ChimeraCRM Apache Incubator Proposal
Abstract
ChimeraCRM is a web-based enterprise grade CRM. This project is created using C#.NET and can run on any SQL database. This CRM provides some additional features which standard CRM vendors don't provide with their off-the shelf version.
Proposal
This was a home project built over leisure time with the goal in mind to make a CRM product which offers all standard features of a CRM and also adds new flavours. The CRM in its current version does not offer any API, which is planned to be released while working with Apache community. Key features and differentiators of this CRM product are -
- Standard CRM features like - lead and potential details maintenance, defect tracking, dashboards, contact and account details, reporting etc. 2. The CRM can be used in "online" or "offline" mode. 3. In an Offline mode, the CRM is used by other standard CRMs where one organization keeps all its details by itself. 4. In an Online mode, the CRM can be used like a marketplace. In this mode, the organization hosting the CRM can invite other organizations to join the CRM. Multiple partner organizations can use this system as their single CRM "bus". In this mode the CRM can be used for -
- Tendering
- Short listing Vendors
- Finalizing Vendors
- Issuing Purchase Order
- Issuing Sales Order
- Invoicing
- Defect tracking
Background
This is an open source project was built ground up using .NET. The CRM system is designed to work with any background RDBMS which supports SQL. Work on this project began towards the end of 2012 and reached its current stage at around 2014. This project was started by Shibasis and reached a working prototype after work of near 2 years. He worked single-handedly in the project and wish to contribute this project to ASF. Shibasis firmly believes that working with ASF community can greatly improve this product and its acceptance.
Rationale
The name "Chimera" was inspired from the Greek Mythological creature which exhibits features of two different animals. This CRM as explained in-brief in the proposal section also shows two different features or two different modes - "online" and "offline".