Over the years, we’ve delivered many successful projects based on Apache OFBiz™, and in doing so, we've gained deep insight into how to best leverage this powerful platform in a variety of ways. While we've successfully deployed and customized OFBiz as a full-stack, comprehensive ERP solution for many clients, we’ve discovered that OFBiz can also be incredibly valuable when used in lighter, more targeted ways.
These targeted strategies open up new possibilities for leveraging OFBiz in projects where a full-stack implementation might not be the right choice. This can be valuable for clients who are not sure what they want but know they want something different, or are not in need of a full blown ERP system.
Here are four key strategies we've identified for leveraging OFBiz in new ways, with examples:
#1. Autonomous business subsystems
We can implement OFBiz as an autonomous subsystem that integrates seamlessly with external systems (including legacy systems or other tools / applications based on different tech stacks) using standard mechanisms like REST APIs, synchronous / asynchronous communications, and JSON messages.
For example, we’ve written custom applications that fill a need (like accounting or finance) within a larger system that passes data to the primary systems.
#2. Headless application deployment
OFBiz can be deployed as a headless application, handling the data model and business logic, while communicating with external applications (like SPAs or apps built on React, Vue, etc.). This allows us to leverage OFBiz's strengths without requiring a full-stack implementation.
For example, we’ve built multiple OFBiz backends that worked with different front end technologies chosen by the client. These use cases are good examples of being able to use OFBiz to build a headless system that integrates with the latest, always evolving, front end technologies.
#3. Reference implementation
We can use OFBiz as a reference implementation for its extensive business data model (with over 1000 entities) and business logic (inventory, invoicing, MRP, etc.). By referencing OFBiz, we can reuse our knowledge to accelerate the analysis phase of new custom / ad-hoc systems and improve the quality of our deliverables.
The OFBiz data model is incredibly powerful and can be used for just about any application. It’s really the greatest strength of OFBiz and part of the heart of what we often do for our clients. The data model, and our extensive experience implementing it, gives us the advantage of being able to do this more quickly and efficiently than others.
#4. Prototype implementation
OFBiz can serve as a prototype to explore and define business requirements before finalizing the architecture and technological stack for the final product. This approach helps ensure that we are aligned with our clients needs from the outset.
Similar to #3, in these instances we’ve used OFBiz as a prototype to perform gap analysis and define client business requirements. These projects allow us to estimate the cost to build out custom parts before the client actually commits to the full implementation. We’ve also built small scale proof of concept applications for specific workflows to demonstrate that we can indeed do what a client wants.
Conclusion
Apache OFBiz™ is a fantastic suite of business applications that's reliable, time tested, and produces a robust open source ERP system for businesses of all sizes and industries. But not every client is looking for that.
Some need an addition to their current ERP, others aren't sure what they need but know they need something, and still another may need a better backend system to go with their front end. In all of these instances, OFBiz can be used with success.
