ERP5

Whereas most ERPs are based on business field specific models and culture dependent ontologies, ERP5 uses a single model, called the Unified Business Model, that is used to describe all its components. This approach to enterprise modeling was introduced in 2002 by Smets and Carvalho.{{Citation | last1 = Smets-Solanes | first1 = J-P | last2 = Atem de Carvalho | first2 = R | contribution = ERP5: a next-generation, open-source ERP architecture | title = IT Professional | date = July–August 2003 | volume = 5 | issue = 4 | pages = 38–44 | doi = 10.1109/MITP.2003.1216231 | issn = 1520-9202}}. The UBM relies on 5 generic concepts, namely node, resource, movement, item and path. According to Carvalho, abstraction and genericity not only reduce the complexity of ERP5 systems but also increase code reuse incentive and sustainability.{{Citation | last1 = de Carvalho | first1 = RA | last2 = Monnerat | first2 = RM | chapter = 21: ERP5: Designing for Maximum Adaptability | title = Beautiful Code, Leading Programmers Explain How They Think | date = June 2007}}. Thanks to this unification, a typical ERP5 implementation thus consists of 20 to 30 tables whereas the implementation of an ERP based on traditional enterprise modeling requires thousands to tens of thousands of tables because they need to piece together several components.{{Citation needed|date=December 2010}}

ERP5 was created and is still mostly developed by Nexedi,{{cite web|url=http://www.nexedi.com/|title=Nexedi|website=Nexedi|accessdate=4 December 2018}} an open source software publisher based in Lille (France), Dakar (Sénégal), Tokyo (Japan), Campos (Brazil) and Dresden (Germany). The first ERP5 implementation{{cite web |last1=Smets |first1=Jean-Paul |title=Python Success Stories |url=https://www.python.org/about/success/nexedi/ |website=Python.org |access-date=5 January 2022 |language=en}} at Coramy,{{cite news |last1=Sabéran |first1=Haydée |title=Dans le Nord, un plan social en maillots de bain. |url=https://www.liberation.fr/futurs/2004/10/16/dans-le-nord-un-plan-social-en-maillots-de-bain_496237/ |access-date=5 January 2022 |work=Libération |language=fr}}{{cite web |title=CORAMY – Gravelines (59) : en lutte contre la liquidation! |url=https://journal.lutte-ouvriere.org/2004/09/29/coramy-gravelines-59-en-lutte-contre-la-liquidation_9385.html |website=Le Journal |publisher=Lutte Ouvrière |access-date=5 January 2022 |language=fr}}{{cite news |title=Le leader français du maillot de bain en redressement judiciaire |url=https://www.lesechos.fr/2004/09/le-leader-francais-du-maillot-de-bain-en-redressement-judiciaire-646655 |access-date=5 January 2022 |work=Les Echos |date=3 September 2004 |language=fr |quote=French swimsuit leader in receivership}} a midsize swimsuit manufacturer in the north of France, was awarded "Best ERP project" in 2004.{{cite web|url=http://old.zope.org/Members/nexedi/ERP5%20Award/newsitem_view|title= Zope-based ERP5 Awarded Best ERP out of 400 Projects|website=OLd.zope.org|accessdate=4 December 2018}} Little information is provided by Nexedi about the companies that use ERP5, apparently as part of corporate policy to protect trade secrets.{{cite web|url=http://mail.nexedi.com/pipermail/erp5-users/2006-January/000383.html|title=erp5-users mailing list Fri Jan 13 09:48:51|website=Mail.nexedi.com|accessdate=4 December 2018}} Notable public users are Airbus Defense and Space,{{cite web|url=http://old.zope.org/Members/do3cc/news-erp5-unilog-eads|title=ERP5 Implementation at Infoterra, an EADS Astrium company|website=Old.zope.org|accessdate=4 December 2018}} BetEire Flow,{{cite web|url=http://cmsreport.com/press/2010/06/tiolive-saas-completes-implementation-largest-customer-support?page=6|title=TioLive SaaS completes implementation of the largest customer support application in Ireland|website=Cmsreport.com|accessdate=4 December 2018}}{{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Sénégal government{{cite web|url=https://www.cio.com/article/2447351/open-source-tools/senegal-turns-to-open-source-software.html|title=Senegal Turns to Open Source Software|first=James|last=Niccolai|date=15 March 2006|website=Cio.com|accessdate=4 December 2018}} and SANEF.{{cite web|url=https://www.cio-online.com/actualites/lire-bipetgo-lance-sa-vente-en-ligne-avec-un-module-dedie-dans-le-cloud-5422.html|title=Bip&Go lance sa vente en ligne avec un module dedie dans le cloud|website=Cio-online.com|accessdate=4 December 2018}}

The project has changed to a version control system in 2012 and used this transition to enforce quality and branch out certain components.{{cite web|url=https://www.erp5.com/blog/P-ERP5-Repository.Statistics.Blog.Entry|title=ERP5 Repository Statistics|website=Erp5.com|accessdate=4 December 2018}} Active research is currently being done on projects called jIO{{cite web|url=https://github.com/Nexedi/jio|title=Please submit patches and issues there. - Nexedi/jio|date=22 October 2018|website=Github.com|accessdate=4 December 2018|via=GitHub}} and RenderJs,{{cite web|url=https://github.com/Nexedi/renderjs|title=Please submit patches and issues there. - Nexedi/renderjs|date=17 September 2018|website=Github.com|accessdate=4 December 2018|via=GitHub}} both of which will contribute to a future responsive web interface of ERP5 that will include shifting part of the processes performed on the server to the client. In order to add discrete event simulation capabilities to ERP5 as well as to design future interface components, Nexedi is currently a contributing partner to an FP7 project.{{cite web|url=https://github.com/Nexedi/dream|title=Please submit patches and issues there: Nexedi/dream|date=29 October 2018|website=Github.com|accessdate=4 December 2018|via=GitHub}}{{Cite web |url=http://dream-simulation.eu/index.php/consortium |title=Consortium |access-date=2014-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415032811/http://dream-simulation.eu/index.php/consortium |archive-date=2014-04-15 |url-status=dead }} The recent adoption of ERP5 by large clients like Sanef to launch new services validates the projects recent development.

The implementation process of ERP5 has been extensively researched and described through academic research. Campos and Carvalho{{Citation | last1 = de Carvalho | first1 = RA | last2 = de Campos | first2 = R | contribution = A Development Process Proposal for the ERP5 System | title = IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics | year = 2006 | pages = 4703–8}}. describe the document oriented analysis approach which is considered for the implementation of large ERP5 systems in existing organizations. The ERP5 implementation process consists of collecting paper or electronic documents in the organization, mapping each terms and underlying concepts of each type of document to the UBM abstraction, and modeling the decision process materialized by signatures through document workflows. Unit tests, functional tests and performance tests are developed using built-in quality assurance frameworks in order to make sure that the implementation matches specified document oriented use cases and in order to prevent regressions.{{Citation | last1 = de Carvalho | first1 = RA | last2 = de Campos | first2 = R | last3 = Monnerat | first3 = RM | contribution = Quality Assurance in the ERP5 Development Process | title = Research and Practical Issues of Enterprise Information Systems II | volume = 1 | year = 2008 | pages = 677–87}}.

This approach departs from data structure oriented modeling and from the idea that ERP implementation should at the same time change the processes of an organization and its information system. Rather than forcing organizations to adopt preset business processes, or so-called best practices provided by the ERP vendor, the ERP5 implementation process tries to capture efficient practices which are already implemented in the organization and map them to the UBM model. The risk of failure and the implementation costs of ERP implementation in large organizations are thus reduced through this approach. The ERP5 implementation process was successfully applied to the computerization of business processes of a Central Bank.{{Cite web| url = http://www.bull.com/bulldirect/N29/business.html | title = Bull supports the first successful implementation of an Open Source ERP in a Central Bank, for 80 million people in 8 countries|website=Bull.com | format = press release}}.

However, this implementation approach does not fit with the budget constraints of small companies or with the time constraints of newly created organizations. An alternative approach, based on Software as a Service, was later suggested by Carvalho and Johansson{{Citation | url = http://3gerp.iwvi.uni-koblenz.de/docs/HSEDeCarvalho-Johansson.pdf | title = Enterprise Resource Planning Systems for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises | publisher = Uni Koblenz | place = DE | last1 = de Carvalho | last2 = Johansson | access-date = 2010-09-07 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110719105225/http://3gerp.iwvi.uni-koblenz.de/docs/HSEDeCarvalho-Johansson.pdf | archive-date = 2011-07-19 | url-status = dead }}. and implemented by SlapOS{{cite web|url=https://slapos.nexedi.com/P-SLAPOS-Home.Page|title=SlapOS|website=SlapOS|accessdate=4 December 2018}} (previously TioLive LLC{{cite web|url=http://www.tiolive.com/tiolive-Migration|title=Switch from TioLive to SlapOS|website=Tiolive.com|accessdate=4 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312033356/https://www.tiolive.com/tiolive-Migration|archive-date=12 March 2016|url-status=dead}}) which now provides ERP5 SaaS. Based on a small list of questions,{{Citation | url = http://www.osoe-project.org/lesson/P-OSOE-Evaluation/view | title = ERP5 Lecture Configuration Evaluation | publisher = OSOE Project}}. which any CEO of a company can answer to in less than an hour, a standard ERP5 configuration is generated with preset business processes and custom nomenclatures (so-called categories in ERP5 terminology). This approach is now being automated with data mining and artificial intelligence tools.Klaus Wölfel, "Automating ERP Package Configuration for Small Businesses", July 21, 2010.

A third alternative consisting of the combination of both approaches, namely the use of preset business processes and their extension at the core of ERP5, seems also possible{{cite web|url=http://www.erp5.com/tiolive/news-tiolive.implementation.beteireflow|title=TioLive SaaS completes successful implementation of the largest customer support application in Ireland|website=Erp5.com|accessdate=4 December 2018}}{{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} but has not been covered yet by academic research.

Nexedi is part of multiple research projects and research clusters with a strong focus on cloud computing and on ERP5: Compatible,{{cite web|url=https://www.lemagit.fr/actualites/2240197626/Portabilite-des-clouds-le-projet-Compatible-One-met-daccord-le-Libre-francais|title=Portabilité des clouds : le projet Compatible One met d'accord le Libre français|website=LeMagIT|accessdate=4 December 2018}} NEOPPOD,{{cite web|url=https://neo.nexedi.com/P-NEO.Homepage|title=NEO - Homepage|website=NEO|accessdate=4 December 2018}} Geoblabla,{{cite web|url=http://www.proximamobile.fr/article/geoblabla|title=Geoblabla|website=Proximamobile.fr|accessdate=4 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323022929/http://www.proximamobile.fr/article/geoblabla|archive-date=23 March 2010|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} Data Publica,{{cite web|url=https://www.sidetrade.com/products/acquisition|title=Sidetrade Acquisition|date=11 October 2018|website=Sidetrade.com|accessdate=4 December 2018}} TioSafe,{{cite web|url=https://systematic-paris-region.org/fr/projet/tiosafe/|title=TIOSAFE|website=Systemic-paris-region.org|accessdate=4 December 2018}} EDOS, Systematic Paris-Region, Wendelin, Cython+.{{cite web|url=https://systematic-paris-region.org/fr/|title=Page Home Systematic|website=Systematic-paris-region.org|accessdate=4 December 2018}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.erp5.com/}}

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Category:Free ERP software