Customizing Odoo ERP for business needs – a business-oriented approach
Erkkilä, Nea (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025111728270
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025111728270
Tiivistelmä
This thesis investigated how businesses can effectively apply and customize the open-source Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system Odoo to meet specific industry needs. The research identified the limitations of generic ERP solutions and demonstrated why customization is often essential for organizations with unique operational needs. Using a qualitative, business-oriented approach, the study combined a comprehensive literature review with analysis of Odoo’s features, hypothetical industry-specific case studies, and seven-year personal experience with Odoo customization.
Key findings prove that Odoo is highly adaptable and flexible for specialized business requirements, including omnichannel inventory management, complex Bills of Materials handling, and secure patient data management. The research also reveals the risks associated with customization. While strategic customization improves operational efficiency and data consistency, it may lead to increased maintenance costs, challenges during system updates, and potential performance issues if not managed properly. The study emphasizes the critical importance of best practices, such as clear requirement analysis, strong project management, active user involvement, and careful data handling, to mitigate these challenges.
The outcome of this research provides practical takeaways for businesses considering Odoo ERP. It stresses the importance of strategic, value-driven customization over excessive modification, supported by comprehensive documentation. For Odoo S.A. and other ERP providers, the findings suggest opportunities to refine customization management tools and integrate commonly required extensions into core modules, thereby supporting more sustainable ERP implementations.
Key findings prove that Odoo is highly adaptable and flexible for specialized business requirements, including omnichannel inventory management, complex Bills of Materials handling, and secure patient data management. The research also reveals the risks associated with customization. While strategic customization improves operational efficiency and data consistency, it may lead to increased maintenance costs, challenges during system updates, and potential performance issues if not managed properly. The study emphasizes the critical importance of best practices, such as clear requirement analysis, strong project management, active user involvement, and careful data handling, to mitigate these challenges.
The outcome of this research provides practical takeaways for businesses considering Odoo ERP. It stresses the importance of strategic, value-driven customization over excessive modification, supported by comprehensive documentation. For Odoo S.A. and other ERP providers, the findings suggest opportunities to refine customization management tools and integrate commonly required extensions into core modules, thereby supporting more sustainable ERP implementations.