Tag: Odoo CRM

It’s time to load up your arsenal. Why? Because it’s wartime and you’re here to win!
The COVID-19 pandemic has held the world in its vice-like grip for a considerable time now and many businesses have had to downsize or even shut down in its wake. Just when we thought it was over, we were hit by another wave.
There is no reason to despair though. With the right tools and the right guidance, you can surf through this wave and the next. In this blog, we are going to be talking about one such power tool – Odoo ERP. Odoo ERP’s capabilities and user-friendly aspects are helping businesses to manage their operations successfully despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, and you can too.

A Solution to Pressing Challenges

Finding new customers and retaining existing customers is one of the most common business challenges. According to Kauffman’s statistics, the pandemic heightened this challenge. The increasing competition did nothing to help with this.
Additionally, when the pandemic struck, companies that were not prepared to work remotely faced a huge blow because they had to shut down their offices and work remotely.
Evidently, businesses need a dedicated business management system to successfully cope with these and other challenges. Odoo ERP is a business management tool with the complete capability to manage the entire operations of a company.
Odoo ERP’s capabilities and user-friendly aspects are helping businesses manage their operations successfully despite the challenges brought by the pandemic. The Odoo platform brings efficiency and improvement to all the operating processes of the company.
Read more: 5 Salient Features Of Odoo That Makes it a Reliable ERP for Enterprises

Odoo Is a Better Tool to Invest Today to Stay Prepared For Tomorrow’s Challenges

Pre-pandemic there was a notion that employees’ productivity will be hampered if they work from home. But the pandemic taught us that when digital ways are adopted correctly, remote work can be a success. And the Odoo ERP system has been a boon in catering to these digital requirements.
Odoo ERP is considered the most advanced and easy-to-use tool in today’s tech-plenty world. With the help of Odoo ERP, companies are enjoying seamless integration, better module-to-module connectivity, and effective digital bookkeeping to name a few benefits.
Odoo ERP with its Business Intelligence increases productivity by helping to use the company’s resources effectively. By digitizing record-keeping and pen and paper approvals, for example. Let us consider some specific ways in which Odoo ERP helps businesses stay prepared for future challenges.

1. Minimum workforce

Sudden lockdown measures have forced some companies to cut down on their staff. Odoo’s modules can help your business function well even with fewer employees. Production invoicing, lead generation, and stock movement provide perfectly navigated paths for your business despite strict lockdown measures.

2. No sales due to lockdown

If you are unable to sell your products due to quarantine measures, Odoo can solve your problem. It can help you create a website for e-Commerce. It allows you to create an easy to use, elegant and attractive website. These websites can also be connected with different online payment methods that make buying a lot easier for your customers.

3. Remote management

Due to lockdown measures and transportation restrictions, most organizations have opted for remote work management. Odoo can help you manage every integral business activity from wherever you choose to work. Its efficient functionalities and Business Intelligence capabilities will allow access to your company’s database whenever and wherever you are.

4. Cost-effective

Odoo ERP’s robust modules can minimize your business management costs while ensuring quality service. It offers effective management services at a reasonable price.

5. Secure business communication

Secure communication among employees, partners, and clients is essential to all businesses. Odoo Discuss is a user-friendly messaging application that enables your teams to communicate with each other simultaneously. It ensures sharing of projects and other integral documents without allowing any breach.
There is no doubt that Odoo can refresh your business considerably if implemented correctly. Given that, let us understand what are some common mistakes made in Odoo implementation. This will help you succeed in overcoming any implementation challenges.
Read more: 5 Signs That Imply Your Business Needs Odoo ERP

Common Mistakes Made in Odoo Implementation 

Admittedly, implementing Odoo ERP is a huge change for an organization. It can be daunting for a business as it involves multiple considerations. If the implementation is not carried out properly, it can paralyze the entire organization. That is why it is important to choose the right implementation partner. Here are some common implementation mistakes:

• Lack of strategic management planning: A clear strategic roadmap and goal will help identify all the requirements from the ERP implementation. Not having a clear goal implies money-related disadvantages and unorganized due dates leading to chaos.
• Over customization: Over-customization can cause Odoo performance issues.
•  Lack of experienced project managers: Hiring project managers that do not have in-depth expertise and lack adequate experience is another mistake that can lead to performance issues.
• Not testing the framework: Due to a lack of time, some organizations decrease the number and profundity of test cycles. Eliminating some tests may leave defects undiscovered and miss important functions as well.
• Lack of sufficient training: Some organizations rush to use the product without sufficient training. Training at the right time is as important as doing it in the right way.

Why Do You Need an Odoo Partner?

Expertise is the primary reason. A good Odoo partner will have the expertise, experience, and knowledge that you need for a successful implementation. They will help you avoid the pitfalls of implementation and execution and can guide you through the nuances of the platform. With techno-functional consultants on board, they will be more successful in identifying complex issues and locating the right business procedures than you will be if you try to do this on your own.
Read more: Why Choose Fingent as your Odoo Partner

Tips To Get The Right Odoo Partner

Here is a checklist that makes your quest for the right Odoo partner easy:

• Experience: Experience in different industries and services helps your partner identify problems quickly and deliver highly customized solutions that newbies cannot. Such experience will also aid them in spotting trends and keeping the system up to date.

• Availability: During the development phase, there is a chance that the software might develop many issues. If the partner is available 24/7, they can address any glitches and prevent significant revenue loss

• Pre and post-service support: Pre and post-implementation training is a must for organizations that have never used Odoo ERP before.
• Access: Ready access to the software developer when you need them makes software modification a swift ride and you can rest assured that you will get exactly what you need.

How Fingent Fits the Bill

Fingent is an official Odoo Partner and has helped many clients successfully implement and execute Odoo’s dynamic features in their business. We have a team of talented, professional Odoo experts with techno-functional knowledge. The presence of certified and senior developers will help in strengthening your business.
Our developers help you access and customize Odoo’s powerful features and build custom applications for your business that will give you an edge over the competition. With rich experience in implementing Odoo ERP for different industries and working with its different modules, you can rest assured that we have the technical know-how and the business experience to do it right for you.
Connect with us now!

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software helps keep track of your product, sales, marketing, and other metrics and boosts organizational efficiency. However, finding the right one for your business can be a daunting task. While some are better suited for small companies or large companies, others may not even offer the services you are looking for. In this post, we compare two big-name ERPs- Odoo and Sage so you can decide which one is best suited for your business.

Read more: How Can Odoo Augment Your Company’s Project Management!

All About Sage?

Sage is one of the leading vendors of ERP software with clients across 160 countries. It offers solutions in Accounting, Human Resource Management, and Payments and Payroll. Its solutions include Sage 100, Sage 300, Sage X3, and Sage Intacct.

Sage’s top features include;

•   Sage X3 offers a sales, purchasing, inventory, CRM, finance, and manufacturing module
•   Sage 300 offers sales order management, finance, and inventory tools and integrated payments.
•   Sage Intacct offers six modules such as billing, core financial, dashboard, and reporting, budgeting and planning, and platform to choose from. The sixth module is advanced functionality that you need to discuss with a representative.
•   For business insights, paperless card processing, CRM, budgeting, and planning, opt for Sage 100 Essentials. It also offers several add-ons and third-party apps.

Who can use Sage?

Sage offers different programs depending on your business needs.

•   Sage 100 can be used by small to medium-sized businesses.
•   Medium to large businesses such as process manufacturing, food, and beverage industries can use Sage X3.
•   Sage Intacct can be used by companies of all sizes especially healthcare, entertainment, non-profits, and more.

 Sage Pricing

Sage offers customized pricing based on your specific business needs and so is subscription-based.

Challenges associated with Sage

While Sage 100 and 300 are not cloud services, Sage X3 and Sage Intacct both offer cloud services. However, Sage X3 uses on-premise hosting while Sage Intacct is browser-based. For Sage 100 and 300 cloud integration is available through Sage Partner Cloud.

Read more: 4 Ways Legacy Application Migration to Odoo ERP Benefits Your Business!

All About Odoo?

Odoo is a popular open-source ERP that boasts over seven million users. It is a newer ERP software system that is freely available for the management of business processes. Odoo is available in two versions- the Odoo community edition that has limited features and the ability to customize. The other one is the Odoo Enterprise which comes packed with features and customization ability.

Top Features of Odoo are;

• CRM
• Accounting
• Point of Sale (POS)
• Sales Management
• Warehouse Management
• Manufacturing
• Purchase Management
• Project Management

Odoo Pricing

The cost of Odoo depends on the number of users and the apps selected for your business requirements. Also, it is available with SaaS subscription pricing as the Enterprise edition or as the Odoo free Community version. While the Odoo community edition is free of charge, the Odoo Enterprise edition has a license fee.

Who can use Odoo?

Every company, small or big can leverage Odoo as you can choose among its 20 main modules to suit your business needs. It also allows you to add modules as your company and requirements grow. That said, there is no minimum number of users for the cloud base and can be used by both freelancers and solo operators easily.

The main highlight of Odoo is that it does not specialize in any particular industry. So, any company regardless of the industry can use Odoo for their management needs.

Challenges with Odoo ERP Implementation

• You may need to revamp your server and workstation to make sure they are compatible with the Odoo ERP app.
• Another big challenge is that the information formed through the traditional framework may not be compatible with the new Odoo ERP. However, this struggle can be prevented by careful project planning.
• With Odoo, there could be major changes in the business directs, models, and practices. The data entered by a user can be accessed by others in real-time.
• For successful Odoo implementation, you may have to implement new administrative practices and standards or update existing practices.

Which is Better: Sage or Odoo?

As mentioned above, Sage offers an impressive number of products but it is difficult to choose the right one for your needs. Also, as the pricing is quote-based, it becomes difficult to know how much you’ll be paying. That said, Sage is optimized for specific industries such as real estate and construction.

Odoo, on the other hand, is a great option for users looking to personalize the software themselves and want a more hands-on experience.

Read more: Odoo Migration: Why is it crucial and how to do it seamlessly!

Conclusion

Traditional practices are becoming obsolete as newer and more powerful solutions become available. So, selecting an adaptable software solution that can help in the long-term development and growth of your business is crucial.

If you’re looking to find the right ERP for your business or need help with optimization, we’re here to help. We provide the best ERP implementation services to improve your business efficiency. Connect with our experts today!

A study by Havard Business Review reveals that one in every six projects costs over 200% of the estimated amount, and 70% of IT projects face delays. Despite the availability of flexible methodologies and multiple resources, companies are still struggling and wasting a lot of money every year to handle project management challenges.

While it is the project manager’s responsibility to ensure smooth working of all the processes, they are always loaded with tons of duties such as budgets, allocating resources, scheduling tasks, and more. Moreover, if there are several projects running, it can become overwhelming for the project manager to personally look into every collaboration happening in the business. This blog will take you through the major challenges faced in project management and how deploying Odoo technology can help you tackle these challenges and elevate your performance.

Read more: What’s New In Odoo 15: The Most Anticipated Upcoming Version Of Odoo

Challenges faced by the project managers

 1. Lack of communication

According to Deloitte, 32% of professionals believe that communication is the biggest issue of project management. A transparent method of communication will help build credibility amongst your stakeholders and involve them in the process. Miscommunication can affect teamwork and even cause conflicts among team members, causing a delay in the project. To avoid these pitfalls, project managers can rely on collaborative and project management software available in the market.

 2. Budgeting issues

Financial issues are one of the biggest hurdles of effective project management. Managers can avoid complications a project may likely face by efficient cost management and achieving quicker results.

3. Lack of clarity on goals and success

According to a study, 39% of projects fail due to a lack of project planning and defined goals. Hence, It is vital to set clear goals for the success of any project. Additionally, a project manager needs to set up milestones and quality tests to quantify the progress of a project. A predefined set of objectives and goals will help project managers defend their vision before the upper management and customers.

4. Scope creep

Scope creep, also known as requirement creep or even feature creep, refers to how a project’s requirements increase over a project’s life cycle. While scope creep can be beneficial in some cases, it can also have a negative impact on your business. Clients who have vague requirements and don’t know what exactly they want can be challenging for both managers and the project team.

5. Inadequate risk management

Typically, projects have several variables that create many possibilities and rarely go exactly the way it was planned. Not having the foresight to identify any critical situations or making up contingency plans can be a significant setback for any project. All these challenges demand the interplay of intuitive project management software to ensure real-time tracking and organizing of projects. Over 90% of high-performing companies are switching to project management applications to complete their projects professionally. Project management software helps automate time-consuming tasks and manage a large team of professionals working within. Additionally, the software can also help businesses put data straight and accomplish remarkable results without any delays.

Though you can find wide choices of project management tools in the market, you will have to pick the application that suits your business workflow. Make sure that the chosen project management software for your business includes the following features.

• Project Planning and Scheduling
• Project Budgeting
• Team Collaboration
• Time Tracking
• Reporting

While the project management tool may offer several other features too, the above said are essential for any project management. A perfect solution to all project management-related problems is Odoo. Whether you want to add tasks/subtasks under a project or assign tasks to your team members, Odoo helps you achieve it seamlessly.

Read more: How Odoo ERP Helps Leverage Business Intelligence and Data Analytics

Benefits of Odoo’s Project Management Module

1. Mobile friendly

Odoo can be installed on a mobile phone, making it easy to use while on the go. Given the pandemic situation, this feature is a boon. It allows team members and the managers to remain connected and track the projects from anywhere. That said, the Odoo project module allows you to get a large screen view along with a chatter facility using computers.

2. Customizable

Odoo allows you to customize your projects easily. From renaming projects to rescheduling stages, the Odoo module enables you to achieve it hassle-free. Additionally, its Filters and Groups features help you track the projects and tasks.

3. User-friendly

Odoo is highly user-friendly and provides a Kanban view to have a quick glance at the projects based on the tasks and stages. For example, to check the time and deadline, you can use the Gantt Chart, Graphic, and Pivot view.

4. Enhanced communication support

With Odoo, you can integrate email and use your email alias. This feature allows managers or customers to automatically create a task by simply sending emails to the specified alias. All those who receive the communication will become a part of the task. Additionally, it supports sending alerts to customers based on the activities. Odoo project also allows you to chat with the team members by just clicking on the team member’s image. It not only saves time but helps collect in real-time.

5. Improved customer management

Odoo project module helps you generate customer tickets which allows you to track the progress of the project and interact with the project team.

6. Report generation

Odoo generates reports in an easy-to-grasp format. Options such as Filters, Measures, and Group-by help the team to manage the reports.

7. Easy integration with other modules

The project module integrates easily with other modules such as Calendar, Timesheet, Accounting, Expenses, etc. It helps you to manage accounts, plan expenses, track working hours, and plan activities.

Read more: 6 Ways Odoo ERP Customization Can Benefit Your Business

How can Fingent help?

Undeniably, the Odoo Project Management module is a must-have solution for all businesses. We custom software development experts help businesses achieve their strategic goals and drive better revenue with our ERP development services. We have expertise in developing user-friendly applications for businesses across various industries.

If you’re looking to reduce your business complexities and drive growth with Odoo implementation, contact us.

Businesses today need a reliable, effective, and user-friendly support system to tackle the rapidly evolving market changes. Odoo ERP offers features and easy-to-use models that enable businesses to simplify their processes, reduce costs and improve efficiency. It also offers free and paid versions with an outstanding integrated system providing businesses with reasonable flexibility and scalability. With these and many other unique capabilities, Odoo ERP is turning into a hot topic amongst top companies today! With the release of Odoo 15, expectations have risen even more! Businesses are strategizing ways in which they can deploy the improved capabilities of Odoo 15 to enhance their business growth. This blog will take you through what’s new in Odoo 15 and how you can leverage these enhanced features for your business.

What is Odoo 15?

The all-new Odoo 15 is likely to launch in October 2021. It will be released in the Odoo Experience Meet which will be conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic prevalent in many parts of the world. Odoo 15 is expected to feature advanced tools that can help improve business performance and efficiency. Odoo 15 is believed to be the ultimate business solution with its latest web-based integration and superior architecture.

Read more: 5 signs which imply that your business needs Odoo ERP

A Look Into the Expected Features of Odoo 15

1. New import screen

Odoo 15 is expected to extend the experience with its new importing screen feature. This new import screen feature includes a menu to handle cash rounding making it seamless for accounting and generating the invoices.

This feature is expected to be available in all the required modules and functional tabs.

2. Capable options in Pivot and Graph views

Odoo ERP software provides data representation with Pivot and Graph views. The Odoo 15 version will most likely allow you to edit and adjust the graph using Odoo studio. With this, you can extend the representation of the data to valuable insights for improved decision-making and analysis.

3. New HTML Editor

Odoo 15 is expected to include an attractive new HTML editor. While it will be similar to text editors, it will include HTML codes. So, many developers are using it to extend productivity.

4. Coupon and Promotion Program in POS

While the previous versions of the Coupon and Promotions were exclusively for Sale and eCommerce websites, the Odoo 15 coupons is created to support both eCommerce as well as POS.

The feature will be available in the POS settings. While under the product menu you will have the option to create Coupons and Promotions based on your business needs for later use. The cashier can click on the Enter Code button from the POS and apply the Coupons for Point of Sale Order which will be reflected in the customer’s invoice.

Considering the previous trends of Odoo releases, Odoo 15 will have an enhanced user experience that is sure to blow your mind.

5. New command and command editor

Odoo 15 will include the new command and command editor. It will help handle invoices in accounting configuration.

Read more: How Odoo ERP Simplifies Sales Management in Your Organization

6. CRM

The new feature in the CRM is expected to improve managing leads and well assigning salespersons.

Using this feature, leaders can allocate the desired team members to activity or lead in the Odoo 15 CRM module. This will augment the organization’s sales activity and the team members’ collaboration for the leads.

7. Project burn down chart

This feature will be introduced in the Project section. Here, you will find an easy reporting tool to view the actual chart of the project’s progress phase-wise.

Additionally, the chart will help identify the current trend and any delay for the project deliverable.

8. Share buttons

The share functionality will be included in the customize section of the eCommerce website platform.

Typically, the share button allows the products to be shared on different social media platforms through the website portal. Using the new functionality, you can share the details on the platform to finalize the product.

9. Purchase dashboard

The purchase dashboard gives an amazing perspective for the dashboard comprising all the purchase values and graphs. The dashboard provides the needed information about the tax and untaxed-based total. A click on the reporting tab of the Odoo 15 dashboard will seamlessly get you a detailed report.

10. Website gift card

This option allows you to sell the card on eCommerce. This functionality creates unique codes for the sale of Gift Cards. These unique codes are given to the customers either via email or physically.

Odoo apps or modules help create multiple unique codes for the purchase of a gift card. Odoo 15 is likely to upgrade these features.

Additional features

In addition to the above-mentioned features, Odoo 15 is likely to incorporate these features as well.

• Business Intelligence Tools
• A newly designed eCommerce product page
• Formulas of BOM, %of final products, etc., to improve the process manufacturing.

Read more: Why Choose Fingent as Your Odoo ERP Partner

Conclusion

Odoo ERP implementation can help you manage your business seamlessly and with Odoo 15 you can enhance it further with customization. In general, Odoo 15 brings several opportunities to users and developers and helps them explore better opportunities.

At Fingent, we constantly indulge in building innovative modules for Odoo and other ERP platforms. The rising capabilities of Odoo are sure to unlock unique opportunities and we are preparing businesses to deploy the same.

If you think your business is ready to deploy the rising capabilities of Odoo, then connect with our experts today, and explore unlimited possibilities for your business!

Why Should Manufacturing Companies Leverage Odoo ERP?

As the manufacturing industry flourish, the need for a centralized control mechanism to ensure streamlined and effective operations is turning imperative. Processes like material sourcing, inventory, invoicing, purchase, order, accounts, and human resource management needs to be automated to make room for high-level practices and decisions. In such a scenario, how do you think Odoo ERP can help manufacturing companies accelerate efficiency and business success?

Odoo ERP can empower businesses with centralized management! From inventories to work orders, to customers and accounts, Odoo ERP enables streamlined management of the entire business processes, seamlessly. Leveraging Odoo ERP and using its open-source methodologies can enable manufacturing companies to derive the required speed, flexibility, and transparency to drive business growth and success.

Here at Fingent, we provide ERP solutions for various industries challenges including those of the manufacturing industry. But before we dive deeper into how Oddo ERP can simplify management for manufacturing companies, let’s take a look into the prevailing challenges of the industry.

Read more: Drive digital transformation in manufacturing

Challenges Faced By The Manufacturing Industry

From inventory to sales to the customer, the manufacturing industry deals with a huge amount of data, on a daily basis. As digitization is taking precedence, enterprises are looking for business models that are supported by intelligent systems. Therefore, companies must use an ERP system to manage their operations. Here are few challenges that organizations face without an ERP system in place.

• Forecasting demand – To avoid waste, spoilage or over/under production, businesses must gauge customer behavior and demands. As markets are becoming more volatile and unpredictable, it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict trends and plan production and distribution.
• Planning inventory – Inventory, if managed manually is bound to have errors that can cause inaccuracy of data, stock issues, and bad decisions, all of which can hinder returns. For the smooth functioning of a manufacturing company, data accuracy and consistency are important.
• Lack of skilled labor – To preserve the quality of services and reputation, manufacturing companies must hire and retain skilled workers. With fairly large applications and without a quick processing tool, HR may find it difficult to select suitable candidates.
• Minimizing costs and improving efficiency – One of the best ways to increase returns is to lower production costs while maintaining an efficient supply chain. However, this must not compromise quality. So, manufacturing plants need to automate their operations and management.
• Client Relationship Management(CRM) – Customer loyalty, though important does not come easy in today’s competitive business landscape. Businesses must invest in resources that help prioritize client data for current and potential customers and manage sales lead. A CRM will take into account the customer preferences and demands along with market trends.

Read more: Odoo Migration: Why Is It Crucial and How to Do It Seamlessly!

Top Features of Odoo ERP System

Manufacturing firms must implement customized software solutions with multiple functionalities that are tailored to the industry. Odoo is an open-source ERP software that acts as an effective business management tool with its robust functions. Here are a few highlighted features of Odoo ERP for manufacturing:

• Inventory Management
• Material Management
• Purchase Management
• Production Management
• Sales Management
• Quality Assurance
• Customer Relationship Management
• Accounting and Invoicing
• HR and Payroll Management

All these features can be customized based on your business needs.

In addition to the above features, Odoo ERP helps in automating the maintenance order for repairs and other preventive maintenance. It includes a scheduler functionality that uses statistical calculations to alert you in case of any failure.

Read more: 5 Salient Features of Odoo that Make it a Reliable ERP for Enterprises

6 Ways Manufacturing Industry Can Benefit From Odoo ERP

1. Automation

As digitization is gaining a lot of importance, companies must optimize workflows in the supply chain through automation. Processes such as inventory updates, payments and invoicing, tracking, distribution, and sales across different channels, even making decisions on high volume orders can be automated using Odoo.

Automation drives efficiency, productivity, accuracy, lowers operational costs, and ensures employee safety. All this helps in meeting the changing supply demands of a changing market.

2. Master Data Management

Odoo ERP comes with master data management capabilities that allow companies to incorporate business processes without duplication of data. The master data management ensures there is a consistent exchange of organizational data, eliminates redundancy, and simplifies business operations.

3.Quality Control

With Odoo ERP, companies can set quality checks for certain triggers. It can help schedule operations and even send maintenance requests automatically whenever needed.

The tool also allows enterprises to track different versions of a product(Product Lifecycle Management) and manage its routing accordingly.

4. Forecasting

Odoo ERP is equipped with analytical tools that locate patterns, observe huge datasets and forecast future trends, and enable manufacturing companies to create business strategies accordingly. These predictive capabilities allow companies to focus on production to meet customer demands and earn their loyalty.

Read more: How Odoo ERP Helps Leverage Business Intelligence and Data Analytics

5. Managing the workforce

Odoo’s HRM module automates the basic segregation process based on the required attributes for the post and enables better recruitment. It also includes training and development, capabilities and skills management, compensation records, and employee data.

Additionally, Odoo ERP comes with an employee scheduling feature that helps schedule and track tasks.

6. Returns

Odoo ERP helps businesses to maximize returns by improving operational efficiency, boost productivity and enhance customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

At Fingent, we maximize the potential of manufacturing companies with future-proof technologies. We develop ERP systems that integrate WFM, CRM, HRM, and accounting services for businesses of every size. For custom Odoo ERP development, talk to our experts.

Unlock the value of data analytics and business intelligence with Odoo ERP

From cloud computing to the Internet of Things, the fourth industrial revolution has brought about remarkable technological reforms in most business strategies across industries. Today, businesses strive to face competition with advanced software tools and cutting-edge technologies. Organizations are implementing data-driven methods to improve their product and service offerings and add value to their customers. Techniques like Business Intelligence and Data Analytics help companies survive the cut-throat competition, accelerate speed-to-market, retain customers, and innovate. Data analytics and BI unlock the door to several opportunities, enabling companies to expand, grow and stay relevant in the ever-changing technology landscape.

However, implementing Data Analytics and Business Intelligence features in your existing business model requires careful planning. Intelligent, digital core ERPs like Odoo have come up with specific tools and modules to simplify the entire implementation process and help businesses gain value. 

Read more: How Odoo ERP Enhances Retail Operations Management

Let’s cut to the chase first. Before we see Odoo’s tailored BI and Analytics offerings, it would be good to get the basics right. 

What is the difference between Business Intelligence and Data Analytics?

• Business Intelligence refers to the information required to augment business decision-making activities, while data analytics refers to changing the raw data into a meaningful format.
• Primarily, BI supports decision-making and helps companies grow. On the other hand, data analytics helps build a model, cleanse, predict and modify data based on business needs.
• Business Intelligence can be implemented using various BI tools. However, BI implementation is done only on historical data stored in data warehouses or data marts. Data analytics can be implemented using BI tools. However, the implementation will depend on the strategy designed by the organization.
• BI can be debugged only through the historical data supplied, while data analytics can be debugged through the proposed model to convert the data into a meaningful format.

Read more: How Data Warehousing Adds Value To Data Visualization & Reporting

A brief overview of Odoo ERP

At Fingent, we specialize in custom Odoo ERP implementation, Odoo ERP integration, Odoo ERP migration, upgrade, maintenance, and support. We help you tailor Odoo ERP features to match your specific business requirements. Odoo ERP customization helps enterprises solve complex business challenges, streamline operations and boost overall productivity. When you have all the required business data in one place, with personalized dashboards offering helpful insights, your decision-making and business strategy formulation become seamless. Being an Official Partner of Odoo, Fingent makes it a cakewalk for you. 

Read more: Why Choose Fingent as Your Odoo ERP Partner

With its vast suite comprising over 40 business productivity applications, Odoo provides a smoother and simpler way to run your business. The range of business apps offered by Odoo is highly comprehensive, fully integrated, easy to use, and supports numerous different industries.

Odoo offers over ten dedicated modules to effectively handle diverse business processes such as HRM, finance, CRM, manufacturing, accounting, inventory, and eCommerce. The most significant advantage of Odoo ERP is that you get a free and open-source community version under a general public license. This reduces the overall project cost significantly and so is exceptionally suited for small-to-medium enterprises.

Read more: 5 Salient Features of Odoo that Make it a Reliable ERP for Enterprises

Odoo ERP: Business Intelligence and Data Analytics 

Odoo ERP includes a comprehensive data visualization and analysis software interface that helps companies capitalize on their data sources. It has an in-depth dashboard interface and powerful Business Intelligence capabilities for data mining and secret meaning extraction.

Here the top five BI and Data Analytics features offered by Odoo ERP:

1. Integrated spreadsheets

Introduced by Odoo 14, this feature has been included to preserve the ease and comfort of users working in excel spreadsheets. Previously, users had to download the pivot view of every report initially for editing the excel spreadsheet.

This feature makes it easier to bind and store excel sheets in the ERP itself. While the integrated spreadsheets make it easy to review reports quickly, its dashboard pivot table link helps access live data.

Users can perform all possible acts and input formulas, add and delete columns, apply formatting, and do more like ordinary excel sheets.

2. Sales analysis

Odoo ERP offers an intuitive dashboard GUI that helps monitor sales data and keep sales records for future reference. To retrieve relevant data, all you need to do is apply different filters or divide it into various segments for easy access. You can use bar graphs, pie charts, and line graph analysis to get an organized view of your sales data.

Analyzing sales data helps you gain insights into the purchasing habits of your customers. Additionally, it allows you to refine the sales tactics to reach out and drive them down the sales funnel to the target audience.

Read more: How Odoo ERP Simplifies Sales Management in Your Organization

3. Employee performance tracking

The Odoo dashboards, along with your sales team’s performance, allow you to assess your CRM efforts quickly. This, combined with efficient resource utilization and task scheduling, can help you take adequate steps to improve your sales strategy.

4. Inventory analysis

The Odoo inventory module provides a comprehensive view of the inventory. It is equipped with all the important Business Intelligence tools and analytics features. This feature provides you with reports and insights into the inventory and warehouse data in real-time. Odoo inventory module enables you to monitor your stock movements, stock receipts, average delivery time, turnover of inventory, and valuation.

5. Lead nurturing

The Odoo CRM supports an exceptional and descriptive graphical view for monitoring and evaluating your lead data. You can then group your leads based on factors such as gender, age, location, business type, and several other segments. To retrieve the lead data easily, you can apply filters and set time ranges to compare the new leads with your old leads. Moreover, this enhances your CRM efforts and helps build a stronger relationship with your customers.

Read more: Odoo CRM vs. Salesforce CRM: How To Make The Right Choice

Become a data powerhouse

There’s no denying that BI and data analytics are helping businesses stay relevant and stay ahead of the competition by improving decision-making. BI tools help you analyze your customers’ preferences and buying habits. Powerful BI and analytics features offered by Odoo ERP help refine your marketing strategies at regular intervals.

Fingent top custom software development company, provides end-to-end Odoo ERP consulting and implementation services for businesses across different industries, enabling them to resolve complex business problems. We have the expertise to formulate strategies through Odoo ERP solutions to achieve optimal results.

If you have overwhelming volumes of business data that you want to explore and exploit with advanced BI and data analytics tools, we’re here to help you with the same. Give us a call and discover the best plans to make your business truly data-driven. 

The Significance of Odoo Migration and How to Do It?

Odoo is an open-source ERP software that comprises an integrated suite of business modules such as eCommerce, accounting, warehouse management, project management, financial management, customer relationship management (CRM), manufacturing, and purchasing. These modules ensure seamless and efficient communication with each other to exchange information.

Read more: 5 Salient Features of Odoo that Make it a Reliable ERP for Enterprises

Odoo ERP can be used by businesses of all sizes and is available in both cloud or on-premise versions. Odoo is open source and highly customizable, allowing developers to access the code and make changes in the module based on their business needs. Odoo ERP can be easily integrated with payment processors and external shipping systems such as UPS, eBay, FedEx, Amazon, and QuickBooks.

Read more: 5 Reasons to Integrate Your E-commerce Application with Odoo ERP

So, if you are new and planning to implement Odoo ERP for your business, you should consider the most recent and latest version of Odoo, that is, Odoo 14.0. 

However, if you are already leveraging Odoo and thinking of migrating to Odoo 14, you need to assimilate the situation before migrating.

Odoo migration involves two parts:

• Data migration 
• Odoo apps migration 

You can migrate both your company data and the apps used in the older version of your ERP. This migration process requires expertise and an experienced Odoo ERP partner to achieve it. Your older data must be optimized for the newer version smoothly and is best done by a professional Odoo ERP implementation partner like Fingent.

Why migrate to the latest version of Odoo ERP?

Undeniably, the latest versions of Odoo include improved features such as security, speed, and stability. Migrating to the latest version indicates that you are ready to update your system and move forward. Moving forward does not mean that you lose your old data and turn to new data. Migration ensures that all the previous data is kept intact while stepping into the new one.

The latest version, Odoo 14 got released in October 2020. As businesses are ever-changing, the new version comes with many added or deleted features as found optimal by Odoo. This is needed to ensure the ERP keeps running at its best performance and also delivers high performance. It is considered to be four times faster than Odoo 13. So, if you are looking for speed, then you can switch to Odoo 14.

Top features of Odoo 14

Some of the features of Odoo 14 are:

1. Improved user experience

Odoo is a great competitor to big names like Oracle, Dynamics, and SAP. Odoo 14 has added more shortcut keys to control the system faster, improving the system speed and more on-click features to help you save time. There are more widgets in the list view that allows you to send messages directly to your colleagues within a single click.

2. Automated CRM

CRM is a powerful tool that provides your company with a better insight and focuses more on clients and not on the data input. The insight helps you forecast sales or find information about the clients easily. In the absence of a CRM, the salespeople can randomly fill the customer’s information, making it difficult for other team members to follow up or get complete sales information.

As Odoo 14 CRM is automated, you can add and search for customer’s data accurately and quickly.

3. Outlook plugins

This feature automates the communication logging and allows you to communicate with the clients automatically in the CRM. It also helps sales managers track the communication of their subordinates.

4. To-do activities list

Odoo 14 helps salespeople focus on selling instead of data input. The to-do activities feature allows the salespeople to quickly check the to-do list, the next activity, and its priority with its impact every day. This feature comes with an improved follow-up section that helps salespeople send an email or SMS to the potential client directly from the CRM.

Points to consider before Odoo migration

1. Performance

Odoo 14 is designed to deliver more both in terms of performance and features. It includes additional features that can benefit new businesses. The new features ensure the business processes are carried out as smoothly as possible. However, you must make sure to understand the purposes and needs of your business before you avail of the updated version. 

2. Deleting a few features 

While the new version includes new features, some of the old features have been revoked by Odoo. So, it would help if you had an idea about what features will be lost in the newer update. This is where an Odoo ERP implementation partner like Fingent can help you. Our Odoo consultants can help you migrate to the latest version of Odoo without losing your crucial company data. 

Read more: 6 Ways Odoo ERP Customization Can Benefit Your Business

3. Downtime

An update would mean that your business operations would be affected in the meantime. So, you must be prepared to overcome this downtime if you opt for migration. You can use the pilot version to run the platform with updates in the background. However, it is not possible in the live environment. You can discuss this in detail with the migration expert at Fingent.

4. Cost

The cost of the migration process may vary depending on your customized business requirements. Understanding the need for the latest update and knowing if the expense is the right investment for your company is essential. You can consult the software development experts at Fingent to get an estimate of the Odoo migration expenses for your business.

While migrating your old Odoo versions to newer and better ones is essential, it is a complex and tedious task. So, it is vital to have a good Odoo migration partner, which is why most businesses entrust us with Odoo ERP migration.

Read more: Why Choose Fingent as Your Odoo ERP Partner

Odoo migration: How to migrate to the newer version?

The Odoo migration process is done in two parts:

Part 1: Data migration

The company data present in the Odoo platform is of utmost importance and cannot be lost under any circumstances. This data requires some adaptation to work in sync with the new version. To make sure your data is suited for migration formulation, your information, such as charts, tables, contacts, etc., will be carried out.

Part 2: Odoo apps migration

The Odoo apps functional in the older version are used for specific needs and cannot be lost or compromised in the process of updating. Necessary changes to the existing applications or developing new ones will need to be done to meet the needs of your business.

The migration of applications and data will enhance the platform’s functionality without losing your company data.

To know more about Odoo migration and how we can help achieve it successfully, please contact us.

Odoo ERP implementation and maintenance enable businesses to handle critical business functions smoothly. Here are a few compelling reasons to choose Fingent as your Odoo ERP partner.

How Fingent’s Odoo ERP services benefit your business

If there’s ever been a lesson that history has taught us, it is to be prepared. Every business has its ups and downs, but the coronavirus took “down” to a whole new level for many organizations. While companies that adopted digital migration were prepared for the impending crisis, others faced a huge blow. 

Amidst all this uncertainty, preparation is one constant. Odoo is an excellent tool in your arsenal to prepare you for today and times to come. Odoo ERP implementation has helped many businesses transform their operations effortlessly, and it can help you too. This article helps you see why Odoo ERP is proving invaluable for current businesses and how you can choose the right Odoo ERP partner for seamless implementation.

Read more: What makes Odoo the best ERP solution for your business? 

Odoo ERP: The need of the hour

In the current situation, no one can tell when the pandemic and its effects will end. When the world is suffering from the loss of lives and finances, it is important to understand that we can perform only when we know how to live with technology. Given that, some organizations have opted for permanent work from home. With the help of Odoo ERP, companies can centralize their operations and integrate various important modules such as marketing, sales, and e-commerce.

Read more: 5 Reasons to Integrate Your E-commerce Application with Odoo ERP 

In today’s crisis, which has been brought upon by the pandemic, businesses can leverage many benefits with the help of centralized cloud ERP:

• Accessibility: Odoo ERP allows all your data to be stored in a centralized cloud source. Authorized users can use the data according to their requirements.
• Affordable: Odoo ERP can integrate over 35 modules, and all significant modules can be interconnected. However, the charges are nominal.
• Times-saving: Odoo ERP allows businesses to access data easily without any hassle saving a lot of time. 

How can the right Odoo ERP partner provide seamless transition?

Having the right Odoo ERP partner means having support and training from those who best understand Odoo ERP and your business. Each business is unique with unique process needs, so it pays to ensure that the Odoo ERP partner you select has substantial experience implementing Odoo ERP for businesses in your particular sector. As an official partner of Odoo, Fingent is primed to provide the best service you can get, but you don’t have to take our word for it. 

Here are a few questions that you can ask yourself before you make your choice, and some details that will help you see if you should consider us for your needs:

Question #1: What do they know about my business?

Different industries have different requirements. Choosing a partner who is not aware of the many needs of your business is like going to an orthopedic for your cataract issue. Make sure your ERP implementation partner has a strong track record in your industry. Good knowledge about your business will help your ERP partner smoothly accommodate the new software. This will avoid the need to make extensive changes to your business that can be costly and time-consuming. 

Apart from this, the partner will recommend specific Odoo ERP software features that will assist your particular business needs. They can also teach you how to make optimal use of the software. When your partner is specialized in your industry, they will be able to quickly modify according to changing industry standards, as happened during the pandemic.

Read more: 6 Ways Odoo ERP Customization Can Benefit Your Business 

Fingent has worked with many clients in finance, healthcare, education, real estate, retail, and other sectors, so we have the expertise in handling your specific needs, irrespective of the industry to which you belong. The best of our minds specializing in your sector will be selected to work on your project. 

Question #2: What kind of market reputation have they developed?

The Odoo ERP service provider’s reputation can give you a fair idea of whether it is worth investing in them. Go through their case studies of successful implements and testimonials. Ask for referrals and speak to those referrals to confirm the partner’s reputation. Doing so might help you find tips and advice on how you can work with your partner. Ensure the partner you are about to choose is reliable.

Check out the reviews and ratings given to us by our customers. We have received excellent ratings and many awards and recognitions globally. You can have a look at them on our About Us page. 

Question #3: Are they well-equipped or under-equipped?

One of the things that make a company unique is its size and budget. Hence, it is important to find out if your partner has the resources to handle businesses that are of your size and scope. If the partner you have identified is a global company, they must have hands-on experience with global ERP implementation. 

Question #4: How good are they at communication?

Even when you meet for the first time, do they answer your questions quickly and clearly? If you send them a query, do they take several days to respond? Is their website well-maintained? These are some questions that provide insights into their communication skills. An experienced ERP implementation partner will show interest in your company and the issues you are facing. That would mean they take time to ask you questions and analyze your business needs before providing a solution.

At Fingent, a top custom software development company, we are committed to providing a great customer experience for our clients. Here are some excerpts of testimonials about this from our client on Clutch. You can follow this link to see their detailed reviews: 

“Fingent’s flexibility and great communication stand out. We didn’t have a tech background, but the team made it easy for us to understand and work through everything.” – Owner of a Concierge Services Company.

“Their team is completely committed to our success as a client, and they do that with their dynamic team.” – Kristen Betts, Principal, Substantive Solutions, Inc. 

“I’ve never wondered if somebody else could have done it better, faster, or cheaper.” – Albert Navarra, Partner at Sapra & Navarra, LLP.

Read more: A 3 day Odoo CRM implementation story! 

Question #5: Which project methodology do they use?

The project methodology is a set of rules and deliverables that are followed during the implementation process. A project methodology explains how you will be informed about the progress, what is the payment method and time, and when you can find out about potential problems. 

When you initiate your project with Fingent, you get a dedicated and skilled team at your service that will guide you through the process. We start with an in-depth analysis of your requirements and walk you through the implementation process right through to post-launch support and updates. 

Read more: How to Select the Right Engagement Model for Business Software Development 

Question #6: Do I understand my business requirements?

It is crucial to know what your business requires. That will help you understand what kind of partner you should select. Hence, make an effort to understand what techno-functional needs you aim to achieve with the Odoo ERP implementation. Know which hardware and software technology you are currently using that may need replacement. Knowing your requirements will help you communicate them to your partner and receive an apt solution that fits those needs.

Our business technology consulting experts will be happy to help you identify and validate your technology needs by analyzing your current state of technology and desired business outcomes.

Test us out!

We understand that making decisions related to implementing new technologies is crucial, and an ERP platform will be the nerve center of your business operations. We are happy to sit with you and answer all your questions and allay your concerns about this. Please give us a call, and let’s discuss your project and needs.

How does Odoo ERP Customization Help Businesses?

In the current age of empowered consumerism, businesses should never underestimate the importance of customization in their strategy. Each company has its specific requirements, so customization has become increasingly significant to business growth in the past few years. As businesses wade through unprecedented times, customization emerges highly relevant in 2021. Enterprise systems like custom Odoo ERP solutions, in particular, witness an increasing market adoption. 

Undeniably, customized ERP software can unlock tremendous opportunities for businesses to grow and expand. However, do you feel that committing to a software vendor could mean you are relinquishing control of your business or that it might not be financially viable? If yes, we invite you to read this article and put your fears to rest as you discover the importance of Odoo ERP, especially as we approach 2021.

Read more: How Odoo ERP Simplifies Sales Management in Your Organization 

Does Your Business Need Odoo ERP Customization?

Every business has its requirements, and just because one methodology worked for a particular company, it cannot be a yardstick for all enterprises. Hence, it’s crucial to customize your business software to address your specific needs. The foremost reason for having customized Odoo ERP software is that it can address your specific business requirements. It is essential for businesses to wisely use this capability and customize their Odoo ERP software for an organized workforce and a highly streamlined workflow. 

Read more: 5 Salient Features of Odoo that Make it a Reliable ERP for Enterprises 

Consider a few reasons:

1. Process Extension

The productivity of any business depends on its work process and business forms. Each association has an alternative work process that may require customization to be more effective. To that end, business leaders may have to stretch out procedures to build new functionalities. In such situations, customizing Odoo ERP can improve collaborations within the work process. 

2. Increase application lifespan 

Applications are building blocks of any business process because they provide vital features and functionality while simplifying the business process. Given that, businesses cannot afford to lose applications at a critical moment. Companies thus need customized ERP solutions to increase the lifespan of business applications. 

3. Establish Unique Identity

Every business has specific objectives to accomplish, which sets them apart in the market. Online marketing activities and data reports of a business mirror its unique identity. Customization of Odoo ERP software can empower businesses to establish their unique identity despite challenging situations.

4. Mobility

With the changes brought about by the pandemic, the need for mobile ERP solutions has taken precedence. Odoo ERP customization can help organizations achieve the desired mobility.

5. Additional features

COVID-19 has redefined the way businesses function that necessitates improvements and upgrades in the business process for 2021. However, it would help if you streamlined each upgrade with the existing process. You can achieve this by incorporating additional features to improve the performance of the whole organization. Odoo ERP customization will help you include other features tailored for your specific business needs.

Read more: Fingent’s new plugin facilitates the scheduling of Zoom meetings from Odoo! 

6. Increased adaptation 

The pandemic has made it evident that an unprecedented event can take you completely by surprise and change the face of your business. Quick adaptation is necessary for businesses if they are to survive and thrive. However, it can be challenging to find new ways that align with your existing business process. Business systems that are not flexible to adaption can collapse, bringing a thriving business to a grinding halt. Odoo ERP customization enables companies to achieve flexibility, empowering them to adapt quickly as the need arises.

Benefits of Odoo ERP Customization

Odoo ERP customization offers businesses increased flexibility and better control resulting in increased sales and improved customer relations. Here are four main benefits of customized Odoo ERP software:

1. Flexible

Flexibility and better control over mission-critical business functions are two of the main benefits of Odoo ERP customization. The extent of that flexibility depends on the type of customization done by the ERP development company. Since Fingent is an official partner of Odoo, our team is fully trained in Odoo ERP development. Our projects are tailored for easy adaptability. 

2. Comprehensive

Odoo ERP covers a wide range of business needs, such as financial management, warehouse management, CRM, and human resource management. It can integrate almost all aspects of a business to improve overall efficiency. 

Read more: 5 Reasons to Integrate Your E-commerce Application with Odoo ERP 

3. Offers support and allows upgrades

Customized ERP applications give you complete control over their features. It also allows you to upgrade the applications when required. At Fingent, we offer user-friendly applications that help businesses achieve their daily organization and management goals. 

4. Development time

Development time might concern enterprises that need to deploy a customized ERP solution within a given time frame. The development timeline varies from project to project, depending on the requirements and expectations of an organization. However, it is a profitable investment considering the long-term benefits.

5. Cost-effective 

There is a misunderstanding that customization of the Odoo ERP system costs a fortune or might complicate the software system’s entire delivery. This has held back some businesses from investing in it. While it is true that customized ERP solutions require to be developed from scratch and tend to be more expensive than off-the-shelf systems, you must consider that the benefits and long-term savings far outweigh the cost.  

The development cost of customization depends on various factors such as the type of application, the number of features, and the time required for the development. However, Odoo offers a basic ERP system with a low-cost license fee. Hence, developing a simple enterprise application with basic features can be cost-effective in the long run. Organizations can maximize the budget on the customization of the platform. 

6. Security 

Odoo ERP is known to be secure by design. Being an open-source platform, Odoo is under constant scrutiny by its users. This ensures that it continually improves on bugs as soon as users report them. 

Easy Adaptability with Complete Control – Grab It Now 

Customization of the Odoo ERP system provides you with the functionality that your business requires. It eliminates any unnecessary features that could confuse a customer and allows you to customize the source code to suit your business needs and features. Customization can also reduce entry duplication and removes redundant fields, which enhances the efficiency of your employees. It can address your current business requirements while providing you with the opportunity to continually improve and refine your business processes as 2021 approaches with new challenges.

If you are worried that the implementation might be difficult, we want to assure you that it isn’t. Fingent’s Odoo implementation projects are tailored for easy adaptability and user-friendliness while ensuring that you have complete control over your processes. Contact us, top custom software development company and discover how we can collaborate to bring value to your business. 

Fingent launches Odoo Zoom integration module in Odoo Apps Store

Are you managing your crucial business functions like ERP and CRM via Odoo and scheduling your online meetings via Zoom? 

Very often, you’d have faced this difficulty of logging into Zoom separately to join the meetings. Some of you would’ve even missed the appointments or run late to join, just because you got too busy to track your Zoom calendar. 

Spending your whole day on Odoo and switching to Zoom in between is annoying. Being an Official Partner of Odoo, Fingent has always catered to the needs of various customers and streamlined their operations thus saving their costs, time, and resources. Now you can easily schedule your Zoom meetings from Odoo using Fingent’s new plugin that integrates Odoo with Zoom, inclusive of updating Odoo based calendars. Participants can join the meeting using the meeting link and ID. Both the organizer and the participants need not require individual Zoom accounts as the meeting can be scheduled from within Odoo. 

Click here to check out our Odoo Zoom integration module launched in Odoo Apps Store. 

Features

• Easy flow between Odoo and Zoom
• Automatically syncs meetings scheduled via Odoo with Zoom
• Sets passwords to join the meeting
• Manages time-zone considerations
• Support for Zoom’s advanced meeting settings
• Multi-user and multi-company support

Want to integrate this custom business logic to extend and amplify the functionalities of your Odoo CRM/ ERP suite? Get in touch with us.