The most important thing first: As we know, appreciate, and love about Odoo, user-friendliness is always the top priority in each new version of their ERP software. So, we can look forward to even more intuitive and well-integrated apps, along with a sleek and innovativ design in Odoo 18. This makes working with the open-source platform even more efficient, enjoyable, and boosts our productivity as users!
Discovery Dashboard
The new Discovery view in Odoo 18 provides a comprehensive overview of all related business processes and relevant information. It shows the integration of processes in a clear and compact way, making collaboration, understanding different tasks and onboarding much easier.
Sophisticated user experience
For an optimised user experience, setting up data structures is even easier thanks to simple and intuitive configurations and improved imports. In addition, Odoo further simplifies terms, categorisations and titles.
Setting up a data structure in Odoo 18
New module Sales Commissions
The Sales Suite will be enhanced with a new module for more efficient management and calculation of commissions for sales representatives. Performance and targets can be defined based on invoice amounts, quantities sold, margins or monthly recurring sales. Flexible rules also allow for specific evaluations for certain products, product categories or recurring periods.
Improved customer loyalty and experience
Loyalty programs and exclusive benefits can now be integrated into the customer portal in Odoo 18, allowing customers to view them directly.
Product combinations
The "Product Combination" feature will be seamlessly available across all modules – whether in PoS, Sales, eCommerce, Rentals or Subscriptions.
PDF tool with new features
Creating PDF quotes is becoming easier with additional features, including the ability to add custom fields and sections that can be tailored for each quote. Odoo 18 will also support translations.
Seamless workflows in point of sale
Backend views will be directly accessible from the frontend in Odoo 18 and products can be created without leaving the PoS interface. Barcode search will also be available.
The enhanced functions also include free orders in PoS restaurant, PoS events, the display of product variants as in the eCommerce app and updated designs for a better user experience on login and payment pages.
Greater customer service in eCommerce
With Odoo 18, the shopping experience for customers in the online shop on the Odoo website is getting even better.
The Click + Collect process is being optimized and integrates a new location selector widget. Allowing customers to precisely pinpoint their pickup location.
During checkout, all purchases are consolidated on a single page. Customers can log into their accounts and subscribe to the newsletter directly during the payment process. Further, they receive their order confirmation before the payment.
Additionally, it will be possible to generate mega menus based on eCommerce categories, integrate several warehouses on one website and display the stock quantity directly on the product page. SEO optimisations for better visibility in search engines have also been announced.
Straightforward workflows for inventory and procurement management
In Odoo 18, delivery rounds are organised more efficiently with picking per batch. In addition, delivery vehicles can be assigned and all orders in a batch can be displayed in a map view.
Automated batches improve storage and putaways, allowing goods to be sent to locations where they already are or have been.
- Validation by batches and the definition of inter-company lots and serial numbers
- New push rules and flexible routes
- MTSO (Make-to-Stock): MTO (Make-to-Order) can pick one part from stock and procure the remaining part
- The packing report includes a QR code with all contained serial numbers
- Scanning QR codes with bulk data
Optimised purchasing and fast delivery
The purchasing process in Odoo 18 is optimised with these new features:
- Down payments can be managed directly in the system
- Templates facilitate the creation of recurring orders
- Structured data (UBL) in PDF format for enquiries and orders can be stored and easily imported into Odoo Sales
- Requests for Quotations (RfQs) can be manually merged, simplifying the ordering process
- Reports in the purchasing module will be improved, offering more precise and clearer data analysis
Deliveries can be defined by weight, volume and product categories in Odoo 18. New connectors for FedEx, DHL and USPS expand the shipping options and existing shipping methods are further improved to ensure more efficient processing. Odoo 18 also offers a better selection of pick-up points in both the backend and frontend as well as compatible interfaces for optimised customer service and logistics.
Redesigned Barcode App
We’re excited about the new features and the clear, intuitive design of the Barcode App in Odoo 18!
- Reserved lots and serial numbers can be hidden, as well as theoretical quantities during inventory adjustments
- Users can be prevented from adding products that are not in the picking process
- Lines with the same products can be bundled into single batches
- The Odoo barcode app can be installed as a Progressive Web App (PWA) on mobile devices
- It will be possible to sign deliveries and set up an acoustic signal when the scan is successful
Innovations in Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP)
Odoo 18 enables even easier and more efficient manufacturing resource planning (MRP)! For example, automatically configurable replenishments and flexible routes simplify material requirements planning and production processes.
The redesigned user interface (UI) provides an improved user experience and the Gantt view enables zooming, horizontal scrolling and displaying one task per line.
Quality checks can be conducted directly from the stock orders.
To organise the manufacturing process more precisely, transparently and efficiently, notes can be added.
Instructions can be easily folded or unfolded.
The "Next tasks" function shows the upcoming steps in the production process.
Also on the MRP roadmap for Odoo 18 are:
- Link to project and manufacturing order for better allocation of tasks
- Quality checks and multi-stage processes for repair orders
- Repairs for rental returns are simplified
- Overhaul of MRP documents for improved document management
- Product catalogue for bills of materials, manufacturing orders and repairs
- Redesign of the mass production
Smart features for enhanced customer service
A new top bar in Odoo 18 allows browsing related project records.
Thanks to the search based on employee skills, the right people can be found for the tasks.
Revisions can be tracked per task.
And for products under warranty, Odoo 18 indicates with markers whether the warranty for the product or the associated service is still valid.
- Odoo Field Service: The ability to plan by location, integration with the maintenance module and linking product costs in analytical accounting.
- Odoo Helpdesk: Odoo Helpdesk: Support agents are suggested similar tickets for handling and customers are provided with relevant documentation when submitting tickets.
- Odoo Planning: Availability is taken into account when creating recurring shifts.
Accounting in Odoo 18: Enhanced features, more power and better usability
The new Accounting Dashboard in Odoo 18 offers enterprise customers additional features and facilitates onboarding.
When creating invoices, product and description are now summarised in one column. Layouts can be pre-configured and a guide helps to easily select various taxes. The optimised send/print interface, duplicate detection and preview in pop-out format improve the user experience. Additionally, V18 introduces further advancements for Peppol.
Matching transactions can be seamlessly handled in the Kanban view using a quick creation form. This form opens directly on the reconciliation page and takes into account whether it is a journal with different currencies.
The following updates were also announced:
- Improved user experience for synchronisation with banks and integration of additional providers
- Optimised payment processing with payment triggers directly out of the system
- Reports: Revised feature for annotations, data selection and financial budgets
- Enhanced financial planning through analytical budgets, distribution model combinations, and inter-company transactions
- Updated asset management, automatic naming in transactions, e-mail alias for various journals and better integration of Odoo Accounting with the document app and Odoo Expenses
Efficiency Boost for HR and Payroll
The attendance and time off management in Odoo 18 integrates the following new features alongside improved performance and visual updates:
- Overtime reports
- Management of fingerprints
- Removal of active input fields from time off and allocations
- Display of pending allocation requests and working hours in the calendar
- Approvals directly from the dashboard
- Option to include or exclude public holidays and show or hide time off types from the dashboard
There will be a new menu in the Recruitment module to publish jobs on the website. The new regex function processes incoming emails from job boards and job offers can be published directly on job portals. Specific questions tailored to each position and job descriptions from the applicant pool based on skills are now also possible.
In addition, there are the following updates in Odoo 18 for the HR apps:
- Appraisals: Definition of templates and display of the next appraisal date on the employee profile
- Lunch: Ordering for other days is possible
- Referrals: Recommend jobs via SMS and initiate referral campaigns directly from Recruitment app
- Approvals: New automation options and selection of vendors in RFQ approval
- Fleet management: Standalone vehicle models and contact management with multiple drivers
- Employees: Managers can maintain visibility of departments, rework presence, request signatures from multiple employees and automate employee avatars
- Payroll: Odoo 18 introduces new fields throughout the workflow for enhanced efficiency, a global CSV export for banks, overview reports and editable warnings.
New marketing app "Social Share" in Odoo 18
Odoo introduces an exciting new app for the Marketing Suite in Odoo 18! "Social Share" improves community engagement as well as content marketing and audience reach. Users can send and receive interactive cards and share content with just one click.
Furthermore, the seamless integration of WhatsApp tools into various workflows ensures direct communication and interaction with the communities.
In the new appointment module, users can fully personalise their pages and an automatic feature ensures double bookings are a thing of the past. One particularly innovative addition is the flexible pricing model, which smartly adjusts prices based on the number of seats booked.
Moreover, the following new features have been announced for the Odoo Marketing app:
- Further improvements in social media marketing
- Customizable opt-out pages
- Event visibility settings: either public via link or for registered users only
- New tracking to see which recipients have clicked on mailings
- Improved Mail Composer and easier mail server configuration
Knowledge management in Odoo 18
Thanks to the upgraded and clear navigation featuring breadcrumbs, users can find their articles more quickly.
Searching within articles becomes possible.
Posts can be published more easily and a hierarchical view helps to maintain a better overview.
Spreadsheets and Dashboards
Odoo 18 takes the speed and efficiency of creating spreadsheets to a whole new level. Watch the comparison with Odoo 17 here:https://docs.google.com/file/d/1-CEGcxj0eEzt0K7XT7ddLlwisjKu2mQG/preview
Lists and pivot charts can be edited directly in the spreadsheet, taking dimensions, key figures and domains into account.
Data tables for fast sorting, filtering and adding new data records:
Diagrams can now be even better customised!
And diagram types such as Combo, Scatter and Waterfall are possible:
Other exciting updates for spreadsheets and dashboards in Odoo 18 include:
- Holistically improved user experience when creating dashboards
- Restore data from the version history
- Copy and paste between spreadsheets
- Add plain text format
- Adding of sheet granularity in Find + Replace
Convenient management of documents and signatures
The following new options await us in the document module of Odoo 18:
- Access to shared documents via the portal
- Attachments of deleted records are automatically sent to trash
- Access to attached documents in the Odoo accounting modul
- Preview of XML files when a PDF is embedded
- Use of SHIFT+S in the split tool to recognise and cut blank pages
- Batch upload improvements
Signatures can be requested for any document in Odoo. Users will also receive an automatic notification as soon as a document has been signed.
With the reminder feature, reminders for signatures can be sent or deactivated with a single click.
It will also be possible to add radio buttons, strike through text, use touch-compatible sign and send multiple documents for signing.
- Revamped URLs and improvements for the mobile user interface
- Multi-company switcher, printing CSS and bootstrap updates
Odoo 18: User experience redefined by revolutionary features and improvements
Our conclusion: Odoo 18 will revolutionise the user experience with its extensive new features and improvements in various applications. As the leading Odoo partner in Europe, we look forward to advising our customers on the Odoo 18 updates.
Source pictures and text: odoo.com