Open source solutions and software
The Open Source Software Company Ltd specialise in the supply and implementation of open source software solutions. We are pioneers in using open source software and Internet based technologies to provide intelligent and inexpensive I.T. solutions to small or large commercial enterprises, predominantly in the Construction, Civil Engineering and associated House selling industries. In addition to supplying our innovative and ground breaking Internet based products, OpenPlant, OpenHouse, we are also able to build solutions tailored to fit any business model.
Why open source software?
Quite simply because open source software solutions are less prone to viruses, more secure, stable and inexpensive compared to rival commercial offerings. Click here to learn more about open source software.
News and Events
Churchill version due in the first quarter of 2010
Our developers are hard at work producing some more amazing functions for OpenPlant, most of which have been requested or suggested by our clients. These will be included in the next release of the software, codenamed Churchill, which will be released in February/March 2010.
New Features
- Email Automation - This will provide the facility to set up triggered emails within the system. For example, when an item is assigned by a Plant Coordinator, an email can be automatically generated to notify the relevant Site Agent, to a Contracts Manager and also as an official Purchase Order to a supplier! And that's not all, the email can automatically be turned into a fax for those suppliers that prefer fax to email, or it can also be sent as an SMS Text message, direct to mobile phones. This facility will be made available across the whole application.
- Report Scheduling - If you are one of those managers that doesn't like IT and wants to see exactly what is going on without having to go in to the system, then this is for you. An Administrator can set up the automatic generation of reports, which can be emailed directly into your inbox, at a specified time, every day. The reports could include all items hired/off hired that day or what was on hire at a particular site at a particular time.
- Bulk Ordering - This new module will provide a complex stock control facility for those difficult to deal with bulk items, such as fencing, road forms, cones and other such items. It will be possible to order these items in bulk, in the same way that other items are currently ordered within the system. We all know that these items tend to go missing or to get damaged, so the facility to return less than was ordered, or to return part of an order has been provided. When the final part of the order is off-hired and returned, the system automatically adjusts the stock to the appropriate level and creates a charge against the site for any missing or damaged items.
OpenPlant Centurian Version Released
Following a six month revision of customer requests, our recently enlarged development team have produced the Centurian version of the OpenPlant product, which will be released in November 2009 as a free upgrade to existing clients.
Amongst many other improvements, Centurian allows for more automation of the hiring/off-hiring process with Site Agents no longer being required to confirm arrivals or departures from their sites. Whilst this had been desirable from a forensic perspective, for some clients it had proved impractical because Site Agents were in control of several sites and were unable to complete the confirmation process.
New Features
- A revamped Asset Management section to provide the facility to record hours/kilometres against individual items of plant, via a new bulk entry screen that uses Ajax technology. This technology allows for the simple entry of data, directly onto the screen,which automatically saves and stores itself in to the database.
- The removal of scheduling screens from the hiring process. All hires/off-hires are now displayed on one screen. Scheduled hires/off-hires are denoted by the use of different colours to indicate the different stages that an item of plant might be in.
- New and improved filtering and reporting tools have been added across the application, including the implementation of new database tools to even further increase the speed of the application.
- Many of the screens within the application have been redrafted, following client requests.
OpenPlant Centaur Version Released
The Centaur version of OpenPlant was today released as a free upgrade to existing clients. Included in the Centaur version are a number of features that had been requested by clients. Because OpenPlant uses Internet technologies, all users were immediately updated with the new version. No action was required on their behalf.
New Features
- Site Agents to immediately identify internal from external arrivals
- Listing of available and unavailable internal plant at time of assignment of items
- Live costs per site for all activities, including current items on hire, on one screen
- Forward scheduling of off-hires
- Increased searching/live reporting facilities
