website
In the presentations of previous Odoo versions, special emphasis was always placed on improving website functionality. Every year new functionality is added and performance is improved, and this year was no exception.
In the 17th version, after installing the website module, a website wizard starts, which allows the user to create the skeleton of a website with the desired parameters (color scheme, pages, etc.) within a few minutes. It also uses artificial intelligence to suggest some design themes based on the parameters you set. Website loading time has also been improved (this is essential).
Integration with Chat GPT
Artificial intelligence entered our lives at the beginning of this year and has already become an integral part of it (even if you haven't thought about it). I was very happy to see that Odoo responded quickly and integrated artificial intelligence (especially Chat GPT) into the ERP system. In the 17th version of the system you can use it:
- for creating product descriptions
- for the website for the creation of website content (page content)
- Creation of content for the knowledge base
- Creation of texts for emails, notes and other tasks
- New Kitchen Display module
Odoo had had a separate point of sale interface aimed at businesses in the hospitality industry for quite some time – but it was, you understand, focused on sales. In the 17th version, a separate interface was added for the kitchen staff, which displays a list of orders placed by customers and dishes to be cooked. As dishes are prepared, kitchen staff mark which dishes were prepared in which orders, signaling servers that they can pick them up and bring them to the customer.
Integration with WhatsApp
Integration with messenger services has always been a desire of many marketers and salespeople. The Odoo App Store has long had modules that enable such integration (for example, with services we like, such as Viber or Telegram), but there were no basic modules for this in Odoo itself. In version 17 of Odoo, a module was introduced that enables the messenger service WhatsApp to be closely integrated into the system.
New Shop Floor module
In version 17, Odoo has not only thought of the employees in the kitchen (with the Kitchen Display application), but also of the employees in the production halls. The user interface that the Shop Floor module adds significantly improves work with production orders.
Automation of actions
In previous versions, creating automatic actions could be done either using Odoo Studio or through the functions of the base_automation module, which required quite specific settings. In version 17 of the software, automation of such actions became easier and is available for specific objects (opportunities, tasks, invoices, etc.) through the context menu of the Kanban view stage.
Adding custom fields
Since version 15 of Odoo, users have the ability to add their own custom fields for certain forms (leads, tasks). However, there was a problem: these fields could not be filtered or grouped. In version 17 this option is now available and the added fields can also be dragged onto the Kanban tiles.
Knowledge module
The Knowledge module was introduced in version 16 of the software, which I have already written about here. I even actively used it for a while, but it still seemed a little “raw” to me. In version 17 it has been slightly improved. New features include version history, collaborative editing mode, the ability to insert videos into articles, PDF export, etc.
accounting
The accounting module is my favorite in Odoo, and there are some changes there too. Without waiting for the official release, I have already written a separate article about the main changes in the field of the analytical accounting module – they will appeal to many financial professionals. Among other changes, I would like to highlight the addition of the concept of batch payments and mass reconciliation of payments into this batch through the bank statement interface.
Other improvements
Finally, I will simply list some (not all) further improvements to the system:
- In the CRM module, the lead card shows how long they have been at each stage in the sales funnel (the same feature has also been added for tasks in the project). When concluding sales, the catalog option can be used – mass selection of products. In the point of sale, when completing sales, there is an option to use the product configurator (which was previously only available in sales orders).
