Tutorial for developing a web based ERP/ BPM app

Question

Ok, so I want to build a web based ERP / BPM app and my first thoughts were Ajax / PHP / XML ( or MySQL ). I got a book (the writer is Steven Holzner ) about Ajax, PHP, CSS, JavaScript and so on but it doesn't seem to go very far with it, not even far. I have experience with programming ( Java, Python, C ( hate C thought )). So, quick tutorials would be great. Thanks.

Answer 1

Personally I would select Java or .Net for an ERP system because:

1. They provide superior support for building a middle tier.
2. An enterprise application such as this one needs a middle tier.

Answer 2

I didn't understand which kinds of tutorials you're exactly looking for. There's no "quick tutorial" for a huge system like an ERP.

I think in your situation you need to understand, in a really summarized list:

• The business model;
• The advantages each technology (Java, PHP, and such) has to see if they are adequate to the business model;
• Reading and understanding how other people implemented similar software (Database, Design, Analysis, etc) for best practices and learned lessons.

I would suggest you to search for some ERP open source implementations in Sourceforge.

IMHO, creating a whole software like an ERP from scratch is a lot of work. If you want to learn from it, do it. But if you just need the work done, well, I think it's a good idea to use other people's ERP.

Answer 3

The technology isn't as important as the business solutions/ benefits it presents. If you want a starting point look at Apache's Open For Business and some of the decisions they may about workflow, and some of the features they include. Also look at some of the open source ERP projects.

Compiere has been around for a while but is now offering a per user per month pricing model.. and the "community edition" doesn't appear to have key features like warehouse managment. However i'd look for some lessons from their open source product before rolling my own.