We would like you to concentrate on your Business Processes
automation requirements in trying to understand which small business accounting
package will fit the best for your enterprise
1.
Database Platform. There are several reliable and relatively
inexpensive SQL oriented DB platforms on the ERP market: MySQL (good option if
you are making custom programming in PHP platform), Microsoft SQL Server 2005
Select (also consider Microsoft SQL Server 2008 for Small Business Server 2008)
also you can get scaled down version from Oracle, which is outside of the
scope for this paper. SQL compliance is
in our opinion critical, and it is not recommended to choose proprietary DB, typically
coming together with such accounting applications as MYOB, Peach Tree, Quick
Books
2.
Words of respect to Linux and other free
Operating Systems. We recommend you to
review such Linux platforms as Suse, for example, where you can get software
free of charge, and where you pay per customer support case only as you
go. We would like to keep reservations
at this time to recommend ERP selection on Linux, however we encourage you to
make your own ERP market discovery
3.
SAP Business One. This ERP and MRP application for Small
Business comes from SAP and we trust this ERP brand. SB1 is available on Microsoft SQL Server 2005
and with version SAP Business One 2007A it is now pretty reliable and localized
for United States: 1099, Sales Tax, Barcode, Warehouse management, Credit Cards
Processing, eCommerce module, CRM. SAP
Business One SDK allows you to customize user interface as well as Database
transactions: EDI, Integrations with legacy systems: Microsoft CRM, Lotus Notes
Domino, Oracle
4.
Great Plains Dynamics GP. This solution is coming directly from
Microsoft Dynamics subdivision. If you
are one-person-operations, we would like you to review Microsoft Small Business
Accounting both SAP BO and Dynamics GP would be probably too expensive for
you. Current Dynamics GP, belonging and
supported by Microsoft Business Solutions had long small business accounting
trace: Great Plains Accounting for DOS: 9.2 and 9.5 were the most popular
versions, Great Plains Small Business Financials 7.5, 8.0 and 9.0 were
dedicated to small business scaled down versions of Microsoft Great
Plains. Current trend in SBF is upgrade
and migration to Dynamics GP Business Ready
5.
MRP. Both
SAP Business One and Great Plains Dynamics GP offer discrete Manufacturing and
MRP modules. SAP Business One is closer
to small business in our opinion, where you can do intuitive Production Module
self discovery. Great Plains, however
has Bill of Materials module, which could cover small business manufacturing and
assembly
6.
Great Plains eConnect versus SAP Business One
SDK programming. Both SDK packages are targeted
to custom ecommerce applications and software developers. We would like to treat them with the same
respect and recommend for deployment
7.
Corporate ERP reporting. In both cases we recommend you to consider
Crystal Reports. In the case when you
are tight with the budget, try to consider Microsoft SQL Server Reporting
Services or SSRS, as this extension is coming free with Microsoft SQL Server
2005 or 2000 Standard or Enterprise
8.
Legacy accounting data conversion and migration. If you company deployed such proprietary
accounting packages as PeachTree, MYOB, QuickBooks, we recommend you to
consider printing modules reports and saving them in Text tab or comma
delimited files, Excel also is good option
9.
ERP for International Business. Even Small Business could be involved in
international operations, such as purchasing your merchandise from China,
India, Philippines, Brazil, Mexico, Russia.
If this is your scenario, please try to make the research of Microsoft
Business Solutions ERP products support internationally. At this time Dynamics GP is supported in
English Speaking countries, and SAP Business One is localized for major
nations: Latin America, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Brazil
, Israel to
name a few