What's new in Odoo 20 Inventory & Manufacturing

Manufacturing > Products > Bills of Materials

Bills of materials offer several tools. Selecting BoMs in the list and using Actions > Compare BoMs opens a pivot table with one column per BoM and one row per component. In the BoM Overview with Forecast on, one Status column shows availability, the quantity to buy or make, or an estimated date. The Miscellaneous tab has an Extra Cost field adding a fixed cost per unit to each order from that BoM. A Components / Sub Assemblies smart button lists every component line, sub-assemblies included, in one editable list.

Manufacturing > Products > Products > [product] > Used In

The Used In smart button on a component product opens the BoM component lines that use it, showing the final product, quantity and unit. Users can edit the quantity or replace the component across several BoMs at once. The same lines are also reachable from Compare BoMs in the BoM list and from the Components button on the BoM form.

Manufacturing > Products > Bills of Materials > Miscellaneous tab

Work orders have a Produced Quantity. When Continuous Production is ticked on the bill of materials, a following operation may begin once part of the quantity is recorded on the earlier operation, before that earlier operation is complete. The option is set in the Miscellaneous tab of a bill of materials that has operations, and quantities are then recorded on each work order.

Inventory > Configuration > Operation Types > Manufacturing

The Manufacturing operation type has an Auto Confirm Production option. When it is unticked, replenishment through reordering rules or make-to-order creates manufacturing orders in draft. The planner reviews and confirms them manually, and components are only reserved once an order is confirmed. This setting is reached from the Inventory configuration, where the operation types are listed, and affects every manufacturing order created automatically by replenishment for that operation type.

Manufacturing > Operations > Manufacturing Orders > Produce

When a manufacturing order for a product tracked by lot or serial number is closed without a number entered, Odoo creates the lot or serial numbers automatically. Users can finish production without typing numbers by hand. The numbers are created when the user clicks Produce on an order for a lot-tracked or serial-tracked product. This applies in the manufacturing order form under Manufacturing > Operations > Manufacturing Orders.

Inventory > Products > Lots/Serial Numbers > [lot] > Transfers

On a lot or serial number, the Transfers smart button opens the delivery move lines of that lot only, whether to customers or in transit, rather than complete shipments. This gives a precise view of where a lot went, which helps during recalls. The button is found on the lot form under Inventory > Products > Lots/Serial Numbers, and it lets users check each delivery containing that lot.

Manufacturing > Operations > Manufacturing Orders > Kanban view

The manufacturing order Kanban view groups orders by week of their scheduled date. Each card shows the component status, the active work center, the deadline and the remaining time. The header of each weekly group displays the total remaining time for the orders in it, helping planners see the workload per week. It is opened from the Manufacturing Orders menu.

Manufacturing > Planning > Work Orders > Planning

The Plan action schedules manufacturing orders as soon as possible, starting from the current time, using the earliest free capacity. When several orders are planned together, they are queued in the order they appear in the list. The result can be checked in the work order planning view. The schedule is shown in the work order Gantt under Manufacturing > Planning > Work Orders > Planning.

Manufacturing > Operations > Manufacturing Orders > Overview

The MO Overview has a single MO Cost column. It shows the planned cost while the order is open and the real cost once the order is done. For a component bought from a subcontractor, the replenishment line in the overview adds the cost of the subcontracted BoM components to the vendor price. The overview is opened from a manufacturing order.

Manufacturing > Operations > Manufacturing Orders > [order]

Manufacturing orders have a single Produce button. It produces the quantity the user has set, or the whole quantity if none is set, and asks about a backorder when needed. The same button behaviour applies in Manufacturing, Shop Floor and Barcode. This replaces separate production buttons with one action. Users find it on any confirmed manufacturing order opened from Manufacturing > Operations > Manufacturing Orders.

Manufacturing > Operations > Manufacturing Orders

A cancelled manufacturing order can be returned to draft with a Reset to Draft button. A done order offers Set to In Progress instead, which reopens it to the confirmed state rather than to draft. This lets users correct orders without recreating them. Both buttons appear on the manufacturing order form, depending on the state of the order, and are used by manufacturing users who need to correct or reopen an order.

Manufacturing > Configuration > Settings

When demo data is loaded, the Manufacturing settings display a Print barcode demo sheet link in the Barcode section. The printed sheet is used to test barcode scanning in Shop Floor and in Barcode. The link is intended for trying out scanning workflows on a test database, and it appears only when demo data is installed, so it is not shown on databases without demonstration data.

Manufacturing > Operations > Manufacturing Orders > Gear menu

Using Split on a manufacturing order in progress keeps the quantity currently being produced on the order and moves the remaining quantity to a new backorder immediately. No split wizard is shown. The action is in the gear menu of the order. The backorder holds the remaining quantity. Users work on the original order for the units being produced and continue the rest later on the backorder created by the split.

Manufacturing > Operations > Manufacturing Orders > Overview

The MO Overview has a To Replenish toggle. When turned on, it shows only the lines that still need replenishment, helping planners focus on missing components. The overview is opened from the Overview button of a manufacturing order. The toggle hides lines whose components are already available, so the remaining list shows only the components that must still be bought or made before production can go ahead.

Manufacturing > Planning > Work Orders > Planning

Draft manufacturing orders can be planned and appear in the Work Orders Planning Gantt. A Confirm Planning button confirms all the draft orders displayed in one action, letting planners review a draft schedule before committing to it. The Gantt is under Manufacturing > Planning > Work Orders > Planning. Planners check how the draft orders fit the available capacity, then use the button to confirm every draft order displayed in the view.

Manufacturing > Reporting > Production Analysis

Work order and manufacturing order reports have been redesigned. Production Analysis shows the cost per unit broken down into components, work centers, subcontracting, employees and operations, next to the quantity produced. The pivot views for manufacturing orders and work orders use new default measures. Manufacturing users and managers open the analysis from the Reporting menu and use its pivot view to see where production costs come from.

Manufacturing > Planning > Work Orders and Employees

Work orders can be followed in several views. Planning > Work Orders > Kanban groups work orders to follow and adjust the planning. The work order Gantt supports drag and drop with clearer colours, and Planning > Employees > Planning shows work orders per employee. Completed work orders stay visible in the Gantt by default. These views are under Manufacturing > Planning.

Manufacturing > Overview > Work Centers Overview

Each card in the Work Centers Overview has a menu with quick links: Plan Orders, Planning, which opens the work order Gantt of that work center, and, when Maintenance is installed, the work center's maintenance planning. The overview is opened from Manufacturing > Overview > Work Centers Overview or Configuration > Work Centers. These links give planners direct access to the scheduling screens of one work center from its card.

Inventory > Products > Products > (product) > Forecasted

When an incoming receipt covers an outgoing delivery of the same product, the product's forecast report shows an Assign link on that delivery line. One click links the receipt to the delivery, and Unassign removes the link. An allocation report, opened with the Allocation button on transfers, handles this linking, and the operation type defines when it pops up. Warehouse staff use it to reserve incoming goods for specific deliveries.

Inventory > Operations > Deliveries > Print > Consignment Note (CMR)

The Transport Management app (stock_fleet) adds a 'Consignment Note (CMR)' PDF to the Print menu of delivery orders and dispatch batches. The document is filled from the transfer with the sender, consignee, places, and rows of goods with packages, HS codes, weight and volume. It can also be printed automatically when a transfer is validated, and from the Barcode app. It is available once Transport Management is enabled in the Inventory settings.

Inventory > Products > Products > (product) > Inventory tab

The Delivery Time field of a product, which is the customer lead time in days, is stored per company. Each company in a multi-company database can keep its own number of days for the same product. Sales order lines use the value that belongs to the company of the order. It is set on the product's Inventory tab. The field is shown on the product form.

Inventory > Operations > Replenishment; Sales > Orders

A warehouse's Resupply From list can include warehouses of other companies; Odoo creates a resupply route through the Inter-company transit location for products and reordering rules. A sales order's Warehouse can belong to another allowed company, which creates the delivery there while the order stays in the original company. Goods received from another company are valued at the sending company's delivery cost. Changes to linked purchase or sales orders update the other company's order, with a chatter note listing them.

Inventory > Reporting > Stock

The Stock report has an 'Inventory at Date' section at the top of its side panel. Choosing a date and time recomputes the quantities and values in the list as they were at that moment, while keeping the current filters and the selected category. A 'Current stock' option returns to today's figures. Stock managers and accountants use it to check past inventory levels and values.

Inventory > Operations > Landed Costs

Each landed cost line has an 'Apply On' field. If it is left empty, the cost is spread across all products of the transfer; if products are chosen, only those products receive the cost. A landed cost product can also hold a default 'Apply On' list that is used when it is added. This lets users charge a cost only to the items it concerns.

Inventory > Operations > Transfers > Followers > Edit Notification Preferences

Transfers have a follower subtype named 'Transfer Status'. Followers who select it are notified when the transfer is validated or cancelled, and when a message about a backorder or partial delivery is posted. Users who need to follow specific transfers can subscribe to these updates from the followers menu in the chatter. The subtype is chosen per follower in Edit Notification Preferences.

Inventory > Configuration > Operation Types > Receipts > Barcode App

The Barcode App tab of an operation type shows an 'Instructions Preview' listing the numbered steps that an operator will see in the Barcode app for that operation. The preview updates as soon as the mandatory scan options are changed. Inventory managers configuring operation types can see the effect of their settings on the operator's workflow before using it. It is found on each operation type.

Inventory > Products > Products > (product) > Sales tab > Packagings > Barcodes

Under Packagings in a product's Sales tab, a 'Barcodes' link opens the list of packaging barcodes for every variant of that product. In that list, barcodes can be added and edited. It is available for goods products when units of measure are enabled, and helps users manage the barcodes printed on packs and boxes in one place. The link sits in the Packagings section.

Inventory > Operations > Replenishment

The Replenishment list has a single Order button next to Snooze and Suggest. Users select any products, including ones that do not need reordering yet, and click Order; Odoo orders enough to bring the forecast up to the Max quantity. If the user has typed a quantity in the To Order column, that quantity is used. Purchasing and stock staff use it to reorder several products at once.

Odoo 20 includes a shipping connector for the ShipStation service. With it, businesses can ship their orders through ShipStation directly from inside Odoo, without leaving the application.

Inventory > Operations > Deliveries

Clicking Return on a completed transfer creates a draft return transfer straight away, with the products listed at zero quantity and no separate wizard. The return has a 'Return All' button to fill in the delivered quantities and a 'Clear' button to reset them; quantities can also be typed line by line before validating. Warehouse staff handling customer returns use it from the delivery.

Inventory > Reporting > Moves Analysis

Moves Analysis includes a saved favorite named Aging Report. It groups incoming and outgoing moves by product category and product, spreads them across months, and displays the remaining quantity and value. This shows how old the stock still on hand is. It is used from the pivot view of the report. The favorite is opened from the search panel of Moves Analysis.

Inventory > Operations > Replenishment

In Replenishment, users can select reordering rules and click Suggest. They choose a demand period, such as the last 7 days, the last 30 days or the same month last year, and a percentage factor, then click Update. Odoo recalculates the daily demand and sets new Min and Max levels that keep the intended days of coverage and order frequency.

Inventory > Lots/Serial Numbers > Traceability

The lot traceability report shows both upstream and downstream lot or serial numbers in a single tree view. Final locations of lots appear in normal text, while intermediate locations are dimmed. Quality and warehouse teams use it to follow where a lot came from and where it went, for instance during a product recall. The tree is shown after clicking Unfold in the report.

Inventory > Products > Product Variants

Harmonized System (HS) codes are stored on each product variant, so every variant can have its own code in its Inventory tab, Logistics section. On a product template, the field can be viewed and edited only when the template has a single variant. Companies exporting goods whose variants fall under different customs codes can record the right code per variant.

Inventory > Products > Product Variants > Sales

Product variants have an Extra Packagings field in their Sales tab. Packagings added there apply only to that variant, on top of the packagings defined on the template. Different variants can therefore have their own pack sizes that the other variants do not offer. The Units of Measure & Packagings setting must be enabled. Packagings set on the template remain shared by all variants.

Inventory > Receipts

When a purchase order has a vendor reference, the related receipt shows it in its Source Document field after the purchase order number, for example P00024 - GF-INV-4471. Warehouse operators can match incoming goods with the vendor's paperwork directly from the receipt, without opening the purchase order. The reference appears automatically once the purchase order with a Vendor Reference is confirmed.

Inventory > Configuration > Locations > Print

Location barcode labels can be printed in ZPL format as well as PDF. The ZPL file can be sent straight to Zebra label printers to print thermal labels for shelf locations. Warehouse managers labelling storage locations select the locations in the list and choose the ZPL option from the Print menu. The PDF version remains available for standard printers as well.

In the Barcode app, workers processing an operation can decide on the spot whether a backorder should be created for the remaining quantities, without leaving the app to make that choice.

During an inventory count in the Barcode app, the pen icon lets the counter type the total counted quantity of a product. This avoids scanning every single unit when the full quantity is already known.

Light users can be restricted to the Barcode app only. Businesses can thus give some staff access to barcode operations without opening the other apps to them.

When a lot label cannot be scanned, the worker can type the lot number and the quantity by hand in the Barcode app. Operations can therefore continue when a label cannot be read.

Purchase > Orders > Requests for Quotation > Alternatives > Compare Product Lines

In Odoo 20 the Compare Product Lines screen for alternative RFQs supports inline editing of quantities, including on several lines at once. Each RFQ's status appears as a coloured badge, lines that are cancelled or have zero quantity are greyed out, and the Choose button is hidden on orders already confirmed or cancelled. Unit prices are compared fairly across different purchase units. The screen requires the Purchase Alternatives module and is opened from an RFQ's Alternatives tab.

Contacts > vendor > Sales & Purchase tab

In Odoo 20 a vendor can hold a default purchase Incoterm and Incoterm Location, set in the Purchase section of the Sales & Purchase tab on the vendor form. New RFQs and purchase orders created for that vendor receive these values automatically, visible in the Other Info tab of the order. The values are copied when the order is created. Buyers use it so that agreed delivery terms are applied consistently without typing them on every order.

Portal > Purchase Orders

In Odoo 20, when a purchase order has a dropship address, meaning the end customer's address, the vendor portal page of that order displays it as the shipping address. Vendors reading the order in the portal can see where the goods are to be delivered. The order is opened in the portal through the link sent with Send by email, or through the portal's purchase order pages.

Purchase > Orders > confirmed PO > Other Info

In Odoo 20 the Expected Arrival date of a confirmed purchase order can still be changed on the order. The date originally agreed with the vendor is kept in a Promised Date field in the Other Info tab, and the vendor's On-Time Rate is measured against this promised date. Buyers can therefore update arrival expectations without losing the commitment used to judge vendor punctuality.

Purchase > RFQ > Catalog

In the Odoo 20 purchase product catalog, when a product's purchase unit is different from its product unit, for example a pack of six versus single units, the product card shows two prices. The price per purchase unit appears first, and the price per product unit is shown below it. Buyers can compare costs per unit when vendors sell in packs. The catalog is opened from an RFQ.

Purchase > Orders > Purchase Agreements

Purchase agreements in Odoo 20, both blanket orders and calls for tenders, offer Add a section and Add a note on their product lines, in the same way as purchase orders. Sections display the total of the lines grouped under them. This lets buyers organise long agreements into logical parts and add explanatory text between lines. Agreements are found under the Orders menu of the Purchase app.

Purchase > RFQ with past deadline

In Odoo 20, when an RFQ's Order Deadline has already passed, the date is shown in red with a refresh button beside it. Clicking the button sets the deadline to today and recalculates the expected arrival date of every line using the vendor lead times. Buyers use it to bring old RFQs up to date before sending or confirming them, without editing each line's date by hand.

Purchase > RFQ > Products

In Odoo 20, section and subsection lines on purchase orders show the total amount of the product lines they contain. When an RFQ is organised with Add a section and products are listed below each section, every section line displays its own summed amount. Buyers and approvers can see the cost of each part of an order at a glance without adding up lines manually.

Contacts > vendor > More

In Odoo 20 vendors have a Quality Rate, which is the share of quality checks passed on their receipts over the last year. It is shown as a smart button on the vendor form, under More if needed, and on purchase orders. Clicking it opens a report of the related quality checks. Buyers use it to judge supplier reliability when choosing vendors. It is based on validated quality checks on receipts.

PLM > Changes > Engineering Change Orders > ECO

A 'Compare BoMs' action shows the components of two or more bills of materials side by side in a pivot table, with one column per BoM. In PLM, an engineering change order (ECO) has a Compare BoMs smart button that compares the current BoM with its revision. Engineers can see at a glance which quantities changed and which components were added.

PLM > Changes > Engineering Change Orders > ECO > Apply Changes

Clicking 'Apply Changes' on an ECO opens an 'Update Versions' dialog. Checkboxes let the user choose which versions go up by one: the product, the bill of materials and, when relevant, the parent products and parent BoMs that use it. If all boxes are cleared, the change is applied without creating any new version. Each checkbox controls one version increase separately.

Inventory > Products > Products > Inventory tab

Products have a 'Version' field, shown in the Traceability section of the product form's Inventory tab and as a column in the product list. When an ECO revision results in a different product, as in a new product introduction, the old BoM is kept and a 'Versions' smart button on the product lists all linked product versions. Versions are tracked per product.

PLM > Changes > Engineering Change Orders > ECO > Review

The Review button on an ECO opens an 'ECO Changes Summary' report. It lists every component change (added, removed or updated) and every operation change in one table. Each line shows the quantity or duration difference and its cost impact, and the report gives a total. Engineers and managers use it to assess a change before applying it. It is opened from the ECO form.

Maintenance > Maintenance > Planning by Equipment (or Planning by Workcenter)

Maintenance requests can be displayed on timeline (Gantt) views. 'Planning by Equipment' shows requests organised by piece of equipment. When Manufacturing is installed, 'Planning by Workcenter' shows them grouped by work center instead. Maintenance planners use these views to see when work on each piece of equipment or work center is scheduled and how the requests are spread over the coming days and weeks.

Maintenance > Configuration > Stages

Maintenance stages can be assigned to specific maintenance teams. A request shows only the stages linked to its team plus the stages without any team, so each team can follow its own workflow pipeline. Stages and their teams are set in the Maintenance configuration, through the Maintenance Teams column of the stages list, by the people who manage the maintenance teams and their stages.

Maintenance > Maintenance > Maintenance Requests

Maintenance requests have a Status widget with five states: In Progress, Changes Requested, Approved, Done and Cancelled. A request can have several assignees, and the form and card layouts are streamlined. The status button sits next to the request title on the request form, so the people working on a request can update its state directly from there with one click.

Repairs > Orders > Repair Orders

In Odoo 20 a repair order has an Invoice button next to the Quote button. Once the repair is done and no quotation is needed, clicking Invoice creates a customer invoice directly with the parts and services of the repair. Parts added after the invoice is posted can be invoiced in a further invoice. It applies to repair orders with a customer and no quotation.

Repairs > Orders > Repair Orders

In Odoo 20 a repair order moves through three statuses: New, Confirmed and Done. There is no Under Repair status and no Start Repair button. The End Repair action is available directly once the order is Confirmed, so technicians close the repair directly from that step without an extra stage. The status bar at the top of every repair order shows these three stages.

Repairs > Orders > Repair Orders > Services tab

Repair orders in Odoo 20 have a Services tab for service products such as labour or diagnostics. Each service is added with a quantity, either one line at a time or from the catalog. The services are carried into the repair quotation or the invoice along with the parts. Repair teams use it to bill the work done as well as the components used.

Manufacturing > Operations > Manufacturing Orders

The manufacturing order note is a rich-text field called Additional Notes, which takes its default value from the bill of materials note. It accepts bold text, lists, links and pictures. Shop Floor shows the same formatted note on the order card, and operators can open and edit it there, so instructions written in Manufacturing reach the shop floor with their formatting.

Shop Floor > Overview > Work Center > Add/Modify Step > Update Instructions

In Shop Floor, choosing Update Instructions for a step opens the proposal form with the step's current instruction already placed in the New Instruction field. Operators can therefore correct a few words or add a detail without retyping the whole instruction, and submit the change as a proposal. The option is found in the Add/Modify Step submenu of a work order card's menu, after choosing a work center tab.

Manufacturing > Configuration > Work Centers

Work centers have a Barcode field. In Shop Floor, scanning a work center's barcode selects that work center and switches to its tab, in the same way that scanning an employee badge selects the operator. This lets operators move between work centers with a scanner instead of tapping through tabs. The field is filled on the work center form in the Manufacturing configuration menu.

Inventory > Operations > Receipts

Users in the Quality Administrator group can validate transfers even when quality checks are not done. While checks are pending, the Validate button stays available to them, shown as a secondary button, and they can skip the checks. Other users must complete the checks before validating. This applies, for example, to receipts opened from the Operations menu of the Inventory app.

Quality > Quality Control > Quality Checks

When a quality check is failed from its form view, a dialog asks for the Failure Location, chosen among the locations set on the control point. The failed items are then sent to that location automatically. Failure locations are configured on control points in the Quality configuration, and quality inspectors pick one of them when clicking Fail on a check.