Headquartered in Norfolk,Virginia, xTuple is an enterprise software company that develops and markets open source software under the brand name xTuple ERP. In October 2001, Ned Lilly, the President and CEO of xTuple, co-founded the company, originally called OpenMFG, with the aim of bringing the worlds of open source and enterprise resource planning (ERP) together to solve the unmet needs of small- to mid-sized manufacturers, to integrate all critical functional areas in one system: sales, accounting, and operations, including customer and supplier management, inventory control, manufacturing and distribution.

xTuple’s key products include: xTuple PostBooks Edition, a fully-integrated business management system built with the open source PostgreSQL database and Qt framework for C++ which provides power and fl exibility for a range of businesses and industries of any size; xTuple Standard Edition, an end-to-end software system for

companies with more sophisticated inventory control needs, containing everything in the open source PostBooks Edition, plus additional enterprise-class functionality specifi cally for distributors and light manufacturers; and xTuple Manufacturing Edition, a software system for make-to-order, make-to-stock, and mixed-mode manufacturers, containing everything in the PostBooks and xTuple Standard Editions, plus additional enterprise-class functionality specifi cally for manufacturers.

The company’s mission is to help companies of all sizes successfully implement powerful and easy-to-use open source ERP software to grow their business profi tably. Open source software used to build a superior product is a huge marketplace differentiator. xTuple is an ERP company fi rst, dedicated to manufacturing process improvement. “Open source is the ‘How’ not the ‘What’. Open source makes better ERP software, thanks to its user community,” says Ned Lilly, CEO of xTuple. Tens of thousands of manufacturing, distribution, sales and fi nance professionals worldwide actively contribute to the software’s improvement. xTuple leverages their experience with hundreds of other ERP products, shepherding transparent communications, development, testing and deployment. Tapping into the collective brainpower of these professionals introduces innovation and excitement into an industry known for neither.

xTuple helps companies implement powerful and easy-to-use open source ERP software to grow their business profi tably

While the core functionality of accounting and integrated CRM are suitable for nearly any type of business, xTuple’s roots are in manufacturing, specifi cally, make-to-stock, make-to-order, and particularly lean-inspired companies who operate in a mixed mode. xTuple has a strong job-project management functionality and recently expanded functionality for industrial distributors. Generally, any business that wants to be smarter and more proactive managing inventory is a good prospect for xTuple.

EMSEAL Joint Systems, LTD, a North American manufacturer of sealants and expansion joint systems for the commercial construction industry, is one great xTuple success story. Like many expanding businesses, they had outgrown their old system, a collection of home-grown software and spreadsheets. They also had multiple corporate entities and a complex sales commissioning structure. Their implementation of a full-featured xTuple ERP system, including signifi cant enhancements in the commission area, was not only on-time, but also under budget. By the company’s reckoning, the project came in at approximately 40 percent of the cost of other big name products. EMSEAL management researched several legacy business management software vendors, including SAP, Microsoft, Sage and Epicor. One reason they succeeded with xTuple was the ability to test and pilot their implementation with the free and open source xTuple PostBooks distribution before eventually purchasing a commercial license for their production system.

xTuple

Open Source ERP Software To Increase Business Profi tably

Ned Lilly, xTuple CEO

Today, innovation and manufacturing capabilities are dispersed around the globe. Global supply chains, localized products and virtualized product development are changing the nature of manufacturing. Additionally, manufacturers must adopt new business models to move from pure product selling to services and solutions for their end customers. Expanding into new markets, sourcing of scarce raw materials and compliance with stringent regulations also raise challenges for the manufacturing organizations of today.

Spread across high-tech, automotive, industrial equipment, life sciences and more, the globally competitive manufacturing sectors that invent and make high-value-added products are availing leading-edge technologies to streamline and optimize their operations. Software solutions that address all aspects of manufacturing sector are proving to be the game changer here. Expertise in leading ERP and BPM systems, clubbed with the power of Cloud and Big Data are helping the manufacturing companies deal with industry consolidation, global supply chain complexity and volatile commodity prices and thereby perform operations at peak effi ciency.

From roadmap defi nition to design, implementation and maintenance, manufacturing clients get the business results they expect from their technology investments and outsourcing programs.

In the last few months, we looked at hundreds of solution providers and consulting companies and shortlisted the ones that are at the forefront of tackling the challenges of the manufacturing industry.

In our selection we examined the vendors’ capability to fulfi ll the needs of manufacturing companies by offering products, solutions and services that support core business processes. We also evaluated the vendor capabilities related to deployment of cloud, Big Data and analytics, mobility, and Business Intelligence in the specifi c context of the manufacturing business.

20 Most Promising Manufacturing Technology Solution Providers of 2013

Company: xTuple

Key Person: Ned Lilly, CEO

Founded: 2001

Description: Helping companies successfully implement powerful and easy-to- use open source Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software to grow business profi tably.