A product rarely remains exactly the same during its lifecycle. Parts are replaced, a supplier changes, a technical specification is adjusted, or a production process is improved.
That may seem like a small change. But when you later need to investigate a defect or delay, you want to be able to pinpoint exactly what has changed at that moment. Which version of the product was active? Which parts were used? From which supplier did those parts come? And according to which production process was the product made?
For that, you use Product Lifecycle Management, or PLM.
In Odoo, the PLM app helps to systematically document product changes, bill of materials, and production processes. The main record for that is the Engineering Change Order, or ECO.
What does PLM mean?
PLM stands for Product Lifecycle Management. In Dutch, that means product lifecycle management.
It involves managing a product from design through production, use, and ultimately the end of its lifecycle. In practice, PLM is often used for:
- versions of products;
- changes in bill of materials;
- changes in production processes;
- technical documentation;
- approvals;
- product introductions;
- investigation into quality issues.
PLM is therefore more than just a version number on a product card. It is about being able to document what has changed, why it happened, who approved the change, and from what point the change is effective.
This is especially important for companies that produce products with multiple components, variants, or production steps.
Why must you be able to trace product changes?
Suppose a product shows problems after a few months. Then you want to know not only how the product is made today. You want to know how the product was made at the time the relevant batch was produced.
A defect could for example be caused by:
- a changed component;
- a different supplier;
- a deviating material specification;
- a different production step;
- a modified operation;
- a new work instruction;
- a change in the bill of materials.
If those changes are only adjusted separately on a product card, it is often no longer clear afterwards which situation was active at which moment. Then someone has to start searching in emails, Excel files, and loose documents. That is exactly the kind of detective work you want to avoid with PLM.
How does PLM work in Odoo?
In Odoo you record a change with an Engineering Change Order. An ECO is a file in which the change and the approval process are managed.
You can record, among other things:
- which product or bill of materials the change relates to;
- what the reason for the change is;
- who is responsible;
- which documents are associated with the change;
- which approvals are needed;
- which users need to review the change;
- from which date the change becomes active;
- which comments and communication are associated with the change.
An ECO goes through the phases that you have set up for the relevant PLM process. This can start with a new change, followed by research, assessment, approval, and ultimately release.
The involved employees can be added as followers. Communication, comments, attachments, and approvals remain available in the same file.
This creates one place for the change. This is more organized than a collection of Excel files :).
What does 'Only product' mean in Odoo?
When creating an ECO, you choose what the change applies to. One of the options is 'Only Product'.
The procedure is as follows:
- You choose a product.
- You select 'Only Product' for Apply on.
- You click on Start Revision.
- Odoo does not create a new version of the bill of materials.
- So no new bill of materials appears under the Revision button.
- The ECO goes through the set phases and approvals.
- After approval, the product change becomes active.
- If Update Version is checked, Odoo increases the version number of the product.
'Only Product' is intended for changes to the product itself, without altering the composition of the bill of materials.
Think for example of:
- a new technical data sheet;
- changed product documentation;
- a modified product description;
- a changed product status;
- a new product specification that does not affect the bill of materials;
- a change in packaging or labeling.
Production continues to use the same bill of materials for 'Only Product'.
What changes does Odoo track?
Odoo does register the change file for an Only Product-ECO. You can therefore find out:
- which ECO was created;
- what the reason or description of the change was;
- who was responsible;
- which approval steps were completed;
- who approved and when;
- what comments were made in the chatter;
- which documents are linked to the ECO;
- when the change became effective;
- if the product version number has been increased.
There is an important limitation to this.
Odoo does not automatically create a complete comparison of all changed product fields for 'Only Product'. The system does not show by itself:
The old supplier was A and the new supplier is B.
Also, in the case of changes to, for example, the product name, internal reference, barcode, category, technical specifications, or product image, the old and new values are not automatically recorded as a complete revision comparison.
If you need that information later, you must clearly describe the change yourself in the ECO, a logbook note, or a linked document. Simply increasing the version number indicates that something has changed, but not what.
Fictitious example: only change the supplier
A manufacturer uses a metal fastening component in a product. The component is initially supplied by supplier A. Over time, the company opts for supplier B.
Someone opens the existing product card and only replaces supplier A with supplier B. At first glance, that seems sufficient. After all, the component has the same name and the same internal reference number.
A year later, a defect occurs in a series of products. The manufacturer wants to investigate whether the problem is related to the fastening components used.
In the current product card, only supplier B is now listed. As a result, it is no longer immediately clear which supplier was involved in the older productions. The historical reality has been overwritten.
A Product-only ECO can help document the reason for the change, the approval, and a document. But if you only change the supplier on the product card, Odoo does not automatically make a complete comparison between the old and new supplier information.
If the component changes in substance or the origin is relevant for quality and traceability, it is often wiser to create a new product. This way, you keep the old component available for historical productions and establish the new component as a separate product identity.
When do you need a new bill of materials version?
'Only Product' is not suitable when the composition or execution of the production changes.
Use a new bill of materials version when you, for example:
- add a component;
- remove a component;
- change the quantity of a component;
- replace a component;
- use a different variant;
- add or remove a process;
- change the production sequence;
- adjust a routing or work instruction.
In an ECO for a bill of materials, Odoo creates a new revision of the bill of materials. The old version remains available. The new bill of materials can then be used from a certain date.
This is important when you need to determine with what composition a product was made in the past.
Only product, new bill of materials version, or new product?
The choice depends on what exactly is changing.
| Situation | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Only change technical documentation | Only product |
| Adjust product description or status | Only product |
| Change packaging or label without changing production composition | Only product |
| Add or remove a component | New bill of materials version |
| Change quantity in the bill of materials | New bill of materials version |
| Change production process or operation | New bill of materials version |
| Component receives a different technical identity | New product |
| Supplier changes and this is relevant for quality or specification | Often new product |
| Old and new parts must remain traceable alongside each other | New product |
A new bill of materials version does not automatically mean you have to create a new end product. The same product can have multiple bill of materials versions.
A new product is especially needed when the component itself functionally or technically receives a different identity. Just a different supplier is not sufficient reason for a new product in every situation. But if material, quality, specification, or traceability changes, you need to take that choice seriously.
PLM only works with clear agreements
The software helps in registering changes, but Odoo cannot resolve unclear procedures.
You must determine in advance:
- who is allowed to create a change;
- who evaluates the change;
- when a new product is needed;
- when a new bill of materials version is needed;
- which documents are mandatory;
- from which date the change applies;
- how old products and new products are linked together.
For a small manufacturing company, one simple ECO process may be sufficient. Larger organizations can use different ECO types, for example for product development, quality issues, supplier changes, or process improvements.
Start with the standard capabilities of Odoo. Only add extra configuration, integrations, or customizations when there is a clear business reason for it. A complicated process does not automatically improve the product history.
You can read more about the relationship between bill of materials, inventory, production, and work orders on the page about Odoo production. Also the article What is MRP? The difference between MRP1, MRP2, and ERP connects well to this.
What does PLM deliver?
A well-structured PLM process primarily gives you control over changes.
You can investigate more quickly why a product has become defective. You see which approvals were needed and when a change became active. Employees work with the correct version of a bill of materials and documents. It also becomes clearer who is responsible for a change.
PLM therefore not only provides administrative benefits. It helps to limit errors and makes quality investigation more practical.
This does come with a realistic expectation. 'Only Product' registers that there was a change and approval, but not automatically every old and new product value. If you want to make that comparison, you need to describe the change well yourself or choose a new product or bill of materials version.
Conclusion
PLM stands for Product Lifecycle Management and helps you to manage the lifecycle of products. In Odoo, this is mainly done with Engineering Change Orders.
'Only Product' is used for changes to a product that do not alter the bill of materials. The ECO will go through the approval process, but Odoo does not create a new bill of materials version and does not automatically show which product fields have been changed.
Does the composition, a component, or the production process change? Then use a new bill of materials version. Does the technical identity change or is the history of a part important? Then create a new product.
The core is simple: not only document that something has changed, but also what has changed and from when. Otherwise, you will discover at the first quality issue that your product history mainly consists of good intentions.
