Gap confirmation
Check the requirement against standard features, configuration options and Studio before anything is built.
Odoo customisation, scoped and specified properly
Every customisation has to be maintained and carried through future upgrades, so my first job is to check whether standard Odoo or configuration already covers the need. When a gap is real, I write the functional specification, agree acceptance tests with you, coordinate the build and test the result. On my projects the development itself is usually done by Odoo developers at Master Software Solutions, working from that specification.
Problems this solves
- A real business requirement that standard Odoo doesn’t cover, such as an industry-specific calculation or document.
- Fields, reports or approval steps your team needs to work properly.
- An integration between Odoo and another system your business depends on.
- Existing custom modules nobody fully understands, which block an upgrade.
A good fit if
- You’ve confirmed the requirement matters to how the business runs or earns money.
- You’re on Odoo.sh or on-premise hosting, or willing to move there for custom code.
- You want customisation documented so another team could maintain it later.
Probably not the right fit if
- The change is about preference rather than need; configuration or a process change is usually cheaper.
- You’re on Odoo Online and can’t change hosting; Odoo Online doesn’t accept custom modules, though Studio covers some needs.
Scope
Functional specification
What it must do, for whom, with examples, edge cases and acceptance criteria in plain language.
Build coordination
Work with the developers through questions, reviews and changes so the build matches the specification.
Testing
Test against the acceptance criteria in a test database, including the surrounding standard flows.
Documentation
A short record of what was built, why, and what to check at the next upgrade.
What you receive
- A written decision on each requested change: standard, configuration, Studio, or custom build.
- Functional specifications with acceptance criteria for approved custom work.
- Test evidence before the change reaches your live database.
- Documentation of each customisation for future maintenance and upgrades.
How the work runs
- Collect requirements. Understand the business need behind each request, with real examples.
- Fit check. Try standard Odoo, configuration and Studio first, and record why they don't work if they don't.
- Specify and estimate. Write the specification, then have the developers estimate it.
- Build and review. Development in a test environment, with reviews against the specification as it progresses.
- Test and release. Acceptance testing by your users, then release to production in a planned window.
What I need from you
- Real examples of the documents, calculations or cases the change must handle.
- A decision-maker who can approve the specification and the estimate.
- Hosting that supports custom modules (Odoo.sh or on-premise).
- Users available to test against the acceptance criteria.
Experience behind this service
- Business analyst since April 2022, writing requirements, user stories and acceptance criteria for development teams.
- Six years as a developer and team lead (2016 to 2022) before moving into analysis and project management, so I understand how specifications become code.
- Guides on over-customising Odoo and what Studio can do without code.
- Projects I worked on at MSS with targeted custom work, such as automatic nesting batches for a metal fabricator and customs invoices for a tools distributor.
You work with me directly: I'm Sajjal Bajaj, an Odoo ERP consultant and project manager at Master Software Solutions in Mohali, India. Read about my background or see my CV.
? Frequently asked questions
When should Odoo be customised?
When a requirement is important to how the business runs and neither standard features, configuration nor Studio can meet it. Every custom module has to be adapted at each future version upgrade, so the benefit should clearly outweigh that cost.
Can I customise Odoo Online?
Only within what Studio and configuration allow. Odoo's documentation states that Odoo Online is incompatible with custom modules and modules from the Odoo Apps Store. Custom code needs Odoo.sh or on-premise hosting.
Who writes the code?
Odoo developers at Master Software Solutions, with me as tech lead. I confirm the gap, write the specification, lead the developers through the build and test it with your users before it goes live.
Will customisations make upgrades harder?
They add work to every upgrade, because each custom module must be adapted to the new version before the database can be upgraded. Keeping customisation small, documented and built on Odoo's framework keeps that work manageable.
Have a requirement standard Odoo doesn't cover?
Describe what you need and show me an example. I'll tell you honestly whether configuration can handle it, and if not, what a specification would involve.
Discuss your project