Customizing ERPNext user interface

hard to be assimilated their use

Do you mean hard to learn or hard to map to their use case?

We would like it if there will be an interface easier to use for agents

What kind of agents? Are your customers ‘agents?’

Do you mean hard to learn or hard to map to their use case?

I mean that it is difficult to learn how to use, odoo interface modules for example it is easier to learn the use

What kind of agents? Are your customers ‘agents’?

yes they are

What is driving your business to consider a switch in ERP software? If you think these are weaknesses of ERPNext relative to Odoo, that’s fine, but what do you think ERPNext offers that Odoo does not?

It sounds like you maybe interested in the portals section of Frappe/ ERPNext. Documentation here. Admittedly, this is one of the most programmer-intensive projects you can do in Frappe, but it seems like it meets your requirement of a streamlined interface for the agents and all of the horsepower for the rest of your team.

1 Like

I think you misunderstood me, I will rephrase my request in another way.

What interests me is to make the use of ERPNext with all these modules that exists simpler to use for people limited in their computer knowledge.

I will take some examples of some Odoo modules and the same on ERPNext so that we can be on the same wavelength.

For example the module Fleet Mangement on ERPNext:
On odoo when we install this module we will have the links in the menu, when we access this module there are all regarding the tracking of the fleet, the user will know exactly where manage the vehicles with these expense and loads, As shown in the first image.

On ERPNext the Fleet Manager is floated so that the user has trouble knowing how to use this module.
On the other hand, we can neither reorganize these functions nor reformulate these input fields, which is an advantage in ERPNext it is quite the opposite, in this context ERPNext and better than Odoo, we can on ERPNext modify all that we wants.

And also a little remark that I found is that on ERPNext there are no graphs that demonstrates the expense cost reports, however it exists at Odoo as it is mentioned in the second image


What I propose is to improve the user interface of the spell that one can easily use the system on ERPNext.

@barhamed it just seems your users are used to one interface.

My short answer is that it might be much easier to train your users to unlearn Odoo and learn ERPNext than to make ERPNext look like Odoo

3 Likes

Thank you Sir, I gave Odoo just as an example.
My goal is to improve ERPNext, it is necessary to know that on countries there are employers who do not like too much complexity (not as we computer scientists hihi :grin:) they want a simple execution has their request.
It is for her that these points must be improved.

1 Like

@barhamed Personally, I find the desk views richer than the webviews, but maybe that’s the perspective from a more accounting-oriented user.
Does mobile use playing into your use case? Consider that workflow as well as I think it might alleviate some of your concerns.

1 Like

@tmatteson

Personally, I find the desk views richer than the webviews, but maybe that’s the perspective from a more accounting-oriented user.

Sir, I noticed these remarks from several users of different companies.
The view used in ERPNext is complex for a simple user, for us (the computer scientists) we find that ERPNext is full of features.
But from a user perspective I have found that it can be complex for the majority.
It is for his that I launch this question because if its can be improved these points.

Does mobile use playing into your use case? Consider that workflow as well as I think it might alleviate some of your concerns.

On this point my answer is no they do not use mobile

Understood. It is always a sensible approach to understand it from the users perspective and I suspect (and hope) this yields you many happy customers.

I think @rmehta suggestion on training is a good one and between this and your attention to the user perspective, I think you’ll find a solution that works for you. Also to his point, what system is in place now? ERPs in general are notoriously hard to learn and if you’re working with a set of users that have a pen-and-paper or word-of-mouth management system, it may be too big a leap. Where are you working? Do you have a specific customer you want to talk through they use case and appropriately simplifying it? That would probably be more constructive than trying to “simplify” an ERP, which would probably be like trying to teach a bull to be a fish.

1 Like

@tmatteson
First I am a solution integrator, I am located in Algiers in Algeria.

The suggestion of @rmehta is good, but since this formation I have noticed this conflict.

Here in Algeria a lot of business that evolves towards new information systems, the inconvenient is that quite a few of them use its preoccupied by their functions that this broke the head with a thorough training on complex ERP, So they always look for simple solutions to use.
There are even companies that always use paperwork.

Precisely I can say that all of Algeria can be potential customers.

2 Likes

hi @barhamed i am from morocco and faced same issue first time but when you get familliar with ERPNEXT you will find it much more easiier and friendly then odoo ( i am an ex odoo).

hope you enjoy your experience with us.

Regards

3 Likes

hi @SOLOSOFT The worry is not with me personally I find it better than odoo in all sides, but rather with my clients it is they who find the problems

1 Like

My view on this is that ERPNext interface is simple, clean and flexible. But it is not intuitive.
In many cases, looking at a menu head will not giving a hint of what is inside.
So, as @rmehta suggested, a training is inevitable for the user to know what’s inside before using it. Or, also as he suggested, for the user to use it for 6 months and then he knows what to change/customize.
Many suggestions to use the search field to find a form or functions shows this case. It should be “searching” not “finding” :slight_smile:

I kind of agree with @barhamed, but rather than to simplify the interface, make it more intuitive. And it doesn’t need to be a simplification (let alone reduce) of the features as mentioned by @tmatteson.

My clients are SMEs. I don’t “sell” this software to them as ERP. I told them this is for supporting their operation (good thing for using ERPNext is that we can use it partially). So they can use it part by part as they grow familiarity with it.

My method: Recognize the function (from the real operation) → Record static database → Record transactions → Apply the business process → Do report and analytics.

Anyway, I still rearrange the menu (sidebar and pages) to be more intuitive for them.
As mentioned: “ERPNext is a fully featured ERP system designed for Small and Medium Sized business” so migrating from pen-and-paper is common.

Regards

2 Likes

Both @barhamed and @rahy raised the genuine issue. For SMEs (particularly sole owner businesses which , you can’t ask them to undergo several training to use the system like @rahy pointed out.

@rahy, would you mind sharing your customization code?

Cheers,

I don’t actually customizing the code. Just rearranging the order of the sidebar menu on the left (from the frappe/desk/page/modules/modules.js) by doing the html hardcode.
And rearanging the erpnext/config content for the menu details on the right side (when clicking Explore icon from the desk).
Still not finish because some links are taken using different route.

Suggestion to ERPNext:
By doing this rearrange of the menu, I see that some menu are criss cross between files. It was a heaadache to find the path. A page could take link source from 2-3 different files.
Maybe it is needed now to have a relook on the structure.

1 Like

@rahy won’t it be nice to share your code and also some screenshots so that the community can also witness what you have achieved so far and get the feedback from!

@barhamed honestly ERPNext is easiest ERP to use comparing with other ERP systems like Oracle, SAP and MS dynamics… This is from my experience I worked with all the above mentioned system. And the big advantage (ERPNext is open source software )… :wink:

It’s quite many screenshot to show the detail menu page (the doctype, reports,etc).
But this is what I do to the sidebar:

Domain (Line of Business):

  • Manufacturing

Operation:

  • Selling
  • Stock
  • Buying
  • Account
  • HR
  • CRM
  • Projects
  • Support

Data:

  • Master Data
  • Assets

Productivity:

  • Communication
  • Tools

Setup:

  • Website
  • Settings

I categorize the functions to have better match with activities in the business, including the sections/detail pages. The screenshots below show some important change I made.

Some sections moved to master data because they are database rather than transactions/activities and don’t get change much:

53

This is the support sections:
10

The communication sections:

And the tools sections:
38

More change is to always have reports and analytics on the same row, also the setup and help. You can see the xx is the empty column.

I change sidebar by changing the module.js with hardcoded.
And change the sections to the erpnext/config files.

1 Like

Cool customisation. Any cleaning up and logical seperation of the side menu code would be gratefully accepted into the codebase. :wink:

Anyone know how to filter the side menu only to show the domain?