Industry & Context
A specialized coating services manufacturer providing solid coats, hydro coats, and chrome coats. Their operations involve a multi-stage manufacturing process, requiring skilled labor at different stages, with a heavy dependency on quality control to ensure durable finishes.
The company initially sought to streamline their accounting processes, but the scope of the project quickly expanded to cover HR, inventory, and manufacturing operations due to the complexity of their workflows.
Initial Challenges
- Complex Multi-Stage Production
- Each coating type (solid, hydro, chrome) involved sequential steps—surface preparation, coating application, curing, polishing—often handled by different skilled workers.
- Lack of structured workflow tracking led to delays and inconsistent product quality.
- Manual & Disconnected Accounting
- Accounting was handled separately from operations, creating gaps in financial accuracy, costing, and cash flow visibility.
- Inventory Management Issues
- Coating materials, chemicals, and consumables were difficult to track, with frequent discrepancies between actual and recorded stock.
- Wastage and re-ordering errors increased costs.
- Labor & HR Oversight
- Skilled labor was not optimally allocated to jobs.
- No integrated way to track working hours against production tasks, impacting accurate costing and payroll.
Odoo Implementation
Modules Deployed
- Accounting
- Manufacturing (MRP)
- Inventory
- HR
Key Configuration & Workflow Enhancements
- Manufacturing Workflow Optimization
- Configured multi-step routing and operations for each coating type.
- Defined work centers for skilled labor tasks (e.g., prep, coating, curing, polishing).
- Enabled progress tracking with automated work order sequencing.
- Labor Assignment & Tracking
- Integrated HR with Manufacturing to assign specific skilled workers to operations.
- Time-tracking linked directly to work orders for accurate job costing.
- Inventory Control
- Raw materials (chemicals, powders, additives, consumables) linked to BoMs (Bills of Materials).
- Automated stock moves from raw material warehouses to production lines.
- Improved wastage tracking and reorder rules for critical materials.
- Accounting Integration
- Direct connection between production costs (materials + labor) and accounting.
- Automatic journal entries generated for stock moves, labor time, and finished goods valuation.
Results & Business Impact
| Outcome Area | Improvement Achieved |
|---|---|
| Production Workflow | Clear visibility of each coating stage reduced delays and improved product consistency. |
| Inventory Accuracy | Raw material discrepancies reduced by 50–60%, ensuring reliable stock availability. |
| Labor Efficiency | Optimized skilled labor allocation; better utilization cut idle labor hours significantly. |
| Cost Transparency | Accurate product costing and margin analysis enabled smarter pricing decisions. |
| Financial Oversight | Seamless accounting integration increased clarity in cash flow and financial reporting. |
Summary
By implementing Odoo across Accounting, Manufacturing, Inventory, and HR, this coating services manufacturer transformed its operations from manual, disconnected workflows into a streamlined, integrated system. They now enjoy real-time visibility across production stages, optimized labor usage, improved cost control, and enhanced financial reporting—all critical in a business where precision and quality define customer satisfaction.
