"Best practice" in Odoo is what works reliably for the company - considering factors related to their users, processes, controls, volume, audit needs, etc.

Ask questions like:

- Are you leveraging as much as possible out of the box?

- Will Users (now and in 6 months) understand what happened, when and why?

- Does the approach provide a clean way to correct mistakes?

- Is data integrity preserved across related apps and records?

- Do the steps / decisions / adjustments in Odoo match the steps / decisions / adjustments in the (real) world?

- Can users bypass controls without leaving fingerprints of their actions?

- Does the process scale for triple the current volume?

- Are reports / metrics based on both original and adjusted records accurate and do they provide visibility into changes?

- Is the Accounting treatment (if applicable) acceptable by the finance team and external auditors?

While input from managers is essential to align system usage with business goals, effective use of Odoo is best shaped by those who perform the work daily. Their insights ensure that processes are practical, traceable, and sustainable in "real-world" use. You need full collaboration between leadership, end-users, and your resident Odoo experts. This is the best way to ensure that Odoo is usable, understandable, and resilient in day-to-day operations.

Please refer to the Odoo Implementation Methdology at odoo.com/r/UPMk

The five most important guidelines are:

1. Single Decision-Maker: A dedicated Project Leader serves as project manager, business analyst, and Odoo expert—responsible for decisions, configurations, and ensuring alignment with business processes.
2. Adopt Standard Over Custom Whenever Possible: We encourage minimizing custom development. Unnecessary complexity from custom features is discouraged, and if needed, such features are prioritized and ideally deferred.
3. Iterative Phased Implementation: GAP analysis ➝ Kick‑off ➝ Implementation cycles (configure/develop/validate/train) ➝ Go‑live ➝ Optional second phase for non-critical features.
4. Change Management via Involvement and Leadership Support: Involve end-users, get executive backing, communication openly, and plan for frequent demos & peer reviews.
5. Speed & User Confidence Over Immediate Satisfaction: It is better to progress steadily - even at the risk of temporary discomfort - to maintain momentum and ultimately deliver a successful, scalable solution. Prioritize project success rather than short-term satisfaction.

Finally, consider what we have learned from years of experience and hundreds of thousands of implementations:

• taste before adding salt - become experts at standard features first, THEN decide if you need customization
• just like your first driving lesson - the 67 steps you have to follow will collapse into just a handful afer a few months
• only implement what you do today - implementing what you WANT comes later - doing it before Users are experts in Odoo is like hiring a personal trainer before you know how to walk
• the toughest part is always managing change