You sent 240 components to an external manufacturer and received 90 finished units out of 120. Before purchasing material for the next run, you need to know what the manufacturer used and what is still there. In Odoo, the answer starts with choosing a purchasing and inventory flow that reflects who supplies the parts and how they reach the manufacturer.
At ToDoOps, we start with one product and one purchase order, then test a partial receipt before rolling out the process. When the buyer can see what is still due and finance can trace the material movement to a document, management can decide whether to order more or use what was already sent.
Which Odoo subcontracting workflow fits your supply arrangement?
Odoo 19 documents three workflows 1. Choose one based on how components actually move. The manufacturer name and the way it charges for the work are separate decisions.
| Who supplies the parts? | How do they move? | Odoo workflow |
|---|---|---|
| The subcontractor buys its own parts | You receive the finished goods from the subcontractor | Basic subcontracting |
| Your company supplies parts from stock | Your warehouse sends parts to the subcontractor | Resupply subcontracting |
| Your company buys parts from another vendor | That vendor sends them straight to the subcontractor | Dropship to subcontractor |
Write down what your team expects to see on the trial order. In the first case the buyer follows the due date for finished goods. In the second case the warehouse needs a record of the parts sent. In the third case the buyer needs evidence that the manufacturer received parts that never came through your warehouse. Agree who confirms the quantity and how they report a short delivery.
How does Odoo connect a purchase order to stock at the subcontractor?
For resupply from your stock, the Odoo documentation shows how to add the subcontractor as the product’s vendor, set up a subcontracting bill of materials, and enable the resupply route for the relevant components. After confirming the purchase order for the finished product, review the component transfer from your warehouse. Validate the finished-product receipt against what arrived. The movement history gives your team a way to follow parts into the subcontracting location and review the movements associated with production and receipt 1.
Start with the component that causes the most questions at stocktake. Check its unit of measure, the lot number where traceability matters, and the version of the bill of materials both parties use. If the subcontractor uses a substitute part or returns unused material, have the responsible people record what actually happened and use those records during reconciliation. The details will matter when finance asks where the difference came from.
Worked example: receiving 90 units against a 120-unit order
Use this hypothetical example to design your own test. You ordered 120 finished units, each requiring two pieces of one component. You sent the full planned quantity and accepted 90 finished units in the first delivery.
| Item | Calculation | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Components sent | 120 × 2 | 240 pieces |
| Theoretical use for the accepted delivery | 90 × 2 | 180 pieces |
| Difference to reconcile | 240 − 180 | 60 pieces |
The 60 is the difference between the quantity sent and theoretical use for the accepted units. Ask for a statement showing usable stock, parts in unfinished or undelivered work, and any documented returns or scrap. Compare the statement with actual movements before deciding what to buy for the next run. Treat the difference as a reconciliation item until you can explain it.
To estimate the rollout effort, start with the number of subcontractors, the bills of materials to bring over, and the time you spend matching records each month. Use the calculators to estimate a project budget or current effort with figures from your business.
What should you check with the subcontractor before going live?
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization’s supplier profiling programme collects information on supplier skills and capacity to help match manufacturers with buyers 2. Turn that approach into practical questions. What materials does your supplier receive? How does it record lots? Who signs off the completed quantity? Can it send a movement statement you can match to the purchase order?
Test one supplier and one product, including a partial receipt and a component return or rejected finished quantity. Assign someone to confirm dispatch, someone to approve receipt and someone to match the supplier’s statement to the movements. Finance can review the records before interpreting any difference, and purchasing can follow the remaining quantity and due date. Review the Odoo applications and industry solutions for related processes. The interactive walkthrough shows how an order relates to stock. Use your own product and component data to test subcontracting.
Where should you start with Odoo subcontracting?
Bring a purchase order with sensitive details removed, one product’s bill of materials, and a sample material statement from the subcontractor. Use the contact page to discuss which workflow fits and prepare a focused acceptance test. For a broader review, explore ToDoOps Odoo solutions and use the calculators to estimate cost and effort.
Sources
[1] Odoo, official documentation 19.0. The basic subcontracting, resupply and dropship-to-subcontractor guides cover bills of materials, purchase orders and receiving movements.
[2] United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Subcontracting and Partnership Exchange. The profiling guide explains how supplier skills and production capacity are documented to support buyer and supplier matching.