Which company should implement Odoo in your factory?
Short answer: choose an Odoo partner that has already taken plants like yours live, can show you real product costing per production order, keeps Odoo standard wherever possible, and will still be supporting you after go-live. Partner tier and price matter less than proof of manufacturing delivery.
Odoo's manufacturing apps (MRP, PLM, Quality, Maintenance, Inventory) are strong. Most failed factory projects fail because of the implementer, not the software: bills of materials set up wrong, costing that the finance team cannot trust, and customisations that block the next upgrade. This guide gives you the checks we would use if we were the buyer.
8 checks for an Odoo manufacturing partner
1. Live references in your production type
Food, chemicals, metal fabrication, plastics and assembled products each need different set-ups. Ask for clients live in your type of production, not "we know manufacturing". Call at least one of them.
2. Product costing you can audit
Ask them to show the actual cost of one production order: material, machine time, labour, overhead, landed cost and scrap. If the answer is "you will see it in a report later", costing is not their strength.
3. They keep Odoo standard, and build only what is missing
Every requirement should be classed as standard, configuration or custom build before it is priced. Partners that customise everything make your next Odoo upgrade expensive.
4. Experience with your hard part
Formula (percentage-of-batch) bills of materials, sheet or coil decomposition, project-driven production, lots and expiry, multi-company groups. Name your hardest process and ask how they solved it for another client.
5. A planning answer, not only a production answer
Material shortages stop lines. Ask how sales forecasts feed one multi-level MRP run, and whether planners review draft orders before release.
6. Migration experience from your current system
Leaving SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, an older Odoo or spreadsheets? Ask what moves at cutover (master data, open balances) and what is extra scope (history).
7. A delivery method with sign-offs
Look for signed minutes at each demo and test cycle, change requests priced before work starts, and a defined hypercare period.
8. Support after go-live, in your language and time zone
The first month-end close after go-live is where problems appear. Confirm who supports you, how, and in which language.
Questions to ask in the partner demo
- Show me the cost of one manufacturing order from a live client (data anonymised).
- Which of my requirements are standard Odoo, which are configuration, and which are custom?
- Which of your manufacturing clients have you upgraded to a newer Odoo version, and what happened to the custom modules?
- Who exactly will work on my project, and are they Odoo certified?
- Can I speak to a client in my industry?
Red flags
- A fixed price before anyone has seen your plant or your bills of materials.
- No live manufacturing references, only retail or services.
- "We can customise anything" as the first answer.
- Costing left for "phase 2".
- No named consultant, or a team that changes after signature.
How TDS fits these checks
TDS is an Odoo Gold Partner with 120 ERP implementations across TDS (Egypt) and TDS Saudi Arabia (DIS). Manufacturing is one of our core industries. Live manufacturing clients include:
- Food: Shami Food Factories (Al Rajhi Group, Saudi Arabia): accounting, sales, purchasing, inventory, manufacturing, maintenance and quality. GKN Foods (M'Oishi, Egypt): recipes, lots and expiry, quality checks.
- Chemicals and fragrances: General Aromatic: TDS-built formula BOMs in production since 2021, carried from Odoo 14 to 17. Fast Paint (ISIPAC).
- Metal and fabrication: Cladex (sheet decomposition, live June 2025), Vision Metal Works, Astron (project-driven steel fabrication).
- Engineered products: Tiba (air-conditioning, live on Odoo 18), ARC Technologies (electrical panels built to order).
- Plastics: TIC Toys (live on Odoo 19); MAR Group (SONAI), moving from SAP S/4HANA Cloud to Odoo 19.
Details for your market: Manufacturing ERP in Saudi Arabia · Odoo Manufacturing in Egypt.
When TDS may not be the right choice
If you need a partner with an office in Europe or North America, or a very small set-up with no manufacturing complexity, a local or smaller partner may suit you better. We work best with manufacturers and manufacturing groups in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the wider region that need accurate costing, planning and multi-company control.
Frequently asked questions
Is Odoo good for manufacturing companies?
Yes. Odoo covers manufacturing orders, BOMs, routings, work centres, MRP, quality, maintenance, lots and serial numbers, and standard, average and FIFO costing. Industry-specific logic, such as formula BOMs or sheet decomposition, is added by the implementation partner.
Does the Odoo partner level (Gold, Silver, Ready) matter?
It reflects the volume of Odoo licences a partner sells and its certified staff. It is a useful filter, but live references in your type of production matter more.
How long does an Odoo manufacturing implementation take?
It depends on the number of plants, companies and custom requirements. A single plant with standard processes is far quicker than a multi-company group. A good partner will give you a phased plan after a discovery of your processes, not before.
Can we move from SAP or Microsoft Dynamics to Odoo?
Yes. Master data and open balances move at cutover; historical data can move as additional, priced scope. TDS is currently moving MAR Group from SAP S/4HANA Cloud to Odoo 19.
Should we use Odoo Community or Enterprise for a factory?
Most manufacturers need Enterprise apps such as Quality, Maintenance, PLM and MPS. Your partner should explain which apps you need before you buy licences.
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