Ever thought about dipping a toe into this open source development business, but wondered where to start? Intimidated by the size and complexity of an ERP system?
Here's a suggestion: Browse or search the list of feature requests. There are over 1,000 of em that people have asked for over the years. Sure, some are big and hairy. But you might be surprised at how easy some others might be — especially the little usability things that have such an impact on day-to-day users of the system. Here are two of my favorites, by way of example:
Add "amount" column to List Quotes — just what it sounds like. Sure, you could do this easily enough with scripting, but it's the kind of "nice to have" that would be readily accepted back into the core.
Add default Account option to Vendor master — slightly more involved, but not too much. Define a default GL account per vendor, so when you enter a miscellaneous voucher, it makes an educated guess where to distribute the expense.
There are loads and loads of similar examples — relatively small, non-intrusive items that would make the product better, and life easier. Why not give it a whirl?
And, if there are any non-developer general xTuple users still reading at this point — how about sounding off in the comments below and putting in a plug for a feature you'd like to see someone tackle? Be nice, they're doing this out of the goodness of their hearts...
Ned Lilly
In October 2001, Ned co-founded xTuple, originally called OpenMFG, with the aim of bringing the worlds of open platform software and enterprise resource planning (ERP) together to solve the unmet needs of small- to mid-sized manufacturers. In 1999, he was a co-founder of Great Bridge, an early business built around the PostgreSQL database which is also the core technology for xTuple today. Great Bridge was incubated inside Landmark Communications, a mid-sized media company where Ned directed corporate venture investments, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and startup activity. Prior to Landmark, Ned worked for a regional technology group in Washington D.C. and had a brief first career in political media — television, radio and a non-partisan news wire. He holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an M.A. from George Washington University.