The Odoo ERP
What is Odoo?
Odoo is an open source ERP system which came on the market in 2004. Besides standard ERP modules it supports a wide range of other processes. It is suitable for companies with a turnover of 0 – 250m€, i.e. the size of a start-up up to fully grown medium-sized companies. As a web-based system it can be accessed from any device including cell phones with an internet connection.
Odoo is part of the champions league of ERP systems and is a direct competitor of Oracles Netsuite, Microsoft Dynamics and SAP Business by Design. Odoo supports the most advanced ERP features like multi-company, multi currency, multi country and multi tax regime.
We are one of the few Odoo Gold Partners in Germany and all our consultants are certified Odoo professionals.
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The most important ERP modules
Odoo is a suite of over 30 apps that can map many other processes in addition to classic ERP functionalities. In the following we will briefly describe the individual apps to give you a first overview. Instead, you can also go through your requirements in a 60-minute free consultation.
CRM
The CRM module is more than a database of all company contacts. CRM is able to acquire new customers as leads via your website or databases, manage the entire sales process in opportunities and simplify the maintenance of customer contact. The clear user interface with Kanban view allows you to plan the next customer communication and remind them proactively. In addition, each user is given the opportunity to analyze, evaluate and optimize data about contacts in individually configurable dashboards.
REQUIREMENTS
- Creating Leads: Capture leads with just a few clicks
- Pipeline: Kanban Pipeline View
- Reporting: Clear dashboard with numerous analysis and evaluation options
- Sales activities: Create once, then simply assign to specific team members on selected leads
ADDITIONAL
- Team Management: Distribution of responsibilities, prioritization, structuring in sales teams according to responsibilities, individual pipeline phases
- Forecasts: Forecast sales, closing date etc. depending on category
- Sales teams: Structuring into teams with their own sales targets, access rights and other restrictions
- Automated Lead Creation: By receiving a mail to the stored address, a lead is automatically generated
INTEGRATION
- Invoicing & sales: Easily create quotes and invoices directly from the CRM module
- Website module: Automatically create website visitors as leads
Billing, Accounting & Finances
Probably the easiest invoice management in the world! The Odoo accounting module perfects bookkeeping wherever possible. In the end, only the most necessary things become a manual task. The link to other Odoo modules creates an invoice overview, bank integrations synchronize incoming and outgoing payments with Odoo and many reports, such as a profit and loss statement, a tax audit report or balance sheets can be created automatically.
REQUIREMENTS
- Receivables management: Arrears of receivables, automatic dunning (with e-mail & letter), automated booking suggestions
- Accounts payable: Verify incoming invoices, invoices automatically with OCR read out, create SEPA collective transfers
- Preparatory accounting: All business transactions automatically mapped in chart of accounts
- Flexibility: Multiple currencies with live exchange rates, automatically determined tax rates
ADDITIONAL
- Reporting: Pivot tables, KPIs, dashboards, real-time year-end closing
- Controlling: With hierarchical cost accounting, cost centers, reporting & budgets
INTEGRATION
- Datev: Export available
- Bank synchronization: payment matching
- Full Web Service API for third-party software integration
- Google Spreadsheet Integration
- Easy import & export of all data
Offer & Order Management
From the quotation to the digital signing of the contract – the sales module can create a quotation in no time at all, send it by e-mail to the customer, have it digitally signed and, once payment has been received, automatically create an order and send an invoice. The amount of work per offer is thus reduced to a minimum. Further Odoo modules can automatically transfer the data set and offer further potential for improvement.
REQUIREMENTS
- Tender preparation: Quick and intuitive, different design templates available
- Invoicing: Low effort for invoicing, confirmation – completely digitized
- Shipping options: Sending offers and invoices by e-mail or post
- 1-Click: Processing quotations in sales orders
- Client management: Master data maintenance, customer portal
ADDITIONAL
- Price lists: According to conditions of different customer groups, discount options
- Product variants: Different variants of a product incl. price differences for the different variants
INTEGRATION
- Finances: Linking invoicing with accounting
- Encampments: Warnings when selling beyond expected inventory levels
Stock
This function digitizes a warehouse to a new level! Various functionalities shorten goods routes, automate the flow of goods, synchronize it with other departments and thus optimize the warehouse or logistics processes. Odoo makes no difference between drop shipment, cross-docking or the processes in several warehouses.
REQUIREMENTS
- Supply chain management: Define individual procurement routes for each product
- Overview: Good overview of stock movements through reports and information on current stock levels
- Simple administration: Stock movements are created automatically on the basis of orders and sales
ADDITIONAL
- Delivery times: Adjustable depending on seller
- Dropshipping: Sell merchandise without it ever being in stock
- Lot & Serial Numbers: Tracking of products from order to delivery to the customer
- Product removal: Different methods (LIFO, FIFO, FEFO) possible
- Expiration dates: Define expiration dates for lot & serial numbers
INTEGRATION
- Finance & Accounting: Warehouse fully integrated, movements are transferred to the books in real time
- Purchasing: Simple re-ordering rules keep stock levels at the desired level
- Sales: Warning/preventing the sale of out-of-stock goods
- Dispatch: Integration of various shipping service providers
Manufacturing (MRP)
With Odoo’s manufacturing module, every production becomes a showcase example of Industry 4.0 in no time at all! The connection with other Odoo modules simplifies demand-oriented manufacturing. At the same time every product is traceable in every production step. With an IoT-Box it is even possible to read data from the production machines and integrate it into the quality control algorithms.
Purchasing
So that shopping is even more fun! The purchase module facilitates the procurement of any materials, links expenditures directly with the bookkeeping module and grants an otherwise never dagewesene clarity. Linked to the warehouse module, it can automatically place reorders when critical quantities are not reached. Integrated supplier price lists make it possible to compare prices in no time at all.
REQUIREMENTS
- Vendor master data: Storage of contact persons, addresses, account information, etc.
- Price lists: Possibility of integrating suppliers’ price lists, quickly and easily comparable
- Terms of delivery: Minimum order quantities & delivery times per product
ADDITIONAL
- Evaluation: Many statistical evaluation options for suppliers
- Contract award: All procurement methods can be mapped, from direct orders to requests for quotations and invitations to tender
INTEGRATION
- Finances: All purchases are automatically created as open items.
- Encampments: Orders can be created automatically, purchases automatically trigger expected product receipts into the warehouse
Human Resources
The entire personnel management in one module! From the job advertisement to the vacation application, Odoo’s HR module can cover everything that human resources management requires. It facilitates the creation of a job portal, organizes job interviews, facilitates the selection process. Afterwards Odoo manages contracts, time sheets, employee expenses, vacation requests and even a vehicle fleet.
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Further Odoo modules
Subscription
Concluding contracts and subscriptions has never been easier! With this module, customers can subscribe to a product – the administrative management then runs automatically. The relevant department can be reminded of orders, and invoicing and billing is automatic. Customers have the possibility to customize the subscription, give customer reviews or get support via a customer portal.
REQUIREMENTS
- Templates: Simplified subscription conclusion and administration through pre-defined subscription templates, products directly assigned to a specific subscription template
- Automatic invoice generation
ADDITIONAL
- Customer portal: Possibility for customers to view and manage contracts online, possibilities for customers can be extended or restricted
INTEGRATION
- Requires the following Odoo modules: Sales and invoicing
- Website
Project and resource planning
This module makes project management structured, simple and efficient. A project manager can create tasks for each project, assign them to a specific employee and track the processing status in a clearly arranged display. At the same time, a document management system facilitates the exchange of data. Gantt diagrams clearly show the progress of the project and allow delays to be detected early.
REQUIREMENTS
- Opportunities: Clear project management with little effort
- Clearness: Kanban board for the overview of different projects, intermediate goals or stages, as well as the responsible persons, shifting between stages by Drag&Drop, folding and unfolding certain work steps
- Information: Add explanations and additional information to project steps
ADDITIONAL
- Templates: Different templates already available
- Management: Distribute responsibilities, prioritize different tasks, divide larger tasks into subtasks
INTEGRATION
- Github: Automatically synchronize tickets between Odoo and Github
Cash register systems
No matter if webshop or store counter – Odoo is prepared for everything! And so it can also be used in restaurants and stores. The tailor-made module “Point of Sale” is the interface to the store. If you don’t want to work with a PC or a tablet, you can link a POS terminal with Odoo in no time at all using an IoT box.
REQUIREMENTS
- Complete: Independent and easy to operate cash register system
- Flexible: No hardware restrictions (also compatible with tablets or laptops)
- Availability: Product-dependent availability for different points of sale
- Synchronization: Product availability is updated in real time
- Interface: Designable through pictures and control elements, very user-friendly, processing different jobs at the same time
ADDITIONAL
- Receipts: Create your own layout
- Payment methods: Offer or prohibit different payment methods
- Currencies: Compatible with different currencies
- Exchange & return: Can be realized without problems
- Internet: No Internet connection required for normal operation
- Adaptable: Individual configuration possible for each individual point of sale
INTEGRATION
- Barcode scanner: For quick recognition of a specific product
- Finance & accounting: Connection to the accounting department of your company
- Email marketing: Use customers’ buying habits for personalized offers
Field service
Even outside the office always connected to him! As a cloud platform, Odoo is accessible from anywhere. And so nothing stands in the way of mobile usability. As a field service employee, you can access Odoo conveniently via smartphone. They can track their hours via app, have customers sign digitally, enter expenses directly in the app and view and edit their work plan in real time.
Customer Service
With this helpdesk, customer satisfaction shoots through the roof! An easy to use customer portal and an equally easy back-end. Tickets can be assigned to an employee with a mouse click and can be assigned to the current status in a clearly arranged Kanban view. In addition to the customer portal, tickets can also be submitted by e-mail, via a web form or via live chat.
REQUIREMENTS
- Function: Integrate a helpdesk to improve customer service
- Overview: High clarity by means of Kanban boards, intuitive operation, easy moving or editing of tickets, setting priorities
- Ticket creation: Creation via several channels mostly automated possible (automated creation at mail inbox, specific Twitter hashtags, requests via specially created web form)
ADDITIONAL
- Self-help: Possibility to provide customers with a database of FAQ’s and other information material
- Optimization: Process customer inquiries with templates or automatic responses as quickly and efficiently as possible
INTEGRATION
- Live chat: Possibility to address and help customers directly
- Fully integrates into the multiple Odoo apps
Events
No matter if conferences, webinars, festivals or exhibitions – Odoo makes their organization a delight with the event module. Various functions are adapted to almost all kinds of events. An online store enables digital ticket sales, sponsors can be managed in a separate tool and comprehensive advertising tools help with marketing. In addition, SEO and Google Analytics ensure that everyone is aware of the event.
REQUIREMENTS
- Organize events: Create events of all sizes and types, publish on website with associated agenda, specify number of participants
- Ticketing: Different types of tickets to sell the event on the site
- Social media: Create hashtags for events
ADDITIONAL
- Categories: Events can be assigned to different categories and filtered
- Overview: View event participants by origin, event, registration date, etc.
- Reminders: Send automatic reminder E-Mails to participants
- Organization: Form for suggestions from visitors
- Sponsoring: Add sponsors to specific events
INTEGRATION
- Google Analytics
- SEO
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Is Odoo open source?
- Open: Odoo origins in an 100% open source project. The entire core is open source
- Editions: The “Community Edition” is still open source, we only use the “Enterprise Edition”, which requires a license from Odoo SA.
What technology is Odoo build on?
- User-facing: Odoo is build on modern web technologies and can be used in the browser and as a mobile app.
- Stack: It mostly uses Python, Javascript, PostgreSql and XML.
Can you recommend Odoo for larger Enterprises?
- Technical Scale: The technology behind Odoo scales to TB of data. There are many examples of corporate clients e.g. Toyota.
- Features: Odoo currently supports >30 accounting regimes, all currencies, languages and is inexpensive to customize for extraordinary needs, while covering all departments of your company out of the box.
- Recommendation: We currently recommend Odoo to companies with up to 5.000 employees.
Is Odoo as an open source software reliable?
- The Odoo SA in Belgium with >1.000 employees is one of the leading upcoming tech companies in Europe and received nine digit € funding. It leads the maintenance of Odoo core & enterprise.
- The software is used by more than 4m users actively and is supported by >1.000 partners around the globe.
Why is Odoo less expensive than the competition?
- Odoo does not have technical debt, as the core of the software is less than 10y old.
- Partners and volunteers support the development of the Odoo core and as the most used ERP system (by users), it can utilize economies of scales efficiently.
Do I need to use the Odoo Cloud?
- No, you can deploy Odoo in your data center. This usually triples the hosting cost. For companies bellow 300 employees we strongly recommend the cloud platform (odoo.sh).
- We can support you to build your own, highly secure Odoo cluster.
Advanced Odoo features
Groups with several companies
Due to its multi-company functionality, Odoo is capable of mapping complex corporate structures. Thus, parent and subsidiary companies or many other constructs can be clearly separated from each other without hindering the data exchange.
Companies with multiple currencies
This function is of great importance for multinational companies and those who source with companies from countries with different currencies. Odoo is not only capable of supporting different currencies, but can also perform conversions based on daily exchange rates according to user defined rules. This saves your employees the tiresome conversion of the respective currencies and gives them a complete picture of the company in their home currency at any time.
Multiple tax systems and sales to many countries
With the use of Odoo, the constant attention to which country you sell to and how the product is taxed there is a thing of the past. Tax models are created once and assigned to the products. When selling, Odoo then automatically decides on the correct taxes.
Odoo can also be used with companies in several countries. Here 40 countries are supported by default.
Odoo Open Source vs. Enterprise
Odoo offers two different software models. In the open source version Odoo is free of charge. This contains however only a very limited function range (Link: https://www.odoo.com/page/editions).
If one wants to use the entire function range of Odoo, the enterprise version must be used. Particularly with enterprises starting from 20 coworkers or starting from 2m€ conversion the enterprise license should be acquired in any case.
Costs and license model
Odoo enterprise comes with license fees.. Odoo charges annual or monthly license fees depending on the number of users and the used apps and integrations. It is always possible to add or reduce users and apps. Monthly fees for server usage will be added unless you decide to host the system yourself.
All in all, Odoo is one of the cheapest systems on the market. The cost savings for license and hosting are 75% – 90% compared to direct competitors (SAP Business by Design, Microsoft Dynamics Business Central & Oracle Netsuite).
Odoo hosting
To use Odoo, it must be installed on a server. Odoo leaves the user the choice here. You can use your own infrastructure to operate the platform or you can use the Odoo.sh Cloud. Furthermore, the use of other public cloud platforms can also be enabled.
DSGVO with Odoo
After the entry into force of the basic data protection regulation 2018, many things are regulated in the area of data protection. As a result, a company has a number of obligations that it must fulfill. Odoo processes all data within the system according to current european data privacy law. It supports the user during setup and operation not to violate the data protection regulations.