Using Open Source ERP For
Two-Tier ERP Deployments

INTRO TO TWO-TIER ERP

Many legacy ERP systems are no longer to effectively meet the evolving demands of the organization, however, often these systems are difficult (read "expensive") to modify in time to meet the rapidly changing reequirements of the business.

Two-tier ERP (a.k.a "hub & spoke" ERP) has emerged as a strategy for implementing enterprise resource planning systems that allows a "parent" company to retain its existing ERP system, while it subsidieries, divisions, or other busniess units deploy a second ERP system that is more effectively able to meet their specific business requirements, and usually at significantly lower costs.

OPEN SOURCE IN TWO-TIER ERP DEPLOYMENTS

Some of today's open source ERP applications are highly suited to two-tier ERP deployments and able to deliver a rapid return on investment where upgrades of legacy systems would be cost-prohibitive.

There are numerous benefits of open source software which include no licensing fees, unrestricted use, unrestricted access and freedom to modify the source code, and no proprietary vendor lock-in.

There now exist truly "enterprise-class" ERP applications that are available for FREE if one has the technical skills needed for proper implementation, customization, data migration, system integration, and ongoing support.

Consider Openbravo ERP which is available as free open source software. There are no licensing fees for the software, regardless of how many instances, how many users, how many concurrent users, or anything else.

The money saved on licensing can be used to customize the application to the specific needs of the business unit(s) providing a highly tailored implementation. Now, compare that to the costs of additional licenses, customizations, upgrades and the support costs involved with upgrading a proprietary ERP system. Likely the difference is notable.

Also, Openbravo has single instance support. Although this may seem counter-intuitive to the objective of a two-tier implementation, for larger organizations, this single instance support can greatly reduce the number of second-tier instances needed.

In fact, Openbravo will support, if needed, multiple companies with multiple business units, in multiple countries, using multiple currencies, languages, and units of measure, and it can do it all from a single, fully integrated database. This is important for companies operating in global environments, allowing them to highly tailor the solution to best meet the needs of the local users.

Openbravo's accounting functions allow for each businss unit to maintain its own locally formatted chart of accounts in its own native currency while rolling up to appropriate currency at the corporate level.

There are many more features that make Openbravo a top-rated ERP application and very well suited for two-tier ERP deployments. If you're struggling with an out-of-date ERP system, it makes sense to consider open source ERP solutions with either a single or two-tier strategy.

CyOp's services combine the best features of open source software with the best features of Software as a Service (SaaS), enabling organizations to effectively own, control, and further develop and modify as needed, their own ERP software application without the large expenses of hardware acquisition & maintenance, software licensing, data center facilities or an IT staff.

The CyOp team has extensive experience in enterprise computing and has successfully implemented dozens of ERP solutions resulting in increased revenues and growth for our clients.

By leveraging Openbravo's open source ERP software with CyOp planning, implementation and support services, even a smaller businesses can afford an enterprise-class ERP solution with no capital expenses, no hardware to maintain, no software license fees, and no need for on-site technical personnel. On-premises solutions are also available if desired.

We can also integrate robust point of sale (POS) options for clients that operate in the retail or restaurant industries.

For more information on CyOp's open source ERP solutions, please contact us or signup for a FREE Business Process Assessment.