In many situations (vehicle fleet, laptops, identical machines), you need to depreciate each item separately and sometimes dispose of just one without touching the others. Managing assets "in bulk" creates limitations:
- grouped depreciation that is hard to read,
- partial disposal that is complicated or even impossible,
- difficult profitability analysis per unit or per site.
The asset-by-asset approach addresses these issues: each item follows its own accounting life (acquisition, depreciation, possible disposal), while remaining tied to a common framework (chart of accounts, analytics, asset groups).
The Odoo 18 solution: Manage Items
Goal: turn a purchase line of quantity N into N separate assets.
Where? Accounting → Configuration → Chart of Accounts → open the relevant fixed asset account → Automation tab:
- Automate Asset: Create in draft or Create and validate (select an Asset Model if applicable).
- Check Manage Items (also called Gérer les articles in French).
💡 Tip: on large purchases, you can combine Manage Items with an asset model per type of asset (e.g. "Vehicle – 5 years"), to standardize depreciation periods and methods.
Concrete example: 5 vehicles purchased, 1 resold in year 2
Without Manage Items
- 1 global asset for 5 cars → grouped depreciation.
- Resell 1 car? You have to improvise: no clean single-unit disposal.
With Manage Items
- 5 purchases = 5 assets (Car #1 … #5).
- Depreciation, disposal, replacement: independent for each asset.
- Clearer reporting (by license plate, by cost center, by site).
| Case | Asset creation | Depreciation | Partial disposal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without Manage Items | 1 global asset | Grouped | Difficult / not natively supported |
| With Manage Items | N assets (by Qty) | Individualized | ✅ clean and traceable |
Setup steps (step by step)
- Identify the fixed asset accounts in use (vehicles, equipment, etc.).
- Create/adjust asset models (duration, method, prorata, depreciation accounts).
- On each fixed asset account → Automation tab → enable Manage Items.
- Test on a vendor bill with quantity > 1.
- Check the entry's "Assets" smart button: you should see one asset per unit.
- (Optional) Link the assets to an asset group (e.g. "Fleet 2025") and to analytics (e.g. "Paris Branch").
Best practices & governance
- Name assets clearly (e.g. "Vehicle – AA‑123‑BB – 2025").
- Standardize asset models by category (duration, method, accounts) and document them.
- Use analytics (departments, sites, projects) for reporting by entity.
- Asset groups: group by acquisition batch, site, or family to filter and act in bulk.
- Disposal process: formalize who can dispose of assets, at what price, and which controls apply (accounting validation, supporting documents).
Usage variations by industry
- Manufacturing: production lines with identical units (robots, conveyors) → asset-level tracking to compare breakdowns/costs.
- IT: computer and server fleets → unit-level disposals/replacements, tracking by user or by site.
- Real estate: can be combined with a component-based approach (structure, roof, elevators) by creating one asset per significant component and grouping them.
Controls & reporting to put in place
- Fixed asset dashboard: incoming/outgoing assets, depreciation charges, net book value by family.
- Audit trail: attached supporting documents (invoices, disposal slips, photos).
- Reconciliations: consistency between accounting fixed assets and the physical inventory (periodic counts).
- Closing: checklist (accrued depreciation, validated disposals, impairment tests if needed).
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
The deciding setting is on the fixed asset account. The product can, however, be configured to point to this account and inherit the behavior.
Odoo will create a single asset (normal behavior). The option makes full sense as soon as the quantity is > 1.
Dispose of the replaced asset (sale/scrapping), and capitalize the new item as a new asset. Individualization makes the operation clean and traceable.
Odoo also supports a component-based approach through parent/child assets.
In practice:
- A parent asset represents the overall item (e.g. Building – 12 rue de Paris).
- Child assets represent the significant items that are depreciated separately (e.g. Structure – 40 years, Roof – 15 years, Elevator – 10 years).
Each child has its own duration, depreciation method and accounting life. The parent serves as a logical grouping and gives a consolidated view.
Practical example:
- You replace the roof in year 12 → you dispose of only the child asset "Roof" and create a new "Roof 2025", while keeping the building as the overall framework.
- This guarantees clear traceability and reporting both by component and by overall asset.
In summary:
- Manage Items = track identical items separately (5 cars, 20 PCs).
- Parent/child assets = break a complex asset down into depreciable components.
The two approaches are complementary and cover most practical cases (manufacturing, real estate, IT, etc.).
Conclusion
By enabling Manage Items on your fixed asset accounts, you move from global tracking to fine-grained, compliant and actionable management of your assets: individualized depreciation, clean single-unit disposals, and more useful reporting for management and decision-making.
In plain terms: Odoo 18 lets each asset have its own accounting life.
Go further with Auguria
We support SMEs and mid-sized companies in:
- the audit and design of the fixed asset model,
- Odoo configuration (asset models, accounts, automations),
- change management and training,
- setting up fixed asset reporting that is useful to Finance Departments.