Open Linko http://www.openlinko.com All about Open Source eCommerce and ERP software Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:20:06 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Should Open Source eCommerce projects stay on MySQL? http://www.openlinko.com/should-open-source-ecommerce-projects-stay-on-mysql/ http://www.openlinko.com/should-open-source-ecommerce-projects-stay-on-mysql/#comments Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:41:49 +0000 Christophe Douillard http://www.openlinko.com/?p=87 Decision soon to be made by the European Antitrust commission is key to MySQL future. Critics are already saying that the Oracle’s 10 pledges are not enough in terms of content and duration. If Oracle is allowed to go ahead with its bid to acquire Sun, fast growing eCommerce platforms like Magento or Prestashop will soon have to review their database strategy, and they may not have 5 years to do so.

Read Paul Meller’s (IDG News services) article for more details  Oracle’s pledges on MySQL are ‘purely cosmetic’, say critics

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]]> http://www.openlinko.com/should-open-source-ecommerce-projects-stay-on-mysql/feed/ 0 Solid growth for eCommerce in Quebec http://www.openlinko.com/solid-growth-for-ecommerce-in-quebec/ http://www.openlinko.com/solid-growth-for-ecommerce-in-quebec/#comments Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:08:52 +0000 Christophe Douillard http://www.openlinko.com/?p=81 The CEFRIO,  has just published the last eCommerce index. Over one year, the number of eCommerce buyers has increased by 66% while eCommerce revenue has grown by 35% (reaching 233 million dollars). In november, 20% of Quebec adults have made a purchase on the Internet.

It seems that more and more local businesses realize how far behind they are and are considering eCommerce in their business development strategy. This wake-up call is good for the Quebec economy as last year, only 7% of Quebec businesses where offering their products online, living one third of the eCommerce market to US based companies.

Businesses should not rush implementing any eCommerce technology because simply placing a store online won’t bring buyers. At Linko Solutions,  we always include a solid Internet maketing strategy to any eCommerce project in order to also generate traffic to our customers’ store and increase their sales opportunities.

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]]> http://www.openlinko.com/solid-growth-for-ecommerce-in-quebec/feed/ 1 A unique SaaS offer for Open ERP http://www.openlinko.com/a-unique-saas-offer-for-open-erp/ http://www.openlinko.com/a-unique-saas-offer-for-open-erp/#comments Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:15:09 +0000 Christophe Douillard http://www.openlinko.com/?p=75 Open ERP is coming with a SaaS offer that is quite unique. This information is relayed by “Cloud Computing Journal”.  See  below.

Odoo – On Demand (SaaS) Offer from Open ERP
— Open ERP has released its new service offer – Odoo, the On demand ERP solution with minimal costs involved for end user. It is a SaaS (Software As A Service) offer from Open ERP, which provides an access to end user without any investment or any infrastructural cost.

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]]> http://www.openlinko.com/a-unique-saas-offer-for-open-erp/feed/ 0 Open linko – Day One http://www.openlinko.com/open-linko-day-one/ http://www.openlinko.com/open-linko-day-one/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:13:41 +0000 Christophe Douillard http://www.openlinko.com/?p=35 A new blog dedicated to Open Source and Business applications is born: Open Linko. If you want more information regarding who and why Open linko, please check the About page.

I hope you will enjoy the first three posts, there are more to come …

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]]> http://www.openlinko.com/open-linko-day-one/feed/ 0 Why invest in an ERP solution? http://www.openlinko.com/why-invest-in-an-erp-solution-2/ http://www.openlinko.com/why-invest-in-an-erp-solution-2/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:40:45 +0000 Christophe Douillard http://192.168.0.196/wordpress/?p=23 One of the major conclusions of a 2007 Aberdeen Research Report is that “invariably the most substantial reason for companies to implement ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is that without it, staying competitive is a practical impossibility”

This is confirmed by a survey by Aberdeen Research involving 500 mid-market companies which shows that those who have implemented an ERP solution have experienced the following benefits:

  • Reduction in inventory cost (Best in class achieve 17%)
  • Reduction in inventory levels (Best in class achieve 21%)
  • Reduction of administrative costs (Best in class achieve 21%)
  • Reduce day sales outstanding (increase Cash flow)
  • Increase inventory accuracy (Best in class achieve 97%)
  • Decrease time to close a month (Best in class achieve 3.6 days)
  • Complete and on-time shipments (Best in class achieve 96%)
  • Manufacturing schedule compliance (Best in class achieve 95%)
  • Standardize and accelerate business processes
  • Provide visibility to these processes in real-time to support effective decision-making

Despite this, mid-market companies often have a hard time investing in ERP software due over priced applications that fail to deliver on their promises, and mismanaged projects that result in unpredictable, sky high Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

There are nevertheless Open Source solutions which revisit the Enterprise application’s business model and make it easier for small and medium sized companies to get access to ERP and CRM systems. Among the numerous Open Source applications available out there, I would pick two which each respond to specific business needs:

  • Open ERP – For its functional depth and its ability to meet the needs of the most demanding retailers and wholesalers. A solution capable of supporting the most complex business processes.
  • xTuple ERP – An easy to use and to implement system that supports the needs of distribution and manufacturing companies. A perfect solution for companies who want to be quickly up and running at low cost.

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]]> http://www.openlinko.com/why-invest-in-an-erp-solution-2/feed/ 0 Open ERP more famous than NetSuite? http://www.openlinko.com/open-erp-more-famous-than-netsuite/ http://www.openlinko.com/open-erp-more-famous-than-netsuite/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:56:09 +0000 Christophe Douillard http://www.openlinko.com/?p=44 I just read a post on Open ERP web site claiming that they were becoming more famous than NetSuite according to Google Trends.

Google Trends - NetSuite vs Open ERP

Google Trends - NetSuite vs Open ERP

What an achievement for a company whose marketing bust must be 400 times tinier than NetSuite.

Just out of curiosity, I compared Open ERP with its peers. I think the graphic speaks by itself.

Google Trends - Open ERP vs peers

Google Trends - Open ERP vs peers

Add to that the latest statistics:

  • 20% growth in the number of leads every two months
  • 1,000 downloads of the auto-installer per day
  • One new module produced every open day (20 per month)

It seems that Open ERP is doing everything right:

  • The right object oriented technology allowing for easy add-ons development and integration.
  • The right business model: a true Open Source model and not that pseudo “commercial” thing

Is this the application to follow? The future will tell … maybe sooner than we think.

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]]> http://www.openlinko.com/open-erp-more-famous-than-netsuite/feed/ 4 e-Commerce? http://www.openlinko.com/faut-il-investir-dans-le-commerce-electronique/ http://www.openlinko.com/faut-il-investir-dans-le-commerce-electronique/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:12:37 +0000 Christophe Douillard http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/?p=10 Many companies are bombarded with menacing ads implying that investing in an e-Commerce site is the only way to avoid a sure business death.  Unfounded threat or reality?

Some answers can be found in eMarketer reports and the monthly e-Commerce index from CEFRIO (financed by the Ministère du développement économique et de l’innovation). While eMarketer is forecasting a 16.4 Billion dollars market in 2009 (a 6.5% increase over 2008), CEFRIO is measuring a solid growth in the number of cyber buyers and associated revenue in Quebec.

  • from July 2007 to August 2008, 15% of Quebec adults have been buying online for a total revenue of 3.2 Billion dollars.
  • During the first quarter of 2009, the number of cyber buyers has increased by 40% (47% in April) with a 18% growth in revenue.

Did you know that due to a lack of local offer, more than one third (1/3) of this revenue went to US based companies?

So, is it time for Quebec companies to expand their potential market?

Here is a list what will be needed if you decide to go for it:

  • Online shop – That’s the most obvious. What’s important here is to find THE platform that fits your needs.
  • Online payment – Taking online payments (credit cards, Debit cards, Paypal or Google Checkout, etc.) is essential nowadays. Without it, you are going to frustrate your potential customers and loose them to the competition.
  • Order Fulfillment and shipping – As soon as sales are in, you will have to pack and ship the goods. Are you ready to process dozens and possibly hundreds of orders per day?
  • Customer service – This is where a lot of e-Commerce businesses fail. A good customer experience requires quick processing of complaints, product returns, and support questions.
  • Promotion – Imperative because it is crucial to any e-Commerce site success. this part must be thoroughly taken care of in order to attract and retain cyber buyers.

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