Electronic invoicing: Odoo does much more than just send it

Electronic invoicing is not just about 'sending a PDF differently.' Tomorrow, a B2B invoice will need to be:

• structured(data readable by systems, not just by a human);

• transmitted via a platformrecognized by the State — we often talk aboutapproved platform, and the termPDPis still widely used;

• compliant with the mentions(which become fields to be filled out correctly, not lines that can be 'approached').

On the calendar side, the idea to remember is simple:everyone must be able to receive in 2026, thenissuance becomes mandatory based on the size of companies(2026/2027).

The real challenge: to produce an accurate invoice… before transmitting it

Platforms do not 'fix' an invoice. They transport it, control it, direct it. If the information is inconsistent (incomplete third party, shaky VAT, missing delivery address, poorly configured conditions), you get rejections, returns, corrections — in short, hours that melt away.

Odoo is more efficient than isolated 'e-invoice' tools because it addresses the root:the quality of what is produced.

Clean data, only once

A reliable invoice mainly depends on solid references:

• well-identified clients/suppliers (without duplicates or variations);

• consistent addresses and legal information;

• correctly configured VAT;

• well-defined products/services (prices, units, taxes, accounts);

• homogeneous payment terms.

Odoo centralizes this information and reuses it everywhere. The result: we stop 'redoing' the data for each invoice.

Chained processes, therefore fewer errors.

An invoice becomes robust when it is the logical continuation of a controlled flow:

• quote → order → delivery → invoice;

• supplier order → receipt → supplier invoice;

• contract → recurring invoices;

• project → time spent + purchases → invoice.

In a stack of tools, the invoice is often an isolated act. In Odoo, it is the culmination of a chain, making it more coherent.

Controls at the right time.

Odoo allows for the insertion of safeguards in daily operations:

• validations based on thresholds (amount, type of purchase, cost center);

• variance controls (invoice vs order/receipt when relevant);

• mandatory fields (VAT, analytical, project, accounts);

• clear audit trail (who does what, when, on which document).

The benefit is immediate: fewer corrective credits, fewer back-and-forths, smoother closures.

The other benefit, often underestimated: management control becomes natural.

Once the 'invoice' data is made reliable, a second issue comes into play:the same data is used for management.

Thegeneral accountinganswers to:“How much have we earned?”

Themanagement controlanswers to:“Where do we earn, where do we lose, and why?”

Odoo facilitates this transition because analytics is connected to operations.

Useful analytics: simple, connected to reality

With Odoo, you can allocate costs and revenues across a few really useful axes:

• project / business;

• activity / business line;

• team / agency;

• cost center;

• client, range, etc.

The challenge is not to add complexity. On the contrary:few axes, but systematic, to obtain reliable figures.

Fewer adjustments, more decisions

When analytics follows the flows, it happens “on the go”:

• a purchase expense takes the axis of the relevant project;

• a supplier invoice follows the logic of the order;

• the time spent feeds into the cost of a project;

• the sale feeds into the margin of the activity.

You move from “end of month” analytics to “management” analytics. And there, decisions become concrete: margin by project, client profitability, budget drift, trade-off between outsourcing and in-house production.

The chaining with other modules: the decisive advantage of an ERP

This is the point that saves the most time: Odoo is not an additional layer. It is a system where modules communicate with each other.

• Sales → invoicing → collection: visibility on sold/delivered/invoiced/paid, more effective reminders, better cash flow management.

• Purchases → reception → invoice → payment: control of discrepancies, reduction of disputes, secure payments.

• Stock/production → costs → actual margin: a margin based on observed costs, not on assumptions.

• Projects/services → time → costs → re-invoicing → margin: profitability measured by project, not “by feel.”

Electronic invoice tools handle transmission very well. Odoo does better: itreduces the causes of errorsandmakes the data usable.

The method to go fast, without endless projects

1. Map the flows(sales, purchases, credits, deposits, services, stock).

2. Clean up essential data(third parties, VAT, products, addresses).

3. Define validations and controls(thresholds, discrepancies, supporting documents).

4. Establish a simple analytics(useful axes, mandatory where needed).

5. Test a complete chain(order → invoice → payment → bank → analysis), then deploy by flow.

Conclusion

Electronic invoicing is a compliance requirement. Odoo makes it a lever: more reliable invoices, secure processes, and above all, management that finally relies on consistent data.

At Auguria, our approach is simple: first secure the flows that produce the invoice, then transform the same data into decision-making indicators (margin, budget, profitability). Compliance naturally follows.