Have you looked at SugarCRM? I've just started using SugarCRM to manage my clients, so my experience with it is limited, but so far, I don't think there's anything that SugarCRM cannot do, either by module or by coding something up yourself.
Overall, I've been super impressed with it, it's features and the large selection of modules and addon's. It just requires PHP, Mysql and a www server. There's another that is also good, TinyERP. TinyERP uses Postgres (ew! :^)) as a backend. It's worth mentioning that TinyERP also has a desktop client, written in GTK, I think. ~k -----Original Message----- From: sth <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: Vermont Area Group of Unix Enthusiasts <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: What FOSS do you use to run YOUR consulting shop? Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:58:57 -0400 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 So, my esteemed partner (Zach Chambers) and I are on the hunt for a package to unify the various systems we use at ClearBearing to run our operations. We're currently using eGroupWare[1], RT[2], MediaWiki[3], QuickBooks Pro[4], and a custom app that we've developed in-house over the past nine years. Having disparate systems, of course, entails a certain amount of overhead (read: duplication of effort), as does the maintenance of our home-grown package. My question is this: are any of you other consultants out there using a single FOSS package (or commercial package, for that matter) to run your daily operations? Our list of required features is pretty weighty, but we're optimistic that there's SOMETHING out there that would hit the mark, +/- 5%. Here's what we need: + transactional history (no, not in the DB sense) ++ free-text notes on every interaction with the client ++ time/expense/mileage tracking for each of those interactions ++ attachment of that time/expense/mileage to one or more tasks, each of which is itself attached to a project + request tracking ("trouble ticketing", but more broad) + project management (project task planning/assignment) + flexible reporting (business metrics, planning, HR) + invoicing with a flexible business rules management system (BRMS) + printed- and electronically-delivered (PDF) invoices + easily-edited, structured documentation + hosted in-house (this is our business-critical data, and our clients' private information; we'd VASTLY prefer to own the whole shootin' match) (Yes, this is why we have 4 established packages and a homegrown app.) It occurred to me that Amicus Attorney[5] or similar could be bashed into fitting the bill, but 1) last I knew, that was a Win32-only affair and 2) the less bashing we'd need to do, the better. So: I cast this out to the Hive Mind and eagerly await your collective response. (The part after, "We are the Borg...") Cheers, - -sth [1] http://www.egroupware.org [2] http://www.bestpractical.com/rt [3] http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki [4] http://quickbooks.intuit.com [5] http://www.amicusattorney.com sam hooker|[EMAIL PROTECTED]|http://www.noiseplant.com Yes, my television runs Linux, too. Yes, really. http://mythtv.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.8 (Darwin) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iEYEARECAAYFAkgDm2EACgkQX8KByLv3aQ2QrACgiseh9bMF99tDITbg9AZViGeG L5AAoM0hF3i2e5cPJ06hSKFsL5n8AfRB =gqao -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
