Odoo Administration: Key Modules for Business Operations Training Course

User Management and Security

• Creating/managing users, assigning user groups, defining access rights, understanding multi-company structure.

General Settings

• Company details configuration, language, time zones, and currency setup

System Customization Tools

• Understanding Developer Mode, installing/updating apps, managing system parameters.

Email and Communication

• Configuring outbound/inbound email servers, managing email templates.​

Tips & Tricks for Implementers

• External IDs: Use them for efficient mass imports, exports, and record updates.
• Scheduled Actions: Automate tasks such as data cleanup or generating periodic reports.
• No-Code UI Customization: Use Odoo Studio to modify views and add custom fields without coding.

Project Setup and Implementation Leadership

• Collecting Requirements:
  • Collecting Requirements: Defining the scope, understanding client/stakeholder needs, and translating business processes into Odoo features.
• Project Initiation:
  • Creating project types, defining key project stages/pipelines that map to your implementation methodology (e.g., Analysis, Development, Testing, Go-Live).

Task Management and Time Tracking

• Task management best practices, setting up task assignments, establishing recurring tasks, and configuring timesheets for accurate effort tracking against project goals.

The Planning Module and Resource Allocation

• Configuring and utilizing the Gantt and Calendar views, managing employee capacity and availability, and optimizing resource scheduling across multiple projects

Project Reporting and Performance

• Analyzing project profitability (linking to Analytic Accounting), monitoring task progress, and generating custom reports for both administrators and clients.

Integration with Sales and Billing

• Linking projects to sales orders, automating task creation upon sale confirmation, and setting up project-based invoicing methods (e.g., based on Milestones or Time & Material).

Tips & Tricks for Implementers

• Project Templates:
  Create templates for recurring projects (e.g., standard implementation or onboarding) to ensure consistency and quick setup.
• Capacity Planning:
  Utilize the Planning module to avoid overbooking employees and balance the workload, managing the biggest pain point of resource conflict
• Phased Go-Live:
  Structure projects with distinct phases in the pipeline to manage client expectations, reduce risk, and ensure sign-off before progressing.
• Sub-Tasks:
  Break complex tasks into smaller, manageable sub-tasks for better tracking and reporting.

Contact Records Setup

• Differentiating between individuals (Contacts) and companies (Customers/Vendors), managing address and contact data.   
  

The Power of CRM Integration

• Using the Contact module to manage leads and opportunities, and setting up partner hierarchies.
  

Leveraging AI for CRM & Leads

• Understanding and configuring Odoo's AI features: Predictive Lead Scoring, AI-Powered Data Enrichment (filling missing contact/company details), and AI-Drafted Communication (email suggestions).

Data Quality

• Best practices for data import, merging duplicate contacts, and data cleaning.

Tips & Tricks for Implementers

• Address Formatting: Standardize address fields (zip code, country) for better invoicing and shipping accuracy.
• Deduplication Strategy: Schedule regular checks to remove duplicate contacts.
• Partner Categories/Tags: Use tags to classify customers and vendors for quick filtering and targeted reporting.

Product and Pricelist Configuration

• Creating and categorizing products, advanced Pricelist management (discounts, tiered pricing).

Sales Workflow Customization

• Configuring sales teams, pipelines, quotes, sales orders, and setting up invoicing policies.

E-commerce and Point of Sale Integration

• Overview of basic settings for webshop and retail operations

Sales Reporting

• Analyzing sales performance, pipeline forecasting, and key metrics.

Tips & Tricks for Implementers

• Sales Warnings: Add automatic alerts for important information (e.g., payment terms, shipping details).
• Sales Team Hierarchy: Organize teams properly for clearer reporting and management tracking.
• Product Variants: Use variants (e.g., size, color) instead of separate products to simplify stock control.

Initial Accounting Setup

• Configuring the chart of accounts, journals, taxes, and fiscal positions.

The Analytic Accounting Plan

• Purpose and setup of Analytic Accounts for cost centers and project tracking.

Analytic Tags and Groups

• Utilizing tags for detailed expense analysis and multi-level reporting. .

Invoicing and Payments

• Managing customer invoices, vendor bills, payment reconciliation, and bank synchronization.

Core Financial Reports

• Generating the Balance Sheet, Profit & Loss, and Analytic Reports.

Tips & Tricks for Implementers

• Mandatory Analytic Account: Make analytic fields required for expense journals to ensure accurate cost tracking.
• Deferred Revenue/Expense: Automate the spreading of revenue and expenses across multiple periods.
• Continuous Reconciliation: Perform bank reconciliation frequently (daily/weekly) to avoid data errors.

Employee and Department Setup

• Create and manage employee profiles, departments, and job positions.
• Keep employee information organized and up to date.

Access Rights

• Define HR-specific roles such as Employee, Officer, and Manager.
• Control who can view or edit sensitive HR data.

HR Processes Integration

• Set up Time Off (Leaves) and link it with employee calendars.
• Configure basic Recruitment processes for hiring new staff.

Employee Self-Service Portal

• Enable employees to log in, view personal details, and request leaves.
• Decide which information is visible to employees in the portal.

Tips & Tricks for Implementers

• Working Hours Templates: Create templates for standard hours and holidays to ensure accurate leave calculations.
• Employee Skills: Record and update skills for better resource planning and talent search.
• Segregation of Duties: Separate HR and Finance permissions to maintain data security and prevent conflicts.