Odoo 18 is a powerful and flexible ERP system that helps businesses manage various operations, including project management. The Odoo Project Module is designed to organize project planning, execution, and monitoring, making it an essential tool for businesses handling multiple projects. This blog will discuss how to create a project in Odoo 18, ensuring an efficient workflow and better collaboration.
To begin, navigate to the Projects module, Upon entering the Project module, the first page displayed is the Projects page. By default, the view is set to Kanban view, where each card represents a project. The cards display key project details, including the customer name, number of tasks, and number of milestones associated with each project.
To create a new project click on the New button and a pop-up appears called Create a Project where details for the project that is being created have to be added, such as the Name of the Project, if the Timesheets option is checked, this indicates that time tracking will be enabled for this project. Team members can log their time spent on tasks related to this project, which can be used for billing or project analysis.
Also, for the timesheet option to be available over here it must first be enabled from the configuration settings of the Project Module.
Next, while creating the project there is an option called Billable, If checked, this project will be considered billable, meaning that invoices can be generated for work performed on this project.
If this is a client-facing project, you can select the relevant customer from the dropdown list of the Customer field. This allows you to link the project to the specific customer and potentially generate invoices accordingly. The Create Tasks by Sending an Email option allows to create tasks by sending an email to a designated address, if an address is provided over there, any email sent to that address will automatically be converted into a new task within this project.
After adding all the required details click on the Create project button to save the project with the specified details or click on the Discard button to cancel the project creation process and discard the entered information.
So once the Create Project button is clicked a new page appears where the tasks for the project can be created.
Click on See Examples to view different Kanban Examples, select one, and click on Use This For My Project so that the stage names are automatically added according to the chosen example.
Or to add the stages manually click on the + Stage and provide the name of the stage.
Give the desired name for the stages in the resulting field and click on Add.
After the stages are added to the project different tasks can be added to each stage of the project. For that click on the + icon next to the stage name and add the title of the task in the Task Title and also in the Assignees field add the assignee for the task. Then click on the Add button to add the task to that particular stage.
Once the task has been created it can be dragged and dropped to different stages as the task progresses.
Now the project can be viewed from the dashboard along with the number of tasks that have been added.
To schedule activities for the project click on the clock icon and click on + Schedule an activity.
When clicked on that, an activity can be scheduled in the resulting pop-up by providing the Activity Type like whether the activity being scheduled is a Call, Meeting, Email, etc. Also, a summary of the scheduled activity can be provided.
Once the activity has been scheduled it can be viewed from the project card itself along with the details. Since the activity has been planned for a future date the activity can be viewed in a green color, if it has been overdue the activity will be shown in red color, and if the activity id scheduled for today the colour will be yellow.
The star icon in Odoo Projects allows users to prioritize specific projects, highlighting those that require immediate attention, have high priority, or are strategically crucial for the business.
To go to the Project’s settings click on the three dots and click on Settings, and a detailed view of the project will be visible.
From the detailed view various details of the project can be viewed and added.
* Project Name: This is the title of the project.
* Star: The star icon allows users to "star" the project, making it easier to find and prioritize later. Starred projects can be quickly accessed and filtered for better organization.
* Customer: If the project is associated with a specific customer, select them here.
* Project Manager: Assign a project manager who will be responsible for overseeing the project and ensuring its successful completion.
* Planned Date: The planned start and due dates for the project are displayed here. Users can edit these dates as needed.
* Allocated Time: This field estimates the total time allocated for the project.
* Tags: Add relevant tags to categorize and organize projects over here.
* Company: If applicable, select the company associated with the project.
* Description: This field allows to provide a detailed description of the project, including its objectives, scope, and any other relevant information.
Also, there are different smart tabs available for the project such as:
* Tasks: This tab allows you to view, create, and manage the tasks associated with the project.
* Dashboard: Provides a high-level overview of the project status, including key metrics and progress indicators.
* Customer Preview: Displays the customer preview.
* Sales Order: It displays any related sales orders for this project.
The Settings tab contains various settings and configuration options for the project, such as visibility, task management and time management.
Visibility: This section controls who can access the project. The current setting is "All internal users (all internal users invited)." This means all internal users within the Odoo system can view and interact with this project. Other options include "Invited internal users (private)" and "Invited portal users and all internal users (public)."
Sales Order: This section relates to billing.
* Billable: This option is checked, indicating that this project is intended to be billed to a customer.
* Create tasks by sending an email to: This allows for creating tasks by simply sending an email to a specific email address.
Tasks Management:
* Task Dependencies: This option allows users to define dependencies between tasks, ensuring that tasks are performed in the correct order.
* Milestones: Users can define milestones to track major progress points within the project.
Time Management:
* Timesheets: This enables time tracking for the project. Team members can log their time spent on tasks, which is valuable for billing, project analysis, and resource allocation.
* Log time on tasks: This option likely provides more granular control over time tracking for tasks within the project.
Sales & Invoicing:
* Billable: As mentioned earlier, this project is set to be billable.
* Invoice your time and material to customers: This indicates that invoices will be generated based on the time spent on tasks and any materials used for the project.
* Products on Tasks: It is used to track the materials that are used for the task.
Field Service:
* Field Service: This option suggests the possibility of using the Field Service module in conjunction with this project. The Field Service module is typically used for managing on-site service tasks.
In the Invoicing tab add the Employee who has worked on the project and the corresponding sale order can be associated with the employee in the Sale Order Item field and also the Unit Price and the Hourly Cost for the employee can be added here.
The Analytic tab of the project is crucial for tracking the financial performance and profitability of a project. It allows users to link the project to analytical accounts in Odoo's accounting module. By associating analytic accounts with project tasks, users can track the costs incurred for each task, such as employee time, material expenses, and other relevant costs. Add the project to the Project field and associate this project with any pre-configured analytic account in the Departments or Internal field.
Also, there is a Share Project button at the top of the page that allows to share project with the collaborators. A collaborator can be added and there are different access modes that can be selected from such as Read, Edit with limited access, and Edit. Then an invitation link can be sent if the Send Invitation box is checked. Click on the Share Project button send the link and share the project.
Creating a project in Odoo 18 is a straightforward process that enables businesses to efficiently manage tasks, resources, and deadlines. With Odoo 18’s intuitive interface, automation features, and effortless integration with other modules like Sales, Invoicing, and CRM, businesses can streamline project workflows while maintaining full visibility over progress and performance.
Whether managing internal initiatives or client-driven projects, Odoo 18 empowers teams with the right tools for effective project planning, execution, and monitoring. Start leveraging Odoo’s Project Management module today and experience enhanced efficiency and collaboration in your organization!
To read more about How to Setup Milestones in Odoo 17 Project App, refer to our blog How to Setup Milestones in Odoo 17 Project App.