Project phases are useful when each one ends with something you can see and use: a written scope, then a workflow running on a sample, then reviewed data, then users working in it, then live operation with someone supporting it. ToDoOps proposes the map below so you can understand what you receive and who reviews it. Activities can overlap according to your scope and team readiness.
KPMG’s October 2025 paper on ERP controls and migration, from its Nigerian advisory practice, describes the core migration processes in three groups: pre-migration preparation of scope, process, data and stakeholders; migration mapping, validation, testing and cutover; and post-migration support, training and optimisation [2]. The idea we draw on is that preparation, transition and operating improvement are connected.
The map at a glance
| Stage | What you receive | Who reviews it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Goal and scope | The first cycle, its success measure, what is deferred | Owner and process owners |
| 2. Configured workflow | A workflow running on a sample | Process owners and finance |
| 3. Data and import rehearsal | An imported sample reconciled in business terms | Data owner and accountant |
| 4. Training and acceptance | Acceptance cases performed by users | Users and the decision-maker |
| 5. Cutover, support, improvement | Approved start, support channel, improvement list | Owner and operations lead |
One illustrative example runs through every stage: a distributor that wants to see a customer’s order, delivery status and invoice in one place. It is a hypothetical scenario, not a customer case.
Stage 1: Analyse the Odoo requirement and define the first scope
The output is a scope page the owner can follow before the implementer does: the first cycle, roles, data, what stays outside Odoo, and what is deferred by decision. In the distributor example the cycle is quotation, order, delivery and invoice, and success means everyone sees the same order status. The relevant applications are described on the Odoo apps page.
Stage 2: Configure Odoo and demonstrate the workflow
We configure the cycle and run a sample from start to finish in a review environment. The process owner sees where a record is entered, who receives it next and where it appears in a report. We distinguish what is standard, what is configured and what needs agreed development. To see the idea of a connected cycle first, you can try Odoo interactively: a guided simulation with fictional data for a sales and stock flow. It helps you follow order states and quantities across departments.
If your scope includes Saudi invoicing, we identify the invoice types you need, configure them and test them in the relevant modules. Odoo 19.0 provides Saudi accounting and e-invoicing localisation modules. Configuration and testing with finance are included in the agreed invoice scope.
Stage 3: Migrate Odoo data and reconcile balances
Odoo 19.0 supports importing Excel and CSV files for objects such as contacts, products, journal entries and orders [1]. An accepted file format is different from correct mapping and balances. The import operation is permanent and has no automatic undo, so we rehearse on a non-production copy with an appropriate backup before the real cutover.
Stable external IDs also help relationships and updates, so we do not match a business identity on a repeated display name alone. In the distributor example we rehearse a sample of customers, products and opening-balance documents within scope, then finance checks their business meaning: does a customer’s balance match their records, and is each product tied to the right unit? That reconciliation is what makes the data ready for training.
Stage 4: Train Odoo users and accept the results
Each role practises its own tasks, then agreed acceptance cases are performed by the users themselves, with each result recorded. This is where transparent progress helps.
An illustrative example: twelve acceptance cases are agreed, nine are accepted and three remain open. 9 ÷ 12 = 75% of those cases accepted. That is not 75% of project value or effort, and not a readiness-to-launch figure. What matters is what the remaining three are. If they include a core required flow, we complete it before you rely on that scope. If they are optional enhancements, we phase them by agreement while keeping a usable first workflow. Your decision stays calm and based on impact. The example is illustrative management practice, not actual ToDoOps delivery performance.
Stage 5: Launch Odoo, support users and improve
Together we set when entry stops in the old system, the final transfer, reconciliation and who approves the start. Afterwards you receive the approved configuration, the improvement list and a way to request support. This is where improvement begins: what worked can expand, and new needs enter a plan for the next phase. The agreement defines support scope, channels and follow-up responsibilities.
How do I connect the stages to time and budget?
No universal ratio per stage fits every company. Scope first, then use the ToDoOps calculators for an initial estimate of time or budget. See the timeline guide for tying dates to decisions and data, and the implementation guide for choosing the first scope.
Frequently asked questions
Must the stages follow this exact order? It is a practical proposed order and some activities overlap. What matters is that each stage’s output and reviewer are visible.
Who reviews data before migration? The data owner checks records and units, finance reconciles balances, and the implementer checks field mapping and relationships. We bring those reviews together on a sample before approving migration.
Is training part of the project? Yes. It is agreed in scope and tied to acceptance cases, so users work on their own tasks.
References
- Odoo, version 19.0 documentation, “Export and import data”: the source for Excel and CSV import, external IDs and the permanent nature of imports; and “Saudi Arabia” for Saudi accounting and invoicing localisation.
- KPMG Advisory Services (Nigeria), “Mastering ERP Controls and Migration for Business Excellence”, October 2025, KPMG Africa Tech Risk: a description of preparation, migration and post-migration support.
Your next step
Each stage is measured by what it gives you: clearer visibility, data you trust and a team working with confidence. Explore the ToDoOps Odoo implementation approach, use the calculators if you want an initial implementation cost and savings estimate, then contact us with your current transaction and intended first phase to discuss its outputs and the appropriate next step.