The longest and most dramatic battle of the cloud ERPs has been and still is Odoo v.s. NetSuite. Both were top of the list when considering premier ERP solutions; comparisons are always being drawn between the two, with compelling arguments being made for both options.When you dig into the technical infrastructure, flexibility, UI/UX and pricing of each solution, it becomes quite apparent that Odoo is a fantastic alternative to NetSuite. Pound for pound, you’re going to get much more value for every dollar you spend with Odoo, than you would with NetSuite.With the SMB (small to medium business) being Odoo’s target market, it is no surprise that dozens of companies, each and every day, adopt Odoo over NetSuite. Even more interesting is that many Enterprise-grade companies are now making the transition as well, for example, Toyota, Danon, MicKinsey & Co, IMB, etc. Many IT professionals have spoken up that Odoo is the future of business technology given its price point, combined with the technical freedom and flexibility it lends to businesses as they evolve in today’s fast-changing world.Going back in time, Odoo initially started as an OpenSource ERP called OpenERP (where they literally built software that people in the community could install for free). Odoo used this model to attract developers and IT professionals at the bleeding edge of innovation in order to begin building an ecosystem focused on intellectualism and technology in the business sector. In doing this they quickly amassed 2.5+ million users and thousands of developers capable of implementing and supporting the platform. By 2015, when they saw the potential they had created, they decided to rebrand the company and named this new brand Odoo. In 2015 Odoo released a proprietary product called Odoo Enterprise, which is their professional grade product which they stamped with their personal guarantee when it comes to support, upgrades, updates, and even implementation. This is when companies like NetSuite took notice. Today Odoo Enterprise is made up of over 50 different apps, in addition to 21,900+ third-party apps/plugins available on the Odoo app store. The app store offers a comprehensive set of options when it comes to functionality, fulfilling every minor and major business need, no matter which industry the business belongs to.Today Odoo has more than 4 million users and 25,000 customers (companies) stemming from all different industries and sizes. Additionally, the Enterprise solution is actively being used on all 7 continents, in over 100 different countries, available in 120+ different languages. Many say Odoo is the first truly global ERP.
“Users whom are tired of paying exorbitant prices to companies like NetSuite, SAP and Oracle for basic, commoditized functionality will find a wonderful new home for themselves in the Odoo community.”, said Nicholas Kosinski, a Senior Account Executive and long-standing Odoo employee.
When it comes to comparing Odoo and NetSuite from an IT standpoint, you will want to focus on the technical architecture, as well as on the access and ownership of data - two very important topics to any business. While NetSuite makes it difficult to achieve the back up of your data, or to transition away from their system, Odoo, on the other hand, saw the pain NetSuite was creating for companies and took the opposite approach by making it simple to backup data and/or transition away from the system. Odoo allows for backups at anytime, anywhere, consequently allowing for you to truly take ownership of your data. The days of being held hostage by corporate powers such as NetSuite are long over with.Another core differentiator is having access to the Odoo source code, which is where Odoo really shines in terms of offering unlimited options around features/functionality. NetSuite comes as hosted ONLY, which often gives NetSuite all the leverage they need to hike up prices each year or quote daunting prices to customize the software. Additionally, NetSuite primarily makes use of javascript and the "suitescript" inorder to add any extra functionality to the application - which is difficult to use and can be expensive. Cost is yet another luring factor worth considering when comparing Odoo and NetSuite. NetSuite’s licensing fees are quite expensive when looking at the functionality/value you’re getting. On average, the licensing fees are 4-5x the Odoo licensing fees, contingent upon the number of modules and users. Also, implementation is much easier with Odoo vs. that of NetSuite, as Odoo relies on Python and XML as the core language. In comparison to finding a SuiteScripter, finding Python expertise in the market is easier as those abilities are substantially more typical and commoditized.There are many customer reviews which promote Odoo as the best ERP for manufacturing, retail/distribution, accounting, e-commerce or professional services. With its modern interface and great mobile app performance, Odoo puts NetSuite in a dark place when it comes to UX/UI. It has been rumored that NetSuite sales-people actually use Odoo’s CRM to manage their daily activities and sales pipelines are given its ease of use and flexibility around reporting. Shouldn’t that tell you something?If you are interested in learning more, we encourage you to trial Odoo’s software (which you can do for free here www.odoo.com/trial) and also ask your NetSuite salesperson for a free trial of the NetSuite platform. Once you’ve done this - we want you to decide for yourself! See below a formalized feature comparison that we put together to help shed some light on the differences:
Odoo vs NetSuite feature-wise comparison
1. General
| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Multi-Warehouse |
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(NetSuite supports multiple companies, but only one warehouse per company.) |
| Storage Locations (Bins) |
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| Bin Replenishment |
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| Mobile Device Support |
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| Multi-Company |
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| Multi-Currency |
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| Multi-Language |
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| Automatic ASN (Advanced Shipping Notice) |
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| Package Management / Cartoning |
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| Freight Carrier Integration |
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| Manage Consignee Stocks |
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| EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) |
Available through a third-party software |
EDI is available through a third-party software |
2. Products
| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Non-Stocked Inventory |
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| Multiple Variants |
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| Multiple Units of Measure |
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| Inter-class UoM Conversion * |
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| Variant Matrix |
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| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Lots / Serials |
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| Up / Down Traceability |
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| 360° Traceability * |
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| Expiration Dates |
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| Cycle Counting |
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| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Inventory Forecasts |
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| Inventory Valuations |
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| ABC Analysis |
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| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| QR Code Support |
Odoo can read QR codes, but third-party software is required to print them |
|
| RFID Support |
Available through third-party add-ons |
Available through third-party add-ons |
| Lots / Serial Numbers |
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| Receptions |
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| Picking |
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| Internal Moves |
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| Delivery Orders |
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| Inventory Adjustments |
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| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| FIFO / LIFO |
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| Customizable Routes * |
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| Putaway Strategies |
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| Wave Picking |
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| Batch Picking |
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| Zone Picking |
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| Cluster Picking |
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| Cross-Docking |
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| Putaway Location By Size, Weight, & Capacity |
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| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Vendor Data Management |
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| Vendor Pricelist Management |
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| Inbound Quality Control |
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| Dropshipping |
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| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Purchase Requests |
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| Purchase Orders |
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| Purchase Approval Workflow |
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| Request for Quotations |
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| Contracts / Purchase Agreement |
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3. Automated Procurements
| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Minimum Stock Rules* |
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| Make-to-Order |
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| Master Production Schedule |
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| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Master Data |
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| Multi-Level BoM |
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| Byproducts / Coproducts |
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| Routings |
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| Subassemblies |
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| One BoM for Multiple Product Variants |
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| BoM versions |
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| Multiple BoM / Routing * |
|
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| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Demand Forecasting |
|
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| MRP I Scheduler |
|
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| MRP II Scheduler * |
|
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| Master Production Schedule |
|
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| Gantt Chart Scheduling w / Drag & Drop |
|
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| Kanban Planning |
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| Production Calendar |
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| Infinite Capacity Scheduling |
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| Finite Capacity Scheduling |
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| Available to Promise |
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| Multiple Scheduling Plans |
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| Delivery Date Calculation (Backwards Scheduling) |
|
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| Production Order Splitting / Merging |
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| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Manufacturing / Production Order |
|
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| Job Tracking |
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| Work Orders / Operations |
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| Automated Time Tracking |
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| Disassembly Orders |
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| Subcontract Manufacturing |
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| Rework / Repair |
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| Scrap |
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| Disposal Strategies |
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| Kits |
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| Edit Individual Production BoMs |
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| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Perpetual Inventory Valuation * |
|
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| Periodic Inventory Valuation * |
|
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| Standard Price |
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| FIFO |
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| Landed Costs |
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| Actual Production Labor |
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| Production Order Costing |
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| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Shop Floor Terminals |
|
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| Production Activities |
|
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| Non-Production Activities * |
|
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| Time Tracking |
|
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| Messages on Work Orders |
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| Barcode Support |
|
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| Equipment / Machine Management |
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| Work Instructions on Work Orders |
|
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| Maintenance Requests from Shop Floor Terminal |
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| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Schedule Management |
|
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| Touchscreen Attendance |
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| Timesheets |
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| Breaks |
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| Overtime |
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| Vacation / Injury |
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5. Reporting and Forecasting
| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Overall Equipment Efficiency |
|
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| Work Time |
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| Demand Forecast |
|
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| Maintenance KPIs |
|
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| Production Costs Analysis |
|
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| Up / Downstream Traceability |
|
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| Analytic Accounting |
|
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| CSV Export |
|
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| Dynamic Pivot Tables |
|
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| Dashboards |
|
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| Save Custom Reports |
|
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Maintenance
1. Scheduling and Request Handling
| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Schedule Preventive Maintenance |
|
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| Maintenance Kanban |
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| Maintenance Calendar |
|
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| Shop Floor Integration |
|
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| Multiple Teams / Sites |
|
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| Asset Management |
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| Subcontract Repair |
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| Job Tracking |
|
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2. Parts Management
| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Inventory Management |
|
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| Purchasing Integration |
|
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| Rotating Asset Location |
|
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| Equipment Serial Numbers |
|
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| Equipment Maintenance History |
|
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Dealer Portal
|
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QMS
1. Quality Control
| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| At Reception |
|
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| In-Process |
|
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| Before Delivery |
|
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| Inventory Quarantine |
|
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2. Quality Checks
| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Quality Control Plan |
|
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| Pass / Fail Checks |
|
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| Measurement Checks |
|
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| Quality Alerts / Nonconformance Documents |
|
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| Print Nonconformance Documents |
|
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| Corrective Actions |
|
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2. ISO9001 Tools
| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Documentation Management |
|
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| Customer Satisfaction Surveys |
|
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| Customer Complaints Management |
|
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| Traceability of Operations |
|
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| Resources Management |
|
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3. Reports
| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Non-conformance Costs |
Mostlyincluded as part of OEE Report |
|
4. Product Lifecycle Management
| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) |
|
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| BoM Version Management |
|
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| Routing Version Management |
|
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| MRP Integration |
|
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| Centralized BoM Management |
|
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5. ECO Management
| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| Approval Workflows |
|
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| BoM Version Difference Viewer |
|
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| Bulk BoM Updates |
|
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| Notification Mechanism |
|
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| Project eMail Gateway |
|
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| ECO Costing |
|
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6. Third-Party CAD Integrations
| Features |
Odoo |
NetSuite |
| AutoCAD |
|
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| SolidWorks |
|
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| Autodesk |
|
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Regardless of whether you pick Odoo, NetSuite or any other ERPs out there, understanding this is going to be a crucial step for your business as they decide on which platform to invest in. Therefore, go with a properly designed and well-structured project plan to get the anticipated results. Odoo offers many services to assist you in this process, such as the Official Odoo Partners to assist with your Odoo Implementation or Odoo Customization.
You can refer to our previous blogs for a detailed comparison of Odoo with other ERP Softwares in the Market
1. Odoo Vs ERPNext
2. Odoo Vs SugarCRM
3. Odoo Vs Microsoft Dynamics
4. Odoo Vs SAP
5. Odoo Vs Tally
6. Odoo Vs Zoho CRM