Manufacturing Product Configuration in Odoo: A Beginner’s Guide

Before a product can hit the production line in Odoo, it must be digitally "built" in the system. This configuration is the foundation of the Manufacturing (MRP) module. Without it, Odoo cannot generate manufacturing orders, track raw materials, or calculate production costs.

Proper setup ensures that your inventory moves in sync with your shop floor, preventing stockouts and data silos.

Before any product can be manufactured in Odoo, it must first be properly configured. This step is essential because the system needs to know how the product is produced, what materials are required, and what operations are involved. Without this configuration, Odoo cannot generate manufacturing orders or manage production correctly.

Proper setup ensures that your inventory moves in sync with your shop floor, preventing stockouts and data silos.

Why Product Configuration Matters in Manufacturing

In Odoo, manufacturing is entirely data-driven. The system relies on specific product settings to automate inventory movements and schedule work orders. To transform a standard product into a "manufacturable" item, two core conditions must be met:

The Manufacture Route must be enabled.
A Bill of Materials (BoM) must be linked to the product.

Why Product Configuration Matters in Manufacturing

The Manufacture Route must be enabled.
A Bill of Materials (BoM) must be linked to the product.

Step 1: Enabling the "Manufacture" Route

The first step is informing Odoo that this product is produced internally rather than purchased from a vendor.

How to enable the route:

Navigate to Manufacturing -> Products -> Products.
Select your product and click the Inventory tab.
Under the Routes section, check the box for Manufacture.

Note: If you are also buying components from outside, you might have "Buy" and "Manufacture" both checked, but for a finished good produced in-house, "Manufacture" takes priority.

In Odoo, manufacturing is driven by data. The system relies on product settings and production instructions to automate inventory movements, schedule work orders, and calculate costs.

According to the official documentation, a product must meet two main conditions before it can be manufactured:

The Manufacturing route must be enabled.
A Bill of Materials (BoM) must be created.

Once these are configured, the product becomes available for manufacturing orders.

Step 2: Traceability (Lots and Serial Numbers)

Traceability is critical for quality control, especially in industries such as electronics and food production. Odoo allows you to track finished goods as they leave the production line.

To enable tracking:

In the Inventory tab of the product form, locate the Traceability section.
Unique Serial Number: Best for high-value items (e.g., a custom laptop).
Lots: Best for batch production (e.g., a gallon of paint or a box of bolts).

By enabling this, Odoo will prompt the user to assign a lot or serial number as soon as production is completed.

In many industries, traceability is important. Odoo allows you to track finished products using:

Serial numbers (for unique items)
Lot numbers (for batch production)

To enable tracking:

Go to the Inventory tab of the product.
Find the Traceability section.
Choose:
- By Unique Serial Number, or
- By Lots.

When enabled, Odoo adds a lot of serial fields during manufacturing, allowing you to track each produced unit or batch.

This is especially useful for:

Electronics
Pharmaceuticals
Food production
Any industry with quality control requirements

Step 1: Enabling the "Manufacture" Route

The first step is informing Odoo that this product is produced internally rather than purchased from a vendor.

How to enable the route:

Navigate to Manufacturing -> Products -> Products.
Select your product and click the Inventory tab.
Under the Routes section, check the box for Manufacture.

Note: If you are also buying components from outside, you might have "Buy" and "Manufacture" both checked, but for a finished good produced in-house, "Manufacture" takes priority.

In Odoo, manufacturing is driven by data. The system relies on product settings and production instructions to automate inventory movements, schedule work orders, and calculate costs.

According to the official documentation, a product must meet two main conditions before it can be manufactured:

The Manufacturing route must be enabled.
A Bill of Materials (BoM) must be created.d

Once these are configured, the product becomes available for manufacturing orders.

Step 2: Traceability (Lots and Serial Numbers)

Traceability is critical for quality control, especially in industries such as electronics and food production. Odoo allows you to track finished goods as they leave the production line.

To enable tracking:

In the Inventory tab of the product form, locate the Traceability section.
Unique Serial Number: Best for high-value items (e.g., a custom laptop).
Lots: Best for batch production (e.g., a gallon of paint or a box of bolts).

By enabling this, Odoo will prompt the user to assign a lot or serial number as soon as production is completed.

In many industries, traceability is important. Odoo allows you to track finished products using:

Serial numbers (for unique items)
Lot numbers (for batch production)

To enable tracking:

Go to the Inventory tab of the product.
Find the Traceability section.
Choose:

By Unique Serial Number, or
By Lots.

When enabled, Odoo adds a lot of serial fields during manufacturing, allowing you to track each produced unit or batch.

This is especially useful for:

Electronics
Pharmaceuticals
Food Production
Any industry with quality control requirements

Step 3: Creating the Bill of Materials (BoM)

A Bill of Materials (BoM) is essentially your "recipe." It defines exactly what goes into the product and how it is made.

How to create a BoM:

On the Product form, click the Bill of Materials smart button at the top.
Click New.
Components Tab: List all raw materials and their required quantities.
Operations Tab: (If Work Orders are enabled) List the steps required, such as "Assembly," "Quality Check," or "Packaging."

After enabling the manufacture route, the next step is to create a Bill of Materials (BoM). For more details, check the next article.

A BoM is a structured list that contains:

All required components
The quantity of each component
The operations needed to build the product

Odoo uses the BoM to understand how a product is manufactured

Step 3: Creating the Bill of Materials (BoM)

A Bill of Materials (BoM) is essentially your "recipe." It defines exactly what goes into the product and how it is made.

How to create a BoM:

On the Product form, click the Bill of Materials smart button at the top.
Click New.
Components Tab: List all raw materials and their required quantities.
Operations Tab: (If Work Orders are enabled) List the steps required, such as "Assembly," "Quality Check," or "Packaging."

After enabling the manufacture route, the next step is to create a Bill of Materials (BoM). For more details, check the next article.

A BoM is a structured list that contains:

All required components
The quantity of each component
The operations needed to build the product

Odoo uses the BoM to understand how a product is manufactured.

The Role of Operations and Work Orders

If the Work Orders setting is enabled in manufacturing settings, the BoM can include operations. These define the actual production steps, such as:

Cutting
Assembly
Painting
Packaging

Each operation can be linked to a specific work center, allowing Odoo to schedule tasks and track time spent on production.

This is useful for companies that need:

Detailed production tracking
Labor cost calculation
Shop floor scheduling

The Role of Operations and Work Orders

If the Work Orders setting is enabled in manufacturing settings, the BoM can include operations. These define the actual production steps, such as:

Cutting
Assembly
Painting
Packaging

Each operation can be linked to a specific work center, allowing Odoo to schedule tasks and track time spent on production.

This is useful for companies that need:

Detailed production tracking
Labor cost calculation
Shop floor scheduling

What Happens After Configuration

Once the manufacture route and BoM are in place:

The product appears in Manufacturing Orders (MOs).
Odoo automatically loads required components and operations.
Inventory is updated as materials are consumed and finished goods are produced.

In practical demonstrations, once a manufacturing order is created, the system auto-populates the BoM and required components, making the production process faster and more accurate.

Learn more

What Happens After Configuration

Once the manufacture route and BoM are in place:

The product appears in Manufacturing Orders (MOs).
Odoo automatically loads required components and operations.
Inventory is updated as materials are consumed and finished goods are produced.

In practical demonstrations, once a manufacturing order is created, the system auto-populates the BoM and required components, making the production process faster and more accurate.

Learn more

Simple Example: Manufacturing a Wooden Table

To better understand the process, imagine you want to manufacture a wooden table.

1. Product Setup

Product Name: Custom Office Desk
Route: Manufacture (Enabled)
Tracking: By Lots (To track the production batch)

2. The Bill of Materials (BoM)

Components:
- 1x Wooden Tabletop
- 4x Steel Legs
- 1x Cable Management Tray
- 16x Heavy-duty Screws
Operations:
- Drilling: Preparing the tabletop for legs.
- Assembly: Attaching the steel legs and tray.
- Polishing: Final surface treatment.

The Result: When you create a Manufacturing Order (MO) for 5 desks, Odoo will automatically "reserve" 20 steel legs and 80 screws from your inventory, ensuring your production team has everything they need.

Learn more

To better understand the process, imagine you want to manufacture a wooden table.

1. Product Setup

Product Name: Custom Office Desk
Route: Manufacture (Enabled)
Tracking: By Lots (To track the production batch)

2. The Bill of Materials (BoM)

Components:
- 1x Wooden Tabletop
- 4x Steel Legs
- 1x Cable Management Tray
- 16x Heavy-duty Screws
Operations :
- Drilling: Preparing the tabletop for legs.
- Assembly: Attaching the steel legs and tray.
- Polishing: Final surface treatment.

Learn more

Simple Example: Manufacturing a Wooden Table

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Forgetting the Route: If you don't check "Manufacture," the product won't appear as an option when creating a Manufacturing Order.
Missing Unit of Measure (UoM): Ensure your raw materials (like screws) are measured in the same units you use for purchasing (e.g., "Units" vs "Boxes").
Skipping Operations: If your labor costs are high, don't skip the Operations tab. This is where Odoo calculates how much time (and money) is spent on the shop floor.

Learn more

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Forgetting the Route: If you don't check "Manufacture," the product won't appear as an option when creating a Manufacturing Order.
Missing Unit of Measure (UoM): Ensure your raw materials (like screws) are measured in the same units you use for purchasing (e.g., "Units" vs "Boxes").
Skipping Operations: If your labor costs are high, don't skip the Operations tab. This is where Odoo calculates how much time (and money) is spent on the shop floor.

Learn more

Conclusion

Manufacturing product configuration is the foundation of the Odoo Manufacturing module. By simply enabling the manufacture route and creating a Bill of Materials, you transform a basic product record into a fully functional manufacturing item.

Once this setup is complete, Odoo can:

Generate manufacturing orders
Manage components automatically
Track production steps
Calculate costs

Understanding this process is essential before moving on to more advanced topics such as work centers, multilevel BoMs, and production scheduling.

In short, if the product is configured correctly, the rest of the manufacturing workflow becomes much easier to manage.

Learn more

Conclusion

Once this setup is complete, Odoo can:

Generate manufacturing orders
Manage components automatically
Track production steps
Calculate costs

Understanding this process is essential before moving on to more advanced topics such as work centers, multilevel BoMs, and production scheduling.

In short, if the product is configured correctly, the rest of the manufacturing workflow becomes much easier to manage.

Learn more