xTuple open source ERP+CRM announces biggest release to date — stakes claim on Customer Experience with B2B eCommerce Web Portal for small and mid-sized business

NORFOLK, VA

xTuple 4.11 delivers expanded real-time APIs along with xTupleCommerce Web Portal

xTuple open source ERP (enterprise resource planning) has released its latest version 4.11 which includes xTupleCommerce 1.0, the B2B (business-to-business) sales and customer service Web Portal. xTuple Commerce empowers small and mid-sized manufacturers and distributors with new digital technology to better compete and grow their business exponentially.

With this release, xTuple expands the ecosystem of its ERP business management software with expanded third-party application program interfaces (APIs) and offers customers even greater convenience to access and analyze real-time data at-a-glance, giving decision-makers critical information at every step in the supply chain. The release also streamlined key processes within the platform, including order entry, billing selection, searching and filtering orders, quoting and creating credit memos.

 

 

Key features and benefits

  1. An expanding ecosystem. xTuple 4.11 version features expanded access to ERP objects via a robust REST API, ensuring visibility of real-time data and control of enterprise processes to integrated third-party apps.
  2. Doubling down on user experience and streamlined processes. xTuple 4.11 version incorporates convenience features such as “at-a-glance” status indicators that instantly let customer-service personnel determine the status of orders. It also features a redesigned options configurator — dramatically simplified to increase speed and simplicity when entering orders.
  3. "Grow your business" tools. xTuple 4.11 version adds Landed Cost to support import-export activities; improved Return Authorization reporting; expanded image, document and file management; and improved CRM functionality for customer prospecting and management.
  4. Quality Control improvements. xTuple 4.11 version helps companies better meet standards of excellence and document regulatory and/or quality compliance such as ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and FAI (First Article Inspection) for any industry, to easily manage and/or improve non-conformance with corrective and preventative actions.
  5. PostBooks® community edition. xTuple 4.11 continued to advance features to support its open source roots of flexibility and affordability, including an easy upgrade path to a commercial edition to take advantage of xTupleCommerce 1.0, the B2B Web Portal.

xTupleCommerce

xTupleCommerce offers a real-time, web-based connection to xTuple ERP to deliver direct access to business partners and customers — around-the-clock and from anywhere in the world, improving marketing and operational efficiencies.

“xTupleCommerce is built with B2B buyers in mind. The buying experience is fast and efficient - and- provides a gateway for manufacturers to communicate directly to their target audience. The system is flexible and can serve both customer types,” says xTupleCommerce product manager Josh Fischer.

"In today’s fast-paced business world, we’re seeing more challenges than ever before. How products are bought and sold is quietly disrupting many seemingly stable companies in traditional industries. We see blurring lines between manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in an omni-channel environment to create the ideal customer experience by giving buyers what they want, when they want it. Manufacturers who don't embrace these changes risk being left behind. xTuple is the rare vendor filling the need for a real-time integrated ERP, e-commerce, and customer service system," wrote Predrag Jakovljevic, principal analyst at Technology Evaluation Centers.

ERP-integrated xTupleCommerce users can

  1. Be more productive with automation of sales or customer service tasks
  2. Sell more as self-service access empowers digitally savvy customers to "sell" themselves on a company's products
  3. Expand a company's market as easy-to-find-online businesses are proven to grow their prospect base faster

A series of educational resources are underway to cover “What's New in ERP? Business Happens on the Web”


Meet the Customers — Instrument Meter Specialties Interview

Located just outside Los Angeles, California (USA), Instrument Meter Specialties is the resource for factory finished test equipment, meters, transformers, generators, and shunts as well as repair and calibration.

What business problem were you trying to solve with xTuple and xTupleCommerce?

“Our old accounting software had a 90s mindset with no real concept of what a growing business needs. xTuple wasn't too complicated for us to use, or to learn, with the multiple free and paid support channels. Plus, xTuple had the right product offering (PostBooks®) to fit our budget and our capabilities now – to get started – and with room to grow. Our online presence was stagnating because of a platform we'd developed in-house, that only one person knew how to use. We could never develop a fully functional system that way. We needed to pay for that kind of service,” said Jason Dueck, Vice President of Instrument Meter.

What value have your derived for your business using xTupleCommerce?

“Our product life span is anywhere from 2-25 years or more, so most of our business is from new customers. Furthermore, our market is very scattered, so advertising channels like billboards, yellow pages, or radio weren't really an option for us. The web-presence xTupleCommerce offered was our best hope of growth. We are so excited about how this software continues to develop and benefit our business. Our web-presence has been greatly enhanced over the last 12 months using xTupleCommerce; it’s even allowed us to take advantage of advertising services. Every metric we track — from monthly visitors, monthly sessions, average session time, and bounce rate — is steadily improving,” said Dueck.


"We would like to thank everyone for the contributions made to this latest xTuple open source ERP release," said xTuple CEO Ned Lilly. "Between the thousands of weekly downloads and tens of thousands of small and mid-sized companies using the ERP+CRM suite in production worldwide, we're gaining traction in the ERP marketplace, competing with and winning new customers against large, proprietary software vendors known for their version and customer lock-in."

Lilly continued, “Today’s consumer is accustomed to researching companies and making purchases online, ordering products and services for their families. Those same consumers are B2B buyers. They want the same tools to make their B2B buying just as easy and efficient. xTuple now makes that possible — and affordable — for our manufacturing and distribution customer base.”

 

Tweets

xTuple #opensource #ERP #CRM announces biggest release to date including @xTupleB2B | LINK

xTuple #opensource #ERP stakes claim on #CX with #B2B #eCommerce Web Portal for #SMB | LINK

xTuple 4.11 delivers expanded real-time #APIs along with @xTupleB2B xTupleCommerce Web Portal | LINK

xTuple 4.11 Key Feature/Benefit: Expanded access to #ERP objects via #RESTAPI for integrated 3rd-party apps | LINK

xTuple 4.11 Key Feature/Benefit: Doubling down on #UX and streamlines #ERP processes with increased speed & simplicity | LINK

xTuple 4.11 Key Feature/Benefit: "Grow your business" tools such as #LandedCost to support #import #export activities | LINK

xTuple 4.11 Key Feature/Benefit: "Grow your business" tools such as improved #CRM functionality for customer prospecting & management | LINK

xTuple 4.11 Key Feature/Benefit: #QualityControl improvements for #ISO & #FAI to easily manage and/or improve non-conformance | LINK

xTuple 4.11 Key Feature/Benefit: #FOSS #opensource #PostBooks includes easy upgrade path to use @xTupleB2B Web Portal | LINK

Tags

#ENSW #ERP #CRM #manufacturing #distribution #eCommerce #opensource #B2B

 

About xTuple — Open Source ERP+CRM+Web Portal

Award-winning xTuple is the leading commercial open source suite of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software with integrated CRM for Manufacturing and Distribution companies who need control over operations and profitability. Includes all critical supply chain functions in one modular system: accounting, sales, customer and supplier management, inventory control, manufacturing and distribution. Manufacturers: make-to-order, make-to-stock, mixed-mode. Distributors: electrical, HVAC, plumbing, industrial and consumer wholesale distribution. Available with real-time business-to-business (B2B) eCommerce / Sales & Service Customer Web Portal.

xTuple is powerful tools to Grow Your World®. Discrete pieces of the system, called ERPlets™, may be utilized separately, without using the entire ERP system. xTuple gives customers the ability to tailor solutions with multi-platform support for Windows, Mac, Linux and mobile as well as flexible licensing and pricing options.

Join the innovation conversation with the open source community at xTuple.com. Learn about the product with xTupleUniversity.com.