Have been trying to get some assitance in using ERPNext l am not a programmer but l have vast knowledge with ERP systems like Sage Pastel Evolution , Palladium , Quickbooks ,Zoho books ,Netsuite and many more .
Getting assitance in doing simple things that l have already seen a video of how that thing is done but you know with little knowledge of Frappe framework you cant do it so l decided to look for ERPNext consultants the prices are so unrealistic the minimum l got was USD$1500 for 2 user setup and then it means by year end if you need support it would go up to USD$10 000 which say above avarage ERP system if you look at Sage 200 it comes with everything and you dont need to consult any programmer it cost USD$900 per annum and the cases you may need support are very few it can me set at $200 per annum l think ERPNext need to simplify a lot of things .ERPNext had already done the bigger things few things that are left have less work.
So looking at ERPNext you will find that you cant use it with no programming its background its too expensive to use compared to other systems
@francis1 Your concerns are genuine. However, just like some consultants will ask you for $1500, some others in here will help you for free. All you need do is ask the right questions and someone will provide answers.
When I started, I had zero knowledge of ERPNext or any other ERP software out there and I’m neither an accountant nor a programmer/developer, just your regular IT guy . But today I have implemented ERPNext for my company with nearly 400 users. I did engage developers for custom features unique to my company’s needs but the beauty of ERPNext is that it allowed me build and integrate these unique features that Sage, SAP or any other closed source ERP systems out there would not allow me accomplish easily without breaking the bank.
This forum is full of tips on how to set up your own system yourself and if you have specific questions about how to achieve some results, you can post it in here and I’m sure members of the community will either provide direct answers or point you to documents/resources to help you achieve your goal if you can’t find answers using search. Ask the right questions and you will get the right answers. You will need developers if you want to implement complex/custom features but in the long run it is worth it.
Thanks with the insight but l think ERPNext may need to make some efforts in improving that l think its just a few hours job to be done if they are committed to it
Customization is always going to be expensive, whether it’s for ERPNext or Sage or anything else. Are you sure you need customization? What are you trying to do? Out of the box, you can host a site on Frappe Cloud for $120 a year.
with Sage there isn’t much customization or no customization at all for standard users everything will already be found in the system the only thing you customize is reports but rarely because they are already standard .The main thing that need to be sorted in ERPNext is user interface , when you are dealing with general ledger all items that deals with general ledger should be found under one tab either reports , transactions , customizations etc same for stocks otherwise ERPNext is so reach in features
If you are not a web developer oriented it’s very risky to engage your self alone without service provider help in a project.
For paid work you can use this telegram group to post job announcement,
you exactly what l mean not everyone should learn how to do the coding some things have to come as standard features , a person doesnt have to first study frappe framework that’s exactly my point even if you look at all reviews about ERPNext from different people from different countries you will see them talking about user interface and need for one to first know frappeframework to be able to do customization in ERPNext
My opinion: there is no one-size-fits-all product especially a complicated one like erp.
On the contrary to @francis1 preference, I like ERPNext because it is customizable. And I’m also not a programmer.
We can choose any product available which suit our need.
This isn’t coding. ERPNext comes with a number of thematic workspaces out of the box, and they can all be customized directly from the user interface without needing to know any programming.
If you prefer the screenshot you’ve shared (a list of identical icons) to ERPNext’s more structured workspaces, there’s nothing wrong with that. ERPNext may not be the platform for you.
ERPNext is such a robust and complete ERP Open Source free software that without paying a single penny you can get such a giant and complex system in place for your organization. Nobody can gift such a precious product free of cost compare to other paid and license charges ERP software.
However, you have to add sugar(money) to achieve your liking sweetness (customization).
You are just thinking about expensive consultancy, but have ever thought of their survival? How they are managing the openness of ERPNext?
It is evidence to monetize from somewhere by some means. That’s it.
The complexity and cost of implementing the open source will become much more costly that using something with closed code so in that case it will not make sense because if a system with closed code cost $500usd per annum and ERPNext consultant charges $1500 for customizing and training 1 simple apps what more of support costs so it means by end of year the cost would higher than closed app so it will not economic sense .
I am not a frappe or an ERPNext developer, but as per my adoption experience with the ERPNext, the code is not closed one. It is a open source. Yes, you may find frappe framework a new one but it is the case for all the new and emerged technology or framework.
I am sharing suggestion with my past two years of experience which may help you in your case:
If you want a little customization then you may freelance and there your will find out budgeted developer.
If you have a list of customizations then you may higher a developer who have working experience in python/frappe/erpnext.
Firstly, to address your concern that ERPNext consultants are costly, It depends on the level of their expertise. Those who are experienced will charge more, while those who are relatively new may charge less. It’s just finding the ones suiting to your price. As @nmami posted, you can use the link to hopefully get a consultant within your price range.
But in general if we see, maybe the ERPNext consultants are costlier. I think its because the community in general is small, and the demand is high for consultants. As basic economic goes higher demand+low supply=cost increase.
Sage Pastel Evolution , Palladium , Quickbooks ,Zoho books ,Netsuite and many more
Secondly, the softwares which you mentioned above (exception of Netsuite) are primarily accounting softwares catering directly to end user.
Where as, ERPNext is a full fledged ERP. As it goes with all ERPs, it takes significant time to set it up. Which is both a boon and a bane – For those who want to use it out of the box, it is quite difficult and un-intuitive (as in your case) while for others, it offers deep customization. As @rahy pointed out, its all about user’s preferences.
Though I do agree the UI can be made easy for the new users using ERP out of the box. (The current UI just overwhelms the user with all the different features at once. But that’s a different discussion)
Like you Francis1 I am not a coder but do have ERP experience. You are correct as far as ERPNext support is concerned and I have raised the issue many times before. Unfortunately one never gets clear answers and I’m not talking price necessarily…I’m talking about getting/procuring support on specific issues. I think I know what the problem is. The whole project is dominated by programmers and generally speaking, these guys suffer from serious tone-deafness as far as user needs are concerned. The whole concept of free code, especially for an ERP system, is a noble one and kudus to ERPNext. We all understand that nothing under the sun is free, that’s not the point here. The point is that if you are not a coder you get cold-shouldered even for simple fixes. E.g my inventory account is out of balance. The error was occasioned by the version update (I’m on the cloud option). I’m sitting with this issue for well over a year now. I do think this is ERPNext’s Achilles heal…it’s more of a coders’ product than a business system. Even when one is prepared to procure support, the whole thing becomes extremely complex until you give up. This is not to say ERPNext is not a great application; certainly for SMME’s warts and all, it is one of the best in the market.
. But today I have implemented ERPNext for my company with nearly 400 users. I did engage developers for custom features unique to my company’s needs but the beauty of ERPNext is that it allowed me build and integrate these unique features that Sage, SAP or any other closed source ERP systems out there would not allow me accomplish easily without breaking the bank.
