All you want to know about ERPNext

ERPNext's Sales module encompasses a variety of features to help businesses manage their sales processes effectively. Here are the key components of the Sales module in ERPNext:

Key Modules in the Procure-to-Pay Cycle

Requisition: This module initiates the procurement process by generating a purchase requisition. It involves identifying the need for goods or services and creating a formal request for purchase.
Purchase Order (PO) Management: Once the requisition is approved, a purchase order is created. This module manages the creation, approval, and distribution of purchase orders to suppliers.
Supplier Management: This module handles the management of supplier information, such as contact details, terms, and performance metrics. It ensures accurate supplier records and enables effective communication.
Purchase Quotation, Vendor Selection and Evaluation: Request for Quotation & Quotation Evaluation.
Purchase Order & Tracking: Purchase Order confirmation, shipment tracking, and delivery notifications.
Purchase Receipt and Inspection: Manages the receiving of goods and services, including inspection and verification against purchase orders. This module may include quality control and acceptance processes.
Inventory Management: Tracks and manages inventory levels after goods are received, ensuring accurate stock levels and timely replenishment.
Invoice Processing: Handles the receipt, validation, and approval of supplier invoices. This module may include matching invoices to purchase orders and goods receipts.
Accounts Payable: Manages the financial aspect of the procurement process, including recording supplier invoices, tracking payment terms, and processing payments to suppliers.
Approval Workflows: Manages the approval process for purchase requisitions, purchase orders, and supplier invoices. It ensures proper authorization at various stages.
Reporting and Analytics: Provides insights into procurement performance, spending patterns, supplier performance, and other key metrics.
Document Management: Organizes and stores documents related to procurement, such as contracts, purchase orders, and supplier correspondence.

The Procure-to-Pay cycle involves a series of interrelated modules that work together to ensure efficient and compliant procurement processes, from requisition to payment. These modules contribute to streamlining operations, improving supplier relationships, and optimizing costs.

Manufacturing Features in ERPNext

Bill of Materials (BOM) Management: Create and manage BOMs that define the structure of a product, including raw materials, components, and subassemblies needed for production.
Routing and Workstation Management: Define production routes and workstations for each manufacturing process step, ensuring efficient workflow management.
Production Orders: Generate production orders to initiate the manufacturing process. Monitor and track the progress of each order through different production stages.
Material Requirements Planning (MRP): Use MRP to automatically calculate the materials needed for production based on demand, existing inventory, and lead times.
Job Cards: Create job cards for each production order, detailing the specific tasks and instructions for the shop floor workers.
Work in Progress (WIP) Tracking: Monitor work in progress at different production stages, allowing better visibility into production status.
Quality Control: Implement quality control checks and define quality inspection criteria at different production stages to ensure product quality.
Batch and Serial Number Tracking: Track products using batch or serial numbers, providing traceability for quality control and compliance.
Capacity Planning: Manage production capacity by analyzing resource availability and scheduling production orders accordingly.
Shop Floor Control: Assign and track production tasks to specific workstations, enabling real-time monitoring and control of manufacturing operations.
Subcontracting: Manage subcontracting processes by creating purchase orders for services required in the production process.
Multi-Level Production: Handle complex production scenarios involving multi-level assemblies and subassemblies.
Material Issue and Consumption: Record and track the consumption of raw materials and components during the production process.
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM): Manage the entire lifecycle of a product, from design and development to production and obsolescence.
Machine and Equipment Management: Maintain records of machines and equipment used in production, track maintenance schedules, and monitor their utilization.
Work Order Scheduling: Schedule production orders based on resource availability, lead times, and production priorities.
Resource Allocation: Allocate resources, including labor, machines, and materials, to different production tasks.
Production Analytics and Reporting: Access detailed reports and analytics on production efficiency, costs, lead times, and resource utilization.
Integration with Inventory and Sales: Seamlessly link manufacturing with inventory management and sales processes to ensure accurate stock levels and timely order fulfillment.
Traceability and Recall Management: Enable product traceability to facilitate recalls and investigations if quality or safety issues arise.

Accounting Features in ERPNext

Chart of Accounts: Define and manage your organization's financial accounts, including assets, liabilities, income, and expenses.
Journal Entries: Record financial transactions through manual journal entries, ensuring accurate bookkeeping and financial reporting.
General Ledger: Maintain a comprehensive overview of all financial transactions, organized by account, for a clear picture of your company's financial health.
Accounts Receivable: Manage customer invoices, track outstanding payments, and maintain accurate records of receivables.
Accounts Payable: Monitor supplier invoices, track payment terms, and manage your organization's payables effectively.
Bank and Cash Management: Record bank transactions, reconcile bank statements, and manage petty cash for accurate cash flow management.
Fixed Assets Management: Track and manage your company's fixed assets, including depreciation calculations and disposal management.
Expense Claims: Handle employee expense claims, review submissions, and reimburse expenses efficiently.
Tax Management: Configure and manage tax rules, rates, and compliance requirements for accurate tax calculations and reporting.
Multi-Currency Support: Handle transactions and reporting in multiple currencies, ensuring accurate financial representation for international operations.
Budgeting and Forecasting: Create, manage, and monitor budgets, and perform financial forecasting to plan for the future.
Financial Reports: Generate a variety of financial reports, including balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and custom reports.
Profit and Loss Analysis: Analyze your company's profitability by tracking income, expenses, and profit margins.
Audit Trails: Maintain a secure and traceable record of all financial transactions and changes made within the system.
Integration with Other Modules: Seamlessly integrate accounting with other ERPNext modules, such as sales, purchasing, and inventory, for accurate financial insights.
Consolidation: Consolidate financial data from multiple branches or subsidiaries for a holistic view of the organization's financial performance.
Asset and Liability Management: Monitor and manage company assets and liabilities to make informed financial decisions.
Financial Workflow: Implement custom approval workflows for financial transactions, ensuring proper authorization and control.
Compliance and Audit: Adhere to financial regulations and standards, and prepare for audits with accurate and transparent financial records.
Automatic Bank Reconciliation: Automate the process of reconciling bank statements with recorded transactions for accurate account balances.

HRMS Features in ERPNext

Employee Records Management: Maintain comprehensive records of all employees, including personal information, employment history, and documents.
Attendance Management: Track employee attendance, manage leaves, and record overtime for accurate payroll calculations.
Time Tracking: Monitor and record work hours, breaks, and time spent on specific tasks or projects.
Employee Self-Service: Provide employees with self-service access to view and update their personal information, leave requests, and attendance records.
Leave Management: Streamline the leave request and approval process, ensuring efficient management of employee time off.
Payroll Processing: Calculate and process employee salaries, deductions, taxes, and other payroll components accurately.
Performance Management: Set goals, conduct performance appraisals, and track employee performance for continuous improvement.
Recruitment and Onboarding: Streamline the recruitment process, from job posting and candidate selection to new employee onboarding.
Training and Development: Plan and manage employee training programs, track certifications, and encourage professional growth.
Employee Engagement: Foster employee engagement through surveys, feedback mechanisms, and recognition programs.
HR Analytics and Reporting: Generate reports and analytics on various HR metrics, such as turnover rates, performance trends, and workforce demographics.
Document Management: Organize and store employee-related documents, such as contracts, certifications, and performance reviews.
Employee Communication: Facilitate communication between employees and HR through announcements, notifications, and internal messaging.
Employee Separation: Manage the process of employee resignations, retirements, and terminations, including exit interviews and clearance procedures.
Integration with Payroll and Finance: Seamlessly integrate HRMS with payroll and financial modules for accurate compensation and budgeting.
Compliance Management: Ensure adherence to labor laws, regulations, and industry standards in HR practices.

CRM Features in ERPNext

Lead Management: Capture and manage leads from various sources, track interactions, and convert leads into opportunities.
Opportunity Management: Monitor and manage sales opportunities through different stages of the sales pipeline, from initial contact to closing deals.
Contact Management: Maintain detailed records of customer contacts, communication history, and preferences.
Activity Tracking: Log and track customer interactions, including emails, calls, meetings, and notes, for better communication and follow-up.
Communication History: View a complete history of communications with each customer, enabling personalized and informed interactions.
Sales Quotations: Create and send professional sales quotations to customers, including product details, pricing, and terms.
Customer Support Tickets: Manage customer inquiries, issues, and support requests through a ticketing system for timely resolution.
Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Define SLAs for customer support, track response and resolution times, and ensure timely service delivery.
Customer Portal: Provide customers with a self-service portal to access their information, view orders, and track support requests.
Document Management: Store and organize customer-related documents, contracts, agreements, and communication records.
Sales Analytics and Reports: Generate insights into sales performance, conversion rates, lead sources, and revenue forecasts.
Workflow Automation: Automate repetitive tasks and processes, such as lead assignment, follow-ups, and notifications.
Integration with Email: Integrate with email systems to track email communication within CRM records and improve communication efficiency.
Social Media Integration: Integrate with social media platforms to monitor and engage with customers on social channels.
Customer Segmentation: Segment customers based on various criteria for targeted marketing campaigns and personalized communication.
Lead Scoring: Assign scores to leads based on their potential, helping sales teams prioritize and focus on high-potential leads.

Custom Developed Software

Customization is the process of fitting the chosen ERP software to the needs of a specific organization.

Whenever the processes represented in the ERP software differ significantly from the processes used by the firm one has two options. First is to build the organizational process into the ERP software through customization. The second one is to change the practice followed by the firm to suit the process native to the ERP software.