The Odoo Experience 2024 marked an important milestone with the launch of Odoo version 18. Our experts were on hand to report on the major innovations brought by this new version and how they can transform your ERP project.

Sales module: An advanced quote calculator

Version 18 introduces a quotation calculator linked directly to spreadsheets, enabling you to produce a quotation with advanced complexities. This new feature will be useful for industries with particularly complex sales structures, such as retail, for example.

Mobile: A completely redesigned mobile application

Odoo's mobile application has undergone a major transformation with a complete overhaul. The user experience (UX) has been completely overhauled! 

Version 18 introduces a Progressive Web App (PWA) now available for the following applications: shop floor, Point of Sale (POS), time clock and Bar code. 

One of the most innovative additions is the integration of automatic barcode recognition, thanks to a search of global product databases such as the Barcode Lookup database. This enables public information such as the image, title, weight and dimensions of products to be completed or pre-filled, making it possible to exploit this associated data for a variety of uses (supply chain, SEO, etc.). It should be noted, however, that there is still a charge for consulting the API for this database.

Logistics: route improvements and inventory management

The logistics/supply chain/inventory suite has benefited from significant improvements, particularly with the Bar Code application, which is now more powerful. In addition, the management of exceptions in routes has been considerably improved, a weak point in previous versions. Another new feature is the ability to display vehicle fill rates as a function of capacity, helping to improve load planning and maximise logistical efficiency.

Sales Commissions: A new module for managing targets

Odoo 18 introduces a brand new commission management module, a strategic tool for companies with sales teams. It enables targets to be set, remuneration to be projected, and a clear view of forecasts of target achievement. This helps sales managers to better monitor performance and motivate their teams.
 

Finance: New functions for managing loans and budgets

In the area of finance, there have been some notable improvements in the new version, notably with the new ‘Loan’ module, which enables advance entries to be generated on the basis of capital and interest, linked to the term, as well as exporting the amortisation table and modifying it in the event of a change in rate or any early repayments. This advanced functionality enables companies to monitor and control their own borrowings from their financial bank suppliers.

The budget management module has also been given new capabilities, making it possible to distinguish between analytical and financial budgets, for example.

A major improvement has also been made with the optimisation of the financial consolidation module, with the ability to view reporting according to different standards (US Gaap, IFRS) and with the display of the exchange rate directly visible on the invoice and modifiable in the accounting parameters.

Expanding the catalogue of industry-specific modules

A major new feature is the significant extension of the catalogue of modules dedicated to specific industries. Whereas there were fewer than 10 last year, the catalogue now includes 44 modules, such as the one dedicated to fitness centres and estate agents.

Fabien Pinckaers' ambition is to be able to unveil at least 100 of them by the end of the year, thereby completing the standard version of Odoo by the percentage required to cover the needs of each of his industries, which are already well structured.

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The introduction of AI in Odoo

Odoo 18 has introduced artificial intelligence into the product in precise steps, enabling added value to be unlocked. This version offers AI-based functionalities, notably for generating content in emails and product pages, and for automatically translating content on the public pages of web and e-commerce modules.  These tools make everyday life easier for marketing and e-commerce teams, reducing the time needed to manage content.

Technical developments 

On a technical level, URLs throughout the application have been simplified. Odoo now generates readable URLs such as /odoo/project/5/tasks that show where they lead and can be modified manually more easily. In addition, the JSON of the page can be obtained by modifying, in the URL of an object, Odoo by Json, which allows extremely simple interoperability between Odoo and other solutions.

Improved cloud performance  

Another highlight concerns Odoo.sh, Odoo's cloud platform, with an increase in performance of up to 256 workers per project. This performance, which is one of Odoo's key concerns for its customers, can be multiplied by 10 thanks to the introduction of load balancing in the odoo.sh configuration.

Conclusions

The Odoo Experience 2024 showed that version 18 is not just an update, but a real evolution of the product. With improvements covering all the critical aspects of business management, Odoo 18 is more than ever an essential tool for optimising your business processes.

At Smile, we're committed to helping our customers adopt these innovations to maximise their performance and agility. Our expertise in integration and our close partnership with Odoo make us the ideal partner to help your company make the most of this new version.