DPGs Every Entrepreneur Should Know

The vast majority of us in this community already know what digital Public goods are. So it’s no longer a question of “what” but “how” do we apply them in our different business ventures for growth.

Here’s a shortlist of tools I’ve come across from my research. I intend on exploring each and every one of these tools and you should do the same. These tools can do everything from managing your accounting and HR to collecting customer feedback and tracking sales. They are the kind of software big companies pay thousands for but you can have for free, and even tweak it to fit your local context.

  1. ERPNext – All-in-one business management (accounting, HR, payroll, inventory, sales). erpnext.com
  2. Odoo Community Edition – Modular apps for CRM, invoicing, e-commerce, project management. Community | Odoo
  3. Mifos X / Apache Fineract – Financial services platform for microfinance, savings groups, credit unions. mifos.org
  4. KoBoToolbox – Offline-friendly data collection for market research, customer feedback. kobotoolbox.org
  5. Dolibarr – Lightweight ERP & CRM for SMEs. dolibarr.org

This is a fantastic list, really appreciate you sharing it and highlighting the “how” side of applying Digital Public Goods. It’s exactly the thinking we need to see more of in this community.

Just to add some clarity :

  • Mifos X / Apache Fineract and KoBoToolbox are officially recognised as Digital Public Goods.
  • ERPNext, Odoo Community Edition, and Dolibarr are not (yet) listed as DPGs to my knowledge, but feel free to confirm on the registry; but they are open-source tools, which means they share many of the same principles of openness, transparency, and adaptability.

While not all open-source tools are Digital Public Goods by definition, we are very open to them in this community because they often form the foundation on which true DPG solutions can be built. Many times, starting with strong open-source platforms is the first step toward creating solutions that meet the DPG Standard.

Thank you very much for highlighting these tools

I’m not sure of ERPNext but Odoo has both Community and Enterprise Editions. And I believe it’s the Enterprise version that is not a DPG. But I will look into it more to confirm.

Thanks for pointing it out.

PS: Guess I learned something new, :zany_face: “Not all open-source tools are Digital Public Goods by definition.”

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