Project tracking, planning, resourcing, and invoicing are core activities for some companies, while for others, they’re an untapped opportunity.
In some ERP systems (read: SAP), project management has been made so complex that the threshold for using it becomes unreasonably high for companies that aren’t purely focused on project-based business. As a result, it’s simply not used—unless absolutely necessary! On the flip side, in lighter ERP systems, project tracking may be reduced to just a single dimension field, which only supports the most basic use cases. And then there are ERPs that don’t support projects at all.
In Odoo, project tracking and management strike a golden middle ground! The threshold for adopting the project module is very low, and it’s extremely intuitive to use—just like many other features in Odoo. Yet it still offers an almost complete set of tools for more demanding project management needs. Below are a few highlights.
1. Intuitive interface and task views
Odoo’s clean interface enables project tracking through task lists, Kanban, or Gantt views. Creating new tasks is just a click away. Scheduling and assigning responsibilities is straightforward. Once resourced, each team member sees their own tasks clearly. Task statuses can be updated via drag-and-drop or with a single click. Same applies to projects as whole.
You can even create a project from a predefined template directly from a sales order, where the sold product is linked to this template. This is especially helpful for managing recurring, standardized (often small) projects. The only variable part may be project-specific materials and products, which you would then plan and enter int the project module. It’s also possible to convert sales order lines into project tasks—just one of many available options.
2. Project structures
Projects can be kept very simple—a collection of just a few tasks—when simplicity is what matters. Often, it is.
However, tasks can also be broken down into (infinitely deep) subtasks to create the desired hierarchy. You can define task dependencies to support scheduling. If there’s no need for this, you can skip dependencies altogether. Many users find them unfamiliar, so it’s good that they can be switched off. Or on, if needed.
The usual subject of planning is materials. They can be planned per project task using catalogue feature, which is a lot like clicking products on web shop to fill the basket, but against company's own products. This is considerably faster than searching them one-by-one.
Odoo also allows for setting up automatic actions and reminders with minimal effort, almost anywhere in the interface. This keeps small side tasks on the radar and in the system—without cluttering the official project structure. You can keep the main tasks at a higher level for better tracking and clarity, while small tasks still trigger reminders when deadlines approach.
3. Resourcing and planning
In addition to materials another planning topic is people, or resources if you prefer the technical term. A common need is to build a project team already before the detail task planning is completed. This rough level resourcing can be achieved using the Planning module. The idea is to book people for N days per month (or week) for certain project - so not per task but per project. Already assigned bookings are available for planning decisions, additionally aggregated per organizational units and job roles. For instance, it might be seen that assistants on whole are 60% booked while welders are already 105%, which probably is already a call for action. This kind of planning can be done already in offer phase, if it serves the purpose.
Bigger organizations might find it useful to also use skills module to map employees competences and capabilities and then utilize that in resourcing decisions. Smaller companies might skip that feature or consider it as a curiosity.
The actual tasks of the project are, as would be expected, subject to resourcing and scheduling planning as well. Such task if often called fine-tuned planning or operational planning. Either planning level can be used in independently or in tandem. Either also additionally work as an template for time sheets.
4. Automation and integration
Project operations can be easily automated, especially when it comes to invoicing. Hours can be billed as-is, as fixed amounts per task, or based on project milestones that trigger invoicing upon task completion. This is one of many examples where an integrated system really shines. There are countless standalone time-tracking tools—some flexible and user-friendly—but they often operate in isolation from the sales and invoicing processes, requiring manual data transfers.
Material selection and planning within projects also integrate into the sales, invoicing, and purchasing processes, keeping the entire logistics chain intact—even when material volumes are significant. Integration means you can account for real-time stock levels and alternatives when planning, and trigger purchases immediately and directly within the same system.
For financials and tracking, projects can be linked to Odoo’s analytic accounting—a core concept for internal control and management. Once linked, all related financial flows—sales, purchases—can be (automatically) connected to the project, making profitability and cash flow instantly visible to both project leads and finance.
5. Real-time reporting
Project progress is, of course, visible in real time. Material usage and delivery to the customer are instantly reflected in reports. Logged hours and other activities are constantly updated and visible to others. Reporting uses clear visualizations like traffic lights and burndown charts. Summaries can also be added to Odoo dashboards for management-level reporting.
When projects are in the same system as the rest of your ERP, they show up instantly on things like purchase orders—no separate data transfer required. Projects can also see at a glance whether requested purchases have arrived or are delayed.
Many things become surprisingly easy when everything runs in the same system!
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