Manufacturing Module
Odoo Manufacturing (MRP)
Odoo Manufacturing covers MRP I (BOMs, routings, work orders, MRP runs) and MRP II (capacity planning, master production schedule, quality control, maintenance, MES integration) on the Enterprise edition. From discrete manufacturing (auto components, electronics, machinery) to process manufacturing (food, chemicals, pharma), it handles real factory floor operations without bolt-on MES.
Last reviewed:
What it is
Odoo's manufacturing module covers the full production lifecycle. **BOMs**: multi-level bills of materials, phantom BOMs, kit BOMs, by-product handling, BOM versions for engineering revisions. **Routings**: work centres, operations sequences, alternative routings, sub-contracting. **Work orders**: scheduling, capacity-constrained, manual or kanban dispatch, real-time progress tracking via touch interface. **MRP runs**: net requirements calculation, replenishment orders, inter-plant transfers. **Quality**: in-process inspections, statistical sampling, NCR (non-conformance) handling, CAPA. **Maintenance**: preventive schedules, predictive maintenance via IoT integration, work-order generation from machine telemetry. **PLM**: engineering change order workflow, BOM revision control, document management linked to BOMs.
Why it matters
Manufacturing modules are notoriously where ERP comparisons get hard. Odoo Manufacturing on Enterprise has matured significantly through versions 17, 18, 19 — it's now genuinely competitive with SAP Business One Manufacturing, Microsoft Dynamics BC Manufacturing, and Acumatica Manufacturing Edition at the mid-market level (50–500 employees). The cost advantage is meaningful: Odoo Enterprise Custom 50 users with full manufacturing is USD 22,800/year all-in; SAP B1 equivalent is USD 60,000–100,000/year. For most mid-market manufacturers, Odoo Manufacturing delivers what they actually need at a third of the cost.
Features
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Multi-level BOMs
Bills of materials with unlimited nesting depth. Phantom BOMs for sub-assemblies that aren't separately produced. Kit BOMs for sales bundles. By-product and co-product handling for process manufacturers.
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Routings + work centres
Operation sequences mapped to work centres. Capacity per work centre tracked. Alternative routings for parallel paths. Sub-contracting routings for outsourced operations.
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Work order management
Manual or kanban-style dispatch. Work order touch interface for shop-floor operators. Real-time progress tracking. Quantity recording per operation.
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MRP runs (scheduled or manual)
Net requirements calculation from sales forecasts + actual orders + safety stock. Auto-generation of manufacturing orders, purchase orders, inter-plant transfers. Can run continuously or on a schedule.
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Quality control
In-process and final inspection checkpoints. Statistical sampling. Non-conformance record (NCR) workflow. CAPA (Corrective Action / Preventive Action) tracking. Audit-ready quality documentation.
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Maintenance + PLM
Preventive maintenance schedules. Predictive maintenance via Odoo IoT box for machine telemetry. Engineering change order (ECO) workflow for BOM revisions. Document management linked to BOM versions.
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MES (Manufacturing Execution System) features
Shop-floor terminal for work-order execution. Barcode-driven progress recording. Time tracking per operation. Real-time visibility into work-in-progress, capacity utilisation, bottlenecks.
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Process manufacturing (food, chemicals, pharma)
Batch / lot tracking with full genealogy. Recipe management. Yield variance tracking. Expiry management. CDSCO / FDA submission data extraction where required.
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Sub-contracting workflows
Send raw materials to sub-contractor, receive finished goods, with appropriate inventory and accounting handling. Multi-step sub-contracting supported.
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Integration with Odoo Inventory + Accounting
Manufacturing operations automatically post inventory moves (raw materials consumed, finished goods produced, by-products generated) and accounting entries (cost-of-production calculation, variance accounts). One database, no sync layer.
How it works
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Manufacturing-process discovery
Senior consultant walks your shop floor (in-person or via video tour), interviews production, planning, quality, maintenance. Output: as-is process map + Odoo target process map + gap analysis.
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BOM + routing data migration
Existing BOMs and routings imported and structured per Odoo's data model. Typically a substantial sub-project for manufacturers with 500+ active SKUs.
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Configuration + customisation
Work centres, routings, quality checkpoints, maintenance schedules configured. Industry-specific customisations (TS 16949 / IATF 16949 quality for auto, CDSCO data for pharma, etc.) built in.
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Production team training
Role-based training: production managers, work-order operators, quality team, maintenance team. Touch-interface training on shop-floor terminals. Recorded refresher modules per role.
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Parallel-run pilot
First product line / production unit runs in Odoo while the rest stay on legacy. Issues caught in a controlled environment before full cutover.
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Full production cutover
All production lines move to Odoo over a planned window (typically 1–3 weeks depending on factory complexity). Engineering team on-site or on-call during the cutover.
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Stabilisation + tuning
30–60 day stabilisation with on-call engineering for production-floor issues. Work centre capacity tuned against real load. MRP run frequency optimised.
Deployment timeline
Discrete manufacturing (auto components, electronics, machinery): 14–22 weeks. Process manufacturing (food, chemicals, pharma) with batch / lot complexity: 18–28 weeks. Manufacturing add-on to existing Odoo deployment: 10–14 weeks. Multi-plant manufacturers: 22–36 weeks with per-plant rollout.
Best for
Mid-market manufacturers (50–500 employees) needing MRP II depth on a unified ERP. Particularly: auto-component suppliers needing OEM EDI integration; electronics manufacturers with multi-level BOMs; pharma / food / chemical process manufacturers with batch genealogy needs; multi-plant operations with inter-plant material flows; manufacturers currently on Tally + Excel for production or on SAP B1 / Sage 200 with mounting cost.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Odoo Manufacturing compare to SAP B1 Manufacturing?
Comparable functional depth at mid-market scale. SAP B1 edges Odoo for very complex MRP III scenarios and certain DACH-style discrete manufacturing patterns. Odoo wins on TCO (typically 60% cheaper over 3 years) and is significantly easier to customise. For mid-market manufacturers, Odoo is the better all-around choice. See [/compare/odoo-vs-sap-business-one](/compare/odoo-vs-sap-business-one).
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Can it handle MRP II (capacity planning, master schedule)?
Yes — MRP II features are native on Odoo Enterprise. Master Production Schedule (MPS), finite capacity scheduling at the work centre level, what-if scenarios, capacity utilisation reporting. Not as deep as SAP S/4HANA's APO module for very complex scenarios, but sufficient for most mid-market manufacturers.
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Does Odoo do batch and lot tracking for pharma / food?
Yes — batch and lot tracking with full genealogy. Forward tracing (where did this lot end up?) and backward tracing (which inputs produced this batch?). Expiry management. CDSCO submission data for pharma where required. FDA-aligned where required.
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Can it integrate with our existing MES?
Yes — Odoo Manufacturing has APIs for MES integration. Common patterns: continue with existing MES (Aveva, Rockwell, Siemens MES, etc.) for shop-floor execution; Odoo handles MRP, BOMs, quality, and accounting; integration syncs production data between the two. We've shipped this pattern for clients with existing MES investments.
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What about IoT integration?
Yes — Odoo IoT Box connects to industrial equipment (scales, scanners, label printers, machine sensors). Real-time production data flows into Odoo work orders. Predictive maintenance from machine telemetry supported.
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How does sub-contracting work?
Sub-contracting routings handle the full cycle: ship raw materials to sub-contractor (inventory transfer), track materials at sub-contractor location, receive finished goods (production order completion), with appropriate cost accounting. Multi-step sub-contracting (e.g. machining then heat treatment then plating, each at different sub-contractors) supported.
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Can it handle make-to-order and engineer-to-order?
Make-to-order: yes, native — sales order triggers manufacturing order with configurable lead time. Engineer-to-order: yes with appropriate customisation — project-style production with custom BOMs per project, common for industrial machinery and capital equipment manufacturers.
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What about quality management for ISO / IATF / FDA?
Quality checkpoints, NCR workflow, CAPA tracking, audit trails — all sufficient for ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 / FDA 21 CFR Part 11 manufacturing quality requirements. Certification-specific documentation pulled from Odoo on audit demand.
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Can multi-plant manufacturers run on one Odoo?
Yes — multi-plant supported. Each plant is a Odoo warehouse or company depending on legal structure. Inter-plant material flows, plant-level capacity planning, consolidated reporting across plants all native.
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What's the implementation cost?
Discrete manufacturing mid-market (50–250 users, 1 plant): USD 45,000–110,000 fixed-price. Multi-plant or process manufacturing: USD 80,000–180,000. Manufacturing add-on to existing Odoo deployment: USD 25,000–60,000.
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Can we migrate from existing MRP (MRPeasy, Katana, SAP B1, etc.)?
Yes — common migration sources. BOMs, routings, work centres, opening stock all migrate. See migration playbooks: [/migrate/sap-business-one-to-odoo](/migrate/sap-business-one-to-odoo) for SAP B1; specific connector migrations from MRPeasy / Katana case-by-case.
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What's the first step?
30-minute scoping call. Bring: industry, plant count, user count, BOM count (rough), current MRP / ERP, top operational pains. We'll outline scope and propose a discovery week if appropriate.