4 Things to Know Before Customizing Odoo

The Rule of Thumb:
Customization is only worth it when the task being automated involves multiple people spending significant time on repetitive work.​

Industry Benchmarks:

• Minimum threshold: If a task involves only one person spending less than 8-10 hours per month, customization typically isn't justified.​
• Sweet spot: Tasks consuming 20+ hours per month across multiple users show strong ROI for automation or customization.​
• Break-even calculation: For Malaysian SMEs, if your hourly labor cost (including benefits) is RM 50/hour, and a customization costs RM 15,000, you need to save at least 300 hours (15,000 ÷ 50) to break even. At 30 hours saved per month, that's a 10-month payback period.​

Example:

• If 3 people each spend 2 hours daily on manual order processing (6 hours/day × 22 working days = 132 hours/month), and customization can reduce this by 70%, you save 92 hours monthly.​
• At RM 50/hour, that's RM 4,600/month or RM 55,200 annually in time savings.​
• NOTE: This gives you an indicative budget if your developer or programmer comes back to you with an estimate, then you can immediately tell if the customization quote is worth.

Quick Assessment Questions:

• How many people are involved in this process?
• How many hours per month does each person spend?
• What's the total monthly time investment?
• Can this time be redirected to revenue-generating activities?

The Reality Check:
Many customization projects fail because stakeholders request features for processes that exist only in their minds, not in practice.​

Why Start with Paper/Excel:

• Validates the process exists: If you can't document it on paper or replicate it in Excel, you don't have a process—you have an idea.​
• Gets team buy-in early: Testing workflows with paper or spreadsheets lets actual users identify problems before code is written.​
• Reveals hidden steps: Documentation surfaces the real workflow—approvals, exceptions, data sources—that stakeholders forget to mention.​
• Proves value before investment: If the paper/Excel version doesn't improve the workflow, customization won't either.​

Example from the Field:
A manufacturing client wanted custom batch tracking in Odoo. We asked them to document their current process in Excel first. They discovered that 3 out of 5 supposed "batch tracking steps" were never actually performed by operators—they were wishful thinking from management. The real process was simpler, requiring less customization and saving RM 8,000 in development costs.

Actionable Tip:
Before customizing, create a simple Excel template or paper form and have your team use it for 2-4 weeks. Gather feedback. Refine it. Only then translate it into Odoo customization requirements.

This also gets the buy-in from team that changes are underway and getting them involved is a great way to get more detailed insights on the day to day operations.

The Pareto Principle in Customization:
In most workflows, 80% of the pain or time waste comes from 20% of the tasks. Identify and fix those high-impact pain points first.​

Why Quick Wins Matter:

• User adoption: If your team sees immediate improvement (faster data entry, fewer errors, less rework), they'll embrace the customized system.​
• Stakeholder confidence: Early ROI builds support for further customization phases.​
• Iterative improvement: You learn what works before investing in complex, expensive features.​

How to Find the 80/20:

• Interview users: "What part of this process frustrates you most?"
• Track time: Where do bottlenecks occur? (Waiting for approvals, re-entering data, manual calculations?)
• Measure errors: Which steps generate the most mistakes or rework?

Example:
A logistics company had a 12-step order fulfillment process in Odoo. Analysis showed that 70% of delays came from manual approval emails. We customized Odoo to automate approval notifications and tracking. Result: 40% faster order cycle time, immediate user satisfaction, and appetite for Phase 2 customizations.

Example:
A logistics company had a 12-step order fulfillment process in Odoo. Analysis showed that 70% of delays came from manual approval emails. We customized Odoo to automate approval notifications and tracking. Result: 40% faster order cycle time, immediate user satisfaction, and appetite for Phase 2 customizations.

Odoo Studio vs. Custom Code Decision:

• Quick wins (80/20 targets) can often be tackled with Odoo Studio (no-code)—adding fields, simple automations, form tweaks.​
• Complex logic or integrations (the remaining 20%) require custom code.​

When to Start with Studio:

• You're testing a process for the first time.
• The customization involves adding fields, changing layouts, or simple email triggers.
• You want quick feedback from users before committing to custom development.

When to Hire a Developer:

• You need integrations with external systems (payment gateways, Malaysian tax APIs, e-commerce platforms).
• The logic is complex (multi-level approvals, custom calculations, conditional workflows).
• Performance matters (handling thousands of transactions daily).
• You're in Odoo Community (Studio is Enterprise-only).​

Malaysian Reality:
For SMEs, starting with Odoo Studio for 1-2 quick wins builds internal confidence and clarifies requirements. Then, engage a local Odoo partner for custom development with a clear, tested scope.

Key Takeaways:

1. Only customize when the time savings justify the investment (20+ hours/month across multiple users).
2. Validate your process with paper or Excel first—prove it works before coding it.
3. Use structured fields (calendars, dropdowns, validation) to cut errors by 20-90% and speed up data entry.
4. Target the 80/20 quick wins first for user buy-in and fast ROI.
5. Start with Odoo Studio for simple customizations; hire developers for complex, mission-critical features.