Buying a new ERP system sometimes feels like the beginning of a technical operation. There is a look at modules, connections, migrations, and automation. Then the question follows which button ensures that the work happens automatically.
That button usually does not exist.
Implementing an ERP system is not just about software. It is about the way your company operates. You make choices about processes, responsibilities, data, and collaboration. That requires more than a technical setup.
My main advice is therefore simple:
Do not start with the question of what you can automate. Start with the question of what you want to achieve as a company.
A new ERP system is not a goal
An ERP system costs time, money, and attention. Especially in SMEs, an implementation usually happens alongside daily operations. Then there must be a clear reason to start.
“We want a new ERP system” is not a business goal.
Maybe you want to:
make fewer mistakes in inventory and administration;
be able to deliver faster;
gain better insight into the results;
grow without proportionally hiring more people;
become less dependent on separate Excel files;
connect sales, inventory, purchasing and accounting better with each other.
These are goals against which you can test decisions. If a proposed connection, automation, or adjustment does not contribute to those goals, that choice probably does not belong in the project.
Also read our Odoo project approach, in which we explain why a good implementation starts with processes, people, data, and objectives.
Do not automatically digitize your old way of working
At the start of an ERP project, we naturally ask how a company currently operates. This is necessary to understand processes, bottlenecks, and exceptions.
But there is a big difference between understanding how something works now and replicating it one-to-one in the new software.
The latter happens regularly. Employees describe how they work today. The implementation partner then configures Odoo in such a way that this way of working is maintained. Everyone is satisfied because not too much changes.
Only: then you have new software, but no improvement yet.
The customer often does not yet know what the new software can do. Employees usually do not know that either. They mainly look from their current tasks. That is logical. Change is exciting, and people like to hold on to what they know.
The role of an ERP consultant is therefore not only to gather wishes. A consultant must translate the current way of working into the possibilities of Odoo. Sometimes this means that a process needs to be set up differently. Not because the old way of working is inherently bad, but because a better way is now available.
In a good Odoo implementation, you look at three things:
How does the company operate today?
What does the company want to achieve?
How can Odoo help to better achieve that goal?
Not everything you can automate should be automated
Automation almost always sounds attractive. No one wants to do unnecessary manual work.
Yet automation is not automatically the best solution.
Suppose an employee spends half an hour once a month transferring data from another system. Then you can have a connection built. That connection needs to be developed, tested, managed, and adjusted when either of the systems changes.
The question is not just: "Can we link this?"
The better question is: "Does this connection provide enough value for the investment and the extra management?"
Sometimes the answer is yes. If a process takes a lot of time daily or carries significant risks, automation is often wise. But sometimes half an hour of manual work per month is simply part of the job description. Then you unnecessarily make the project more expensive and complicated by building a technical solution for it.
You do not need to remove every piece of work from the organization. You should mainly reduce unnecessary work.
A simple solution may be better
An example can be seen in companies that work with multiple currencies, for instance in the tourism sector or at an airport.
At a cash register, it may seem attractive to process all currencies directly automatically, to convert, and to have it fully integrated into the accounting. That is technically possible. But it also makes the setup more complex.
A pragmatic solution could be to keep each currency in a separate cash book. Another possibility is to convert transactions directly to one currency and then deposit the money at the bank.
Which solution is best depends on the situation, the need for control, and the volume of transactions. But the most advanced solution is not automatically the best solution.
A good solution is one that employees understand, can execute daily, and can verify afterwards.
That is also exactly why we within Odoo consultancy do not only look at what is technically possible. We mainly look at what works in practice.
Odoo standard is the starting point
With every implementation, the question of customization arises. An existing process does not fit exactly with Odoo. Or someone has a request that is already available in the current system.
Our starting point is clear: start with Odoo standard.
That does not mean that every company must fully adapt its processes to the software. It does mean that you first investigate what Odoo can already do and whether the process can be set up more simply.
Only then do you look at:
configuration;
a different method;
an additional Odoo app;
an integration;
customization.
Customization can absolutely be the right solution. For example, when a process provides a significant competitive advantage or when standard functionality demonstrably falls short.
But customization has consequences. You have to maintain it, test it during updates, and explain it to new employees. Therefore, every adjustment must have a clear business reason.
The right question is not: “Can you build this for us?”
The right question is: “What value does this provide and what does it cost us to maintain this solution for years?”
You can read more about this consideration on our page about Odoo customization and integrations.
Employees need to understand why something is changing
An ERP implementation changes the daily tasks of people. This can create resistance. Not because employees do not want to improve, but because they are uncertain about what is expected of them.
That is why it usually does not work to only explain what is different.
You especially need to explain why you are changing and what the benefits are.
An employee wants to know:
why this change is necessary;
what problem it solves;
what it means for his or her work;
what support is available;
when the new way of working is good enough.
It helps if management makes clear what objectives the company has. Employees need to understand that they sometimes have to work differently to achieve those objectives.
The software and the implementation partner help with that. But they cannot determine the company's goals themselves.
Management must be the driving force
An owner or management cannot completely hand over the implementation to employees and the implementation partner.
We have experienced that an owner primarily saw an ERP project as something the organization could manage on its own. His own vision and business goals were not sufficiently clarified.
The result was predictable: the software was configured around the wishes of employees. Those wishes were understandable in themselves, but did not align well with what the company wanted to achieve.
The employees largely got what they asked for. The company did not achieve the improvement that was needed.
The management of the company must therefore visibly be the driving force behind the project. Not by determining every setting themselves, but by providing direction, making decisions, and allocating time.
Without that driving force, the priority quickly fades. Daily operations take precedence and tasks for the ERP project remain undone. The schedule slips and important decisions are postponed.
Four conditions for a successful ERP implementation
The management has four important responsibilities during the project.
1. Appoint a project leader with mandate
A project leader must be able to make decisions or quickly reach the right decision-maker. If approval from multiple people is needed for every choice, the project will unnecessarily be delayed.
2. Define vision and objectives
Make clear what you want to achieve with the ERP project. Use that vision as a touchstone for every choice.
Does a proposed solution not meet the business objectives? Then you do not proceed.
3. Communicate continuously about the why
One presentation at the beginning of the project is not enough. Keep explaining why the organization is changing and what improvement you want to achieve.
Good communication does not prevent all resistance, but it does make it discussable.
4. Make change part of the project
Don't just ask if employees understand the new software. Also ask if they are willing to adjust their working methods when it leads to improvement.
Create space for questions, criticism, and practice. People are more likely to embrace a change if they understand where it is leading.
The best ERP solution is not the most comprehensive
In an ERP implementation, you can almost endlessly keep expanding. Another connection, another report, another exception, and another automation.
But more software does not automatically mean more efficiency.
Sometimes a simple process is better than a fully automated process. Sometimes Odoo standard is better than custom work. Sometimes an employee must continue to perform a task because that task is part of good control.
The goal is not to remove all human actions from your company. The goal is to help people do their work better, faster, and more reliably.
Do you want to know what that could look like for your company? Then check our customer references or schedule a personal Odoo demo.
Conclusion: first determine what needs to improve
Implementing an ERP system does not start with automation. It starts with a clear vision.
First, determine what you want to achieve as a company. Then investigate how you can organize your processes more intelligently with Odoo. Use standard functionality where possible and only opt for customization, integrations, or automation when they demonstrably add value.
The most important question in every choice is:
Does this help us achieve the company's objectives?
If the answer is no, you should forgo the solution. Even if the technology is interesting. This can be difficult at times. But an ERP project usually benefits from it.
