I have had a lot of users interested in the ability for customers to be able to query stock and order status (one way interface, password protected so each customer can see only his own orders) but also the ability for the customer to enter an order or submit RFQ (two way interface).

True, it is a major undertaking to switch interfaces for your ERP system.  I have made a few small programs that create an interface to DBA data via our internet, and although a few adjustments had to be made, the end result was more than satisfying.
 
Not having access to compile my own applications to run in DBA prompted me to look into alternative ways of manipulating the database.  I even started writing an interface application in Visual C++, soon abandoning the project because it was getting too involved.  The web interface also seemed a better method from an interactivity and deployment standpoint.
 
Reading or updating data via SQL, anything is possible.  The short demonstration application that I have created, and am about to release, will allow you complete access to DBA over a corporate intranet.  I am consciously avoiding the inclusion of SQL UPDATE and other database modification routines, but for even a novice SQL programmer, should not be very difficult to figure out.  Albeit slightly complicated for someone without a programming background, unlike myself, it is fundamentally simple once you can grasp the concepts.  
 
NOTE:  For those in need of a quick solution for strictly reporting data to the web, I would recommend Crystal Reports' Web Report Server.  Works in a pinch, and easily interfaces to a corporate intranet as well.

Quote from GasGiant   on 03/07/05 at 14:19:03:

To answer your questions:  yes; yes; and yes, with the exception of some JavaScript and CSS to give the demo some flavor, isn't reliant on anything else.
 
Would work really well with one of those JavaScript grid controls, but in an effort to keep things simple, decided not to incorporate it into the project...  8)

We have several reports that can be view it via internet explorer, on our Intranet site.
 
We can query any type of information.
 
We use php and apache server.  
 
Regarding updating data, if you are running pervasive 7, 8 I woundnt recommended.
 
As far as I know pervasive offers record locking only on Pervasive 9. Version 7, 8 have "Table Locking".
 
Regards,
 
Kelloggs
 
FYI: Apache 2.1 and PHP 5 on windows do not work!!!
use php 4, also php 5 does not incluede mysql functions by default.
 
 

I usually don't respond to things like this, however, in the area of reporting:
 
We have an entire series of reports written with Microsoft Access that run every night through use of the Windows which are then printed with Adobe Acrobat to a folder on our internal "Intranet."
 
These reports are then accessed by pressing a button on the web page which pulls up the pdf file.
 
Our reports include:
 
1) An omnibus report which shows YTD and MTD shipping and order booking by $. Backlog by month including a graphical view, List of credit hold customers, listing of all order lines effected by credit hold. and a bookings by month graph.
2) A shipping report from the previous day by market, order line by order line which includes ship to and bill to information, email address of contacts, what was shipped, left on BO, tracking info,etc.
3) A listing of all open PO's with color coding to show if it is on time (green) or late (yellow, orange, or red for REAL LATE)
4) All kits due to be picked for the next week with abbreviated picklist information
5) A total schedule with WO's and SO's linked to show status - this includes a comment field for follow up
6) A complete listing of late orders with contact and order infromation
7) A report showing Sales Orders that are expedited for a premium, the premium, order amount, and due date.
8) Special reports on bottleneck area schedules including QC and Outside Plating.
 
The method is Access Reports each driven by a Macro which runs by use of the Microsoft Scheduler, printed by Adobe Acrobat to a specific folder which is viewed using buttons on a web page.
 
For those of us that VPN in we can get the report when it runs about 8:30 each night, however, most call it up in the morning.
 
At one point in time we emailed the reports at night, but this consumed too much mail server space as people tended to not erase the reports.
 
Also, the same scheduler runs a script which puts a subset of the reports into an archive which is also available on our intranet.
 
This is entirely automatic and we have used these reports for the past 2 years.
 
Lincoln

I would Buy that capability
 
JW

I have implemented this and shared some of the code over on the Wiki in the HOWTOs under PHP Hacks.
 
http://www.evoerpwiki.com/