First ERP

Digitalising with Odoo

Odoo as your first ERP instead of spreadsheets and isolated tools

From spreadsheets to an ERP, area by area.Spreadsheets and isolated toolsCurrent processesrecord, do not rebuildStaging tablea person checks the rowsOdoolive per areaTax adviseragreed data hand-over
From spreadsheets to an ERP, area by area.

Diagram as text

  1. Spreadsheets and isolated tools
  2. Current processes (record, do not rebuild)
  3. Staging table (a person checks the rows)
  4. Odoo (live per area)
  5. Tax adviser (agreed data hand-over)

At a glance

  1. Spreadsheets go through a staging table whose rows a person checks.

  2. Areas go live one after another, not all at once.

  3. Since 1 Jan 2025 a business must ensure it can receive e-invoices.

  4. Key users are trained and carry the system in-house.

Simplify-ERP introduces Odoo as the first ERP for companies that work with spreadsheets, DATEV at the tax adviser and isolated tools. Current processes are recorded first, spreadsheet data is imported via a staging table that a person checks, accounting is set up with SKR03 or SKR04 and e-invoicing, and the areas go live one after another. Key users are trained and carry the system in-house.

Details

Where you start

  • Spreadsheets

    Customers, items, orders and stock live in spreadsheets that several people maintain.

  • DATEV at the tax adviser

    Documents go to the tax adviser in batches, who books them in DATEV.

  • Isolated tools

    One program for invoices, one for the shop, one for time records; in between, data is copied by hand.

  • E-invoicing

    Since 1 Jan 2025 a business must ensure it can receive e-invoices.

Knowledge: ZUGFeRD or XRechnung

How the introduction runs

  • 1. Record current processes

    Processes are recorded, documented and translated into a specification, without rebuilding them one to one in the new system.

  • 2. Edition and licences

    Weigh Community against Enterprise; the licence need follows from roles and users.

  • 3. Import spreadsheet data

    Customers, products, projects and stock are checked, cleaned and imported via a staging table; the import learns column names from earlier imports.

  • 4. Set up accounting

    SKR03 or SKR04 chart of accounts, opening balances, bank statements via EBICS; data is handed over to the tax adviser in an agreed way.

  • 5. Live area by area

    Each area goes live on its own. Users and key users are trained remotely or on site, with process documentation and videos.

  • 6. Operation

    Live, staging and development servers, backups and SSL; your IT gets access.

Knowledge: recording current processes

Decision rules

  • Start with one area

    An ERP goes live in areas, not all at once. Start where most retyping happens today.

  • Decide before configuring

    Processes, master data and roles have to be settled before configuration starts.

  • Clean first, then import

    Cleaning data before the import saves more than correcting it afterwards. Spreadsheet formulas are written down as rules.

  • One leading system per data type

    Decide for each kind of data which system leads, so nothing is maintained twice.

  • Standard before customisation

    Customisations shape every later version upgrade. First check whether the standard plus a process change is enough.

Knowledge: data import with row checks

Key facts

Starting point
Spreadsheets, DATEV at the tax adviser, isolated tools
Introduction
Area by area
Data transfer
Staging table with a human row check
E-invoice formats
ZUGFeRD, XRechnung

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do we have to switch everything at once?

No. An ERP goes live per area, for example sales, purchasing, accounting, each planned from requirements through configuration and data transfer to go-live.

What happens to our spreadsheets?

Customers, products, projects and stock are checked, cleaned and imported. The columns are mapped onto a staging table, a person checks the rows, and the import learns column names from earlier imports. What spreadsheet formulas do is written down as rules in the ERP.

How does our accounting data reach the tax adviser?

Accounting in Odoo is set up with the SKR03 or SKR04 chart of accounts. The data goes to your tax adviser in a way you agree with them beforehand. A DATEV export is not part of this introduction.

What does mandatory e-invoicing change for us?

Since 1 January 2025 a business must ensure it can receive e-invoices. Odoo creates, validates and receives e-invoices as ZUGFeRD and XRechnung.

Do we need our own servers?

Odoo can be run for you: live, staging and development servers, backups and SSL, with access for your IT. In support after go-live, you approve every fix as a plan first, and it is tested on a staging system before it goes live.

Questions about your project?

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