Dolibarr: Open-Source ERP and CRM for Small and Medium Businesses

What is Dolibarr?

Dolibarr is a modular open-source ERP and CRM system designed for small and medium businesses. Built with a focus on simplicity and ease of use, Dolibarr provides invoicing, inventory, sales, purchasing, project management, and HR capabilities through a flexible modular architecture. Over 1 million businesses worldwide use Dolibarr to manage operations without expensive enterprise software.

Unlike SAP ($100,000+ implementation) or NetSuite ($50,000+ annually), Dolibarr eliminates licensing costs and simplifies implementation. Businesses deploy Dolibarr on-premises or in the cloud, enabling SMBs to access capabilities typically reserved for large enterprises.

Dolibarr serves as the central system for all business operations. Businesses manage customers, process sales orders, track inventory, handle invoicing, manage human resources, and analyze business performance in one integrated system.

Key Features and Capabilities

CRM and Sales Management

Contact Management: Store customer and prospect information with detailed profiles
Sales Opportunities: Track sales pipeline and monitor deal progress
Quotes and Orders: Generate professional quotes and convert to sales orders
Customer Portal: Customers view orders, invoices, and track shipments
Email Integration: Integrate with email for communication tracking
Activity Tracking: Log calls, meetings, and interactions with customers

Invoicing and Accounting

Invoice Management: Generate invoices from sales orders with automatic calculations
Payment Tracking: Track payments, apply credits, and manage dunning
Expense Tracking: Record business expenses for accounting
General Ledger: Double-entry accounting with financial reporting
Bank Reconciliation: Reconcile bank statements with accounting records
Multi-Currency: Support for international transactions and currency conversion
Tax Management: VAT and sales tax calculation and reporting

Inventory Management

Multi-Warehouse: Manage inventory across multiple warehouse locations
Stock Control: Real-time inventory levels with low-stock alerts
Purchase Orders: Manage supplier relationships and purchase orders
Stock Transfers: Move inventory between warehouses
Barcode Scanning: Barcode generation and scanning for efficient operations
Serial Number Tracking: Track individual items with serial numbers and lots

Project Management

Project Planning: Create projects with tasks and milestones
Time Tracking: Track time spent on project tasks
Task Allocation: Assign tasks to team members
Billing: Bill customers based on time tracking and expenses
Project Profitability: Monitor project margin and profitability

Human Resources

Employee Management: Store employee information and documents
Payroll: Calculate employee pay and taxes
Leave Management: Track employee leave and time off
Attendance: Monitor employee attendance and punctuality
Expense Reports: Manage employee expense reimbursements

System Requirements and Technical Specifications

Server Requirements

Operating System: Linux (Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 9+, CentOS 7+) or Windows Server
Web Server: Apache 2.4+ with mod_rewrite or Nginx 1.14+
PHP: 7.3+ with required extensions (curl, gd, json, mbstring, mysql, openssl, session, xml, zip)
Database: MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+ for data storage
RAM: 1GB minimum for testing, 2GB+ recommended for production
Storage: 5GB+ for application and data
CPU: Single-core minimum, dual-core recommended
PHP Memory Limit: 128MB minimum, 256MB recommended

Client Requirements

Modern web browser: Chrome 60+, Firefox 55+, Safari 11+, Edge 79+
JavaScript enabled for interactive features
Minimum 1024×768 resolution

Installation and Deployment

Docker Installation

# Run Dolibarr with Docker
docker run -d 
  --name dolibarr 
  -p 8080:80 
  -e DOLI_DB_HOST=mysql 
  -e DOLI_DB_USER=dolibarr 
  -e DOLI_DB_PASSWORD=password 
  -e DOLI_DB_NAME=dolibarr 
  tuxgasy/dolibarr

# Access at http://localhost:8080

Linux Manual Installation

# Download Dolibarr
wget https://www.dolibarr.org/files/dolibarr-latest.zip
unzip dolibarr-latest.zip
sudo mv dolibarr /var/www/html/

# Set permissions
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/dolibarr
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/dolibarr

# Access installer at http://your-domain/dolibarr

Production Configuration

# Configure MySQL for production with backups
# Enable SSL/TLS with Let's Encrypt

# Set up Apache or Nginx reverse proxy
# Configure automated backups

Use Cases and Real-World Applications

Retail Businesses

Retail companies use Dolibarr to manage inventory, process sales, and handle invoicing. Point-of-sale integration enables retail operations. Inventory tracking ensures stock availability and minimizes stockouts.

Service Companies

Service providers use Dolibarr for project management, time tracking, and customer billing. Project profitability analysis identifies high-margin services. Customer portal enables service tracking and transparency.

Manufacturing Businesses

Small manufacturers use Dolibarr for order management, inventory, and project costing. Purchase order management streamlines supplier relationships. Inventory tracking supports production planning.

Multi-Location Businesses

Businesses with multiple locations use Dolibarr for centralized financial and inventory management. Multi-warehouse capabilities support distributed operations. Consolidated reporting provides business-wide visibility.

Advantages of Dolibarr

Modular Design: Use only the features you need, keep system simple and focused
Cost Effective: Free software versus expensive ERP systems
Easy to Use: Intuitive interface suitable for SMBs with minimal IT resources
Complete Solution: CRM, invoicing, inventory, projects, and HR in one system
International: Multi-currency and multi-language support for global operations
Customizable: Full source code allows customization for specific workflows
Data Ownership: All data remains on your infrastructure
Active Community: Regular updates and community extensions
No Vendor Lock-In: Own your code and processes

Limitations and Considerations

Initial Setup: Configuration requires planning and technical expertise
UI Design: Interface less modern than cloud-native SaaS solutions
Production Management: Self-hosted deployments require infrastructure management
Advanced Manufacturing: Limited advanced manufacturing capabilities compared to specialized MRP systems
Support: Community support rather than dedicated enterprise support