INCLUSIVE GROWTH THROUGH Design of Integrated Community Information System and its implementation by customization of Web Based Open

Source ERP DSK Rao

Abstract: ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning is widely used in almost all

industries as an effective Integrated Information System to seamlessly link all business functions and business processes, within and without the Enterprise for best customer experience and maximum enterprise productivity. A well implemented ERP enables to get a single real time view of the position of the Enterprise and also helps to logically link the various business functions and business processes as per the best practices for that Industry to optimize resource utilization and productivity. This is contrary to the traditional systems wherein organizations used to operate as separate departments with each department independently operating to achieve the departmental goals. With an Integrated modern ERP, the focus changes from Resources, People & Goals within an Organization to the Customers of the organization and realignment of People, Goals and Resources within the organization along with other entities outside to the organization like Suppliers, Partners, Investors, to make the Customers get the best of the experience. The advantage of a well integrated ERP system to any Enterprise is now beyond debating and with the advent of the 21st century, it has now become a de facto requirement for global enterprises to deploy Integrated ERP systems to maintain a competitive advantage and service their global customers in global markets. On scrutiny, it is noticed that a well Integrated ERP leads to

Accurate and timely information for decision making as per the rules defined based on the best practices for that Industry Decreases wastage and non productive tasks to reduce Input Costs Increases output and productivity/Turnover Improves Quality Enhances Customers experience leading to Loyalty

Improves Employees/ Stake Holders incomes

However, when it comes to a Community, it is observed that though it also has all the ingredients of an Enterprise like People, Resources and Goals, the community rarely operates in an integrated manner, leading to its underdevelopment. Communities, which are less mechanized/industrialized and more of Agrarian nature tends to be under developed as in the case of India and other third world countries. For inclusive development, it is recommended to have an Integrated Information system encompassing the Community which captures the Community data and helps in introducing the best practices and interventions to improve the community and its inhabitants incomes and lives. It may be observed in an Agrarian community, until viewed as a single unit, the overall productivity is highly interdependent as pests in one farm which is not following the best practices can harm other farms or weeds in a farm can spread to other farms or excessive pesticide usage in one farm can kill pollinating insects like bees etc and reduce overall productivity of all farms. Normally resources like water, infrastructure etc are community dependent. So for overall Community development, the Human Resources, Natural Resources, Traditional Knowledge & Practices, Scientific Knowledge and Community leadership should be integrated with the best practices and interventions for sustainable growth. The current effort is an attempt to Conceptualize & Design a Community Based Integrated Information system to be implemented using an Open Source Web Based ERP package with provision to technically integrate several implementations in different communities as clusters for remote consolidation and monitoring. Objectives: The objectives of the Community based Integrated Information system/ERP are as under
1. Increasing the productivity of the various activities of the Community including farming 2. Increasing the income of the community members including farmers 3. Reduce the costs of production 4. Improve the overall economy of the community

Approach: The Design for the Integrated Community Based Information System/ERP starts with the Micro Planning Module which captures the following data about the community and maps to a GIS package for graphical representation and presentation

Community inhabitants data including name, age, sex, family tree, caste, occupation of each member, educational qualifications, address, source/s of income, annual income, category, health data and ration card/voter id card details etc Farm data including Agri Climatic Zone, Land Record No, Size, Soil Details, Irrigation details, Farm Equipment, Input Details likes Seeds, Pesticides, Fertilizers ..,Production history, Grade, Cropping details, Yield details, Financing details, Selling details .. Different vocations and community members distribution among these vocations including manpower utilization and deployment details among Vocations like Agriculture, Horticulture, Plantation, Fisheries, Poultry, Dairy Farming, Animal/Livestock, Animal Husbandry, Seri Culture, Apiculture, Lac Culture, Floriculture, Nurseries, Food Processing, Cottage Industry, Teaching or any other Vocation are captured. Any deficit in availability of skilled persons like teachers, healthcare professionals etc are also identified for skill up gradation. Productive and Supportive members are identified among the community members and suitable steps are initiated to engage all community members into useful vocations or services. Community Food & Goods consumption & production details Community Infrastructure details like Rail Link, Roads, Wells, Ponds, Schools, PHCs/Hospitals, Industries/Processing Units etc Traditional Knowledge and Arts of the community

Potential Economic Generators of the Community like Tourist Spots, Agri Tourism, Temples, Events, Traditional Cures/Arts, Historical Sites

Based on the above data the Socio Economic Model for the community would be prepared. The next Module would be Project Management for Interventions which would address one or more facets of the Community and the vocations it follows to supplement with the best practices The Human Resource Module captures the details of the community members engaged with a particular vocation in the traditional way and also their deployment after Project interventions, The total community details may be obtained after consolidating for all vocations within the community. The Finance & Accounts module captures the details of the financial transactions for a particular vocation of the community. The overall picture can be obtained after consolidating for all vocations of the community The Marketing & Sales module captures the details of the Marketing & Sales transactions of a particular vocation of the community. The sales can happen on a Retail Basis, thru Cooperative Movement or thru Wholesale The Warehousing module captures the storage of Input material and output produce for a particular vocation The Production module captures processing for a particular vocation The Administrative module captures the administrative functions w.r.t the selected vocation/Community The Miscellaneous module captures miscellaneous operations/vocations in the community The Advisory Services module provides important info on Weather, Pricing, Best Practices in the selected vocation, Dos & Donts, Funding & Insurance details, Expert Guidance etc related to the selected Vocation The GIS, Remote Sensing & Reporting module gives graphical representation and reports from the Integrated Community Data on a particular vocation

The Proposed ERP can be deployed at Panchayat level covering around 6 villages and 2000 families for few vocations like farming, horticulture and Dairy Farming. Best Practices are introduced for every vocation/activity of the community to achieve the desired objectives. As an example for Farming the Best Practices can be on creating a value chain with introduction of a Dairy Farm and using the manure as Fertilizer and the Cows urine with other bio substances like NEEM cakes etc for bio pesticides or having vermin compost plant or use drip irrigation methods or zero tillage farming or controlling the use of pesticides & fertilizers or predator keeping for pest control or apiculture for Hybrid Vigor and pollination or Multi Cropping or Water Shed harvesting or Wind Arresters by plants on Bunds or Solar Air Dryer Processing or Seed banks or Direct Selling or Zero Energy Cold Storage or Collective farming or any other techniques which help in sustained increase in productivity and decrease in costs.