An Odoo implementation moves agreed business processes into a system your team can use and maintain. The first 100 days should focus on the workflows that matter most, with later phases based on what the business learns after launch.
Key takeaways
- Start with the business problems the new ERP must address.
- Agree what is in scope before configuring the system.
- Assign owners for decisions, data and testing.
- Prioritise the workflows needed for the first launch.
- Treat data preparation as project work, not a last-minute import.
- Compare hosting responsibilities before choosing Odoo.sh or on-premise.
- Plan later phases after users have worked in the initial system.
What should an Odoo implementation solve?
A new ERP should address specific operational problems. A business may need finance and stock records to agree, fewer manual handovers or reports that are easier to produce.
Write down the problems in practical terms. “Improve visibility” is too vague to test. “Finance can review open customer balances without combining separate spreadsheets” gives the project team something concrete to assess.
Agree how each priority process should work. Include who performs it, what information they need and which exceptions the system must handle.
Set the first 100 days of work
The first phase needs a clear boundary. Include the processes required for the initial launch and name anything planned for a later phase.
A typical first phase includes:
- Confirming project scope, owners and decision-making.
- Reviewing current finance and operational processes.
- Preparing and checking data for migration.
- Configuring the agreed workflows.
- Testing those workflows with the people who will use them.
- Training users and preparing for launch.
The order and duration depend on the state of the data, the number of entities and the agreed scope. A plan should identify dependencies and decisions, not promise a fixed result before those details are known.
Decide what can wait until later
Trying to move every process at once can put the first launch at risk. Separate the requirements needed to run the business from changes that can follow once the initial system is in use.
The first phase often covers core finance and operational workflows, required customer and product records, access checks, testing and launch preparation. Later work may include further reporting, data enrichment or additional user groups.
Give each later item an owner and review date. Otherwise, “later” can become a place where requirements disappear.
Prepare data and testing early
Data migration needs business attention. Decide which records need to move, who will check them and how errors will be handled. Test a sample before relying on a full migration.
Testing should follow real work. Ask users to enter and review transactions, handle common exceptions and check the outputs they rely on. A successful configuration does not prove that the process fits the people doing the work.
Keep a record of unresolved issues. Each should have an owner and a decision date before launch.
Compare Odoo.sh and on-premise hosting
Hosting affects access, maintenance and the IT work your organisation needs to arrange. Compare the responsibilities against your existing systems and support capacity.
Odoo.sh is a cloud hosting option. Review its hosting, access and support arrangements against your users’ needs. Explore Odoo.sh cloud.
With on-premise Odoo, your organisation or its provider manages the infrastructure. Plan who handles maintenance, backups and network access. Explore on-premise Odoo.
Ask the implementation team to explain what your staff will manage under each option. Hosting choice should be part of the project discussion, not a late technical detail.
Understand implementation pricing
A useful proposal explains what the fee covers and what could create additional work. Ask for separate detail on implementation, data migration, training, hosting and ongoing support.
The proposal should also identify assumptions. These may include the condition of your data, staff availability for testing or the number of processes included. Clear assumptions make it easier to compare proposals on the same basis.
You can view pricing and see our Odoo services before discussing your requirements.
What happens after the first 100 days?
After the initial launch, review how the system is being used and where work still takes place outside it. Check outstanding issues with the people who own each process.
Use that review to set the next phase. Further departments, reporting or integrations should have a clear business reason and an owner.
Frequently asked questions
What happens during an Odoo implementation?
The team agrees the scope, reviews processes and data, configures the system, tests key workflows and prepares users for launch.
What should happen in the first 100 days?
Set priorities, assign owners, prepare data and configure and test the workflows needed for the first launch.
Should we move every process into Odoo at once?
The first phase should focus on the processes needed to run the business. Add further scope after the initial system is in use.
Should we choose Odoo.sh or on-premise hosting?
Compare hosting responsibilities, access requirements and IT capacity for each option before choosing.
How do we estimate Odoo implementation costs?
Ask for an itemised scope covering implementation, data migration, training, hosting and ongoing support.
Discuss your Odoo implementation
Share your current systems, priority processes and hosting questions with ERP Solutions. Book a discovery call to discuss the first 100 days and the work that should follow.