The benefits of using open source ERP platforms in your business

There are many ERP solutions available to businesses, but few offer the same flexibility and benefits of Odoo.

Businesses have a range of choices when it comes to securing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution to manage vital elements of their operations. While many have their own unique feature set, Odoo sports a number of advantages that makes it endlessly adaptable to business requirements.

A solution which fits your business, not the other way round

At its most basic level, Odoo is an open source management software designed to integrate seamlessly within a business. Many solutions force business leaders to fit their processes around what the ERP application demands, adding complexity to the initial setup process and potentially forcing businesses to adjust important workplace practices, which also adds additional operational costs as you retrain staff.

Many businesses derive significant differentiation from their business processes and Odoo is designed to augment an organisation's unique, existing business processes so they can keep doing what works for the business and ensure continuity. Equally important, as new business processes develop or are improved, Odoo can be adapted to suit these new requirements.

Flexibility when you need it and a platform your business can trust

The many benefits of Odoo go far beyond simply being an easily integrated version of existing ERP applications, as the solution also offers a range of functionality and modularity which means it can be customised to meet specific business needs.

A significant business constraint of traditional ERP systems is that the core code needs to be altered every time a business wants to change an element of its functionality. This then means that there is no clear upgrade path moving forward as the base software is often compromised. Without a clear idea of how the software will evolve in the future, businesses can't get the most out of their investment.

On the other hand, any functionalities the business needs to add or change with Odoo are done outside of that core code with clearly defined modules. This preserves a direct and robust upgrade path for the future, with the flexibility to adapt and grow with your business.

The Odoo pricing model affords great flexibility, taking a pick and mix approach which allows people to experiment as they need to. Because Odoo is open source, there's a significant range of modules available, from first party examples through to community created additions (and those made by Solnet).

Why you'll want to consider Odoo

While many businesses already have an ERP of some kind, there are a number of reasons to consider a shift to Odoo such as poor compatibility with your business processes, having to constantly work around the system due to inflexibility, high costs, inability to upgrade, or lack of integration with other systems.

For businesses that don't currently have an ERP solution, and instead have disparate systems (and spreadsheets) across their business, Odoo is an easy system to learn for those new to ERP.

On the surface, it can seem like a complex proposition, which is where Solnet comes in.

An experienced ERP partner

Solnet is an expert in the Odoo platform from scoping business needs, implementation and support; for end-to-end service for businesses new to the technology, as ERP Capability Manager Kevin McMenamin explains.

"We undertake business requirements analysis and gap analysis. Comparing existing functionality to what the business needs in the future, development of any customer specific modules, and implementation then post go-live support," he says.

It's an approach that's had a positive impact on a number of clients, who had in the past been burned by an ineffective ERP system with no follow-up support.

"We put people on site for the implementation and have gone back on site post go-live as requested," he said.

While Odoo is amazing on its own, the application is made even more effective by Solnet's comprehensive range of services. Whether you need help in the initial consultation phase or further support once it has gone live, Solnet can be there every step of the way.