Every year at Auguria, we support dozens of companies in their digital transformation with Odoo. And invariably, one question comes up at the very start of the discussion:
"Can you give us a fixed price for the whole project?"
It is a legitimate request. The client is looking for visibility, budget control, and sometimes a bit of contractual security.
But this request often hides a more complex reality: how do you set a price on a need that is not yet stabilized?
The trap of a fixed price too early
Even when the client has written a complete requirements specification, it is rarely enough to establish a clear, usable vision for an ERP project:
- It describes intentions more than precise uses;
- It is sometimes based on how an old tool works (and its limits);
- It does not always identify the gaps with standard Odoo;
- And above all, it rarely provides a realistic mapping of flows, volumes, or priorities.
The result: a fixed price set at this stage is either too vague to be reliable, oversized “just in case”, or... completely wrong.
Our answer: a clear, structured three-step approach
1. Business analysis with a smart POC (Proof of Concept)
We don't believe in long speeches. We believe in quick hands-on practice on the client's real cases.
That is why every project starts with a business analysis phase coupled with a POC. This approach makes it possible to:
- Understand the company's real processes, beyond what is declared;
- Test Odoo on these processes to validate assumptions;
- Identify the gaps between standard Odoo and the real business needs;
- Feed a backlog as we go, with all the uncovered needs;
- Start outlining the data migration strategy (which sources? which formats? which volumes?);
- Prepare any interfaces that need to be anticipated.
This first phase is essential: it makes it possible to define the need objectively, move beyond theory, and proceed methodically.
2. The MVP: deploy fast, deploy well, and avoid the tunnel effect
Once the analysis is complete, we enter the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) phase.
Goal: quickly put into production a first version of Odoo that covers the company's key functions, while ensuring interconnection with the existing systems.
The MVP includes:
- A solid functional foundation based on the priority modules;
- The custom developments identified during the analysis phase;
- The first connectors to third-party tools (accounting, logistics, e-commerce, etc.);
- And above all: a progressive go-live, to avoid the tunnel effect.
Because the major risk of poorly managed ERP projects is the moment when nobody knows what is ready, what remains to be done, or when everything will really be usable.
We prefer to move forward through concrete milestones. Each go-live, even a partial one, makes it possible to:
- Validate assumptions in real conditions;
- Get immediate feedback;
- Adjust the backlog realistically;
- And give visibility to the whole organization.
3. The extended scope: stabilize, extend, capitalize
Once the MVP is stabilized, we continue with the controlled extension of the scope.
This phase makes it possible to:
- Integrate non-critical or more complex modules;
- Consolidate additional data migrations;
- Adjust the interfaces after field feedback;
- And keep evolving Odoo in step with operational reality.
We remain in a logic of continuous improvement, with a tool that evolves at the client's pace, with no disconnect between strategy and execution.
Yes, a budget is possible... but it depends on mutual commitment
At each step, we define with the client indicative budgets that are realistic, adjustable, and above all understandable.
For this to work, certain conditions must be met:
On the client side:
- An involved and present executive management;
- A business SPOC able to make quick decisions;
- An available project team ready to review processes;
- Clear objectives, formalized and shared;
- An ambitious but realistic schedule.
On the integrator side:
- Being proactive with proposals, not just executing;
- Capitalizing on experience to avoid the classic pitfalls;
- Managing the project with method, transparency and responsiveness.
The ERP as a revealer (and catalyst) of business processes
As an integrator, we very often observe a well-known field reality that is rarely stated in requirements specifications:
- Some processes simply do not exist.
- Others lack maturity, are verbal, empirical, or carried by a single person in the company.
And in these cases, deploying an ERP like Odoo becomes much more than a simple IT project.
- It becomes the structuring catalyst to document, formalize or evolve processes.
- It acts as a lever for continuous improvement, often welcome, to strengthen internal practices.
This phenomenon is not a failure on the client's part; on the contrary, it is a strategic opportunity: that of building solid foundations by relying on the right questions raised by the ERP project.
But for this to work, this reality must be acknowledged from the outset and the integrator must adopt a partner mindset, not just that of an order-taker.
What we are trying to build
An ERP project must not be a black box or a race for lines of code.
It is a structured transformation approach, with progressive choices, tested tools, and a committed team.
When all these elements come together:
- The project moves forward smoothly,
- The budget is under control,
- And Odoo becomes a real lever for business performance.
And you?
If you are tired of opaque quotes and projects frozen from the start...
Let's talk about your processes. Let's talk about analysis. Let's talk about what matters