My Journey to Odoo

I started working for Express Sign Products, a wholesale distributor of sign supplies, in 2007. The company was using Sage BusinessVision as its accounting/ERP system at the time. BusinessVision had been neglected by Sage in its development. While we appreciated the product's stability, it was rather limited in features and functionality. However, it did have one significant advantage over Quickbooks: volume pricing tiers for products—an essential feature for our wholesale company. The program also provided CSV imports and database access via ODBC, which enabled me to implement several automations.

Our First Try at a New ERP

As we looked to adopt and integrate other business solutions—like CRM—into our operations, we began researching several ERP options. In 2014, Odoo (then called OpenERP) made it to our shortlist of choices. However, the two companies we contacted about this ERP convince us that the product would be a good fit for our needs. The project quote was also quite high at the time. We ended up choosing TrueERP, an ERP system developed in Australia. This decision turned out to be both a big disappointment and a valuable learning experience in how vendors can overpromise and underdeliver. As a desktop software, we accessed it from our two Canadian warehouses using Windows RDP. Despite the bugs, design flaws, and unmet expectations, this software did improve some aspects of our operations. The experience also gave us better clarity on what to look for in an ERP system. I should note that I would never recommend this product to anyone, and last I checked, it appeared to have reached its end of life.

Our Second Try

Two years later, we began a new quest for a better solution. Instead of relying on a single ERP, which had proven mediocre in many ways, we opted to integrate multiple software solutions, hoping they would work well together. We chose Creatio (formerly bpmonline) for CRM, Quickbooks Enterprise for accounting, and AllOrders by NumberCruncher to address Quickbooks' shortcomings in inventory and product pricing.

I took on the challenge of migrating all historical data from TrueERP to Quickbooks—and it was indeed challenging. I had to export the entire MySQL database and I used Python and Pandas for data extraction and transformation. I then used Transaction Pro and Zed Axis to load the data into QuickBooks. The import process with these tools proved extremely slow and often timed out. I had to break it into hundreds of small batches. Despite the occasional bugs in these third-party tools and Quickbooks' quirks, I successfully migrated everything: sales, purchases, journal entries, inventory adjustments, contacts, and products.

AllOrders, despite its dated VB6 interface, proved to be quite comprehensive in its integration with Quickbooks. It significantly improved our order, inventory, and price management. Its report designer for invoice and PDF templates was excellent—a feature I still miss. Having unrestricted access to the program's MS SQL Server database allowed me to implement additional automation and reporting. Since we were already using remote desktop access and internet speeds had improved, using a Windows native application wasn't a major issue.

Creatio, as a web application, was a powerful tool that we could have utilized more effectively. We initially tried a third-party solution to sync data and import invoices into Creatio for better marketing campaigns, but Quickbooks Enterprise syncing proved unreliable. Eventually, we developed an in-house syncing tool between our SQL server data and Creatio, which worked well.

We also needed to integrate our Prestashop-powered webstore with these systems. I implemented a partially automated solution that exported orders as CSV files, performed ETL, and imported them into AllOrders as XLS files. This entire setup functioned effectively, especially after my improvements to processes through custom programming and automation.

Choosing Odoo

When NumberCruncher announced plans to sunset AllOrders in favor of OrderTime, their web-based version, we evaluated the new product. However, OrderTime was significantly underdeveloped compared to their legacy program. In 2021, we decided to look for a replacement and reconsidered our entire stack: AllOrders, Quickbooks, and Creatio. We were open to solutions that integrated inventory and order management with accounting. This led us to consider both Acumatica and Odoo, and we engaged with a company that offered both solutions to help us make the best choice.

My experience with Python programming and knowledge of Odoo's open-source, highly customizable nature gave me confidence in its potential. By this point, we had a long list of features that we needed or wanted in an ERP:

• Multicurrency and price lists with volume pricing – Odoo delivered.

• Comprehensive inventory management supporting multi-warehouses, sublocations, and barcode guns – Odoo met these needs.

• Prestashop integration – Multiple third-party apps available.

• Amazon FBA integration – Previously, we used simple CSV imports for Amazon orders, but Odoo had way better third-party integrations.

• Shopify integration – Similarly well-supported.

• CRM, Lead Management, Marketing, and Automation – All included.

• Flexible templates for PDF invoices and picking – Available.

• Integration with shipping solutions like Shipstation – An excellent addition.

We began implementing Odoo in early 2022 and went live in October. While I may detail the implementation process in future blog posts, I'll just say that it was not without its challenges. We encountered frustrations especially with third-party apps not functioning as expected, and numerous customizations were needed to match the efficiency levels we were accustomed to. However, the overall result was extremely positive. Although implementation costs exceeded our initial expectations, we now feel equipped to handle future growth challenges, having established a solid software foundation for our operations.