The Purchase Management in Odoo 18 is included in both Community and Enterprise editions. Proper management of the purchasing process is significant for companies because it enhances supply chain efficiency, helps minimize costs and leads to a well-organized purchasing. However, both Community and Enterprise differ in technology and automation functionalities. The Odoo 18 release emphasizes purchase management, with the Enterprise edition containing tools that increase operational efficiency, ensure oversight, and enhance speed. Let’s take a closer look at the features of Odoo 18 Community and Odoo 18 Enterprise.
1. Major Features of Purchase Management:
The basic Purchase Management elements are represented in Odoo 18 Community and Enterprise, such as Purchase Quotation Management, Purchase Order Management, Vendor Management, Product Management, and Purchase Agreements. All these are extremely useful in creating and monitoring orders, managing suppliers, and managing inputs.
Correspondingly, under both deployments, the features include Product Variant Management, Purchase Analysis, Purchase History, Purchase Dashboard, as well as other custom-made purchases, which cater to analyzing prices and trends, tracking the overall share of orders, and grouping of suppliers in an interesting way.
2. Automation and Advanced Approval
One of the major differences between Community and Enterprise editions is the level of automation and approval features that can be accomplished.
* The Odoo 18 Community Edition focuses on manual operation, which can lead to clutter. Users are responsible for ordering items and must confirm each one to prevent unauthorized alteration. While the purchase order includes approval processes, it lacks advanced automation capabilities.
* In contrast, Odoo 18 Enterprise edition enhances purchase approval by implementing the 3-Way Matching Technique, ensuring that payments are only made when invoices match purchase orders and receipts. It reduces errors, prevents fraud, and ensures the accuracy of financial records.
To enable the 3-Way Matching Technique, open the Purchase module and then click Configuration in the top menu, and then select Settings. In the invoicing part, make sure that 3-way matching is marked as shown below:
3. Vendor and Pricing Management:
Both versions of Odoo 18 provide Vendor Pricelist Management. It helps enterprises compare the pricing offered by their suppliers and negotiate better deals. Odoo 18 Enterprise gives its vendor management an added bonus: it includes integrating automated purchase quotations based on stock levels to reorder supplies without manual intervention.
To automate purchase quotations, open the Purchase module and then click Orders in the top menu and then select Vendors. Click on the New button, and then select Automatic in the invoice follow-ups as shown below:
4. Inventory and Stock-Based Purchases:
One of the standout features of Odoo 18 Enterprise is the inventory-based purchase automation. The system on its own will create quotations, pending purchase orders, auto-configured based on the band effectiveness in stock, so the businesses will never arrive at a time when they are needed and out of stock essential supplies. This stock integration is exclusive to the Enterprise edition; businesses using the Community edition must manually monitor their stock levels and create purchase orders as needed.
5. Purchase Restrictions and Control Features:
Both editions allow firms to lock confirmed purchase orders and restrict the purchase of certain goods, improving financial and inventory controls. They also safeguard against unnecessary purchases that can be made through unauthorized modes by blocking the system.
The Enterprise edition offers centralized workflow functionalities, providing extensive configurations for controlling purchase activities.
6. Measure for Improved Workflow:
Odoo 18 Enterprise has in-built advanced algorithms that make buying easy and less manual, such as:
* Smart Date Input: Automates scheduling of future purchases based on predictive analytics.
* Remaining Days Widget: Displays pending deadlines to help businesses act before deals expire.
* Priority Widget: Prioritizes essential goods to facilitate faster procurement.
To create and configure Purchase Orders with these advanced features, open the Purchase module, navigate to Orders, and select Purchase Orders. Click on the New button. When you mark the Priority Widget (star), the order is categorized as an urgent order. Smart Date Input helps to set up order deadlines, and the Remaining Days Widget shows the expected arrival of the order.
However, in the Community edition, these features offer fewer possibilities for supporting the system in making fully automated decisions.
7. Drop Shipping and Logistics:
Both Odoo 18 Community and Enterprise editions support Drop Shipping, allowing companies to ship goods directly from the suppliers to the end users, without holding inventory. Indeed, it is necessary to maintain the relationship with 3PL partners, but its Enterprise enhances the logistics side, where real-time tracking, advanced integration, and further improved features are equipped.
8. Billing and Finance Control:
Both versions have Project Controlling and Supplier Price Lists. This way, companies could keep track of all their expenses, manage costs implied by suppliers, and always have correctly laid down purchase records.
3-Way Matching for Invoices is only added in the Enterprise Edition and significantly minimizes inaccuracy. Users shall not be billed for inaccurate payment. Aimed at eliminating overpayments, the system typically includes overpayments, fails to receive receipts, and mispays.
For small companies needing basic purchasing activities, the Community version offers a lightweight but fully functioning solution in purchase management. More technical inclusions are required for automating much of the process. With a connection to inventory in real time, more effective workflow for approval and financial separation, the software called Odoo 18 Enterprise is deemed to be the best.
To read more about how to match Bill/Purchase Order in Odoo 18 Purchase, refer to our blog How to Match Bill/Purchase Order in Odoo 18 Purchase.