Manufacturing & shop floor
For manufacturers running Odoo: what standard Manufacturing and MRP cover, where the shop floor needs more than the standard screen, and how advanced planning and a tablet-friendly floor interface fit on top. From work-order tracking to traceability, grounded in real production setups.
Smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0: what it means, what it costs, and where to start
Industry 4.0 is real, and most of what is sold under that banner is not for you yet. This page separates the terms (smart manufacturing, smart factory, IIoT, digital twin, predictive maintenance), gives a five-step maturity ladder, shows with an interactive OEE calculator why measurement comes before intelligence, and says plainly which steps pay off for a mid-sized manufacturer and which do not.
Manufacturing software: the categories explained, and which ones you actually need
ERP, MRP, MES, APS, WMS, PLM, QMS, CAM: eight categories of manufacturing software that overlap, compete and get sold as each other. This page maps what each one does, what it does not do, where they overlap, and which a mid-sized manufacturer genuinely needs - with an honest verdict on one integrated system versus best-of-breed.
Production scheduling software: capacity, sequence, and the hours you do not have
Planning decides what to make and order; scheduling decides when it runs, on which machine, in what order. This page separates the two, explains finite versus infinite capacity, shows with an interactive capacity check why planning at full utilisation guarantees late deliveries, and gives an honest view on choosing production scheduling software - including when your ERP already covers it.
MES software: how to choose one (and when you do not need one)
A buyer-side guide to MES software: the four categories of vendor, the eight criteria that actually decide the outcome, what it really costs, why implementations fail, and an honest test of whether your ERP already covers it. Written by an ERP partner, including the cases where we would tell you not to buy.
MES vs MRP vs ERP: the three layers of manufacturing software (and how Odoo unites them)
MRP plans, MES executes, ERP processes the consequences. They are not competitors but three layers, each with its own question and its own clock. This page puts them side by side, shows when you need which layer, and why it matters in Odoo that they sit on the same database. Including a diagnostic that tells you in five questions which layer your situation calls for.
MRP software explained: the calculation, the limits, and how to choose one
An MRP system answers three questions: what do we make, how much do we need, and when do we order it. This page shows the netting calculation an MRP run actually performs (with an interactive version you can try), explains where MRP ends and ERP or MES begins, and gives an honest view on choosing MRP software - including when a spreadsheet is still the right answer.
What is a MES system (Manufacturing Execution System)? And how does it work in Odoo?
A MES is the layer that drives and records your production at the moment it happens: which operation is running, how long it takes, how much scrap there is and whether the quality check passed. This page explains what a MES does, which functions belong to it, how it relates to ERP and MRP, and what Odoo Shop Floor offers out of the box - including an honest limit.
Manufacturing accounting in Odoo: work in progress, job costing and product cost that reconcile on your balance sheet
From estimate to job costing: how to post material, machine hours and overhead surcharges per production step to work in progress (WIP) in Odoo, settle it against a standard cost and reveal the volume and budget variance. In this video (10 min) we walk through the entire posting flow, from work order to a reconciling trial balance - plus the terminology (applied-overhead account, cost type, cost centre, cost object) and where standard Odoo stops.
Best ERP for metal companies: Odoo, Ridder iQ, MKG, ISAH and Business Central compared
There is no single best ERP for metal companies. An honest comparison of Odoo, Ridder iQ, MKG, ISAH, Bemet and Business Central - with a choice table per type of business, when Odoo is and is not the smart pick, and how to decide with a fit-gap.
Can Odoo really run your production floor?
Odoo plans production well out of the box. The floor itself needs a screen built for gloves and three-second glances. This guide covers what's standard, where the gap is, and how advanced planning fits.
Subcontracting in Odoo ERP with traceability based on lots and serial numbers
Video walkthrough on outsourcing production while maintaining full traceability through lots and serial numbers - all in standard Odoo, no custom development.
Why civil-engineering firms finally need to get their software sorted
In the world of cables, pipes and excavators, it's all about speed and just-doing-it. Without a good system, those metres get lost in stray work orders, double-booked schedules and hours that never get logged.