Odoo functional · Technical reference
Configuration, process design and the accounting a functional consultant is expected to know.
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I start by identifying key stakeholders. I document the 'As-Is' process, identify pain points, and then map them to Odoo's 'To-Be' process. I focus on high-level workflows first (Sales, Purchase, Accounting) before diving into granular details.
I follow the hierarchy: 1. Configuration. 2. Workaround. 3. App Store (OCA). 4. Customization (as a last resort).
UAT is where actual business users test the system in a staging environment. It ensures the configuration meets business needs and secures 'buy-in' before Go-Live.
By maintaining a strict 'Change Request' process. Any requirement outside the initial SOW is documented, estimated, and approved as a separate phase.
Garbage in, garbage out. Cleaning ensures no duplicates, correct formatting, and accurate opening balances, which are vital for a clean start.
Anglo-Saxon records COGS at the time of the customer invoice. Continental records the expense at the time of product reception. Anglo-Saxon is standard for international firms.
By enabling Inter-Company Transactions in settings. Odoo automatically generates corresponding SO/PO and syncs invoices/bills between entities.
The process of matching bank statement lines with internal Odoo records. Odoo uses Reconciliation Models to automate this with up to 95% accuracy.
Analytic Accounts are for cost centers. Analytic Tags (integrated as Analytic Plans in v16+) allow for multi-dimensional reporting.
Enable multi-currency, define 'Base Currency', and activate 'Automatic Currency Rates'. Odoo handles unrealized/realized gains/losses automatically.
Spreading income or expenses over a period (e.g., insurance). Odoo automates this by creating Deferred Entries across months.
Odoo doesn't require a hard 'Closing'. You simply set a 'Lock Date' for non-advisors. P&L resets based on date range, and the Balance Sheet carries forward.
Automates US sales tax calculation based on exact zip codes, handling thousands of jurisdictions automatically.
Tracking fixed assets. Odoo calculates depreciation (Linear, Declining) and automatically posts journal entries.
Manufacturing Order (MO) is the overall document to produce. Work Orders (WO) are specific operations at Work Centers.
Capacity is how many units/hours a machine can handle. Efficiency is a percentage used to adjust expected time.
Secondary products produced during manufacturing. Odoo defines them and their cost-share in the BoM.
A BoM for a sub-assembly that isn't stocked. Components are pulled directly into the main MO.
Overall Equipment Effectiveness. Availability × Performance × Quality. Odoo compares planned vs actual time on Work Centers.
Define BoM as Subcontracting. Odoo generates a PO for the service when an MO is created.
Hardware device connecting scales, calipers, and cameras to Odoo for automated data capture on the shop floor.
Odoo uses a 'Real-time' shared database. When a product is sold in POS, the quantity is immediately deducted, reflecting on the E-commerce site to prevent overselling.
'Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store' (BOPIS). Odoo handles this by creating a Sales Order with a 'In-Store Pickup' delivery method, which triggers a notification to the local store's POS/Inventory.
Define Pricelists based on 'Public', 'VIP', or 'Wholesale'. You can set fixed prices, percentage discounts, or formula-based pricing (e.g., Cost + 20%).
Odoo allows selling physical or digital gift cards. The 'Balance' is tracked in the system, and customers can redeem them in POS or E-commerce.
In POS, use the 'Return' button to select the previous order. Odoo reverses the stock move and creates a Credit Note/Refund automatically.
Push: Moving goods to a location as soon as they arrive (e.g., Receipt -> Quality Control). Pull: Moving goods only when there is a demand (e.g., Customer Order -> Packing -> Shipping).
Instead of a simple 'Receive', you can configure 'Pick -> Pack -> Ship' (3-step) for outgoing and 'Receive -> Input -> Quality' for incoming.
Moving goods from the receiving dock directly to the shipping dock without putting them away in storage. Reduces handling time.
Grouping multiple orders into one 'Batch' so a picker can travel through the warehouse once to pick items for 10 different orders.
Grouping orders by specific criteria (e.g., Shipping Carrier, Priority, or Product Category) to optimize the fulfillment workflow.
By linking Sales Orders (Revenue) and Timesheets/Purchase Bills (Costs) to the same 'Analytic Account'. The Project Dashboard then shows the real-time margin.
Billing the customer based on project progress (e.g., 20% on start, 50% on completion of Phase 1). Odoo allows manual or task-completion based milestone invoicing.
Using 'Internal Transfers' from the Main Warehouse to the Site Location, or by linking the Purchase of materials directly to the Project.
It provides a mobile-optimized view for technicians, integrated Google Maps for routing, and 'Worksheets' to capture customer signatures and photos on-site.
Using the 'Planning' module to see who is overbooked and dragging/dropping tasks to balance the workload across the team.
For product recalls. If a specific batch of medicine is faulty, Odoo can trace exactly which vendors it came from and which customers received it.
First Expiry, First Out. Odoo suggests picking the lot that expires soonest, even if it arrived later than others.
A notification triggered when a product fails a check. In Pharma, this might automatically 'Lock' the entire lot from being sold or used until cleared.
Using the 'Appointments' module where patients can book slots online. This integrates with the 'Calendar' and can trigger an 'Invoice' upon completion.
Scheduling 'Preventive Maintenance' for MRI or X-Ray machines. Odoo tracks the equipment history and creates 'Repair Orders' if a failure occurs.
Subscriptions are integrated into sale.order. Set product type as Service with a Recurring policy, and define a Recurring Plan (Monthly, Yearly).
MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) and Churn (rate of cancellations). Odoo provides a dedicated dashboard to track these SaaS KPIs.
By using the 'Upsell' button on a subscription, which allows adding more seats or upgrading the plan, automatically prorating the cost.
A process where managers review and 'Approve' employee timesheets before they can be used for customer invoicing.
Service Level Agreements. Define targets (e.g., 'Initial response within 2 hours'). Odoo flags tickets that are in danger of failing the SLA.
Use 'Consolidation' module. Map the charts of accounts of all companies to a 'Consolidation Chart' and Odoo will generate the combined report.
The stock might be 'Reserved' for another order, or it is in a 'Non-available' location (like Quality Control or Scrap), or the Lot is expired.
Configure 'Purchase Approvals' in settings. Set the threshold. The PO will stay in 'To Approve' state until a manager validates it.
Configure 'Payment Terms' with a 'Cash Discount' (PPD). Odoo will calculate the discount and the tax adjustment automatically.
Define an 'Employee Cost' per hour. Link the employee to the 'Work Order'. Odoo multiplies the time spent by the cost to get the total labor value.
The ability to use natural language to define business rules or automated actions, making the system more accessible to non-technical managers.
It allows sending Invoices, Order Confirmations, and Tracking links directly to the customer's phone, increasing response rates compared to email.
It acts as an internal Wiki/SOP center. Consultants use it to document client-specific workflows directly within the Odoo database.
Odoo uses AI to scan vendor bills (PDF/Image) and automatically fill in the Vendor, Date, Line Items, and Taxes. The user only needs to validate.
For 'Onboarding'. Employment contracts can be sent via Odoo Sign, and once signed, they are automatically stored in the employee's document folder.
I listen to their concerns to understand if they are based on fear of change or genuine functional gaps. I involve them in the process early, show them 'Quick Wins', and ensure they feel heard during UAT.
I use a 'Role-Based' approach. Instead of showing every button, I show them exactly how to complete their specific daily tasks with short, visual SOPs.
Hyper-care is the 2-4 week period immediately after Go-Live. I manage it with a dedicated 'War Room' or Slack channel for instant issue resolution.
I explain that every transaction has a source and a destination. Money moves from one place (Bank) to another (Expense). Debits = Credits.
I use the MoSCoW method: Must-have, Should-have, Could-have, Won't-have.
A Fiscal Position automatically maps taxes and accounts based on location (Domestic vs EU vs Export). Assigned manually or auto-detected.
Supports PEPPOL (EU), Factur-X/ZUGFeRD (FR/DE), SII (Spain), CFDI (Mexico), and E-Way Bill (India). Generates UBL XML or embedded PDF XML.
A country-specific module installing the official Chart of Accounts, Tax rates, Fiscal Positions, and legal report formats.
Tax Group is what the customer sees. A Tax can have multiple components (State + Federal). Odoo calculates each but shows the group total.
Accounting -> Settings -> Cash Rounding. Define precision (0.05) and method (UP/DOWN/HALF-UP). Difference posts to a Rounding account.
A template defining how a payslip is calculated using a set of Salary Rules evaluated in sequence (Basic, Allowances, Deductions).
Calculation lines with a Category (BASIC, ALW, DED), Condition (Python), and Computation (Fixed/Percentage/Python Code).
Debit Salary Expense (P&L), Credit Payables (Liabilities: Tax, Social Security, Net Salary).
Define Wage, Structure, Schedule, and Dates. Odoo uses the active contract during the payslip date range.
Employee requests leave -> Manager approves -> Balance deducted. During payroll, Odoo checks for 'Unpaid Leave' and reduces salary proportionally.
Two ways: Direct (Accounting payment) or via Payslip (Add as an 'Input' to the next payslip calculation).
Generates payslips for all employees in a department/company at once via Payroll -> Payslips -> Batches.
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