## 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.

* <http://www.osoe-project.org/lesson/osoe-Lecture.ERP.Configuration.Introduction/P-OSOE-Accounting.Mathematician/view> - Accounting for Mathematicians

## Technical

* Web application

* Python2

* Zope2

* MariaDB(MySQL)

## Preliminary evaluation

### Positive

- 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)

### Negative

- Community: The mailing lists are not very active, see <http://mail.tiolive.com/pipermail/erp5-users/>, <http://mail.tiolive.com/pipermail/erp5-dev/>

- 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.

### 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.

## Evaluation

### Evaluation of [[Reporting|UseCases/GeneratingReports]] UseCases

- [[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.

### Evaluation of [[Reporting|UseCases/GeneratingReports]] UseCases for Fund Accounting

Can each of these reports be generated, confined to a specific temporarily

restricted asset type?

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)

### Evaluation of [[Fund Accounting|UseCases/FundAccounting]] UseCases

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

### [[UseCases/Collaborating]] evaluation

- [[Simultaneous Editing of Ledger|UseCases/Collaborating#simultaneous-ledger-edits]]: Yes

- FIXME: Other uses cases need rewrite.

### Evaluation of [[Double-entry Accounting|UseCases/DoubleEntryAccounting]] UseCases

- Does the system implement pure double-entry accounting? Yes

### Evaluation of [[TrackingDocumentation|UseCases/TrackingDocumentation]] UseCases

Tracking is possible. In ERP5 any documents can link to any other documents and can add link as many as one wants.

- 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

### Evaluation of [[Handling multiple currencies|UseCases/MultiCurrency]] UseCases

- Does it support the concept of

  [[a single functional currency|UseCases/MultiCurrency]], while still

### Evaluation of [[draft transaction|UseCases/DraftTransactions]] UseCases

- Does the system allow

  [[generally for draft transactions|UseCases/DraftTransactions#draft-general]]

  that can be later approved before officially being posted to the books? 

### 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]]?