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==========================
Odoo Online Implementation
==========================

This document summarizes **Odoo's Online services**, our Success Pack
**implementation methodology**, and *best practices* to **get started**
with our product.

*We recommend that new Odoo Online customers read this document before
the kick-off call with our project manager. This way, we save time and
don't have to use your hours from the success pack discussing the
basics.*

*If you have not read this document, our project manager will review
this with you at the time of the kick-off call.*

Getting Started
===============

Do not wait for the kick-off meeting to begin playing with the software.
The more exposure you have with Odoo, the more time you will save later
during the implementation.

Once you purchase an Odoo Online subscription, you will receive
instructions by e-mail on how to activate or create your database. From
this email, you can activate your existing Odoo database or create a new
one from scratch.

If you did not receive this email, e.g. because the payment was made by
someone else in your company, contact our support using our 
`online support form <https://www.odoo.com/help>`__.

.. image:: media/getting_started02.png
    :align: center

Fill in the sign-in or sign-up screens and you will get your first Odoo
database ready to be used. 

In order to familiarize yourself with the user interface, take a few
minutes to create records: *products, customers, opportunities or
projects / tasks*. Follow the blinking dots, they give you tips about
the user interface as shown in the picture below.

+----------------+----------------+
|  |left_pic|    | |right_pic|    |
+----------------+----------------+

Once you get used to the user interface, have a look at the
implementation planners. These are accessible from the Settings app, or
from the top progress bar on the right hand side of the main
applications.

.. image:: media/getting_started05.png
    :align: center

These implementation planners will:

-  help you define your goals and KPIs for each application,

-  guide you through the different configuration steps,

-  and provide you with tips and tricks to getting the most out of Odoo.

Fill in the first steps of the implementation planner (goals,
expectations and KPIs). Our project manager will review them with you
during the implementation process.

.. image:: media/getting_started06.png
    :align: center

If you have questions or need support, our project manager will guide
you through all the steps. But you can also:

-   Read the documentation on our website:
    `https://www.odoo.com/documentation/user <https://www.odoo.com/documentation/user>`__

-   Or send your questions to our online support through our
    `online support form <https://www.odoo.com/help>`__.

What do we expect from you?
===========================

We used to deploy full featured projects within 25 to 250 hours of
services, which is much faster than any other ERP vendor on the market.
Most projects are completed between 1 and 4 calendar months.

But what really **differentiates between a successful implementation and
a slow one, is you, the customer!** From our experience, here is what
leads to a successful project.

Your internal implementation manager
------------------------------------

We will ask you for a single point of contact within your company work
on the project with our project manager. To be efficient, this person
must:

-   **be available at least 2 full days a week** for the project,
    otherwise you will slow down the implementation. More is better,
    the fastest implementations have a full time project manager.

-   **have authority to take decisions** on their own. Odoo usually
    transforms all departments of companies for the better. In such a
    project, you have a lot of decisions to take on small details. If
    there is too much back and forth between several decision makers,
    it could potentially seriously slow things down.

-   **have the leadership** to train and enforce policies at most
    departments. This person must have the support, or be part, of
    the top management.

Integrate 95% of your business, not 100%
----------------------------------------

You probably chose Odoo because no other software allows for such a high
level of automation, feature coverage and integration. But **don't be an
extremist in that direction.**

Customizations cost you money, are more complex to maintain, add risks
to the implementation and can cause issues with upgrades.

Standard Odoo can probably cover 95% of your business. Be flexible on
the remaining 5%, otherwise that 5% will cost you twice the original
project price. One always underestimates the hidden costs of
customization.

-   **Do it the Odoo way, not yours.** Be flexible, use Odoo the way it
    was designed. Learn how it works and don't try to replicate the
    way your old system(s) works.

-   **The project first, customizations second.** If you really want
    customizations, phase them in at the end of the project, ideally
    after going into production. Once a customer starts using Odoo,
    they usually drop about 60% of their customization requests as
    they learn to do it the out of the box Odoo way. It is more
    important to have all your business processes working than
    customizing a screen to add fields or automate a few e-mails.

Our project managers are trained to help you make the right decision and
measure the tradeoffs involved but it is much easier if you are aligned
with them on the objectives.

Invest time in learning Odoo
----------------------------

Start your free trial. Play with the system. The more comfortable you
are with Odoo, the better your decisions will be and the training phase
will be that much easier.

Nothing replaces playing with the software, but here are some extra
resources:

-   Documentation:
    `https://www.odoo.com/documentation/user <https://www.odoo.com/documentation/user>`__

-   Introduction Videos:
    `https://www.odoo.com/r/videos <https://www.odoo.com/r/videos>`__

-   Customer Reviews:
    `https://www.odoo.com/blog/customer-reviews-6 <https://www.odoo.com/blog/customer-reviews-6>`__

Get things done
---------------

Want an easy way to start using Odoo? Install Odoo Notes to manage your
to-do list for the implementation:
`https://www.odoo.com/page/notes <https://www.odoo.com/page/notes>`__.
From your Odoo home, go to Apps and install the Notes application.

.. image:: media/getting_started07.png
    :align: center

This module allows you to:

-   Manage to-do lists for better interactions with your consultant;

-   Share Odoo knowledge & good practices with your employees;

-   Get acquainted with all the generic tools of Odoo: Messaging,
    Discussion Groups, Kanban Dashboard, etc.

.. image:: media/getting_started08.png
    :align: center

.. tip::
    This application is even compatible with the Etherpad platform
    (http://etherpad.org). To use these collaborative pads rather than
    standard Odoo Notes, install the following add-on: Memos Pad.

What should you expect from us?
===============================

Subscription Services
---------------------

Cloud Hosting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Odoo provides a top notch cloud infrastructure including backups in
three different data centers, database replication, the ability to
duplicate your instance in 10 minutes, and more!

-   Odoo Online SLA:
    `https://www.odoo.com/page/odoo-online-sla <https://www.odoo.com/page/odoo-online-sla>`__\

-   Odoo Online Security:
    `https://www.odoo.com/page/security <https://www.odoo.com/fr_FR/page/security>`__

-   Privacy Policies:
    `https://www.odoo.com/page/odoo-privacy-policy <https://www.odoo.com/page/odoo-privacy-policy>`__

Support
~~~~~~~

Your Odoo Online subscription includes an **unlimited support service at
no extra cost, 24/5, Monday to Friday**. To cover 24 hours, our teams
are in San Francisco, Belgium and India. Questions could be about
anything and everything from: how to use or configure, bugfix requests,
payments or subscription issues.

Our support can be contacted through our
`online support form <https://www.odoo.com/help>`__.

Note: The support team cannot develop new features, customize, import
data or train your users. These services are provided by your dedicated
project manager, as part of the Success Pack.

Upgrades
~~~~~~~~

Once every two months, Odoo releases a new version. You will get an
upgrade button within the **Manage Your Databases** screen. Upgrading your
database is at your own discretion, but allows you to benefit from new
features.

We provide the option to upgrade in a test environment so that you can
evaluate a new version or train your team before the roll out. Simply
fill our `online support form <https://www.odoo.com/help>`__ to make this request.

Success Pack Services
---------------------

The Success Pack is a package of premium hour-based services performed
by a dedicated project manager and business analyst. The list of
services according to your success pack is detailed online:
`https://www.odoo.com/pricing-packs <https://www.odoo.com/pricing-packs>`__

The goal of the project manager is to help you get to production within
the defined time frame and budget, i.e. the initial number of hours
defined in your success pack.

His/her role includes:

-   **Project Management:** review of your objectives & expectations,
    phasing of the implementation (road map), mapping of your
    business needs and the Odoo features.

-   **Customized Support:** by phone, e-mail or webinar.

-   **Training, Coaching, and Onsite Consulting:** remote trainings via
    screen sharing or training on premises. For on premise training
    sessions, you will be expected to pay extra for travel expenses
    and accommodations for your consultant.

-   **Configuration:** decisions about how to implement specific needs in
    Odoo and advanced configuration. (e.g. logistic routes, advanced
    pricing structures, etc.)

-   **Data Import**: we can do it or assist you on how to do it with a
    template prepared by the project manager.

If you have subscribed to a **Custom App**, you benefit from following
extra services:

-   **Customization of screens**

-   **Customization of reports (PDF):** our project managers have access
    to developers for advanced customizations.

-   **Website Design:** standard themes are provided to get started at
    no extra cost. However, our project manager can coach you on how to utilize
    the building blocks of the website designer. The time spent will consume
    hours of your success pack.

-   **Workflow automations:** e.g. setting values in fields based on
    triggers, sending reminders by emails, automating actions, etc.
    For very advanced automations, our project managers have access
    to Odoo developers.

Implementation Methodology
==========================

We follow a **lean and hands-on methodology**, that is used to put
customers in production in a short period of time and at a low cost.

After the kick-off meeting, we define a phasing plan to deploy Odoo
progressively, by groups of apps.

.. image:: media/getting_started09.png
    :align: center

The goal of the **Kick-off call** is for our project manager to come
to an understanding of your business in order to propose an
implementation plan (phasing). Each phase is the deployment of a set
applications that you will fully use in production at the end of the
phase.

For every phase, the steps are the following:

1.  **On Boarding:** Odoo's project manager will review Odoo's business
    flows with you, according to your business. The goal is to train
    you, validate the business process and configure according to
    your specific needs.

2.  **Data:** created manually or imported from your existing system.
    You are responsible to export the data from your existing system
    and Odoo's project manager will import them in Odoo.

3.  **Training:** once your applications are set up, your data imported, and
    the system is working smoothly, you will train your users. There will 
    be some back and forth with your Odoo project manager to answer questions 
    and process your feedback.

4.  **Production**: Once everyone is trained, your users start using
    Odoo.

Once you are comfortable using Odoo, we will fine-tune the process and
**automate** some tasks and do the remaining customizations (**extra
screens and reports**).

Once all applications are deployed and users are comfortable on Odoo,
our project manager will not work on your project anymore (unless you
have new needs) and you will use the support service if you have further
questions.

Managing your databases
=======================

To access your databases, go to Odoo.com, sign in and click **My
Databases** in the drop-down menu at the top right corner.

.. image:: media/getting_started10.png
    :align: center

Odoo gives you the opportunity to test the system before going live or
before upgrading to a newer version. Do not mess up your working
environment with test data!

In that purpose, you can create as many free trials as you want
(available for 15 days). Those instances can be instant copies of your
working environment. To do so, go to the Odoo.com account in **My
Organizations** page and click **Duplicate**.

.. image:: media/getting_started11.png
    :align: center

.. image:: media/getting_started12.png
    :align: center
    
You can find more information on how to manage your databases
:ref:`here <db_management/documentation>`.

Customer Success
================

Odoo is passionate about delighting our customers and ensuring that
they have all the resources needed to complete their project.

During the implementation phase, your point of contact is the project
manager and eventually the support team.

Once you are in production, you will probably have less interaction
with your project manager. At that time, we will assign a member of
our Client Success Team to you. They are specialized in the long-term
relationship with our customers. They will contact you to showcase new
versions, improve the way you work with Odoo, assess your new needs,
etc...

Our internal goal is to keep customers for at least 10 years and offer
them a solution that grows with their needs!

Welcome aboard and enjoy your Odoo experience!

.. seealso::
    * :doc:`../../db_management/documentation`
    
.. image:: media/getting_started13.png
    :align: center

.. |left_pic| image:: media/getting_started03.png
.. |right_pic| image:: media/getting_started04.png
