The Advantages of Open Source Software

Advantages of open source software

As in my prior post I discussed on the fundamental benefit of Open source Models is the first fact that open source software is made available complimentary or at a low cost. As I always answered many on Social Media that this characteristic is not exclusive to open source software, if you see History several proprietary software products are made available in similar ways (Microsoft's Internet Explorer). 

So you might think that what is the unique ability which distinguishes open source software from Proprietary Software, yes the answers would be that there are certain characteristics discussed below which blend and produce a synergistic impact which is the cause of the real advantages of the open source model. 

So let start with some more aspect on how do these characteristics turn into advantages:

Availability of Source code and Modification: 

The most important characteristic of Open source software is that it provide with unlimited tuning and improvement of a software product. It also helps to port the code to new hardware to adapt it to dynamic conditions. Many Experts have concluded that to really extend the life of an application, Application should be available in source form.

If you check out history then you will find that no binary-only application 10 years old now survives in unmodified form, but several open source software systems from the 1980's are still used and many have adapted to new environments. 

The availability of source code also helps in separating & fixing bugs.

Right to redistribute modifications and improvements to the code:

Also to reuse other open source code, this allow, all the advantages because of the modification of the software that can be shared by larger communities. This is the probable point that differentiates Opens source software. Redistribution rights cannot be revoked, and they are universal, is the point where substantial crowd of developers are involved to work around open source software projects.

Right to use the software in any way:

This blend with redistribution rights, if the software is useful enough many users help in building a market for support and customization of the software which attracts a large population of Developers to work in the project, Significantly the quality of the product improves with many inputs.

No one with the Power to restrict in a unilateral way how the software is used:

For eg: When a Proprietary software vendor decide not to upgrade some software product from some old platform, In this case there are two alternative for customer

• Either stick to the old version of the software 

               Or 

• A shift to a new product. 

In case of Open source software, customers can also fund some development for the desired platform, or look for other vendors to provide the upgrades of the same product.

No single entity on which future of the software depends:

This normally happens with proprietary software. for eg: I company "A" uses a software product which is reliable on the software manufacturer for up gradation and development and if the manufacturer closes doors, or decide to discontinue the development of the same then in this case no one has the right to take the program and continue the development on the same.

This has happened many times and this normally happens in the case of mergers, acquisitions and internal reconstruction in the software market, which leads to the cannibalization of some software product.

In case of Open source software it is always possible to fund another software group to continue the maintenance and improvement without legal & practical limitations.

No Mysteries:

Due to the source code availability there is a possibility to perform a thorough inspection and verify the correctness of the algorithm and the implementation scheme used. This is also possible in part even with closed source or nearly free licences. In fact the users are allowed to modify everything they find appropriate to suit their needs.

Possibility of creating an alternative code base:

If the current code bas is wrongly managed there are chances to manage other. Forks happen for technical or licence reasons, for example because a particular release is made under a non-free licence, the previous one is used as a base for succeeding free releases. Technical motivations are common, because there are sometimes many different way to perform a task, and it is not possible to decide which is better. So if the two camps cannot reach a consensus and the user base is large enough the code splits in two and both continue development. If the reasons for the split are overcome, usually the two camps agree on a reunification.

But the main point about "forking" (which create alternate code base) is that it introduces several levels of competition within the model. For instance, before forking, several programmers can work harder to keep everybody happy integrating as many well-engineered features as possible, to prevent a fork by people whose needs are not addressed. After a fork, both branches tend to compete for the user base with very similar products: only good quality and quick improvement can maintain them in the market.

Minimising the cost in case of modified version:

If any new modified version enters market then there are no chances of per copy fees, because it can be use with current code to start new projects, where the cost reduces. Also the freely modification allows to perfectly tailored the need accordingly.

Also the software doesn’t need many updates and service pack which reduce the the maintenance cost

Did you know !

 - The word "Bistå" is in the category of swedish verb which means:-

To help and support.
 

ProcessMaker with Report Integration

Please click to get a better view


Bista Solutions Inc. - Open Source Applications

Reporting is one of the most important part in any software.

Integrating ProcessMaker with Reports helps to filter requests according to the department, Users, Kind of requests and so on. . .

The Answers to "W" type question in Dashboards

Kindly click on Image for a better view

Yes all the answers for "W" type question with DASHBOARD in ProcessMaker.

Dashboard helps Administrator to ensure out who is doing what and what are the request pending in which department. Dashboard gives you an overview on the Most vital jobs to be done on a particular day.
A user or Admin can check out the pending task for the particular day and consequently it can move forward.

It provide you with an overall information that what are the cases pending with respect to a particular request. and what is the slowest time, duration, Average hours on that particular task.

Further there is scope of customisation according to the requirement.

Hence dashboards give you a 360 degree view of your organisation.

Further you can drag and drop according to the importance for eg in the above the four dashboards can be drag and drop to any position you need.

Further i would be covering the most important part on "Reporting"

Pre - Define Masters - with respect to the User Designation

Bista Solutions Inc. - Open Source Applications

Pre - Define Master:

Again a very good feature where company can provide with pre define master to the employees according to the Designation of the User and the Request he/she is liable to do.

This feature is useful because to reduce the confusion and clutter in the Process flow Masters.

Seen in many organisation who keep all the masters regardsless to the usage of the same to user which normally create confusion and  disinterest in the user.

In my comming post in will be covering with Dashboard which is an important tool to raise question such as WHO, WHAT, WHEN & WHERE.

Simple Leave request Process

Bista Solutions Inc. - Open Source Applications

Here we start with a simple leave request where 2 departments say for eg Sales & HR (Sales People - you better don't take leaves)

So in this leave request there are 4 people involved, (no matter if there is 20 people out there)

Each and every step is email and SMS protected so there is no chances of giving reason that i haven't recieved your request.

Also a person from his mail box can login directly to Processmaker to move the request further.

You might have a question on the capability that "What  incase HOD is on leave for 1 week"?

Again in this case we can move the request witin a particular time say within 24 hours of time to the next best person.

I would be covering in dept with output documents, Reporting, Dashboards etc in my comming post.

ProcessMaker - A Leading Open Source Work flow management software

Bista Solutions Inc. - Open Source Applications

For a quick summary check out the video:

ProcessMaker one of the best Open Source Business Process Management (BPM) and Workflow software specifically targeted and designed for Small and Mid-sized Enterprises (SME).

A user-friendly application to manage workflow efficiently and effectively with a great Architecture. A little literacy in Computer and that's all, which means that with little knowledge a Users can design and run workflows.

The main advantage of ProcessMaker is that it increase trasparency in the organisation and reduce Paper and the same can be applicable to different departments such as Human Resource, Admin, Finance Operations etc.

ProcessMaker workflow management software is easy to use and easy to implement.  The toolbox ProcessMaker allows you to create forms, design documents, manage roles and users, designate routing rules, link to third-party systems, and map fully-functional workflows. 

The software is entirely web-based, making it simple to coordinate workflow across offices.  ProcessMaker connects with your existing IT infrastructure, including DMS, ERP, CRM, and BI systems and databases.

ProcessMaker Enterprise clients enjoy a fully supported, top quality BPM suite with the added benefits of Open Source.

ProcessMaker adapts to meet your IT needs and requires minimal implementation resources. It is Flexible and customizable, ProcessMaker has been implemented in a variety of industries including finance, telecommunications, manufacturing, and government. 

I would be covering with different Process maps in ProcessMaker for different requests.

BPM - Business Process Management - An Introduction

Bista Solutions Inc. - Open Source Applications "Gold Partners" - ProcessMaker - A leading Open source provider of BPM Tool

Introduction: -

As we all know that today doing Business is very much complicated and competitive task. It is not only competitive in terms of selling the products and services, but also in-terms of kind of management one organisation carry out. Every business in todays economy want to increase their Graph points on top.
Hence, it is necessary for every organisation to see that what kind of work focus is going on in the internal department of an organisation, for the same there is a need of a BPM Tool which provide and solve all the internal departmental problems.

Business Process Management is a management tool which focused on providing all the aspects of an organization with the needs and requirement of clients.BPM provides effectiveness and efficiency in different kind of processes of an organization. BPM is a tool which provide management with improve in the processes on a continuous basis.An organisation is more efficient, effective,capable and work with pace if they are implementing BPM tool because it focuses on different hierarchy in an organisation.

As BPM allows organizations to obtain business process from technology infrastructure, it goes far beyond automating business processes (software) or solving business problems (suite). BPM helps organisations to  create competitive advantage.

Technology plays an important role in allowing the user to :-

Improve their process by designing them better through which it would be more suitable for their organisation
Also it Simulate the change to the process, and by then Comparing the various simulations to determine an optimal improvement
Selecting and implementing the improvement
It give control throught the deployment of implementation and defining the user define dashboards which monitor the improvement. in my nest post.

Business Process Management also addresses many of the mission critical IT issues such as:-

• It provide to manage end to end, customer facing processes
• It merge data and increase visibility.
• It increase the flexibility and functionality of current infrastructure and data
• It helps because it can be integrated with existing systems.

In my comming posts I would be starting with the Open source BPM & Workflow management software.

CRM - Concentrating on the most negative points from the experts of Bista Solutions

Bista Solutions Inc. - Open Source Applications

Dear Readers,

As discussed in my last posting of the blog that i would be concentrating on the negative points of CRM and the problems which is faced by Company and vendors while implementing it.

The points which we will be raising on the disadvantages and problems need an in-depth research for the same. where i would be researching on the same with a sample developers of Bista solutions Inc. who are into the implementation of CRM activities.

This would need around 2 weeks of time to jot down most of  the obstacles in implementing CRM and solutions to it.

Mean while i would like to start with software which most industries are initiating for implementing.

Yes its BPM

Business Process Management also know as Work flow management

So check out my next post soon on Business Process Management.

Black & White Dots of Sugar CRM and vTiger CRM.

SugarCRM:

SugarCRM OS is an open source CRM application with a feature-rich set of business processes that enhance marketing effectiveness, drive sales performance, improve customer satisfaction and provide executive insight into business performance.
It is a preferable choice for customers of all sizes across a broad range of industries because of its collaboration and administration capabilities to adapt how their company operates.

Advantages of SugarCRM:

• SugarCRM is an excellent choice due to its advanced features, and it is applicable from all sizes and industries.
• The installation of SugarCRM and the installation of additional modules, Language packs are quite easy and trouble-free, and the admin area offers a great variety of options and tools.
• SugarCRM is built on the pure Open Source LAMPS platform: Linux or Windows, Apache or IIS, MySQL, PHP, and SugarCRM.
• Its mobile solutions translate to less downtime and greater productivity.
• Sugar Suite integrates e-mail and calendar information with Microsoft Outlook, ensuring that company communications are centralized and coordinated.
• Due to the Flexible Delivery Model, there are no constraints around deployment.
• Moreover, the customizable User Interface and Workflow guarantee adaptation to the user, not the other way around.
• With Sugar Suite Modular Open Applications you will have what you need to connect across your business.
• The Open Source Architecture provides 100% visible source code for inexpensive customization and support.
• The Neutral Operation System avoids "forklift" upgrades and propriety vendor lock-in.

SugarCRM Disadvantages

• While providing more capabilities and reliability, Sugar Suite loads slower than vTiger CRM and is not so easy to use.
• Problems may also arise if a user doesn't lock the Installation after finishing it.
• Contrary to vTiger CRM, some of its add-ons are not free for installing and should be ordered additionally.
• Another disadvantage of SugarCRM is the very resource-consuming upgrade process.
• SugarCRM upgrade can rarely be completed successfully on a shared server because the upgrade times out.

vTiger CRM:

vTiger CRM is an Open Source CRM software appropriate for small and medium organizations. With it you can manage your company wide CRM and Inventory Management activities effectively, including sales force and marketing automation, customer support and service, and procurement. There are many tools and add-ons that will assist you in enhancing your organization's business productivity. Some of them are MS Outlook, MS Office and Thunderbird integration, Customer Portal, RSS and others.

vTiger CRM Advantages:

• Being extremely easy to use is perhaps one of the most important advantages of vTiger CRM.
• Compared to Sugar Suite, vTiger CRM loads faster. 
• vTiger's user interface is more intuitive and easier to use.
• The necessary software, such as Apache, MySQL, and PHP are integrated, and executables are made available both for Windows and Linux operating systems.
• The vTiger CRM software provides Open Source add-ons for Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla/Thunderbird, Microsoft Word, and Customer Portal, which add more value to the end-users by providing many enterprise features.
• The Software is absolutely FREE and does not require any up-front investment.
• It allows pre-sales and post-sales activities be integrated in a single application and provides rich user-experience with product customization and excellent customer support.

vTiger CRM Disadvantages 

• vTiger's installation is somewhat tricky, e.g. because vTiger cannot populate its database during installation, and may require additional file changes in order to be completed successfully.
• Another disadvantage of vTiger versions 4.x is that, similar to SugarCRM's upgrade issues, the upgrade process of vTiger also times out causing the upgrade to fail.
• In the new 5.x releases this above problem has been fixed.

The above are comparison of SugarCRM with vTiger.

In my coming post i will be concentrating on all the disadvantages to provide you with the best confident on vTiger and SugarCRM.