Compiere

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Compiere
Developed by	Compiere, Inc
Latest release	3.0 / December 4, 2007
OS	Windows, Linux, Unix
Genre	ERP, CRM
License	GPL
Website	www.compiere.com

Compiere (pronounced KOM-pyeh-reh, "to accomplish, complete, fulfill" in Italian) is an open source ERP and CRM business solution for the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) in distribution, retail, service and manufacturing. Compiere is distributed by Compiere, Inc. and through the Compiere Partner Network, a collection of trained and authorized business partners.

The application and source code is provided on the basis of the GNU General Public License version 2. A commercial license, documentation and support contracts are also available for a fee.

1 Functionality
2 Architecture
3 Database independence
4 Adempiere spin-off
5 Notes
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Functionality

Compiere encompass ERP functionalities, but in order to avoid the duplication of information and the need for synchronisation, it's organized in a different way. Compiere modules are: Quote-to-Cash, Requisition-to-Pay, Customer relationship management, Partner Relations Management, Supply Chain Management, Performance Analysis, Warehouse, Double-entry Book-keeping, Work-flow-Management and Web Store. A manufacturing module is being developed within an independent project CMPCS, (see external links section).

[edit] Architecture

Compiere is designed with the intention of following changes as business evolves. At any time, customers can change the information structure, adjusting to new information needs. Compiere provides multiple views of business information based on the detail of the actual transactions. This structure allows flexibility and integration of supplemental external information. And since information is presented as views (using Compiere's MVC architecture), they can be changed to meet the needs of the business.

Compiere is entirely based on the concept of Active Data Dictionary (ADD). Compiere Data Dictionary contains definitions of a data entity (type, validation, etc.), how it is displayed (label on screens and reports, help, display sequence and position relative to other fields), and the display rules. It also contains security and access rules.

Compiere has been developed with J2EE.

[edit] Database independence

Compiere has long been criticized for not being a pure open source product because of its dependence on Oracle database (including the free Oracle XE); this has changed now, since version 2.5.2 Compiere is database independent. The project has released a Database Kit for porting Compiere to multiple database. PostgreSQL, MySQL and Sybase ports are in Beta status. Compiere can also be run under the Firebird database using the Fyracle extensions, without porting.

Taking advantage of the Database Kit to create a port for the Apache Derby database the ER/Box project provides an integrated all-Java, all open source Compiere distribution. In addition to the Apache Derby database port ER/Box is also capable of running on PostgreSQL.

Compiere also works with the open source alternative to Oracle database, EnterpriseDB. User documentation is still offered on a fee-based accessibility.

[edit] Adempiere spin-off

Disagreement between a component of the Compiere user community and Compiere, Inc. resulted in the creation of a spin-off Open Source project. The primary point of dispute was a belief by members of the user community that Compiere, Inc. had ignored the contributions and concerns of community members. More directly, their claim^[1] was that the continuing direction of the product was driven mainly by Compiere, Inc.'s venture capital partners and not the user community at-large. The new fork, named Adempiere, was established at SourceForge in September 2006.