Ted, Anytime you feel an OFBiz related question rising, do not hesitate and ask it here.
Regards, Pierre 2012/7/27 Ted Byers <[email protected]> > Thanks Deepak and Rishi > > I guess I have some studying to do.. I guess I have some studying to do. > > I may have some questions by the time I am done, though. > > Thanks > > Ted > > On Fri, Jul 27, 2012 at 2:41 AM, Rishi Solanki <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > Check the Manufacturing and WorkEffort component for #3. I would say #3 > is > > also available. For specific requirements may need customization. > > > > -- > > Rishi Solanki > > Manager, Enterprise Software Development > > HotWax Media Pvt. Ltd. > > Direct: +91-9893287847 > > http://www.hotwaxmedia.com > > > > > > On Fri, Jul 27, 2012 at 12:17 AM, Deepak Agarwal <[email protected] > > >wrote: > > > > > Following are my opinions. Rest, experts can comment. > > > 1) Yes. ofbiz can run on a single server or cloud for multiple > > > organizations where each organizations can maintain their own > warehouses, > > > stores, catalog and websites. An advance purchase order is supported by > > > ofbiz. You can receive inventory to any warehouse. There are easy > ON/OFF > > > mechanism to make functionalities mandatory and optional. > > > 1a) Ofbiz is SOA based so not much trouble intereacting with other > > system, > > > it is as easy as adding export='true' to a ofbiz service which will > > export > > > the service as SOAP or json. > > > 2) An example component hhfacility (handheld) is their with the ofbiz > to > > > demonstrate it. > > > 3) Do not know > > > 4) Yes. It is there. > > > 5) Most of the payment integration is already setup but any other > > > integration is quite easy and with for a good developer it will take 2 > > days > > > max > > > > > > > > > On Fri, Jul 27, 2012 at 12:02 AM, Ted Byers <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > > > > Hi All. > > > > > > > > I just discovered your website last night. When I read that one can > > set > > > up > > > > multiple parties, or companies, in the same installation, I was > > excited. > > > > But then, looking at the BPL referenced on your site, I was > > disappointed > > > as > > > > it seems to deal only with the buying and selling of products. > > > > > > > > To put this into context, I was asked by a local contractor to > > > investigate > > > > the availability of software that is easy to use and that would help > > him > > > > keep track of inventory, labou costs, and to relate these material > > costs > > > to > > > > 'jobs'. That is, if he gets a contract to repair or re-shingle a > roof, > > > he > > > > needs a) support for entering the data that tells him how large or > > small > > > > the job is, what materials are used, and how many labourers work on > it > > > and > > > > for how long. And he wants output in a form that he can just pass to > > his > > > > accountant (for task purposes). And he wants support for the task of > > > > entering the parameters that determine the size or scope of the job > and > > > > estimates, from the history of himselve and his labourers, how long > it > > > will > > > > take and what the cost will be (so, e.g., he can tell prospective > > clients > > > > what the upper limit on cost and duration will be based onthe upper > 99% > > > > confidence interval of the mean cost and time; and this is so he can > > > build > > > > a reputation for being early and under-budget when he gives his > > > > estimates). The contractor I spoke with told me he had seen insanely > > > > expensive software that the really, really big contractors use for > this > > > > purpose, but he also said that when he spoke with the people that > > > actually > > > > have to use that software, they indicated they hated it because it > was > > > hard > > > > to understand and harder still to use. Ease of use, and an interface > > > that > > > > is intuitive even for a secondary school graduate with limited > > knowledge > > > of > > > > either business or IT, are high on my list of priorities. > > > > > > > > He also told me that while the contractors he knows are capable > people, > > > > when it comes to IT they are 'luddites', unaware of what IT can do > and > > > how > > > > it can be used. This means that, if I find something useful for him > > and > > > > his peers, the interface has to be simple and intuitive to anyone who > > can > > > > read. > > > > > > > > Now, before I spend a large amount of time investigating how to > install > > > and > > > > configure OFBiz, and working through the documentation (which seems > > > > unusually good for an open source product), can I trouble you for > some > > > > quick yes/no answers, perhaps accompanied by URLs where the subject > of > > my > > > > questions is discussed at length. I can deal with technical > > information, > > > > having developed commercial software. products for close to three > > decades > > > > in Pascal, C/C++, Java (and related, such as JSP/JSF), Perl, > > > > HTML/Javascript, and SQL. (So, if need be, I can dig into the OFBiz > > code > > > > and extend it: but only if there is no other option). > > > > > > > > Let's suppose, for the sake of my questions, that I am looking to > help > > > Fred > > > > the plumber, Sam the roofer, and George the carpenter. > > > > > > > > 1) Is it true that I can set up OFBiz on one server (probably in the > > > > cloud), and then set up Fred, Sam and George as separete companies, > > each > > > > with his own, limited, inventory? (many contractors do not keep an > > > > inventory, which is something I'd have to be able to support also, > but > > > some > > > > hhave observed they can get, and thus offer, better prices if they > buy > > > > certain raw materials in bulk - I think I'd need also to be able to > > > provide > > > > support for timing purchases, so that the contractors know how long, > on > > > > average, their suppliers take to fill and ship an order, so they then > > > know > > > > at what inventory level they ought to place their next order to > ensure > > > they > > > > don't run out of stock on critical supplies) Or did I misunderstand > > > what I > > > > have read so far? > > > > > > > > 1a) would it be much of a stretch to have some sort of integration > with > > > > suppliers' systems, so that if a supplier's systems support it, the > > > > contractors can use OFBiz to place orders with their suppliers > online, > > > and > > > > then either subsequently pick up the order or wait for it to be > > delivered > > > > to either their warehouse or their job site? What would be involved > in > > > > configuring Fred 's company and supply chain so that he could query a > > > > supplier's API to verify the supplier has stock on what he needs, and > > > then > > > > place an order for these supplies, &c. &c., &c.? > > > > > > > > 2) Is there an interface, that displays well, and is usable, on any > > > mobile > > > > device, so that any of them can go into any of the building supply > > > > companies they rely on, purchase what they need, and enter that fact > > into > > > > OFBi, so the items purchased can be added to their respective > > > inventories? > > > > > > > > 3) Is there a similar interface that lets them go to a job site, with > > > some > > > > portion of his inventory, and record the allocation of that inventory > > to > > > > that job, as well as assign selected labourers to that job (some of > > whom > > > > may be regular employees and others being casual labourers or > > > > subcontractors)? In fact, the contractor I spoke with said he'd like > > to > > > be > > > > able to take all the inventory required for a job to the job site at > > the > > > > beginning, and record the time his labourers begin work, and then > > return > > > to > > > > the job site at the end fo the day to record how much inventory had > > been > > > > used and when the labourers quit for the day. And, he wanted QA > info, > > > > relating amounts of warranty service he needs to provide given the > > > > materials (and their source) and the labourers he has used on each > job, > > > so > > > > that he can then know what to correct in terms of materials selected > > for > > > > future jobs, retraining of labourers, &c. > > > > > > > > 4) This is a question of security. If I set something up for these > > guys, > > > > I'd want both server and client ceertificates. Thus, the question > has > > a > > > > few parts. a) How does one configure it so that it uses a server > > > > certificate (wheher self signed or from a CA)? and b) Can it handle > > > > creation of a local CA and use it to issue client certificates to > each > > of > > > > the users, and this online through a special page (accessible only > over > > > the > > > > latest version of TLS, and using stong, single use credentials) that > > > > presents the user with a series of challenges, and if the responses > > > > returned are consistent with what the user gave the RA, proceeds to > > walk > > > > the user through the process (as simple as possible) of creating, > > > signing, > > > > and installing the required client certificate? I know how to > > configure > > > > Apache's httpd server to require client certificates for a specific > > > > location, but how does one do that using OFBiz? And, finally, for > this > > > > question, is there support for using client certificates to encrypt > and > > > > sign documents; and for use of client certificates to support > > > > non-repudiation in the ecommerce modules of OFBiz? > > > > > > > > 5) For the ecommerce modules, just how far in supporting electronic > > > > transactions do you go? I have developed my share of gateway APIs, > and > > > > integrated them with the APIs provided by certain processing banks > and > > > > other gateways. To use your ecommerce modules, does one need to do > > some > > > > programming to complete the integration with the user's bank or > > gateway, > > > or > > > > is that complete and all that remains is that the user configure it > > with > > > > his mid information? And, related to that, is there reporting > provided > > > to > > > > let the merchant assess the performance of each mid (approval/decline > > > > ratios, refund and chargeback ratios, &c.) and risk related to > refunds > > > and > > > > chargebacks (which determines just how much funds the merchant should > > > have > > > > in reserve in order to be able to fund any refunds and chargebacks > that > > > > arise after some catastophe that results in him being unable to > process > > > > further sale transactions? > > > > > > > > I suspect that the answer to most of my questions will be yes, and > > > someone > > > > will point me to one or another portion of your documentation. I do > > have > > > > browser windows open the the beginning pages of each of the documents > > you > > > > have. However, time is short and before I spend a lot of time on > > > studying > > > > that material, I'd like confirmation that what I would need to be > able > > to > > > > do is possible or even easy. > > > > > > > > Show stoppers would be no support for the concept of a job, along > with > > > > allocating inventory and manpower to each job, and inadequate support > > for > > > > security, including proper generation and use of client certificates. > > > > > > > > So, can all this be handled out fo the box, as it were, by OFBiz, or > > > would > > > > I have to do a lot of programming myself to provide complete support > > for > > > > everything these guys would need? And if I would have to do a lot of > > > > programming of this myself, would it be easier for me to start > > > development > > > > de novo and build it all using Perl, HTML5/Javascript, and SQL (in > > iether > > > > Postgres or MySQL)? I really don't want to be spending days or weeks > > > > building/installing/configuring it only to find it can't handle > > > everything > > > > I need to do. > > > > > > > > I'd appreciate any information you can provide. > > > > > > > > Thanks > > > > > > > > Ted > > > > > > > > -- > > > > Thanks, > > > > Deepak Agarwal, > > > > > > > > Paxcel Technologies Pvt Ltd. > > > > Hartron Complex, Sector 18, Gurgaon, India. > > > > E-Mail: [email protected] > > > > Mobile: +91 9910322604 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > R.E.(Ted) Byers, Ph.D.,Ed.D. > [email protected] > CTO > Merchant Services Corp. > 17665 Leslie st., unit 30 > Newmarket , Ontario > L3Y 3E3 >
