ofbiz as a development framework only. This works fine for the current project because I'm constrained to use their legacy data structures until the legacy system is completely replaced with an ofbiz application. In my spare time, I'm trying to understand at a fairly detailed level what ofbiz offers OOTB so that in future projects I can use more of the ofbiz OOTB processes rather than developing everything from scratch. I appreciate that learning something as complex as the ofbiz OOTB components could take very many months, but I am getting the feeling that I should have focused on learning an open erp system that is better documented and more stable (trunk functionality is advancing very quickly) as both of these factors are making the learning process very slow! As a side, I was intending to use ofbiz as an accounting (and erp) package for my small consultancy company to gain more experience of ofbiz (even though this is overkill). BTW, I am really grateful for the level of help and feedback you are giving. Many thanks, Chris > > Hi Chris > > I didnt realise that you are looking at implementing Ofbiz for your > customers rather than yourself. Doing it for other people adds another > level > of complexity. You need to be able to analyse their requirements and needs > then translate that into what OFBiz can give them. > > I think if you're expecting a 'one system fits all' type solution then I > think you'll be disappointed. I've spent over 10 years working on ERP > implementations in different industries and in the cases where they used > the > same package, the setup and configuration was always different because of > their business processes. > > Thanks > Sharan > > > Chris Snow-3 wrote: >> >> Hi Sharan, >> >> My typical client at the moment does not use any of the OOTB components. >> All functionality is custom developed. I'm trying to understand what >> ofbiz can do OOTB so that I can start offering more to clients. >> >> Most of my clients are SME's, so I would ultimately expect ofbiz to run >> most of their business processes OOTB. >> >> Many thanks, >> >> Chris >> >>> >>> Hi Chris >>> >>> You're asking me a 'how long is a piece of string?' question. It really >>> depends on what you want to do with accounting. >>> >>> I'd say the trunk is looking better accounting â wise because >>> they've >>> added >>> quite a bits of new accounting functionality since 9.04 - (bank >>> accounts, >>> cost centres, payment batches, accounting reports, commission runs >>> etc). >>> >>> I think the question to ask yourself is - what are your critical >>> business >>> processes that link into accounting? Is your typical business a >>> product >>> oriented or a service oriented one? >>> >>> Does your company run capital projects that 'construct assets'? (A >>> classic >>> example of this is implementing a new IT system where you employ a >>> project >>> team to build your new system. Until the system is up and running it >>> is >>> classed as an 'asset under construction' so you'd need to financially >>> track >>> the capital expenditure against budget and cost centres. Then once >>> it's >>> completed it becomes like a 'fixed asset' and needs to be depreciated.) >>> >>> I know I'm digressing here but the point I want to make is that you >>> need >>> to >>> start by looking at what processes the company needs, then look at >>> OFBiz >>> to >>> see how that is implemented (or not). >>> >>> As a guide and at a very high level you could be looking at: >>> >>> Order to Cash (Sales Order Cycles) >>> Demand to Replenish (MRP etc) >>> Procure to Pay (Purchasing Cycles) >>> Manufacturing (Make to Stock / Make to Order) >>> >>> Thanks >>> Sharan >>> >>> >>> Chris Snow-3 wrote: >>>> >>>> Hi Sharan, >>>> >>>> When you say that trunk is looking a lot better accounting-wise, am I >>>> right in thinking that 9.04 accounting is not ready for typical >>>> organisational accounting processes? How close is trunk to meeting >>>> the >>>> majority of company processes to be considered usable for accounting? >>>> >>>> Many thanks, >>>> >>>> Chris >>>> >>>>> >>>>> Hi Chris >>>>> >>>>> At the moment I use 9.04 but am helping to put together the online >>>>> help >>>>> documentation for the latest trunk so have been trying to keep up >>>>> with >>>>> the >>>>> changes happening there especially on the accounting side. >>>>> >>>>> I think the trunk is looking a lot better accounting-wise but I just >>>>> want >>>>> to >>>>> give it a thorough test to be able to understand the processes before >>>>> I >>>>> think about moving versions. >>>>> >>>>> Jacques âÃÂàOn the business process story side I've >>>>> mentioned to >>>>> David >>>>> that >>>>> it's something I'd like to contribute to but will finish the >>>>> accounting >>>>> documentation first so I get a fuller picture of whats what. >>>>> >>>>> Thanks >>>>> Sharan >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> jacques.le.roux wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> This may turn helpful (since Sharan gave much guidance details) as a >>>>>> new >>>>>> business story in the library... >>>>>> >>>>>> Jacques >>>>>> >>>>>> From: "Chris Snow" <[email protected]> >>>>>>> Hi Sharan, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Which version of ofbiz do you normally prefer to go for? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Many thanks, >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Chris >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Sharan-F wrote: >>>>>>>> Hi Chris >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> No worries âÃÂàI'm no OFBiz expert either and OFBiz was >>>>>>>> new to >>>>>>>> everyone at >>>>>>>> some point or other. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> The scenario you describe sounds like Indirect Purchasing so could >>>>>>>> be >>>>>>>> something like office supplies etc, rather than something that is >>>>>>>> directly >>>>>>>> part of a product or a product manufacturing process that will be >>>>>>>> on >>>>>>>> sold to >>>>>>>> customers. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> You're also talking about pre-payment here because you pay (via >>>>>>>> credit >>>>>>>> card) >>>>>>>> before the product itself gets delivered. A lot of purchasing >>>>>>>> processes >>>>>>>> have >>>>>>>> the product delivered first then they send the invoice and even >>>>>>>> then >>>>>>>> you >>>>>>>> get >>>>>>>> several days (or weeks or months!) in which to pay. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> It will probably depend on the number of these purchasing credit >>>>>>>> card >>>>>>>> transactions that will determine how you handle it. It there are a >>>>>>>> lot >>>>>>>> of >>>>>>>> them then you'd probably want to streamline it. >>>>>>>> What I've seen done before is an import of an electronic credit >>>>>>>> card >>>>>>>> statement where the payment is generated from the statement itself >>>>>>>> and >>>>>>>> then >>>>>>>> matched to the purchase invoice via reference numbers etc. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Without knowing too much about your scope and thinking off the top >>>>>>>> of >>>>>>>> my >>>>>>>> head you could put something together that could create the >>>>>>>> payment >>>>>>>> automatically but you still might need some way to track the >>>>>>>> company >>>>>>>> credit >>>>>>>> card transactions like you would a bank account. You'd probably >>>>>>>> want >>>>>>>> to >>>>>>>> track the credit limit for the card since you dont want the >>>>>>>> employee >>>>>>>> to >>>>>>>> spend $1001 when the credit card limit it $1000.You may also want >>>>>>>> to >>>>>>>> setup >>>>>>>> a GL account to mirror the credit card transactions in the General >>>>>>>> Ledger >>>>>>>> for reconciliation and accounting purposes. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Not sure if this helps much but hopefully someone else may respond >>>>>>>> with >>>>>>>> other ideas too. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Thanks >>>>>>>> Sharan >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Chris Snow-3 wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Hi Sharan, >>>>>>>>> Many thanks for the detailed reply. >>>>>>>>> The type of scenario I was thinking about was where a company >>>>>>>>> employee >>>>>>>>> purchases a consumable product using company credit card. >>>>>>>>> The company is a small business and does not need a purchase >>>>>>>>> order >>>>>>>>> approval process. I was thinking that because the payment >>>>>>>>> has already been made by credit card, having the payment as a >>>>>>>>> separate >>>>>>>>> step in ofbiz makes the process quite cumbersome. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> I apologize if my questions (and usage of ofbiz) seem stupid! >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Many thanks, >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Chris >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Sharan-F wrote: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Hi Chris >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> I'm not sure that you can automate a payment in this way in >>>>>>>>>> OFBiz >>>>>>>>>> and >>>>>>>>>> I'm >>>>>>>>>> not sure from a business perspective that you would want to take >>>>>>>>>> out >>>>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>>>> manual creation of payments to suppliers (since effectively >>>>>>>>>> you're >>>>>>>>>> taking >>>>>>>>>> out key verification / approval step). >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> OFBiz can generate the purchase invoice for you if you use Order >>>>>>>>>> Entry >>>>>>>>>> to >>>>>>>>>> enter a Purchase Order to a supplier, then when you receive >>>>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>>>> purchase >>>>>>>>>> order products Ofbiz will generate a 'pro forma' invoice (which >>>>>>>>>> in >>>>>>>>>> layman's >>>>>>>>>> terms is 'draft Purchase Invoice' based on the Purchase Order.) >>>>>>>>>> so >>>>>>>>>> it >>>>>>>>>> will >>>>>>>>>> contain the same costs and taxes as the original purchase order. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> When the real Purchase Invoice arrives you can enter any >>>>>>>>>> adjustments >>>>>>>>>> (eg >>>>>>>>>> perhaps they gave you a discount or there was a price increase >>>>>>>>>> that >>>>>>>>>> you >>>>>>>>>> werent aware of) and update the pro forma invoice so that it is >>>>>>>>>> correct, >>>>>>>>>> then you can approve it and pay it. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> I suppose similar to the 'pro forma invoice' concept you could >>>>>>>>>> create >>>>>>>>>> a >>>>>>>>>> 'pro >>>>>>>>>> forma payment' but you'd still need some form of manual approval >>>>>>>>>> to >>>>>>>>>> ensure >>>>>>>>>> that the company bank account will be able bear the cost of the >>>>>>>>>> payment. >>>>>>>>>> I've been on projects where we have implemented automatic >>>>>>>>>> Purchase >>>>>>>>>> Order/Goods Received Note(GRN) and payment voucher generation >>>>>>>>>> for >>>>>>>>>> purchase >>>>>>>>>> orders so I know there are businesses out there that do use it. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Thanks >>>>>>>>>> Sharan >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Chris Snow-3 wrote: >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> If I receive enter a purchase invoice into ofbiz when I receive >>>>>>>>>>> a >>>>>>>>>>> vendors >>>>>>>>>>> invoice, I have to: >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> - raise the purchase invoice >>>>>>>>>>> - raise an outgoing payment and apply to the purchase invoice. >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> Is it possible to combine the steps, i.e. raising the invoice >>>>>>>>>>> and >>>>>>>>>>> automatically generate the payment for the invoice and apply it >>>>>>>>>>> to >>>>>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>>>>> invoice? >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> Many thanks in advance, >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> Chri >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> View this message in context: >>>>> http://www.nabble.com/purchase-invoice-payment-tp25707448p25734676.html >>>>> Sent from the OFBiz - User mailing list archive at Nabble.com. >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Chris Snow - CEng MBCS CITP MBA (Tech Mgmt) (Open) CISSP >>>> >>>> Tel: 01453 890660 >>>> Mob: 07944 880950 >>>> Www: www.snowconsulting.co.uk >>>> >>>> >>> >>> -- >>> View this message in context: >>> http://www.nabble.com/purchase-invoice-payment-tp25707448p25736128.html >>> Sent from the OFBiz - User mailing list archive at Nabble.com. >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> Chris Snow - CEng MBCS CITP MBA (Tech Mgmt) (Open) CISSP >> >> Tel: 01453 890660 >> Mob: 07944 880950 >> Www: www.snowconsulting.co.uk >> >> > > -- > View this message in context: > http://www.nabble.com/purchase-invoice-payment-tp25707448p25742012.html > Sent from the OFBiz - User mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > > -- Chris Snow - CEng MBCS CITP MBA (Tech Mgmt) (Open) CISSP Tel: 01453 890660 Mob: 07944 880950 Www: www.snowconsulting.co.uk
