Creators Place

What you need to know about Odoo

Odoo is one of the most popular enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in the world, helping businesses streamline their operations across finance, human resources, inventory, and more. As companies increasingly adopt Odoo, the demand for specialists who understand how to customize, develop, and deploy its solutions has skyrocketed. In this article, we’ll explore what it means to be an Odoo specialist, career prospects, salary expectations, and more.

What is an Odoo Specialist?

An Odoo specialist is a professional skilled in deploying, configuring, and customizing Odoo’s ERP solutions to meet the specific needs of a business. Odoo specialists work with various industries and help companies manage their accounting, sales, inventory, customer relationship management (CRM), human resources, and other business processes through the Odoo platform.

Odoo specialists may perform various roles such as functional consultants, developers, project managers, or support technicians. They often collaborate with businesses to implement Odoo’s modules, ensuring the software aligns with business goals, processes, and workflows.

What Does Odoo Do?

Odoo is a robust ERP and CRM system designed to integrate various business processes into a single platform. It offers a wide range of modules that cater to different business needs, such as:

  • Accounting: Simplifies financial management with features like invoicing, budgeting, and reporting.
  • Inventory: Manages stock levels, warehouses, and supply chains.
  • Sales and CRM: Helps businesses track leads, sales orders, and customer relationships.
  • Human Resources: Handles employee management, recruitment, payroll, and timesheets.
  • Manufacturing: Assists in managing production processes, bill of materials (BOM), and more.

The platform is highly customizable, allowing businesses to tailor the system to their specific needs. Odoo is built on an open-source framework, enabling developers to extend its functionalities.

What Does an Odoo Developer Do?

An Odoo developer is responsible for customizing, developing, and extending Odoo’s capabilities to meet a company’s requirements. They work with Python, the primary language Odoo is built on, and often collaborate with functional consultants to ensure technical implementations align with business needs. Tasks of an Odoo developer include:

  • Developing new modules and functionalities in Odoo.
  • Customizing existing Odoo modules based on business requirements.
  • Integrating Odoo with third-party software or services.
  • Troubleshooting and resolving technical issues.
  • Working with Odoo’s web framework to develop front-end interfaces.

What is the Salary of an Odoo Specialist?

The salary of an Odoo specialist can vary widely depending on experience, location, and job role. Here’s an overview of the salary ranges:

  • Base Salary for Odoo Specialists: In the US, an Odoo specialist earns around $60,000 to $100,000 per year. In the UK, Odoo specialists can expect a salary ranging from £40,000 to £70,000 annually.
  • Odoo Developers in the UK: On average, Odoo developers in the UK earn around £35,000 to £55,000 per year.
  • Highest Paying Odoo Specialists: Highly experienced Odoo consultants and developers can earn up to $120,000 or more in top-tier markets.

Does Odoo Pay Well?

Yes, Odoo specialists and developers tend to be well-compensated, especially as the demand for ERP solutions like Odoo grows. Senior roles or specialists with niche expertise in certain modules (e.g., accounting, CRM) can command higher salaries.

Is Odoo a Good Company to Work For?

Yes, Odoo is considered a good company to work for, particularly because of its rapid growth, open-source innovation, and collaborative work environment. The company is expanding globally, which provides ample opportunities for growth, skill development, and exposure to cutting-edge technology.

Is Odoo Easy to Learn?

Odoo can be easy to learn for those familiar with ERP systems or software development. However, mastering Odoo’s full potential, especially from a development or customization standpoint, can take time and experience. For non-developers, learning the functional side of Odoo (e.g., configuring modules) is relatively straightforward.

  • Learning Curve: Odoo has a moderate learning curve, depending on whether you’re focusing on functional use or development. For developers, proficiency in Python is necessary, as Odoo’s core is written in this language.

Does Odoo Need Coding?

Yes, coding is necessary for developers who need to customize or extend Odoo’s functionalities. The Odoo development framework is primarily built on Python, with JavaScript and XML used for front-end and data structure customization.

For functional consultants or business users, coding knowledge is not essential, as the platform allows for a high degree of customization through its user interface.

Why is Odoo So Popular?

Odoo’s popularity stems from its flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and the vast range of features it offers. Being open-source, Odoo allows businesses to customize the software to their unique needs without the expensive licensing fees that other ERP systems (like SAP) charge. Additionally, Odoo’s modular nature means businesses can start small and scale up as they grow.

Reasons for Popularity:

  • Open-source and flexible.
  • Cost-effective compared to other ERP systems.
  • Highly customizable.
  • User-friendly interface.

Is Odoo a Good Career?

Yes, Odoo is an excellent career choice for those interested in ERP systems and business process management. As more companies adopt Odoo, the demand for specialists, developers, and consultants continues to grow, offering a wide range of opportunities across industries.

Is Odoo Built on Python?

Yes, Odoo is primarily built on Python, one of the most widely-used programming languages for web and software development. Python’s simplicity and versatility make it a strong foundation for Odoo’s open-source framework.

Which Language is Used in Odoo?

The primary programming language used in Odoo is Python, while JavaScript and XML are used for front-end development and data structure customization.

Which is Better, Odoo or SAP?

Comparing Odoo and SAP depends on business needs:

  • Odoo is more affordable, flexible, and suitable for small-to-medium businesses. It’s open-source, making it easy to customize.
  • SAP is more feature-rich, robust, and designed for large enterprises, but it comes with high licensing costs and complex implementation.

For businesses that need flexibility and scalability, Odoo is a more accessible option, whereas SAP is better for large enterprises with specific requirements.

How Does Odoo Make Money?

Odoo offers both a community edition (free) and an enterprise edition (paid). The company makes money by providing subscription services for its enterprise edition, which includes advanced features, hosting, and support. Odoo also offers implementation and customization services, which add to its revenue.

Who Should Use Odoo?

Odoo is ideal for small-to-medium-sized businesses that need an integrated system for managing various processes like accounting, inventory, and sales. Large enterprises that want customizable, cost-effective ERP software also benefit from Odoo.

What is the Salary of an Odoo Developer?

In the UK, Odoo developers can earn between £35,000 to £55,000 annually, depending on their experience and the complexity of their projects. In the US, salaries range from $60,000 to $100,000 per year.

Is Learning Odoo Worth It?

Yes, learning Odoo is highly beneficial for professionals interested in ERP systems, software development, or business process optimization. As Odoo’s popularity grows, the demand for skilled developers, consultants, and specialists continues to rise, offering lucrative career opportunities.

How Long Will It Take to Learn Odoo?

The time required to learn Odoo depends on your prior experience. For developers with Python knowledge, it may take a few months to become proficient. Functional consultants with no coding background can learn the basic functions in a few weeks.

Who is the CEO of Odoo?

The current CEO of Odoo is Fabien Pinckaers, who founded the company in 2005.

Is Odoo Actually Free?

Yes, Odoo offers a free community edition that provides core functionality. However, businesses that require advanced features, hosting, and support will need to subscribe to the enterprise edition.

Our conclusion and recommendation

Becoming an Odoo specialist can lead to a rewarding career, offering opportunities in software development, consulting, and ERP implementation. Whether you’re looking to work as an Odoo developer or functional consultant, the demand for Odoo experts continues to grow across industries. With strong earning potential and a rapidly expanding user base, Odoo presents a great career path for tech enthusiasts and business professionals alike.