Cloud&Heat Technologies is a Dresden-based cloud service and technology provider with a focus on open infrastructures, digital sovereignty, and energy efficiency. The company develops and operates comprehensive, open, and sustainable digital infrastructures based on proven open-source technologies such as OpenStack, Kubernetes, and Proxmox.
Cloud&Heat offers both cloud services and on-premises cloud infrastructures, enabling flexible, digitally sovereign IT solutions – in the cloud or directly on the customer's premises. At the same time, the company pursues the vision of combining the growing demand for computing power – for instance, in areas such as Deep Learning and Machine Learning – with ecological responsibility, thus improving the carbon footprint across sectors.
The challenge: An overloaded system
True to its values, Cloud&Heat was committed to using an open-source ERP solution for its internal operations. However, the legacy Odoo version had grown so complex over time that daily use became increasingly difficult for employees. Consequently, an upgrade to a newer, more powerful version became necessary.
The main challenge was modernizing the system without falling back into a dependency on extensive customizations, which would render the system cluttered and difficult to maintain. The goal was to create a solution based on proven standard processes that ensures long-term scalability and operational stability.
Therefore, together with Odoo implementation partner manaTec, Cloud&Heat decided to make a fresh start with the new Odoo version. They deliberately focused on standard processes to reduce complexity and build a future-proof ERP infrastructure.
The solution: Standardization
The implementation of the current Odoo version included the modules CRM, Sales, Project, Inventory, Employees and Accounting, including the DATEV connector. The process was executed with an agile framework and a phased approach, allowing processes to be continuously adjusted and optimized. A core task was the migration of customer data and histories from the legacy version. These were carefully cleaned and transferred – resulting in a clean and consistent data set. One key to the success of this implementation was the geographical proximity of the partner, allowing for close cooperation and quick alignment. This made the whole implementation of new modules efficient and flexible at the same time. Thanks to the high confidence of the employees in the platform Odoo and their ability to work independently, the project was successfully completed without any major complications. An important step towards sustainable digitalization.
The result: Sustainable digitalization & successful certifications
With the new upgrade, Cloud&Heat has taken its digital infrastructure to a whole new level. The modernization has not only significantly boosted the system’s stability and performance but also greatly simplified the employees' daily work. Where complex customizations and confusing processes previously made the workday difficult, teams now benefit from intuitive, standardized workflows that can be used quickly and efficiently. Thanks to the new ERP software, employees can now focus fully on their tasks instead of struggling with unnecessary complexity.
This sustainable digitalization impacts all levels of the company. The clearly structured and scalable processes allow Cloud&Heat to react flexibly to new requirements without having to invest in extensive customizations again. In parallel, the new on-premises hosting provides a reliable, high-performance infrastructure that guarantees security and resilience against downtime.
The new version of Odoo has also brought noticeable advantages in terms of certifications. Thanks to the transparent, standardized process structure, Cloud&Heat was able to successfully achieve ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certification. Consequently, the implementation has not only strengthened internal operations but also created the foundation for the highest quality and security standards.
"Thanks to the Odoo implementation by manaTec, we not only solidified our internal processes but were also able to easily meet the requirements for our two ISO certifications."
– Michael Zavesky, Quality and Process Manager, Cloud&Heat Technologies.
Overall, Odoo has driven an impressive transformation at Cloud&Heat: The digital infrastructure is now not only stable and easy to maintain but also user-friendly, efficient, and future-proof. The company is more agile, flexible, and well-equipped to sustainably meet growing market demands.
