A clear “ERP for life” example

by Asier Zabaleta

Senior Consultant at Global Partner Services

Just one year ago the first Quickstart implementation reached the "go live" milestone. Idea Innovación Asistencial is a management company, developer of  social and health services under the clinical and care sector, with an interesting Openbravo ERP customer case.

After a successful QuickStart implementation in 60 hours (including system configuration and user training), Idea started managing one of its organizations, including around 100 customers, and over 150 transactions every month. Their daily work changed completely, as they abandoned their accounting software, and started using Openbravo ERP for issuing invoices to customers, effectively managing collections, and knowing on time the cash situation for vendor payments.

Today, the picture is quite different, as the use of the ERP has grown exponentially. Now the ERP supports the management of seven organizations, and two more to come in the following months. The number of users in the ERP has been doubled in just a year, and the number of transactions multiplied by four. Now there are over 300 customers to be managed, and lots of payment situations to be taken care of.

This is a clear example of the Openbravo QuickStart value proposition both for the customer and the system integrator.

System integrators should see this kind of implementations not just as “quick-wins”, but as a way to start a long term relationship with their customers. With Openbravo QuickStart, system integrators can reach many small companies looking for a quick, standard implementation; a low risk proposition for a successful ERP implementation.

On the other hand, end customers should see a low risk first implementation, establishing this starting point that can incrementally grow in the future, based in a solid ground that Openbravo ERP provides. Openbravo's modular architecture, combined with Openbravo Exchange and the associated Central Repository, make it very easy to embrace new modules directly from the browser via the click-thru installation process. In Idea's case, the "Mass Invoicing" module was added during the initial QuickStart implementation to streamline the invoicing process.

Idea Innovación Asistencial began with the Openbravo QuickStart option based on the promise of a rapid, low-risk ERP implementation with a minimal upfront investment.  The deployment was  hosted on the Amazon EC2 Cloud to avoid upfront hardware acquisition costs, with the assumption that the application would likely be brought in house at some point. To date, Idea has actually stayed on the Amazon cloud, finding it cost-effective and reliable, with off-site backup for full peace of mind. While Openbravo ERP started as a "quick win" for Idea, its web-based scalability and modular extensibility have made Openbravo a strategic part of this customer's business -truly an "ERP for life" -, that they will continue to grow with in the future.

Have you got similar experiences?

Launch of the Functional Graduate Certification for Openbravo ERP 2.50!!

by Renate Nieuwkoop
Senior Education Specialist at Global Partner Services

After a successful launch of Foundation Certification programme last year, we are now happy to announce the first Graduate Exam. The Functional Graduate Certification has been made widely available starting February 26, 2010.

Since the launch of the Foundation exams, many partners have become certified and can now progress to the next level to become certified at a Graduate level.

Certification is essential to end customers, partners and us at Openbravo for several reasons:

• Assures customers of your knowledge, skill and credentials
• Shows tangible evidence of your ability
• Adds to your credibility in the Openbravo ecosystem
• Allows Openbravo to set a brand standard and monitor the quality of our partners

Whereas the Functional Foundation knowledge can be mastered through participation in the Basic Functional Training, the Graduate exam is going beyond that and is based on knowledge that can only be gained through practical use and implementation of the Openbravo ERP application. The objective of the Graduate exam is to demonstrate the ability to configure and use the application in a real life scenario.

For more information about the Functional Graduate Certification, please click here. For any questions, do not hesitate to contact us directly at training@openbravo.com

What does upgrading to 2.50 mean?

by Jorge Monfort
Senior Consultant at Global Partner Services

When you are facing an Openbravo ERP 2.40 to 2.50 upgrade project the first thing you need to consider is what the real purpose of this upgrade is and what your client's expectations are.

The upgrade process, in fact, entails converting core customization into modular extensions and the effort required to perform this task greatly depends on the degree of re-use that you want to achieve.

For most companies, who have customized 2.40 for their own usage and do not have an interest in sharing their extensions, the scope is limited to a straight technical upgrade. On the other hand, if the client wishes to obtain reusable modules that can be distributed through the Central Repository or sold through the Openbravo Exchange, more work is required.

At the extreme end of complexity, you will find the case where the client wants to achieve a complete and fully packaged and reusable vertical solution.

I recently worked on such an upgrade and I would like to share here some lessons learned in this project. Let's try to analyze these different scenarios and the impact of each one of them.

Case 1: Single company that just wants to upgrade to 2.50:
There are many reasons for upgrading to 2.50

• To take advantage of the new functionality included in the 2.50 version
• To leverage the easy maintainability experience of the modularity platform
• Due to the sunset of their current Openbravo ERP version

In this case, just an upgrade could mainly fulfill the expectations. The Openbravo ERP upgrader would create a single extra module including all customizations, and after some adaptations and manipulations we could enjoy a real 2.50 implementation, always taking into account that this module wouldn't accomplish the necessary naming rules required to be able to publish it in the Openbravo Central Repository or in the Exchange.

Apart from this first simple scenario we could think of enhancing it by re-factoring our big module into smaller ones to simplify its maintainability in production environments and reduce the effort of resolving future potential bugs or naming conflicts (reviewing and updating a small module will always be easier than having to create a new version of the whole big industry template module). It would involve creating new modules and moving some customizations from the original big module (mycustomization module) to these new modules.

Although we should always take into account the significant increase in effort required, it would also constitute a pre-step to future module reusability which will lead us to case 2.

Case 2: Client that expects to commercialize his customizations
In case our client considers that customizations implemented for them could have commercial relevance, or just thinks that it could be a chance to recoup their investment, we should take some specific actions in order to be able to publish them in the Openbravo Exchange.

• In this case, re-factoring into independent modules is a must. That means a higher investment but it is justified by a commercial return.
• Adjusting to Naming Rules would also be a must in order to guarantee that our modules are fully compatible with others published in Openbravo Exchange. This task also implies a big effort for renaming all our customizations.

So, notice that all this judgments need to be done and scope should be clearly defined before starting the project because it has a clear impact in the effort load calculation and in reaching the client's expectations.

Openbravo University

It has been a while since we have had news from the Education department of Openbravo.

Having recently released the 2.50 version of Openbravo ERP, we were presented with a great opportunity to revamp our curriculum offering. We're excited to present you with the new portfolio of training.

A variety of live training courses are available to get up to speed with the new 2.50 release of Openbravo ERP:

• Basic Functional Training: If you need an overview of the application, what functionality it offers, how to use it or what's new in 2.50, this 5-day course led by experienced instructors is the one for you.
• Basic Development: To install and customize our application, this course has been completely revamped with clearer explanations of framework concepts and more hands-on exercises. Aimed at consultants who already have an overview of the application but now need to implement it themselves.
• Advanced Development: Modular and highly customizable architecture is something we are very proud of with the new release of Openbravo ERP. But to unleash these powers, this course has been written from scratch to cater to the needs of developers who want to customize or extend Openbravo ERP. Students will learn how to neatly package their efforts into modules/extensions or how to take advantage of modules others have developed. More examples, more exercises, more how-tos, more fun!

We understand that in this harsh economic climate cutting costs is vital to survive. That is why we have cut the prices of all our training courses and are offering you new online courses for those with limited budgets and resources:

• Online Basic Functional Training: Same content as the live course with a lower price tag and lighter on resources since no travel&hotels are required and the course spans over 5 weeks. Using an elearning platform led by Openbravo training specialist and a dedicated online Openbravo ERP application for each student, efficient hands-on learning is provided.
• Online Advanced Development: Again, the same content as in the live version of this training is provided, however through an elearning platform. Students receive specifications of what needs to be build, are provided with how-to manuals of how individual framework elements are built and have their own dedicated instance of Openbravo ERP server where development is done. They are assisted and marked by an Openbravo training specialist to enforce key learning points.

We would like to point out that the training sessions offered are also a great starting point towards newly released certification program, introduced to set the benchmark standard for Openbravo consultants and engineers working with Openbravo. Once you have undertaken some training and feel you have good experience with working around Openbravo products, you can now prove your expertise!

For larger customers or those in need of a custom-tailored content, customized training delivered at your premises, at our offices or online can be offered.

Finally, for more information on content, schedule and prices of all training, please visit http://www.openbravo.com/services/training.

We hope to see you soon in one of our virtual or physical classrooms!!

Rok Lenardic
Senior Training Specialist

Launch of the new Certification Program!!

The Certification program is one of the new initiatives launched by Openbravo this summer. If you intend to implement or build enterprise applications with Openbravo products, then passing certification exams will help you broaden your knowledge base and prove that you are ready for the job. The certification program can act as a passport to launching your company into the Openbravo ecosystem and giving yourself professional status.

The introduction of certification allows you to capitalize on the time and energy you spent learning Openbravo ERP; either though training classes, self study or 'on the job' experience. Certification offers a win-win-win scenario for clients, partners and Openbravo alike:

• Assures customers of your knowledge and skill and credentials.
• Shows tangible evidence of your ability.
• Adds to your credibility in the Openbravo ecosystem.
• Allows Openbravo to set a brand standard and monitor the quality of our partners.

Certification exams are available to every individual in the Openbravo ecosystem. If you are looking to differentiate and distinguish yourself in the eyes of your customers the most objective way will be to get certified.

The two exams introduced this summer will be at the entry or 'Foundation' level. The exams will be a timed 80 minute test comprising of 50 multiple choice questions and with a 80% pass threshold. Openbravo will rollout the Functional Foundation exam in June and the Technical Foundation in August. The scope of the Functional Foundation Exam is the functional modules available 'out of the box' with Openbravo ERP: Procurement Management, Sales Management, Production Management, Warehouse Management, MRP, Project and Service Management and Financial Management. The questions will be a blend of practical 'know how' and theory. Many of the questions have been written by our Consulting team so they are based on 'real world' experience. If you attempt the exam but fail on the first attempt you automatically get a free retake. However, if you fail a second time you will need to enroll and start the process again. The cost for the foundation exam is 150 Euros.

Foundation implies a starting point; something to build on. It rewards you for your achievement, but says there is more to learn before your become a expert. Therefore, later in the 09 calendar year Openbravo will rollout two more exams set at a higher 'Graduate' level. The objective with these Graduate level exams will be for the examinee to demonstrate that they can configure or build real applications given a set of requirements. Graduate level exams will again be a test of functional or technical ability.

Openbravo also has plans for a third 'Master' layer of Certification with which we really hope to find the 'Top Guns' in the community!

Passing each certification exam is much more than proof of attendance or a piece of paper on the wall. It is a tangible, objective and incremental way to examine, prove and demonstrate if you have the skills required to implement and build production enterprise applications using Openbravo products. Certification will mark you out as an Openbravo Professional! In this sense it is serious business and will take work from you to reach the grade and standard required. Your reward will objective proof of your ability and status in the Openbravo ecosystem.

There are several excellent preparation options available. Ideally if you plan to take the Functional Foundation Exam we recommend you attend the Basic Functional Training class, either in the classroom or on line. Similarly attending the Basic Development Training will prepare you for the Technical Foundation Exam. Find below some helpfull resources to prepare the exams:

• Hands-on instructor-led training
• Online training
• Openbravo Wiki

To enroll for the Functional Foundation Certification Exam, please visit http://www.openbravo.com/services/certification/

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at training@openbravo.com

Eugeni Vives
VP of Global Partner Services

Online courses and Openbravo's e-learning strategy

The end of the year was an exciting period for the Global Partner Services, wrapping up a successful year, planning new products for 2009, while delivering some of the latest ones.

The Education department was proud to introduce the new Online Basic Functional Training in a unique e-learning format. The 5-week long course took place between the 17th of November and 19th of December. Eight students participated and completed the course which was an overall success.

The course covers the basic functionality and usability of Openbravo ERP:

Using a Learning Management System (based on Open Source Moodle platform) and practical use of Openbravo ERP hosted on Amazon, the Online Basic Funtional Training provides a unique learning environment supervised by Openbravo training specialists, which also includes the following:

• Weekly live sessions through webcast
• News blog where live sessions and other news are published
• Materials (navigable slide show) for each module
• Links to additional readings
• Quizzes
• Discussion and Q&A forums answered by Openbravo Training Specialists
• Exercises and assignments
• A link to each participants' own Openbravo ERP application, which is used to experience the product and execute the exercises and assignments
• Evaluation form

This way the students are given various channels of content, making sure that exercises, quizzes and assignments are successfully completed.

Openbravo's online courses are the answer for those individuals with limited time, and who cannot necessarily afford to fly to a location to complete one of our live intensive courses.

As for the upcoming year, we will continue expanding our online course offer to keep pursuing the efficient dissemination of Openbravo knowledge.

Rok Lenardic
Senior Training Specialist

Consulting experiences

The successful implementation of business applications like Openbravo solutions largely depends on a dedicated team of knowledgeable staff. It entails customer-wide commitment, openness to change, business and product knowledge, good management and planning, and guidance from experienced people. In such a complex context, having the correct and complete set of consulting skills within your team is a determining factor towards successful project completion.

If you are an Openbravo partner and are working on a complex implementation of Openbravo ERP or POS and need experienced consulting or an expert in a particular area, we can provide you with the person with the right profile, whether business, functional or technical, to help you achieve project requirements. Our consultants have already completed numerous implementations and are highly qualified. Specialized Consulting is a high value-added service, available only for Openbravo partners, which allows you to maximize product benefits and project team performance, enabling you to face any challenges within your customer implementation that may arise.

From definition to configuration, Specialized Consulting Services span the full life-cycle of an implementation and ensure you achieve your business goals:

• Evaluation Workshop
• Project Management Support
• Subject Matter Experts
• ERP Deployment Strategy
• Requirement Definition & GAP Analysis
• Functional Design Support & Review
• Customizing Assessment
• Upgrading Strategy
• Existing Openbravo ERP Audit

Moreover, all of our Consulting team has in depth practical knowledge of the Openbravo implementation framework. This is a model that has proven to deliver return on investment quickly and effectively. This framework provides an understandable and scalable guide for Openbravo implementation projects. It includes our recommended five step Openbravo implementation roadmap, as well as a specific methodology for project management. This useful tool is completed with a set of best implementation practices. Working together with our experts will allow you to be trained on the job on this successful methodology and to apply it autonomously in the future.

Here is what partners have said about using Openbravo’s Specialized Consulting Services:

Because we were implementing our first project, we wanted to make sure that everything would run smoothly. Openbravo’s specialized consulting team gave us the methodological, business and technological reinforcement we needed through on-the job training, which turned out to be invaluable to the project’s success. After this experience, we are now confident in becoming a key player in the industry.
- César Alonso, TicTech Consulting CEO

Openbravo’s senior consultant gave us in-depth knowledge about implementation methodology which helped us minimize the risks associated with our project delivery. Because of Openbravo’s Consulting Services, we were able to optimize our sales potential while gaining experience in making proposals for the future
- Julio Bleda, Cleartic Founder

Go professional! Ensure your customer implementations success!

Eugeni Vives
Global Partner Services