The Penguin operating system not only has programs for the home user. Although it's still a bit short on applications for specialized freelancers, the list of business software for Linux is quite comprehensive.
In this article we will explain the classification of enterprise software for Linux, we will define each one and give some titles that can be tried.
Enterprise software for Linux. A veritable soup of acronyms.
By the term "enterprise software" we are referring to Software used by companies for tasks not directly related to the production of goods and services. This includes inventory management, personnel management, and customer relations. Most of these programs come in two forms: Software as a Service or Self-Hosted.
In the first, the user pays a monthly fee to use the program installed on the developer's servers and is entitled to support. In the second, the user installs the program on their own servers and receives community support. Of course, in the latter case, use is free.
Depending on the program, sometimes the paid versions also have features that are not included in the community versions.
According to their function and their acronym in English we can classify them into:
- CRM or Customer Relationship Manager: Centralizes all the information generated from customer interactions with the company. Includes contact information, transaction history, and queries. Helps plan marketing campaigns and detect and resolve issues. Some titles for Linux include: CRM Suite o VtigerCRM
- ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning: Centralizes all information about the organization's physical and human resources, including information on purchasing, sales, invoicing, human resources, and accounting. It provides real-time information on the organization's status and helps make decisions about the optimal use of resources. Some titles are OdooERP o ERPNext.
- Supply chain management: It allows for the planning, management, and control of all stages, from the purchase of raw materials to the delivery of the finished product. It's useful for reducing costs, avoiding production interruptions, and ensuring the product reaches the customer on time. There don't seem to be any specialized titles, but ERP software like the aforementioned Odoo has components that fulfill this function.
- HCM or Human Resources Manager: Manage all employee information from the moment they join the company until they leave or are fired. They automate administrative processes such as performance evaluations, payroll management, and absenteeism control. Here we find titles such as the community version of OrangeHRM o Sentifugal.
- BI or business intelligence: It allows you to process large amounts of data to generate useful information and analyze it through reports, graphs, dashboards, and formulate predictions that allow you to detect patterns and business opportunities. This is where one of the lesser-known products of the Apache Foundation comes in. Superset. In addition, we can test Pentaho Community Version
- Collaboration and communication software: It facilitates teamwork and the circulation of information. We can use titles like Taiga u OpenProject
- DMS or Document Management: It enables the storage, classification, and retrieval of documents in digital format. We can use programs such as SeedDMS o Mayan EDMS.
- CMS or Content Management System: Streamlines the creation of corporate websites or e-commerce portals by separating design from content publishing. Some good alternatives are Joomla or Drupal.
An important point to note is that It is not the same to make the transition from proprietary software to open source software or from Windows to Linux at home than in the corporate environment.There are more users involved, greater security risks, greater compatibility requirements, and less error tolerance. Any implementation of these or similar titles should be done after careful planning. The costs and benefits of the change must also be carefully considered.