PipeDream Business Control Software

PipeDream is a LAMP software based Business Control system for small to medium sized manufacturers that manages most of the enterprise's needs, from sales and marketing to production, inventory, shipping and technical support. It is a purchase and investment opportunity: call 775-525-6868 for more information.

PipeDream's main menu screen — Every PipeDream module, from Sales and Marketing to Tech Support, Inventory, Accounting and Administration, in one main menu.

The Code

What if you could control the software that controls your business? Really control it: control how much it costs, how often you have to update it, and control exactly what it does for you. We mean everything.

You might ask, don't I need the source code for that? Yes, you do. Then you might ask, don't I need to be a programmer for that? No, you don't, any more than you need to be a plumber to enjoy the benefits of owning your own plumbing in your own building. With PipeDream, you get the code.

A terminal view of the PipeDream source code repository — With PipeDream, you get the actual source code, not just access to a hosted service.

The Platform

The PipeDream system is built on a selection of free, open source software and tools called a LAMP platform. LAMP stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP. You don't need to know what that means, but LAMP programmers are everywhere in the world: it is a very common system that has been around for more than a decade, and many small changes can be made by someone who is simply computer savvy, not necessarily a programmer.

The best part is that LAMP is all free, open source software. This means no fees are ever paid to the operating system or database creators, and your updates are never controlled or forced on you. It also does not require the latest or fastest hardware to serve ten or more users.

The LAMP platform: Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP — PipeDream is built on LAMP, a free and open source software platform used worldwide for decades.

What It Can Do

PipeDream is a web based system, so you only need Firefox or Chrome (it also works on Android phones), and it lets you:

manage leads
track marketing campaign success
prepare quotes
create invoices
issue and handle RMAs
create purchase orders
receive payments
receive shipments into inventory
build products and track the progress
ship products with tracking
track serial numbers
track sales status
update and attach photos, descriptions and pricing that automatically go to your customer facing website based on WordPress

PipeDream can integrate with QuickBooks or other accounting systems, and much more. Best of all, changing it to meet your exact needs is both feasible and affordable.

Adding a new vendor's contact and address information — Adding a new vendor's mailing address, shipping address and contact details.

The trouble ticket and incident log, searchable by ticket number, company or technician — The trouble ticket and incident log, part of PipeDream's tech support module.

Selecting a bill-to and ship-to customer for a new quote — Starting a new quote by searching for and selecting the bill-to and ship-to customer.

Adding line items and totals to a quote or order — Adding parts, quantities and pricing to a quote, with subtotal, tax and total calculated automatically.

How to Use It

PipeDream can run on a Windows workstation in your office, on its own machine, or in the cloud.

Since PipeDream is entirely web based, you can run it from your phone, your tablet, your desk, or anywhere in the world with a compatible browser like Firefox or Chrome. Nothing special needs to be installed on any of your workstations.

The Business Flow

PipeDream is designed around a simple business flow:

A lead becomes a customer.
A customer may want quotes.
Quotes can become orders, which require approval from accounting and allocation from production.
Once allocated and approved, an order can be shipped.
Once shipped, it becomes a sale.

Approving a pending order before it is processed — Reviewing and approving pending orders and RMAs, sorted by invoice, company, clerk and terms.

Recording serial numbers as an order is allocated — Allocating inventory to an order and recording serial numbers before it ships.

Tracking the shipping status of recent orders — Tracking the allocation and shipping status of recent orders by invoice number.

The Cost

PipeDream has been in use by the developing company since 2009. It is currently being offered as a beta to other companies to test and adjust fit and function. In this phase, PipeDream itself is free, but labor to install, migrate, adjust, train and support is not.

You would have unlimited use within your business, but may not distribute or sell PipeDream.

And More

ZTech4 is presently seeking investors, partners and testers for PipeDream. Contact us for more information.