Exploring Odoo 18: Key Functional Changes You Need to Know

Odoo has always been the leading open-source ERP software and has continued to develop with every single release to meet the expanding needs of a modern enterprise. Year after year, Odoo has been releasing new versions each with better functionality and with new features/apps.

This year, Odoo 18 has released a suite of features to transform business productivity, usability and efficiency at any scale. Odoo 18 brings a focus on capitalizing on new technology; AI, IoT and Automation (to name a few) to help customers simplify workflows while still providing deeper insights and increased control across all applications. Here’s a compact summary of the game-changer features.

In this blog, we will highlight the major functional changes included as part of Odoo 18, the key benefit of the changes to your business, and some ideas about how to get the most from this powerful ERP solution. Let’s get started!

User Friendly

Odoo 18 improves the user experience with a combination of a new user interface, new features, and new tools to support the productivity of users. The new user interface features a sleek, organized design with friendlier URLs and improved flow when navigating across the Odoo platform. This new design emphasizes clarity and efficiency, accomplishing more in less time will be much easier.

The most interesting part of the new user interface is the Company Switcher, which provides simple switching between businesses, whether on desktop, smartphone, or tablet. Furthermore, the project Top Bar, users can stay on top of the project and manage details, due dates, and progress, all in real time, while providing a much clearer view of all key tasks.

Odoo 18 also utilizes AI-based solutions via its new Chat Hub, which allows you to operate and manage your communication and collaboration with team members , and clients, in a singular place. This hub will quickly manage your discussions, focusing your conversations and improving decision making, with the Canned Responses feature eliminating unnecessary repetition through quick replies that maintain continuity in communications.

The new dashboard has taken customization to an incredible level due to its user-friendly widgets and a clean, newly redesigned interface that meets expectations for usability in the modern era. Streamlining navigation is even easier with a streamlined area in the sidebar for improving speed of access, saving you and your team, time and energy every time you need to access a frequently visited module or application.

All in all, Odoo 18 delivers simplicity and function together in one intentional and seamless program that allows both complex operations, or quick assessments, to occur with teamwork capabilities, regardless of individual experience with technology or use of Odoo products. More than just an upgrade, this is an astonishing productivity and functional revolution!

Improvement in Sales and CRM

Odoo 18 elevates the Sales and CRM management experience with a series of impressive updates that are designed to process sales more securely and efficiently. Take a closer look at the main upgrades:

Enhanced Lead Management

1. The enhanced lead rating system and revamped lead scoring algorithm enable sales reps to focus on high-potential prospects, key details, and faster deal closure.
2. Sales managers have access to the updated pipeline view to consider all opportunities and identify the deals with the most potential.

Quotation and Order Management

1. The Configurable Quotation Templates allow for easy generation of customized quotations that can be turned into sales orders with one click, significantly shortening transaction cycles.
2. The new Quote Calculator provides an accurate way to generate quotes while including costs like shipping, manufacturing, and hours worked which removes any guess work.
3. The Quote Builder lets users create custom designs for quotations with dynamic and customized pdf reports and a quote can even be created from a spreadsheet.

Sales Commission Plans

1. The Sales Commission feature allows organizations to formulate and manage commission structures for individual salespersons, motivating teams to reach their goals.
2. The Commission Plan menu includes sophisticated capabilities to enable organizations to track sales team performance and compensation.

Loyalty Program Integration

1. Now customers can see loyalty points and rewards right in their shopper account portal, making life easier for customers who shop online.

Sales Order Improvements

1. The mobile experience for sales orders has been enhanced for on-the-go use.
2. The usability on the mobile view of sales orders has improved with a brand-new edit button for product variants and attributes and the option to add product descriptions below the product name so that editing an order will be easier than ever!

E-Signature for Documents

1. Now you can request signatures from customers and vendors directly on the documents, creating a more convenient way to verify documents.

 

 

Smart Employee Management

Odoo 18 comprises many new improvements for Human Resource Management (HRM), now enabling more intuitive, efficient human resource management more closely aligned with modern workforce and employee expectations. These changes make complex processes easier to comprehend and recognize that managers need to be empowered, and employees need better experiences.

Performance and Appraisals

1. With the new performance appraisal system, managers can establish daily tasks, identify project goals, monitor progress, and evaluate reviews all in one location.
2. We created appraisal templates so that managers can ensure uniformity with each appraisal, while also establishing a date for the next appraisal - which is now displayed on the employee profiles.

Payroll and Leave Management

1. All payroll functions have been automated (calculating, processing, and paying), allowing for a decrease in payroll errors and saving completion time.
2. More efficient leave management provides employees the opportunity to request time off and for managers to approve or deny the requests. Other features include:
3. Overtime reports allow managers to track attendance better. 
4. Approve time-off requests directly from the overview section.
5. Public holidays and types of time-off can be hidden or shown on the calendar.

Recruitment and Referrals

1. The recruitment process was modified and enhanced with new Jobs option on the website for applicants to explore the openings more conveniently.
2. Employment conditional questions provide great candidate filtering options for open job position.
3. Things like SMS referring jobs and creating referrals campaigns directly from the recruitment app, are more engaging to hiring.

Employee Management Features

1. Managers can now leverage greater department visibility in the Employee app.
2. A convenient way to request documents and signatures from multiple employees.
3. Profiles now also have automated avatars that quickly add a sense of connection to the Employee app.

Attendances and Time Tracking 

1. The attendance module now offers support for fingerprint management for accurate tracking.
2. Options such as showing pending allocation requests as well as working hours in the calendar gives a fair insight into workforce tracking.

Advanced Invoicing & Accounting 

Accounting and invoicing are key and challenging responsibilities of managing modern businesses. Odoo 18 brings powerful improvements for accounting and billing to make it easier, along with increased control, efficiency, and accuracy across various financial operations.

Enhanced Invoicing Features

1. The new invoice editing capability will help avoid mistakes when creating invoices while automatically detecting duplicates.
2. "Hashing on send", an exciting new security feature which minimizes the risk of tampering and creates more secure transactions.
3. Other improvements include printing invoices as pop-outs, improved layouts, and a new send/print user experience.

Streamlined Reconciliation Process

1. With the Kanban Quick Create feature, reconciliation entries can now be created directly from the reconciliation page, even for multicurrency journals.
2. Reconciliation rapid build improves the reconciliation process, helping ensure the account balances are always accurate.

Improved Financial Controls

1. The new lock dates feature will enhance financial periods managed and provides greater flexibility for businesses to lock their balances.
2. Intercompany transactions and automated entries naming enhances more complex accounting scenarios in multi-entity.

Banking and Payment Enhancements

1. Odoo 18 has introduced more user-friendly bank synchronization, many more payment providers, and better batch payment matching.
2. Payment initiation makes the experience much quicker and is just easier to manage- it lets you take on payment transactions quickly without delay.

Reporting and Budgeting Upgrades

1. A more dynamic aged receivable and payable report will allow you to make day adjustments and different date based calculations.
2. Improved reporting and analytics tools for budgeting; P&L reports, with month-to-month budgets offer much more insight to your finances.
3. Changes made to journal reports and financial budgets made much more a complete financial reporting experience.

Additional Features to Simplify Accounting

1. Improved imports and asset management, with better connectivity between Documents and Expenses apps allow for an easier connected work experience.
2. Adding support for different email aliases on miscellaneous journals, a multi-company chart of accounts, increases the flexibility in reporting.
3. Furthermore, the closing process was improved, there are individual tools now for closing; journal entries make month-end and year-end reporting easier.

 

Revamped in Project Module

Project management gets a significant upgrade in Odoo 18, making it more intuitive and efficient. Here's a breakdown of the key enhancements:

Gantt Chart for Improved Project Visualization

1. Gantt Chart expands the capacity for visual timelines and task dependencies. In this type of project monitoring view, the project manager can easily see where the project is and assess the current progress in real-time as tasks are completed.
2. This key feature allows quick and safe updates as tasks line up with the project schedule and goal.

Advanced Task Dependency Management

1. To facilitate the effective implementation for large, complex projects, the Odoo 18 Project Management app has introduced a task dependency system. Tasks can now be linked such that one cannot be commenced until its predecessor finishes, which allows the project flow to make an easier transition, instead of struggling through the process.
2. This feature made it easier for project managers to create a result-oriented road map, even for the longest and most complex projects.

Enhanced Time Tracking and Approval

1. Now your team members can log their hours easier, while managers can review and approve timesheets directly on the Odoo platform.
2. The more streamlined time tracking process develops a level of accountability and transparency to the process.

Dynamic Views for Simplified Navigation 

1. Users can easily navigate between the various views, which include Tasks, Project Updates, Timesheets, Invoices, and Sales Orders, with a click of the mouse.
2. Even the new Interchange Icon situated beside the list view provides easy access to alternate views, which may include Sales, Purchase or Delivery for cross-function project management.

Streamlined Filtering and Grouping Tools

1. Various and improved tools for filtering and grouping tasks provide more manager control and visibility and allow you to segment or measure from within your project with ease.

 

Innovative Inventory Management in Odoo 18

Odoo 18 provides an incredible amount of new functionality for inventory management, excelling control and efficiency over the management of stock activities. Here are some key features:

Enhanced Inventory Flow with Push/Pull Rules

1. Push/pull rules help you move material throughout your value chain effectively and smoothly. You can easily reorder any products that are out of stock to ensure your value chain can keep moving along without stopping.

Advanced Barcode Management

1. The new Barcode App is now available as a Progressive Web App (PWA) on mobile devices, ensuring an improved interface while also putting more functionality in users' hands:
2. Hide reserved lots/serials.
3. Hide out-of-theoretical even quantities in your inventory adjustments.
4. Prevent users from adding any products that are not in picking.
5. Merge lines for consumables on shipments in batches.
6. Users can sign for delivery, or you can implement an audible sound notification for when a successful scan has been made in posting delivery.
7. RFID preference for barcode with RFID: Inventory management does not just stop with scanning (bar code) but much more.  Odoo 18 provides inventory management utilizing RFID scanning that will modify products in the system instantly.

Improved Inventory Tracking

1. Value by lot or serial number adds another level of depth when it comes to traceability by ensuring an easy and smooth process is complete.
2. New smart button for traceability of next transfer: Click to go to the next pending delivery, receipt, or backorder to complete.

Efficient Dispatch and Delivery

1. The shipping/dispatch management tool provides full control of how products are dispatched, delivered, and handled throughout delivery making it a smooth professional integration.
2. Three (3) scan function: Scanning product on delivery/update or receipts utilizing the scan function of your hand pallet. Use of barcodes for packing operations in delivery/receipts.

Flexible Routing and Returns

1. Routes are more flexible which means you can re-route deliveries around either single-phase or multi-phase operations.
2. The return wizard has a Return for Exchange option which provides an excellent way to manage the product exchange process.

Cross Dock Concept

1. Cross dock process progresses with fewer steps from purchase to delivery, making it easier:

2. Supplier → Cross Dock → Deliver

Intuitive Dashboard and Empty Location Views

1. The dashboard now has more data visualizations with graphs to improve the way inventory operations is visualized.
2. Filtering and viewing empty locations in warehouses adds another level of efficiency to warehouse operations.

Improved Picking Operations 

1. Split Transfers: Split and create additional records from one picking record while everything is in "Ready" state. 
2. Create fresh lots and serial numbers from a button at will during any point of your operation.

 

Conclusion

Odoo 18 is a revolutionary ERP solution for companies of various sizes, equipping you with state- of-the -art tools to optimize processes, increase productivity and inevitable growth. Odoo comes packs with an extensive set of functions specific to a variety of industries such as e-commerce, manufacturing and accounting, brands it as an extremely valuable partner to move forward in a contemporary digital world.