Location/Region: Bogotá, COL
Industry: Charcuterie meat products
Apps implemented: Sales, CRM, Inventory, Purchase, Accounting, Manufacturing, Employee.
Software
Replaced: Accounting software and Excel
Size of the company: 175
Hosting type: Odoo.sh
Implementation Partner: Pragmatic
Every great family business begins with a bold decision. In Vilaseca’s case, that first step was taken in the 1930s, when Ramón Vilaseca Forcada traveled from Spain and crossed the Atlantic to start a new life in Colombia. Originally from Vic, a region deeply rooted in charcuterie tradition, he arrived with more than just suitcases: he brought recipes, techniques, and knowledge passed down through generations; elements that would later give rise to the formal launch of the charcuterie project in 1944.
What began as a family craft focused on traditional products such as salchichón made using artisanal methods quickly found its place in the Colombian market: first among European communities and, over time, with a broader audience. From the outset, quality and closeness defined the path of a company that would grow without losing its identity.
Following the founder’s passing in 1972, the second generation (led by Martín Vilaseca Torres and Ligia Herreño) drove a new phase of growth: national expansion, portfolio diversification, the import of products such as Spanish jamón serrano, and the development of cured products that were largely unknown in Colombia at the time. Each step reinforced the idea of building long-term relationships with customers in the gastronomic and retail sectors.
Today, under the leadership of the third generation, Vilaseca is a Colombian company with more than 80 years of history, nearly 175 employees, operations based in Bogotá, and distribution to the country’s main cities. Specialized in high-end charcuterie meat products, the company’s sustained growth made it clear that it needed a tool capable of supporting that evolution without breaking the culture that defines it.
"We want anyone who works with Vilaseca to feel that we are part of their company. That we understand their business and truly get involved in the solutions."
It was at that point that Odoo became a strategic ally. More than a technological implementation, adopting Odoo represented a natural step in the company’s history: unifying operations, gaining real-time traceability, and sustaining accelerated growth without losing control or the family essence that has guided Vilaseca since its origins.
The challenges of an increasingly complex operation
Before implementing Odoo, Vilaseca operated with an accounting software that adequately complied with local regulations and financial reporting. However, as the company grew, operational complexity began to exceed the system’s capabilities.
The main challenge lay in controlling costs, inventories, and production processes. Key operational information (such as waste, pH levels in curing processes, raw material consumption, and batch traceability) was managed outside the system, mainly in Excel. This made it difficult to access real-time information and limited decision-making during the process, not just at the end.
In addition, the company used external tools for reports and dashboards that were not integrated with one another. Information was fragmented, and each area “spoke a different language”: accounting, production, and purchasing worked with disconnected data, generating internal friction and loss of efficiency.
"The challenge was to make the operation efficient and have real-time information. We needed data during the process, not just at the end.”
A turning point on the technological journey
Vilaseca’s search for an ERP was not new. For more than 20 years, the company evaluated different solutions, but encountered the same issue each time: either the system did not fit its operational reality, or the costs were disproportionate to the size and needs of the business.
The first contact with Odoo came independently, by exploring the CRM and downloading test databases. At that time, however, the Colombian localization was not yet mature, and the project was put on hold. Interest was later rekindled after a conversation with a family member in Belgium who worked directly with Odoo and shared a deeper view of its evolution, especially regarding localizations and the partner ecosystem.
From there, Martín Vilaseca resumed his research, consumed tutorials, ran hands-on tests, and identified a key differentiator: the ability to use and test the system firsthand, without relying exclusively on commercial interpretations. This practical approach proved decisive in moving forward and contacting a specialized partner.
From decision to operational transformation
When Vilaseca decided to modernize its operation, it was not just looking for a system: it was looking for a partner that understood the company’s history and family culture. After evaluating several options, the meeting point between strategic need and concrete execution came with Pragmatic, a local partner with 25 years of experience and positioned as the country’s #1 Gold Partner.
Pragmatic brought not only technical expertise, but also a practical and close approach. Its knowledge of Colombian regulations, combined with agile methodologies and best practices based on experience, enabled Vilaseca to achieve an efficient and secure rollout, aligning technology, processes, and organizational culture.
Implementation with Pragmatic began in the second half of 2024, and go-live took place on March 31, 2025, in line with the planned schedule. The project included the Sales, Purchase, Accounting, Inventory, and Manufacturing modules, prioritizing those critical for a food company: lot management, expiration dates, traceability, and strict inventory control.
During the process, the company made strategic decisions. Some modules, such as Employees and Payroll, were initially implemented but later put on hold until the specific required reports were available. This flexibility made it possible to focus efforts on ensuring solid adoption aligned with the internal culture.
One of the greatest advances was the shift from Excel-based traceability to fully integrated system traceability. Today, Vilaseca can track each batch, understand consumption in real time, and connect customer demand planning with manufacturing, something that was not previously possible.
The improvement was not only technical. According to the team, Odoo enabled the entire organization to speak the same language. Information stopped being fragmented, and communication between departments became more fluid, reducing internal friction and improving the work environment.
"We moved from Excel to an integrated system. Traceability control was a night-and-day change."
In terms of results, the company recorded a 28% increase in product volume, accompanied by significant productivity gains and a more collaborative work environment. Martín Vilaseca estimates that system integration contributed to an efficiency increase of nearly 30%, along with a 50% improvement in workplace climate by reducing friction and increasing information transparency.
In addition, features such as the chatter, activity logging, and document traceability strengthened a culture of accountability and follow-up. The use of management indicators and dashboards began to transform how meetings are started and decisions are made, with data visible and shared by everyone.
"The success of the project was largely due to Vilaseca’s corporate culture, characterized by its orientation toward innovation and openness to change. The strong connection and collaboration with Pragmatic’s consulting team was a key factor in achieving highly satisfactory results."
A path of continuous evolution
Vilaseca does not view the Odoo implementation as a closed project, but rather as a foundation for future growth. The company now has a technological structure prepared to scale alongside its expansion in sales and production capacity.
In the short and medium term, plans include advancing work centers in production, barcode usage in logistics, and greater traceability in purchasing: functionalities already available in the system that will be gradually incorporated as internal culture and processes are ready to take the next step.
This growth will take place hand in hand with Pragmatic, with whom Vilaseca maintains a long-term relationship based on continuous support, system evolution, reporting improvements, and assistance with future version upgrades.
"With Odoo and Pragmatic’s support, we have the infrastructure and flexibility to grow without losing our family essence. We can now focus on innovating, delivering quality, and continuing to be a true ally to our customers."
Vilaseca’s experience shows that an ERP can transform the way people work together. If your company faces similar challenges and is looking for a solution that combines operational control, real-time visibility, and progressive adoption, contact Odoo to become the ally that drives your next stage of growth.
