Introduction
With multiple software options for each step of the manufacturing process - from production planning to quality control and inventory tracking - it can be challenging to identify a solution that meets every manufacturer's needs. While many ERP systems cover several of these functional areas, only a few genuinely offer everything out of the box.
Additionally, selecting the right system has implications beyond meeting the needs of the manufacturers. It will significantly impact its future growth and profitability. To shape a successful company, the right tool will require a proper implementation, and the stakes are high as the resources needed for implementation can be substantial, requiring time and input from employees across your organization.
The business software industry has recently shifted towards a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. This trend provides businesses with increased flexibility and eliminates the need for a local server or other network hardware. Smaller deployments can see significant cost reductions by avoiding the need for local infrastructure.
In this page, we’ve created comparison tables on Odoo and SAP Business One highlighting: the hosting proposition, pricing, and availability of key features in several areas, such as inventory management, quality control, maintenance, and production management, to name a few.
To offer a comprehensive comparison of several manufacturing solutions, we’ve done the exercise for some of the most renowned ones Odoo, SAP Business One, NetSuite, and Microsoft Dynamics. Happy reading!
Odoo
Created to disrupt the enterprise world and finally provide a software that covers complex needs with simplicity, Odoo has become one of the most popular business solutions. With more than 82 business apps fully integrated and thousands of community modules, the open-source software caters to every sector and company size, making it a major player in the market. The Belgian software counts more than 20,000 downloads per day, making it the most installed app suite and a direct competitor to companies like NetSuite, Shopify, PrestaShop and Microsoft.
"Amazing employees deserve amazing software"
12 million +
users
44,000 +
integrated apps
1 to 24 months
to be implemented
3,600 +
employees
SAP Business One
SAP, born from the ashes of the Xerox business computing division, is the venerable purveyor of enterprise software, primarily selling built-to-suit solutions for large enterprises. In 2002, SAP made its first foray into the SME market segment by purchasing what is now SAP Business One (SBO). SBO is the lowest-cost ERP offering from SAP, designed to be deployed quickly and with minimal customization. Business One is designed to cover every business software need of small to mid-sized businesses, from CRM to Manufacturing, deployed in the cloud or on premises. SBO is best suited to light manufacturing as it lacks advanced planning and shop floor control features when deployed out of the box.
"The best businesses run SAP"
200 million +
users
300 +
integrated apps
3 to 10 months
to be implemented
5,000 +
employees
Features Comparison
Inventory Management
Odoo
SAP Business One
General Scope
Multi-Warehouse
Storage Locations
Bin Replenishment
Mobile Device Support
Multi-Company
Multi-Currency
Multi-Language
Automatic ASN (Advanced Shipping Notice)
Package Management / Cartoning
Freight Carrier Integration
Manage Consignee Stocks
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
Products
Non-Stocked Inventory
Multiple Variants
Multiple Units of Measure
Inter-Classe UoM Conversion
Variant Matrix
Traceability
Lots / Serial Numbers
Up / Down Traceability
360° Traceability
Expiration Dates
Cycle Counting
Reporting
Inventory Forecasts
Inventory Valuations
ABC Analysis
Barcode Support
QR Code Support
RFID Support
Lots / Serial Numbers Support
Receptions
Picking
Internal Moves
Delivery Orders
Inventory Adjustments
Routing
FIFO / LIFO
Customizable Routes
Putaway Strategies
Wave Picking
Batch Picking
Zone Picking
Cluster Picking
Cross-Docking
Putaway Locations
Supply Chain
Odoo
SAP Business One
Features
Vendor Data Management
Vendor Pricelist Management
Inbound Quality Control
Dropshipping
Purchase
Purchase Requests
Purchase Orders
Purchase Approval Workflow
Request for Quotations
Contracts / Purchase Agreements
Automated Procurements
Minimum Stock Rules
Make-to-Order
Master Production Schedule
Manufacturing
Odoo
SAP Business One
Master Data
Multi-Level BoM
By-Products / Co-Products
Routings
Subassemblies
One BoM for Multiples Product Variants
BoM Versioning
Multiple BoM / Routing
Planning
Demand Forecasting
MRP Scheduler
Gantt Chart Scheduling
Kanban Planning
Production Calendar
Infinite Capacity Scheduling
Finite Capacity Scheduling
Multiple Scheduling Plans
Delivery Date Calculation
Production Order Splitting / Merging
Operations
Manufacturing / Production Orders
Job Tracking
Work Orders / Operations
Automated Time Tracking
Disassembly Orders
Subcontracting
Rework / Repair
Scrap
Disposal Strategies
Kits
Edit Individual Production BoMs
Costing
Perpetual Inventory Valuation
Periodic Inventory Valuation
Standard Price
FIFO / LIFO
Landed Costs
Actual Production Labor
Production Order Costing
Shop Floor Control
Shop Floor Terminals
Production Activities
Non-Production Activities
Time Tracking
Messages on Work Orders
Barcode Support
Equipment / Machine Management
Work Instructions on Work Orders
Maintenance Requests from Shop Floor Terminal
Human Resources
Schedule Management
Touchscreen Attendance
Timesheets
Breaks
Overtime
Vacation / Injury
Reporting and Forecasting
Overall Equipment Efficiency
Work Time
Demand Forecast
Maintenances KPIs
Production Costs Analysis
Analytic Accounting
CSV Export
Dynamic Pivot Tables
Dashboards
Save Custom Reports
Maintenance
Odoo
SAP Business One
Scheduling and Request Handling
Schedule Preventive Maintenance
Maintenance Kanban
Maintenance Calendar
Shop Floor Integration
Multiple Teams / Sites
Asset Management
Subcontract Repair
Job Tracking
Parts Management
Inventory Management
Purchasing Integration
Rotating Asset Location
Equipment Serial Numbers
Equipment Maintenance History
Dealer Portal
QMS
Odoo
SAP Business One
Quality Control
At Reception
In-Process
Before Delivery
Inventory Quarantine
Quality Checks
Quality Control Plan
Pass/Fail Checks
Measurement Checks
Quality Alerts / Nonconformance Documents
Print Nonconformance Documents
Corrective Actions
ISO9001 Tools
Documentation Management
Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Customers Complaints Management
Traceability of Operations
Resources Management
Reports
Nonconformance Costs
PLM
Odoo
SAP Business One
Features
Engineering Change Orders (ECOs)
BoM Versioning Management
Routing Version Management
MRP Integration
Centralized BoM Management
ECO Management
Approval Workflows
BoM Version Difference Viewer
Bulk BoM Updates
Notification Mechanism
Project eMail Gateway
ECO Costing
Third-Party CAD Integrations
AutoCAD
SolidWorks
Autodesk
Usability, Pricing & Conditions
Odoo
SAP Business One
User Interface
Full Web Interface
Mobile App
App Store / Add-ons
Subjective Ratings
Navigation and Search
5/5
5/5
Data Entry
5/5
5/5
Mobile App
4/5
3/5
Reports Flexibility
4.5/5
5/5
Pricing and Conditions
Monthly Pricing
Free
199$/user
Number of Users
Unlimited
Unlimited
Contract Duration
Monthly & Yearly
Yearly
Free Trial
Open-source
Hosting
Cloud & On-premise
Cloud & On-premise
User Satisfaction
Rating on g2Crowd
4.3/5
3.9/5
Rating on GetApp
4.2/5
4.4/5
Rating on Capterra
4.1/5
4.1/5
Brand Exposure
3.0/5
5/5
User Interface
When evaluating enterprise software, the user interface is a crucial factor that is often overlooked but holds significant importance. It directly impacts users' efficiency within the system and the ease of implementation, and will even contribute to reducing costs associated with user errors.
A successful solution must consider user needs and goals to assist them effectively. The UI is crucial in understanding human factors and enabling the software to fulfill its purpose. From a manufacturing point of view, the user interface becomes even more critical, especially in shop floor control systems. Workers in manufacturing environments often operate in noisy surroundings, work swiftly, wear personal protective equipment (PPE), or may not have optimal conditions for using a traditional computer interface with a keyboard and mouse. Therefore, it is essential to consider the specific design requirements of a shop space or production line when evaluating the usability of an interface in such environments.
To better understand the software's visual elements and interface options, we have included screenshots of analogous menus from each software in this comparison. While assessing software usability based solely on static images has limitations, it can still offer a rough basis for comparison. This additional information will assist you in your analysis and provide valuable insights into the user experience of each software solution.
Different solutions,
Different needs
When choosing the right software for your business, it is important to assess several criteria based on your specific needs.
Business Scope measures a software’s capacity to meet your business needs comprehensively through its features and its flexibility in customizability and integration with other tools.
User-Friendliness measures how straightforward and user-friendly a software solution is for your team to navigate, requiring minimal training or complex procedures. Additionally, it evaluates how hassle-free the software is to set up, considering factors like time, effort, and resource requirements for initial configuration within your organization.
Odoo is a robust solution addressing a wide range of business needs, extending beyond MRP functions. The platform is designed to streamline operations and replace the need for disjointed, non-integrated software applications. Odoo shines as a highly customizable, all-in-one solution with many applications. Its open-source nature empowers a thriving community, resulting in a vast repository of community-contributed applications. Its integrations with dozens of other modules, including Inventory, Purchase, Quality Control, Product Lifecycle Management, or even Maintenance, make it a complete 360° software, allowing the user to manage all their MRP operations without the need to leave the shop floor environment.
Meanwhile, SAP provides advanced manufacturing features but might suffer from limitations regarding customization. SAP is also renowned for offering a broad spectrum of business solutions, from Financial Management and HR to Customer Relationship Management. However, the solution lacks integrations between its different modules.
Now, when it comes to user-friendliness, Odoo offers intuitive interfaces, making the solution suitable for users of varying technical backgrounds. Its straightforward setup ensures a hassle-free experience for every business.
SAP, on the other hand, is noted for being less user-friendly and can be challenging to set up. They might require more time and effort for users to become familiar with their interfaces. Also, the multiplication of screens for every process or recording action makes it difficult to use in a real manufacturing environment.
That's why it’s essential to consider your business's specific needs and scale when assessing which solution is the best fit, as the ease of use and setup can vary significantly among these options.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the choice depends on your organization’s specific requirements, scale, and the balance between customization, ease of use, and setup.
If you are seeking specific MRP solutions, then Odoo and SAP might be a good fit. Thanks to their advanced manufacturing features, these systems are well-suited for complex manufacturing environments and provide efficient solutions for every manufacturing need.
If you have more extensive requirements, you may find Odoo the most appealing solution. It offers advanced features and can accommodate any process. Its possibilities in terms of customization and its extensive suite of integrated business applications make it the best solution for businesses having needs beyond manufacturing. Additionally, Odoo offers ease of use and setup, making it suitable for small and medium businesses.
