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## Links
* <http://www.erp5.com/> - Project homepage
* <http://git.erp5.org/gitweb/erp5.git/tree?js=1> - Source code
* <http://www.erp5.com/P-CLOUDIA-Howto.ERP5.VM> - Virtual Machine for evaluation(You can use VirtualBox to run it).
* <http://www.osoe-project.org/web_page_module/3278> - How to install and use the ERP5 VM
* <http://www.osoe-project.org/lesson/osoe-Lecture.ERP.Configuration.Introduction> - Online Lectures including accounting.
* <http://www.erp5.com/documentation/user> - Other user documents.
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* <http://www.osoe-project.org/lesson/osoe-Lecture.ERP.Configuration.Introduction/P-OSOE-Accounting.Mathematician/view> - Accounting for Mathematicians
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## Technical
* Web application
* Python2
* Zope2
* MariaDB(MySQL)
## Preliminary evaluation
### Positive
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- Flexible system based on a good architecture(Unified Business Model)
- Highly configurable/customizable
- i18n/l10n support
- Rapid application development through the web(easy to do prototyping)
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### Negative
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- Community: The mailing lists are not very active, see <http://mail.tiolive.com/pipermail/erp5-users/>, <http://mail.tiolive.com/pipermail/erp5-dev/>
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- Take time to study(important to understand its design(Unified Business Model))
- Installation is not simple
- Need to read source code and need some experience.
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### Comments
Yusei Tahara(an ERP5 developer): I'm sure ERP5 can be customized into an international NPO accounting program. ERP5 is very flexible, customizable, strong i18n/l10n support. However it takes time to understand how to use/develop. Let me know if there are any questions.
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## Evaluation
### Evaluation of [[Reporting|UseCases/GeneratingReports]] UseCases
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- [[Trial Balance Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#trial-balance]]: Exist
- [[Bank Reconciliation Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#bank-reconcilation]]: Not exist, it would be needed to implement "bank reconciliation transaction" document.
- [[Chart of Accounts|UseCases/GeneratingReports#chart-of-accounts]]: Exist(go to account module)
- [[Cash Disbursements Journal|UseCases/GeneratingReports#cash-disbursements]]: Exists.(go to accounting module and filter by document type)
- [[Income Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#income-report]]: Use trial balance report.
- [[Expense Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#expense-report]]: Use trial balance report.
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### Evaluation of [[Reporting|UseCases/GeneratingReports]] UseCases for Fund Accounting
Can each of these reports be generated, confined to a specific temporarily
restricted asset type?
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ERP5's search function can easily filter result by any categories(asset type of account, etc).
So all of them below are basically possible.
- [[Trial Balance Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#trial-balance]]: Yes
- [[Bank Reconciliation Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#bank-reconcilation]]: Yes, once this report is implemented.
- [[Chart of Accounts|UseCases/GeneratingReports#chart-of-accounts]]: Yes. It may require a small customization.
- [[Cash Disbursements Journal|UseCases/GeneratingReports#cash-disbursements]]: Yes, it may require small customization.
- [[Income Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#income-report]]: Yes(Use trial balance report)
- [[Expense Report|UseCases/GeneratingReports#expense-report]]: Yes(Use trial balance report)
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### Evaluation of [[Fund Accounting|UseCases/FundAccounting]] UseCases
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My intuition tells(although it is necessary to think the design carefully) that this can be done by
implementing a security model based on project/group category with hierarchical structure. Since ERP5 accounting supports hierarchical structure to manage data, non-profit org can be parent and all fiscal sponsorship users can be children. This way, non-profit org can view everything and each fiscal sponsorship user can view only his data.
- [[Fund-only View|UseCases/FundAccounting#fund-view]] Possible
- [[Funds as part of whole org View|UseCases/FundAccounting#fundless-view]] Possible
- [[Ignore Funds for operations|UseCases/FundAccounting#fundless-view]] Possible
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### [[UseCases/Collaborating]] evaluation
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- [[Simultaneous Editing of Ledger|UseCases/Collaborating#simultaneous-ledger-edits]]: Yes
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- FIXME: Other uses cases need rewrite.
### Evaluation of [[Double-entry Accounting|UseCases/DoubleEntryAccounting]] UseCases
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- Does the system implement pure double-entry accounting? Yes
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### Evaluation of [[TrackingDocumentation|UseCases/TrackingDocumentation]] UseCases
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Tracking is possible. In ERP5 any documents can link to any other documents and can add link as many as one wants.
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And ERP5 support not only accounting but invoicing, document management, etc.
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- Does the system [[link up to external documentation|UseCases/TrackingDocumentation#document-link-up]]? Yes
- Does it have a [[the ability to explore transactions via documentation linkage|UseCases/TrackingDocumentation#document-link-explore]]? Yes
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### Evaluation of [[Handling multiple currencies|UseCases/MultiCurrency]] UseCases
- Does it support the concept of
[[a single functional currency|UseCases/MultiCurrency]], while still
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permitting multi-currency entries? Yes
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### Evaluation of [[draft transaction|UseCases/DraftTransactions]] UseCases
- Does the system allow
[[generally for draft transactions|UseCases/DraftTransactions#draft-general]]
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that can be later approved before officially being posted to the books? Yes thanks to workflow system.
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### Evaluation of WorkFlow UseCases
- Is a [[specific workflow dictated by the system|UseCases/WorkFlow#workflow-dictated]] ?
- Is a [[the workflow configurable|UseCases/WorkFlow#workflow-configurable]] ?
- [[Unaccrued Invoice|UseCases/WorkFlow#unaccrued-invioice]] ?
### Evaluation of the [[Reading and Reporting API|UseCases/ReadingAPI]]
FIXME: This is assessment of what the API for manipulating the accounting
data does, so I think it's tough to do it as a list of questions.
### Evaluation of the [[Storage API|UseCases/StorageAPI]]
FIXME: This is assessment of what the API for storing the accounting data
does, so I think it's tough to do it as a list of questions.
### Evaluation of the [[Community Health|UseCases/CommunityHealth]]
- Is the [[license both determined as Free Software by FSF and OSI-approved|USeCases/CommunityHealth#license-approved]]?
- Is the [[license GPL-compatible||UseCases/CommunityHealth#gpl-compatible]]?
- Does the project
[[require assignment of copyright or a CLA to get code upstreamed|UseCases/CommunityHealth#no-cla-for-profit]]?
- How many
[[active developers/companies contribute to the project||USeCases/CommunityHealth#dev-count]]?
* If there aren't many, how hard would it be to take over the project if needed?
- Is there good [[developer documentation|UseCases/CommunityHealth#dev-docs]]?
- How easy it to [[engage as a developer with the community|UseCases/CommunityHealth#dev-welcoming]]?
