Technology As Innovator

I’m on Firefox 3 too, and I utilize addons to enrich my web experience too, like most of you there.

There have been countless of entries to useful Firefox addons, but what’s different about this post is that it measures the costs that can be saved for users when using these extensions.

What are the costs of usability and how much are they?

The descending order of severity of the costs are

1. Screen loads: this is a pain when internet connection is slow. It usually takes most time of all interactions with the computer
2. Mouse movements: mouse movements severely damage the wrist and this should be minimized
3. Mouse clicks: mouse clicks are less severe than mouse movements, but are also expensive
4. URLs: an URL takes time to type in
5. Enters: it hurts the little finger
6. Hot keys: hot keys usually consists of at least 2 keys, but are regarded as less expensive than Enters because they are mostly done with the left hand, reduces damage to the right hand

Now, let’s start with the addons!

The first six in the batch: Google Toolbar, Diigo Toolbar, StumbleUpon Toolbar, TwitterFox, CustomizeGoogle, Better YouTube

Google Toolbar for Firefox

Google Toolbar provides search, “I’m feeling lucky” and images search functions without having to go to Google.com

It also supports Gmail notifications and Google PR check

Diigo Toolbar

I have used Diigo as a replacement of delicious (I still love the old brand del.icio.us)

Though delicious tagging is smarter and usability is better, Diigo supports web-highlighting which makes it an advantage.

Diigo toolbar allows user to bookmark their favorite web pages for later reference. With Diigo, all bookmarks are centralized when users move from computer to another.

StumbleUpon Toolbar

StumbleUpon works on an interesting concept: when you hit the Stumble! button, the addon takes you to a random interesting page that matches your preferences.

The StumbleUpon toolbar makes it more convenient for you.

CustomizeGoogle

This powerful addon modifies Google search results and display preferences. It supports options for Web Search, Images, Groups, News, Products, G Answers, G Books, Gmail, G Galendar, G Maps, G Docs, Video, Reader, Cache, Blogger, History, Privacy and Filter

Twitterfox

Better YouTube

This Greasemonkey-based addon loads the YouTube video faster and allows downloading the video. Generally it saves me half an hour per day for one video.

Conclusion

With the intensity of these service I use everyday, these addons easily save at least one hour each day for me.

I can use this one hour for other business purposes which can generate other benefits.

What is your experience? What do you think of my approach when analyzing these?

ERP is free?

At first, I could believe that a highly complex software like that of ERP can be open or free.

However, it is a truth. Some communities are really committed to engage to this sophistication.

Now here it is: ERP comes open-source!

ERP is really free?

I like the way Adempiere depicts the complexion of costs:

“Information Is Free - U have to Know
People Are Not - U have to Pay
Contributors Are Priceless - U have to Be”

Open-source ERP, like any other open-source project, is not totally intended for larger enterprises seeking highly stable software and business partnership.

Open-source ERP makes it possible for SMEs to go in for Enterprise Resource Planning at a more affordable price. This is a wise step of initiators in that this kind of collaboration would benefit both parties.

• Users get the software for free, and pay a relatively reasonable amount for supports and customization
• Some R&D departments from these ‘purchasers’ even involve in developing the software, thus enlarging the community to people inside businesses
• Some companies such as Compiere offer free packages and products with fee. This gives their customers more options

Personally I don’t think the “sense of open-source” including flexibility, community-knowledge, freedom and such is the most significant factor for enterprises to go for these products. They’re simply looking for a product that works with a more affordable price. Instead of doing separate accounting, financial management, CRM, SCM, HRM etc., they have the option to start doing ERP at an earlier stage.

It’s all about Open-source

People in Open-source community have their manifesto. Communities have gone from developing open Operating Systems to open File-Sharing, from Office to Browsers. There is no reason why they can’t be doing ERP now.

Entrepreneurship & OSS

ERP has “enterprise” in it. Correct! ERP OSS is not software for individuals, but for Organizations. Enterprises. And Enterprises do business.

An ERP, though require a tremendous technology commitment, is far less geeky than any other OSS ever developed. It’s business, which so unfortunately a number of geeks take a distance from afar.

Because ERP is developed to solve the problem of and boost business, ERP OSS requires entrepreneurship and business minds! That’s where the leading heads and consultants are called.

Development Prospects

People talk ERP. People use ERP. People do ERP. Everywhere is ERP.

Some sell ERP. Some give ERP for free.

It’s obvious, Open-source ERP is in a terribly good jumpstart to develop. If they can overcome some difficulties such as commitment, simplification of complexity and harmonization of business and technology, the future is bright for them.

And for SMEs too.

Some Open-source and Free Enterprise Resource Planning Vendors

Compiere http://www.compiere.com

Adempiere http://adempiere.red1.org

JFire https://www.jfire.org

Opentaps http://www.opentaps.org

OpenBlueLab http://www.openbluelab.org

OFBiz http://ofbiz.apache.org

SQL-Ledger http://www.sql-ledger.org

WebERP http://www.weberp.org

GNU Enterprise http://www.gnuenterprise.org

When an engineer looks at a system proposal, he asks “Why?!”

When a scientist looks at a legacy, he asks “Why not?!”

What’s up?

Apparently the engineer needs a Business Analyst to give him a business domain map that explains

• That the feature will cut down user’s cost from 3 clicks, 2 load screen to 2 click, 1 load screen
• That one specific customer wants that feature to be distinctive from those of competitors
• That the way it will be done complies with the firm’s security terms
• That consistency with legacy systems is maintained

And the scientist needs a Business Analyst to give him an analysis sheet that explains

• That it is not cost-effective to implement what he’s thinking
• That the social side-effect of his idea is too much a price

What Business Analysts are here for!