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IDempiere

From Alfawiki
iDempiere
Company typeOpen source software
IndustryEnterprise resource planning software
PredecessorCompiere, ADempiere
Founded2011 (rebranded as iDempiere)
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsERP, CRM, SCM software platform
Websitewww.idempiere.org

iDempiere. Community Driven Enterprise, also referred to as OSGi + ADempiere, represents an open source enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform available across desktops, tablets, and mobile devices. It integrates functionalities for customer relationship management (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM).

Distinct from proprietary or many community-only open source ERP systems, iDempiere blends community collaboration with a modular design framework.

Overview

The design of iDempiere supports scalable growth without sacrificing adaptability, accommodating:

  • Multiple tenants simultaneously
  • Various organizational units such as branches and manufacturing sites
  • Support for numerous languages (29 localizations; mixed user access per deployment)
  • Multiple currency handling
  • Diverse accounting schemas
  • Environments with multiple concurrent users

History

The foundation for iDempiere was laid in 1999 when Jorg Janke, formerly at Oracle, developed Compiere, which served as its predecessor.

In 2006, ADempiere was created as a fork derived from the open source edition of Compiere.

Between 2008 and 2010, the ADempiere community experimented with modular ERP concepts utilizing OSGi frameworks like Apache Felix and Equinox.

The year 2010 saw the launch of Adempiere 3.6.0 LTS alongside Branch GlobalQSS Adempiere361.

Version Release date Notes
Template:Version October 31, 2012
  • Initial official alpha release
Template:Version April 24, 2013 Beta release
Template:Version June 27, 2013
Template:Version October 31, 2013
Template:Version October 31, 2014
Template:Version October 31, 2015
Template:Version October 31, 2016
Template:Version October 31, 2017
Template:Version November 4, 2018
Template:Version January 4, 2019
Template:Version November 22, 2019
Template:Version November 3, 2020
  • Release candidate version
Template:Version December 20, 2020
  • Named Phong release
Template:Version December 24, 2021
  • Horizon release
Template:Version December 24, 2022
  • Peace release
Template:Version December 24, 2023
  • Synergy release

In response to internal disputes within the ADempiere developer group in 2011, the project was rebranded as iDempiere and adopted a new OSGi-centric architecture—essentially evolving from ADempiere’s Branch GlobalQSS Adempiere361 fork. The majority of active contributors transitioned to iDempiere.

Significant technological enhancements introduced in iDempiere include:

  • Adoption of the OSGi framework facilitating plug-in capabilities and modular code updates.
  • Replacement of JBoss with Apache Tomcat, resulting in improved efficiency and lower memory consumption.
  • Implementation of an automated build process using Eclipse Buckminster.
  • Comprehensive redesign of the web interface through an upgrade from ZK3.6 to ZK6 framework.

By the time version 3.1 was released in 2015, Apache Tomcat had been superseded by Jetty.

The ZK framework was advanced to version 8.0.2.2 in version 5.1 (2017), alongside verified compatibility with Oracle Database version 12C.

In version 6.1 (2018), OpenJDK was upgraded from version 8 to version 10; additionally, build tools transitioned from Buckminster to Apache Maven Tycho.

By version 6.2 (2019), OpenJDK advanced to version 11; development workflows shifted from Bitbucket/Mercurial to GitHub/Git preceding the release of version 7.1. Developer communications moved from IRC to Mattermost.

The latest version as of 2023 (version 11) incorporated an update of OpenJDK to version 17.

Awards and recognition

iDempiere received the Bossie Award from InfoWorld for the top open source software application in both 2015 and 2016. It was honored as SourceForge's "Community Choice" Project of the Month in July 2016 and again in February 2018. In November 2015, Computer Review (Russia) listed it among the leading free ERP solutions. Furthermore, PCQuest included iDempiere in its May 2016 article "7 Open Source ERP Software For Your Business," and the Capterra Logistics Technology Blog featured it in the July 2017 compilation of "The Top 8 Free, Open Source ERP Software."

Platform

iDempiere runs on a Java server hosted within a Jetty container and utilizes a ZK version 9.6 web-based graphical user interface. Its modular design leverages the OSGi framework for extensibility. The system supports Oracle starting from version 12C and PostgreSQL from version 10 onward.

Built with business users in mind, iDempiere functions as a web client compatible with major browsers such as Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Edge, facilitating seamless navigation across interconnected records.

Application dictionary and customization

Expanding beyond a standard data dictionary, iDempiere incorporates an "Active Data Dictionary" that allows configuration of entities, validation rules, interface windows, tables, and data formats without requiring additional Java programming. This capability transforms iDempiere into both an ERP solution and a platform for developing database-centric applications.

Plug-ins

The platform accommodates plug-ins that enhance or modify ERP, CRM, and SCM features. Following the OSGi specification, these modular code bundles can be dynamically integrated. Users can explore and evaluate available plug-ins through a dedicated plugin marketplace on the iDempiere wiki.

Workflows

Employing a Workflow Engine aligned with the WfMC standard, iDempiere oversees document workflows and BPM processes to optimize operational efficiency.

Reports

A customizable reporting system is embedded within the Application Dictionary, enabling users to analyze data and export reports in formats such as PDF, HTML, and Excel. For sophisticated reporting requirements, integration with JasperReports is supported.

Web Services

The ERP facilitates machine-to-machine interactions through XML-based web services, permitting external systems to invoke any table, process, or workflow hosted on the iDempiere server.

Performance indicators

Performance metrics are visually represented via graphs generated through the Application Dictionary to monitor business objectives effectively. Selecting a graph opens filtered data views for comprehensive examination.

Attachments and Comments

Users have the ability to append files and contribute comments via chat or post-it notes attached to records, promoting collaboration and enhancing traceability of transactions through unstructured data.

System Admin

Access control is managed through role-based permissions, complemented by configurable audit trails for field updates to support thorough auditing procedures.

Business Capabilities

CORE encompasses essential enterprise workflows:

Operations

  • From quote to sale: managing quotations, sales orders, invoicing, shipments, sales representative dashboards, and analytical reporting.
  • From requisition to procurement: handling requisitions, purchase orders, vendor invoices, goods receipt, and associated reports.
  • Supply Chain Management: overseeing inventory control, product planning, warehouse operations, and support for multiple locations.
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM): defining business partner policies, managing contacts and campaigns, sales pipeline oversight, marketing initiatives, and handling customer requests.
  • Project Management: organizing project stages, task assignments, materials allocation, and expense tracking.

Financials

  • Financial Accounting: covering management accounting tasks, bank reconciliations, payment processing, and financial statement generation.
  • Asset Management: tracking assets, delivery management, customer-owned assets oversight, and calculating depreciation.

Plug-ins

Supplementary modules extend business functionalities by providing interactive BI dashboards, sector-specific capabilities (such as Asset Maintenance, Manufacturing modules, Kanban boards), regional customizations, and integrations with platforms like Asterisk, Openbravo POS systems, and Google Maps.

Community Driven

iDempiere thrives due to an engaged worldwide community functioning as a decentralized marketplace without central governance. Contributors range from end users to implementers and domain experts.

Vibrant local groups are active in countries including Japan, China, the USA, Germany, Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia, Colombia, India, Russia, among others. Communication channels include a multilingual project wiki, Google forums, and Mattermost chat rooms. The software’s presence is reinforced through presentations at open source events and academic institutions.

Global Conferences

  • May 16-17, 2013 – Krefeld, Germany. Approximately 30 core developers from four continents participated.
  • March 7, 2014 – Bonn, Germany. Informal gathering for the German iDempiere community.
  • September 3-4, 2015 – Krefeld, Germany. Hosted around 38 core contributors representing five continents.
  • October 31–November 1, 2019 – Lyon, France. Drew about 52 core developers from 23 nations across five continents.
  • February 22-23, 2023 – Manama, Bahrain. Attended by roughly 30 core developers, implementers, and integrators from 18 countries spanning five continents.

Development

The iDempiere development setup is based on Eclipse integrated with Maven/Tycho build tools and version control via Git. It utilizes Equinox (OSGi) framework supported by the Apache Felix Web Console.

For issue management and collaborative development workflows, iDempiere relies on Jira, enabling continuous integration and agile contributions from the community. All source code undergoes peer review prior to incorporation into the main codebase.

See also

Further reading

External links

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