Location/Region: Waterloo, CAN
Industry: Healthtech
Apps implemented: Studio, Invoicing, Sales, Inventory, CRM, Accounting and Field Service
Software
Replaced: Open-source CRM, accounting software and Excel spreadsheets
Company size: 40
Hosting type: Odoo Online
When you’re building world-first X-ray technologies, including detectors used in space, efficiency behind the scenes matters as much as innovation in the lab. KA Imaging, a fast-growing Canadian company pushing the boundaries of diagnostic imaging, turned to Odoo to unify processes, consolidate information, and give teams a single source of truth across finance, sales, and operations.
KA Imaging, based in Waterloo, Ontario, employs roughly 40 people and develops breakthrough X-ray solutions that stand apart in the global imaging market. Their vision, as CEO and co-founder Amol Karnick explains, is simple but ambitious: “We say we’re doing innovative X-ray everywhere, everywhere would include space recently.”
The company offers two main product lines. The first is its spectral X-ray technology, described by Karnick as “almost like color X-ray,” a unique capability that enables material identification and separation. By allowing clinicians to isolate bones and soft tissue independently, the system improves visibility of cancers, pneumonia, fractures, and even coronary artery calcifications.
The second product line is the Brilliance Detector, the highest-resolution X-ray detector in the world. It serves diverse markets: industrial inspection for EVs, pharmaceuticals, food analysis, and scientific imaging. Together, these devices deliver actionable data that helps customers “make better quality products or save more lives.”
KA Imaging began when Karnick met Professor Karim, a researcher at the University of Waterloo with promising X-ray innovations. After first connecting more than a decade ago at Communitech, a local startup incubator, the pair eventually teamed up to commercialize the technology developed by Karim’s team.
Like many startups, KA Imaging initially believed they would bring one product to market but pivoted as the technology evolved. What remained constant was their mission: transforming X-ray, a technology that had been “effectively the same for 125 years,” and expanding access to advanced imaging for underserved populations, not only abroad, but also in rural North America.
"We said, how do we improve health care for those that are underserved? That was the way we initially approached the company."
Before Odoo: Managing Growth Without a Unified System
For years, KA Imaging operated with a mix of disconnected systems. Customer information was fragmented across multiple tools, and teams struggled to maintain consistency as the business expanded.
They used:
An open-source CRM
A separate accounting software
Excel spreadsheets for tracking various processes
Because none of the platforms communicated with each other, managing customer data, sales pipelines, and quotes required significant manual effort. Karnick explains one of his main concerns: maintaining a single customer master. With multiple disconnected systems, he wanted to avoid the risk of duplicate or mismatched information. A more integrated solution became essential as the company scaled.
The company also explored other approaches and tools, but found that nothing offered the combination of integration, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use they needed.
"We wanted to ensure that we had a nice, clean, easy system to use, cost-effective, and before Odoo, nothing talked to each other.”
A New Chapter with Odoo
The team first encountered Odoo through a personal reference: “Actually, my wife’s company had used it before. That’s where it came from as well," said Amol.
Unifying Accounting, CRM, and Inventory for End-to-End Visibility: One of the clearest gains has been connecting previously separate workflows. With Odoo, quotes flow directly into sales orders and then into accounting and inventory, something impossible under their old setup. This has significantly reduced manual entry and improved accuracy. Karnick highlights the difference: “Having the CRM and accounting tied has been important… Once you get a quote, we can convert. That’s been easier.”
Improved Efficiency Compared to the Patchwork of Legacy Tools: While accounting had previously worked, combining it with customer records and quotes in Odoo created smoother, more transparent processes. The integration alone represents a major step forward from managing standalone systems plus Excel files. Inventory management also improved, with the team describing inventory operations as “fine” and functioning consistently.
Streamlining Service Operations: The Field Service app stands out as a reliable component. The team has been using it consistently.
KA Imaging also experimented with Odoo’s email marketing capabilities. The results were mixed, so the marketing team now complements campaigns with an external tool. The flexibility to use Odoo alongside other solutions has been important as their marketing function scales.
Throughout all modules, the shared benefit has been centralization: one system where customer data, financials, quotes, and inventory coexist, a significant leap from the fragmented pre-Odoo environment.
What's Next for KA Imaging
Looking ahead, the company continues to push the boundaries of imaging, from industrial applications to projects beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. As they refine internal processes and expand international operations, Odoo will remain an important platform for data consolidation, traceability, and supporting structured growth.
With its groundbreaking spectral imaging and world-leading high-resolution detectors, the company is embarking on a new chapter of commercialization and global expansion. A more integrated operational foundation will help KA Imaging scale efficiently while staying focused on what it does best: changing the world of X-ray.
KA Imaging also plans to continue iterating on customizations as its workflow becomes more complex. With an internal consultant already in place, the team is well-positioned to adapt Odoo to its evolving needs.
For organizations still relying on fragmented systems, Excel files, or standalone CRMs and accounting tools, Odoo offers an integrated alternative that grows with your business.
Would you be ready to streamline your operations and simplify complexity? Discover how Odoo can support your next stage of growth.
