Introduction

The UK economy has seen some serious ups and downs over the years, but one thing has always remained constant: small businesses. Even in times of economic difficulty, SMEs continue to thrive and grow; in fact, it’s estimated that there are now 8 million SMEs operating in the UK. However, as many of these companies have discovered over the past few years, growth can be challenging if you’re not prepared for it. One way to prepare is by choosing an open-source ERP system for your business.

Open-source ERP is an IT strategy that uses web-based, open source software to promote collaboration, communication and transparency in the workplace.

Open source software is a type of program that anyone can use and modify. The source code is available to everyone, so anyone can see how the software works. This means that if you need to make changes to your ERP system, you don’t have to pay someone else for it–you can do it yourself!

Open-source ERP offers many benefits:

• It’s free! You won’t have any upfront costs when choosing an open-source solution for your business because there are no licensing fees or maintenance charges associated with using this type of software. You will also save money on training because your employees already know how to use the programs they’ve been working with every day at work (such as Word or Excel) so there isn’t much training needed when switching over from another platform like SAP or Oracle E-Business Suite (which typically cost $20K+ per seat).
• Provides flexibility through adaptability – Open Source allows users more freedom than traditional solutions do by allowing them freedom over their application structure by giving them complete control over what gets included within their applications as well as how those components interact with each other.”

What is Open Source?

Open source software is a type of software that can be used, modified and redistributed by anyone for any purpose. Open source licenses are used to protect the rights of both users and developers by allowing anyone to use the code but also requiring that any changes be made available back to the community.

Open source ERP systems are built using open source technologies such as Linux or Apache Hadoop (used in this project).

The Benefits of Using Open Source ERP Software

Open source ERP software is a cost-effective solution for companies of all sizes. Open source ERP software allows you to save money by eliminating the need for an expensive license fee, and it provides flexibility by allowing you to customize your system according to your needs.

Open-source software is built with a community of users, developers and contributors who collaborate on building better products together. This means that open source ERP systems are more secure than proprietary software because they have more eyes looking at them; any bugs or vulnerabilities are identified as soon as possible so they can be fixed before anyone exploits them maliciously. Additionally, because there’s no single company controlling its development (like SAP), there aren’t any restrictions on how much customization can be done–you can change whatever parts of the program need changing without worrying about whether or not it’ll break something else in the process!

Why Open Source ERP Software is a Good Option for SMEs in the UK

• Open source software is free.
• You can customize it to your needs and make it work for you, instead of the other way around.
• It’s easy to maintain and keep secure, because there are so many people looking at the code, making sure it stays secure and reliable.
• There are many developers working on open source ERP solutions that have already solved some of your problems or identified areas where they could be improved upon (and they’re happy to share their solutions).

Consider using a cloud-based ERP system to help manage your business.

• Consider using a cloud-based ERP system to help manage your business.

Cloud-based systems are more secure, easier to access, and cheaper than on-premises software.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a way to improve your business, open source ERP software may be the right choice. The cost of using this type of system is relatively low and it offers many benefits. It can also help reduce your IT costs because there are no licensing fees involved when using open source ERP software.