7 keys to successfully implement ERP ODOO

7 keys to successfully implement ERP ODOO.

Although I am currently exclusively dedicated to providing assistance and functional training and financial and Management Control support for the ERP ODOO, I have dedicated several years to the implementation of many ODOO projects.

Based on my experience when implementing the ERP ODOO, the main key factor is teamwork between the company that requires the implementation and the consulting company hired for the execution, if one of the 2 legs is weaker than the another, the ERP probably will fail.

Still, in my opinion there are 7 key factors that make an ODOO implementation successful:

1) The company that has made the decision to implement ODOO must be very clear about what it expects to achieve from the implementation.

Many make the decision based on the fact that it is open source, therefore they deduce that the investment amount will be cheaper than with other ERPs.

They make the decision with criteria of investment cost instead of return on investment.

Very few companies consider return on investment, their only concern is cost.

If the cost of the investment is not aligned with the expected results, the only thing that the company will achieve is that the cost is increasing.

Costs not only related to implementation or maintenance, but also internal operating costs, such as non-automated processes, rework, high percentage of human errors, high administrative timework, lack of control and information tools for analysis and decision-making …

Preliminary analysis and detailed design of the ERP is key to its future success.

2) The choice of the consulting company that will carry out the implementation.

Does the consultancy have enough demonstrable experience to implement the project?

Is the consulting team highly qualified?

Is it a multidisciplinary team or is it just a technical team (IT) who know how to program, but have limitations in terms of business management?

This is a common mistake of companies that hire consultants, they only focus on the technical aspect of the consulting team, when an ERP in addition to advanced technology entails a great change in the way in which the company is going to manage resources.

3) The ERP design. ODOO is a comprehensive business management system capable of adapting to the needs of any company.

But this adaptation may require programming development due to particularities of the processes or the activity of the company.

Recently I have seen many companies abandon ERP ODOO for a vertical alternative specialized in the key process of the company.

If the company has made the decision to implement ODOO, the first thing it has to do is communicate to the consulting company the key or critical process for an evaluation or a design proposal.

It is unthinkable that 1 year after starting the implementation, the consulting firm is informed of that key process that has to be developed and that development and implementation is required in a very short time.

Well, this is quite common.

If the key activity is the manufacture of a certain form of products, this is the first thing that the company must communicate to the consultancy to analyze its viability.

Don’t start with invoicing or accounting and leave manufacturing for last.

Ideally, consultancies would have specialized verticals ready to be implemented with only the need to make small changes or adaptations, but the current policy of ODOO is to launch a new version practically every year, the versions of ODOO can change radically with respect to the above, this makes vertical development and maintenance extremely difficult.

4) The role of the company’s project leader is key to success when implementing ERP.

Without a leader, the implementation of ERP is a continuous patch of functionalities in which each department or area manager sweeps for their own home. The common or global interest on the part of the company is set aside in exchange for personal or departmental interests.

A project leader must have advanced technical knowledge and experience in business management.

The project leader must have enough time to review all the phases that are being implemented.

It has to be the connection between the company and the consultancy.

5) The work plan of the consulting team and the company. Compliance with the deadlines by both parties.

Pre-design is critical to success, but so is execution.

Without proper execution, the deadlines are lengthened, the company can be left stuck or even inoperative.

Deadlines and tasks must be carefully planned and must be met as established. Compliance with the action plan is the responsibility of the consultant and the company. This is where teamwork is the key factor.

6) The testing of the implemented functionalities of the ERP.

As the consultant is implementing the ERP in phases, it is the responsibility of the company to test and validate them.

It is unthinkable that after 1 year of work the company detects problems or errors that could have been solved from the beginning.

The company must assign a person responsible for testing all processes and validating that everything works correctly as agreed.

7) Support and training after implementing or launch of the ERP.

An ERP is a wide and complex system, it affects the entire organization of the company, the procedures and roles must be well defined.

Employees must be able to use it from the start and also understand the relationships between the various processes.

It is usual that after an implementation there are needs to be covered or doubts about how to carry out certain processes. Therefore, the availability of resources by the consultancy is key to support the company in an agile and fast way and thus not generate bottlenecks that make a successful implementation turn into a failed experience on the part of the employees.

More information about ERP ODOO