🧨 Odoo Unlocked #003 — “It’s Never Plug & Play”

Let’s get this out of the way: implementing Odoo is never just “install and go.”

Despite what some sales decks suggest, ERPs aren't plug-and-play. They're full-on business transformations. That means:

• Workflows need decoding

• Decisions need translation

• Expectations need realignment

And if that doesn’t happen?

💥 The project explodes. On budget, on scope, on trust.

Here’s what implementation veterans know that brochures don’t tell you:

🔍 No two businesses run the same — even in the same industry
🧩 There’s always a gap between what’s native in Odoo and what the business actually does
🛠️ “Customization” becomes a crutch when there’s no clear process map
💸 Every deviation from standard adds long-term technical debt

Yet clients still show up expecting out-of-the-box magic. Why?

Because nobody taught them to ask for a good partner. They asked for a cheap one.

When clients expect “plug-and-play” but get “figure-it-out,” this happens:

• 👎 Frustration builds when simple things aren’t simple

• ⌛ Weeks are lost debating what “CRM” actually means to their sales team

• 🧱 Developers end up writing code for processes that could’ve been configured — if only they were understood

• 🤕 Future upgrades get painful because the solution drifted too far from native Odoo

And suddenly, your clean rollout turns into a maintenance nightmare.

Here’s how top partners keep projects grounded — and sustainable:

1. 🔍 Lead with GAP Analysis
   Before you talk modules, map the current business reality. What exists, what’s broken, what’s non-negotiable?

2. 🎯 Translate workflows, not wishes
   Turn “we need a better sales flow” into actual process diagrams. Speak ERP, not just English.

3. 🧭 Stick close to standard
   Every line of custom code is a line of future liability. Stay native unless there's a damn good reason not to.

4. 🚫 Flag dangerous deviations early
   If the client insists on rebuilding their legacy system in Odoo — hit pause. You're not a clone machine.

Which parts of your last project were truly “Odoo-native”?
And where did shortcuts to please the client actually cost you more?

Let’s stop pretending ERP is easy.
Let’s start showing why real partners make the difference.

See you next Monday at 08:00 CET.

— Cath & Fred, Just Doers.