Odoo is a modular business suite with a free, open-source Community edition and a commercial Enterprise edition. Its apps run through a browser and cover sales, accounting, stock, websites, manufacturing, and internal operations. Server packages support Windows and Linux, while mobile clients connect Android and iOS devices to Enterprise databases.
From opportunity to invoice
CRM represents sales opportunities as cards within a pipeline. Staff drag cards between stages, schedule calls or meetings, and review the revenue that each stage represents. Odoo also keeps customer communications alongside the sales work.
Sales turns product selections into quotations, using templates, customer pricing, and tax rules. Customers can review quotations through a portal, sign them electronically, and make online payments. Staff choose an invoicing policy, such as quantities that customers order, quantities the company delivers, time and materials, or project milestones.
Books and bank matches
Odoo Accounting captures information from vendor invoices and presents it for validation. Bank synchronization brings transactions into the accounting workflow, where matching connects them with financial records. Accountants can review the results, inspect financial reports, annotate them, and export their data.
Country localizations supply charts of accounts, taxes, and report conventions. Payment follow-ups identify overdue amounts and send reminders through channels such as email or SMS. Comprehensive accounting belongs to Enterprise; Community provides invoicing and payment functions.
Pages that lead to orders
Website Builder starts from a business type, color palette, logo, and theme. Users drag content blocks onto pages, change layouts, adjust pictures, and control mobile visibility. They can add languages and translate content directly on the page. A text prompt can also ask Odoo AI to generate copy or change its tone.
eCommerce adds product pages, variants, checkout, and payment options. Each variant has its own stock position. After an online order reaches confirmation, Odoo creates delivery work for physical goods when the company uses Inventory. Staff then pick, pack, and ship the order. Invoices can follow manually or automatically; automatic invoicing requires payment registration.
Stock that triggers purchasing
Inventory follows products across warehouse locations, lots, and serial numbers. Staff define replenishment rules, routes, and reservation strategies. Minimum and maximum stock rules can make Odoo propose or trigger purchase orders when quantities need replenishment.
Purchase manages supplier requests for quotations and compares alternatives by product line. Blanket orders support recurring purchases. Vendor billing can follow quantities the company orders or receives, and Accounting tracks the resulting payment status. Picking methods such as batch, cluster, and wave picking determine how warehouse staff collect items for orders.
Components become production
Manufacturing uses bills of materials to define a product’s components and their quantities. Users can add production operations, choose work centers, and specify instructions. Odoo plans manufacturing orders against capacity, component availability, and costs.
Shop Floor gives operators a tablet interface for work centers, worksheets, and quality tests. Operators record production and component consumption during their work. Lot and serial tracking connect manufacturing records with the movement of materials and finished products.
Tasks for service work
Project organizes tasks into stages, with subtasks and dependencies for more detailed work. Teams drag tasks through a Kanban board or inspect dates and dependencies on a Gantt timeline. Stakeholders can receive permission to view or edit particular project information.
Timesheets record work against tasks. Odoo can invoice customers for that time or use milestones to divide project billing. Project reports combine tasks, resources, milestones, and profitability, while integrations bring purchases, sales, and timesheet costs into the same project view.
Employee records
The Employees app organizes profiles, departments, skills, and contracts. Access settings restrict private information such as emergency contacts and visa details. Staff can upload contracts and request digital signatures through Enterprise’s Sign app.
Recruitment follows applications and interviews, while onboarding plans assign activities to new employees. Time Off tracks requests and lets managers approve leave. Attendance reports show who has attended, and appraisal scheduling supports reviews of employees’ skills and performance.
Campaigns and counter sales
Email Marketing builds campaigns from templates or content blocks. Users select contact groups, adjust messages and images, and schedule delivery. Odoo reports opens, clicks, bounces, leads, orders, and revenue so campaign results connect with CRM activity.
Point of Sale handles retail transactions with product categories, payment methods, and cashier accounts. Cashiers can print invoices or send them through email or QR codes. Loyalty programs use points, rewards, and gift cards. Online orders can also support store pickup, while integrations connect counter sales with inventory and accounting. Self-ordering lets customers browse products, place orders, and pay through a kiosk or their own mobile device. Staff must keep the POS register open for customers to order.
Devices on the local network
Odoo IoT connects barcode scanners, receipt printers, payment terminals, and other physical devices to a company database. Businesses can use an IoT Box or Windows Virtual IoT. Windows Virtual IoT excludes manufacturing cameras and measurement tools. Production use of either system requires an IoT subscription.
Studio and AI actions
Studio adds fields and changes application screens through drag and drop. Users choose field types and conditional properties, customize documents, and define triggers with automatic actions. Approval flows route critical actions to specific users before execution.
Odoo AI accepts questions and files, creates or updates business records, and generates website or mailing content. Users can inspect automation conversations and request corrections to agent behavior. AI functions require separate in-app purchase credits.
App access and hosting
| Area | Community | Enterprise adds |
|---|---|---|
| Finance | Invoicing and payments | Comprehensive accounting and reconciliation |
| Warehouse | Inventory management | Barcode processing |
| Production | Manufacturing | Shop Floor and scheduling |
| Customization | Application modules | Studio |
One App Free supplies a chosen online app and its dependencies. Standard subscriptions provide all apps on Odoo Online. Custom subscriptions add customization options, external API access, and alternatives for hosting on Odoo.sh or company infrastructure. External software can use the API to query, retrieve, or update business records.
Android and iOS clients open the applications in an Enterprise database and deliver push notifications. Users can also access Odoo through a progressive web app, which adds a home-screen shortcut and supports browser navigation.
