Quick Overview
A national furniture manufacturer implemented Odoo’s Maintenance, Inventory, and Purchases modules with customised workflows, mobile logging, and automated preventive maintenance scheduling. XRA delivered the full solution in two months, reducing machine downtime, improving reporting visibility, integrating spare-parts management, and increasing productivity across multiple manufacturing locations. The result was fewer breakdowns, faster maintenance cycles, and significantly improved operational efficiency.
Industry: Manufacturing & Retail
Locations: Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town (South Africa)- Johannesburg Implementation
Employees: 1,000+
ERP Partner: XRA (Odoo Accounting & ERP Partner)
Client anonymised
A national furniture manufacturer and retailer with over 1,000 employees needed a modern, centralised system to manage maintenance for all machines used across their production facilities. Their manual, paper-driven process created delays, missing data, inconsistent preventive maintenance, and costly downtime.
To address these challenges, they partnered with XRA to implement Odoo’s modules for Maintenance, Inventory, Purchases, Employees, and Surveys with custom workflows, mobile-based data capture, and full visibility across assets.
Business Challenges Before Odoo
Fragmented and manual maintenance processes
- Maintenance tasks—both preventive and corrective—were recorded inconsistently, leading to major operational blind spots.
Unplanned machine breakdowns caused delays
- Preventive maintenance was not tracked or enforced. Machines regularly failed due to issues that could have been prevented.
No visibility into downtime, repairs, or spare parts
- Management lacked reporting on trends, failures, spare-part usage, and root causes of downtime.
Impact on operations
- Increased machine failures
- Production delays were affecting the national retail supply
- Higher repair costs
- Inefficient spare parts procurement
- No real-time maintenance insights
The business needed a digitally integrated maintenance management system—fast.
Project Scope & Objectives
The client wanted to:
- Implement a structured, automated maintenance workflow
- Enforce preventive maintenance schedules
- Reduce machinery downtime across multiple manufacturing sites
- Digitise checklists, approvals, and reporting
- Integrate maintenance with purchasing and inventory
- Enable staff to log maintenance activities via mobile deviceplement a structured, automated maintenance workflow
Odoo Modules Implemented
- Maintenance
- Inventory
- Purchases
- Employees
- Surveys
Deployment: Odoo.sh
Integrations: Custom workflow linking Maintenance → Purchasing → Inventory for real-time spare-parts management.
Implementation Strategy (Step-by-Step)
The project was delivered in just 2 months by XRA’s team:
Project Manager, Technical Specialist, Senior Developer
Step 1: Discovery & Mapping
XRA mapped all maintenance activities, including:
- Preventive maintenance schedules
- Breakdown handling
- Spare parts and tool usage
- Downtime tracking
- Approval processes
The root cause was identified: preventive maintenance was inconsistent, causing predictable but unmanaged machine failures.
Step 2: Asset Identification & Technical Specs
Every machine, tool, and equipment asset was captured and categorised.
XRA prepared a detailed technical specification document outlining:
- Custom maintenance workflows
- Approval structures
- Digital checklists
- Integration requirements with Inventory & Purchases
Step 3: Custom Development
XRA delivered a customised Odoo environment including:
- Automated preventive maintenance schedules
- Mobile-friendly digital checklists
- Real-time maintenance logging
- Approval workflows for repairs and purchases
- Maintenance → Inventory → Purchase order integration
- Asset-linked spare-parts tracking
Step 4: Training & User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
A significant implementation challenge: Many staff did not have computers.
Solution:
XRA deployed mobile-first workflows, enabling staff to log maintenance tasks directly from their phones.
XRA also delivered in-depth onsite training with hands-on support to ensure rapid adoption across all teams.
Step 5: Go-Live & Support
After UAT sign-off and staff training, the system was deployed live.
XRA continued providing active support during the transition to ensure complete user confidence.
Implementation Challenges & Solutions
Challenge 1: Limited access to devices
Staff lacked computers to capture maintenance tasks.
Solution: Mobile-friendly Odoo forms and checklists.
Challenge 2: Adoption resistance
Switching from manual processes caused hesitation.
Solution: On-site training, role-based practice sessions, and simplified workflows.
Challenge 3: No structured spare-parts tracking
Parts were used without consistent documentation.
Solution: Direct integration between maintenance tasks and Inventory for automatic stock control.
Results: How Odoo Improved Maintenance Performance
✔ Significant Reduction in Downtime
Preventive maintenance schedules were automated, monitored, and consistently completed.
✔ Improved Visibility & Reporting
Managers gained dashboards showing:
- Downtime trends
- Asset performance
- Maintenance metrics
- Spare-part usage
- Root-cause insights
✔ Faster Maintenance Cycles
Approvals and job cards moved faster due to automation and mobile accessibility.
✔ Higher Productivity & Fewer Errors
Standardised digital workflows improved consistency across teams.
✔ Cost Savings
Preventive maintenance and predictive insights reduced emergency repairs and unplanned spare parts purchases.
Overall Impact:
A smarter, more reliable manufacturing operation with dramatically reduced downtime and stronger maintenance control.
Future Plans
The client plans to expand their Odoo environment with additional modules such as:
- Manufacturing
- HR
- Purchasing
- Studio for extended workflow automation
They continue working with XRA to grow their digital operations.
Why Companies Choose XRA for Odoo Implementations
- Expertise in manufacturing, maintenance, and inventory
- Deep understanding of Odoo’s workflow engine
- Fast implementation timelines
- Mobile-first optimisation
- Strong training and user adoption support
- 20+ years of industry experience
FAQ
How does Odoo improve maintenance operations?
Odoo automates preventive maintenance, tracks corrective repairs, integrates spare-parts inventory, and provides real-time reporting to reduce downtime.
Does Odoo reduce machine failures?
Yes. Automated schedules and standardised processes significantly reduce unplanned failures.
How long does Odoo Maintenance implementation take?
With an experienced partner like XRA, full implementation takes as little as two months.
Can staff use mobile devices for maintenance logging?
Absolutely. Odoo allows staff to log tasks, complete checklists, and submit approvals from any mobile device.