Buyer’s checklist
How to Choose an Odoo Implementation Partner
To choose an Odoo implementation partner, check their level and certified consultants on Odoo’s own partner directory, speak to references from businesses like yours, and compare written proposals line by line: scope, data migration, customisation, testing, training and support after go-live.
We are an Odoo partner ourselves, so this guide sticks to facts you can check: Odoo’s published partner levels, its subscription agreement and the proposals you receive. It also covers what to do if you want to switch partner part-way through.
4 levels
Learning, Ready, Silver, Gold
30 days
Notice to Odoo to change partner
Silver
OzonLayer’s Odoo partner level
Checklist
Eight checks before you sign
- Partner level on odoo.com/partners
- Certified consultants for your Odoo version
- References in your industry and size
- A written scope with exclusions
- A data migration and testing plan
- Standard features before custom code
- A named team and how changes are priced
- Support, upgrades and handover terms
Each check is explained below, with its source.
What to check
What Should You Check Before Choosing an Odoo Partner?
Six things separate a partner who can deliver your project from one who only sells it. Most of them can be checked before you sign anything.
Level
Partner level and certifications
Look the partner up on Odoo’s partner directory rather than relying on a website badge. Each listing shows the partner’s level and its certified experts by Odoo version.
References
References like your business
The directory also lists each partner’s references, their industries and typical project size. Ask to speak to a client in your sector, of a similar size, who went live recently.
Scope
A written scope with exclusions
The proposal should list the apps, processes, reports, integrations and data in scope, and say clearly what is not included. Vague scope makes quotes impossible to compare.
Method
Standard features before custom code
Ask how the partner decides between configuration, Odoo Studio and custom modules. Custom modules must be upgraded before each Odoo version upgrade, so they add long-term cost.
Team
Who actually does the work
Ask for the named project lead and consultants, which of them are certified, where they are based and whether developers are in-house or subcontracted.
After go-live
Support, upgrades and exit
Check the support terms after go-live, who upgrades your custom modules, and what you receive if you ever change partner: source code, admin access and documentation.
Selection process
How Do You Choose an Odoo Partner, Step by Step?
A simple six-step process gives you comparable proposals and a partner you have checked, not just the lowest quote.
Two or three shortlisted partners are usually enough to compare. Give each of them the same requirements, so their answers line up.
How to compare Odoo proposals →01
Write down your requirements
List the processes Odoo must run, the number of users, the countries and companies involved, the systems to connect and the data to bring across.
02
Shortlist from the Odoo directory
Use odoo.com/partners to filter by country, industry and level, then check each shortlisted partner’s certified experts and references.
03
Ask for a fit-gap review
A fit-gap review maps your requirements to standard Odoo and shows where configuration, Studio or custom development is needed. It is the basis of an accurate quote.
04
Compare proposals line by line
Put scope, data migration, customisation, testing, training, support and price side by side. A lower total can mean something is missing.
05
Speak to references
Ask references whether the project stayed within scope and budget, how changes were handled and how support has worked since go-live.
06
Agree the contract terms
Before signing, agree how change requests are priced, the support terms after go-live, and access to source code and documentation.
The proposal
What Should an Odoo Implementation Proposal Include?
A good proposal answers six questions in writing. If one is missing, ask for it before you compare prices.
Budgeting before you ask for quotes? Our Odoo implementation price guide explains what drives the cost.
Scope by app and process
Which Odoo apps are set up, for which companies and countries, and which business processes each one covers.
Data migration
What data moves (master data, open transactions, balances, history), who cleans it and how it is checked.
Customisation and integrations
Each custom module, Studio change, report and integration, listed one by one rather than as a single total.
Testing and training
Who tests what before go-live, and how many users are trained, in which roles and in which language.
Timeline and milestones
The phases, the go-live date and what you must provide, such as data, decisions and key-user time.
Price basis and changes
Fixed price or time and materials, how change requests are priced, and whether the Odoo subscription is included or quoted separately.
Partner levels
What Do Odoo Partner Levels Mean?
Odoo publishes four partner levels. A partner’s level depends on the new Odoo Enterprise users it sells each year, its certified internal staff and its customer retention rate. The requirements Odoo lists are:
- Learning: no minimum listed;
- Ready: 10 new Enterprise users a year and 1 certified internal resource;
- Silver: 75 new Enterprise users a year, 3 certified internal resources and a minimum 70% retention rate;
- Gold: 300 new Enterprise users a year, 6 certified internal resources and a minimum 80% retention rate.
A level shows sales volume, certified staff and retention. It does not show whether a partner knows your industry, your country’s tax rules or your size of business, so check references as well. Source: Odoo’s become-a-partner page.
See our Odoo partner profile →Switching partner
Can You Switch Your Odoo Implementation Partner?
Yes. Odoo’s Enterprise Subscription Agreement lets you change partner, or work with Odoo directly, with notice. What it says, and what to arrange yourself:
Any time
You choose your partner
The agreement states that the customer can decide at any time to work with a different Odoo partner, or with Odoo directly.
30 days
Give Odoo written notice
The customer must give Odoo written notice 30 days before changing its main point of contact to another partner.
Direct
Or work with Odoo itself
You can work with Odoo directly instead of a partner. Odoo then covers your custom modules only if you are hosted on Odoo’s cloud platform.
Handover
Ask for a handover pack
Arrange this yourself: the source code of custom modules, admin and hosting access, configuration notes and a list of open issues.
Before you sign
Which Questions Should You Ask Every Odoo Partner?
Ask every shortlisted partner the same questions and get the answers in writing.
Switching partner part-way through? Ask the new partner to review your current database, custom modules and open issues before they quote.
Odoo consulting services →01
Who will work on our project?
Names, roles and certifications of the project lead, consultants and developers, and whether any work is subcontracted.
02
Which similar clients can we call?
At least one reference in your industry, of a similar size, who went live with this partner.
03
What is not included in the price?
Ask for the exclusions in writing: data clean-up, extra reports, integrations, training and post-go-live support.
04
How are changes priced?
How a change request is raised, estimated and approved, and the rate used for work outside the agreed scope.
05
What happens after go-live?
The support terms, who upgrades your custom modules to new Odoo versions, and what you receive if you move to another partner.
Cost
What Affects the Cost of an Odoo Implementation?
Scope sets the price. Quotes from different partners are only comparable when they cover the same apps, data, customisation and support.
What drives the price
- the number of Odoo apps, users and companies;
- the Odoo plan and hosting you need;
- how much data moves and how clean it is;
- custom modules, Studio changes and integrations;
- country requirements, such as UK VAT under Making Tax Digital or ZATCA e-invoicing in Saudi Arabia;
- the training and support you need after go-live.
Check whether each quote includes the Odoo subscription or only the partner’s services, so you compare like with like.
Read our Odoo price guide →Warning signs in a proposal
Ask more questions before you sign if a proposal has:
- No exclusions: nothing says what is outside the price;
- A fixed price without a fit-gap review: the scope has not been checked against standard Odoo;
- Custom code by default: modules are proposed where a standard feature would do;
- No data or testing plan: migration and user testing are missing or a single line;
- No named team or support terms after go-live.
Implementing in Saudi Arabia? See Odoo implementation cost in Saudi Arabia.
References
Our Odoo Projects You Can Read About
Checking references is part of the checklist, including ours. See all case studies.
Retail
Multi-branch retail
How Match Perfumes brought stock, sales, purchasing and finance for its stores into one Odoo system. Read the case study
Trading
Accounting and ZATCA e-invoicing
How Industrial Steel Solutions moved from spreadsheets and manual entries to Odoo Accounting with ZATCA e-invoicing. Read the case study
Restaurants
Point of sale and stock
How Sweet & Salty replaced manual tills and spreadsheets with Odoo POS, Inventory, Purchase and Accounting. Read the case study
IT services
Projects and timesheets
How DPSIT moved sales, projects, timesheets and accounting from spreadsheets and standalone tools into Odoo. Read the case study
OzonLayer
How Does OzonLayer Measure Up Against This Checklist?
Apply the same checks to us. Here are our answers.
01
Official Odoo Silver Partner
OzonLayer IT Services is listed as a Silver Partner in the Odoo partner directory, with its certified consultants, references and customer retention rate.
02
Offices in the UK and Saudi Arabia
From offices in London and Riyadh, we work with businesses across the UK, Saudi Arabia and other markets, and set up UK VAT under Making Tax Digital and ZATCA e-invoicing in Odoo.
03
Written scope and estimate
You receive a written estimate with the scope, exclusions and plan before any work starts, so you can compare it with other proposals.
04
Functional and technical in one team
Certified functional consultants design the processes, and in-house developers build and upgrade any custom modules.
Looking for a local team? See Odoo implementation in the UK, Saudi Arabia or the UAE.
FAQs
Choosing an Odoo Partner: Frequently Asked Questions
Can’t find what you need? Our team replies to every enquiry with a straight answer on scope, timeline and budget.
Ask an Odoo consultant
How do I choose an Odoo implementation partner?
Check the partner's level and certified consultants on Odoo's partner directory, speak to references from businesses like yours, ask for a fit-gap review, and compare written proposals line by line on scope, data migration, customisation, testing, training, support and price.
What is the difference between Odoo Gold, Silver and Ready partners?
Odoo sets each level by new Enterprise users sold per year, certified internal resources and customer retention. Odoo lists Ready as 10 users and 1 certified resource, Silver as 75 users, 3 certified resources and 70% retention, and Gold as 300 users, 6 certified resources and 80% retention. There is also a Learning level.
Is a higher partner level always better?
Not on its own. A level shows sales volume, certified staff and retention, but not whether a partner knows your industry, your country's tax rules or businesses of your size. Check references and the proposal as well.
How can I check that a company is an official Odoo partner?
Search for it on Odoo's partner directory at odoo.com/partners. Each listing shows the partner's level, certified experts by Odoo version, references and their industries. You can filter the directory by country, industry and level.
Can I change my Odoo implementation partner?
Yes. Odoo's Enterprise Subscription Agreement states that the customer can decide at any time to work with a different Odoo partner, and that the customer must give Odoo written notice 30 days before changing its main point of contact.
Can I work with Odoo directly instead of a partner?
Yes. The agreement lets the customer work with an Odoo partner as the main point of contact or with Odoo directly. When working directly with Odoo, services for custom modules are provided only if the database is hosted on Odoo's cloud platform.
What happens to custom modules if I switch partner?
Your new partner will need to support and upgrade them, because custom modules must be ready for each new Odoo version before the database can be upgraded. Ask the outgoing partner for the source code, documentation and admin access, and have the new partner review them before quoting.
Should I choose a fixed-price or time-and-materials proposal?
A fixed price suits a scope that has been confirmed by a fit-gap review. Time and materials suits work whose scope is still uncertain. Either way, agree in writing how change requests are estimated, approved and priced.
How much does an Odoo implementation cost?
It depends on scope: the number of apps, users and companies, the Odoo plan and hosting, data migration, customisation and integrations, country requirements such as Making Tax Digital or ZATCA, and training and support. OzonLayer sends a written estimate after reviewing your requirements.
What questions should I ask an Odoo partner before signing?
Ask who will work on the project, which similar clients you can call, what is excluded from the price, how changes are priced, and what happens after go-live, including support, upgrades of custom modules and the handover if you ever change partner.
Does OzonLayer work with businesses in the UK and Saudi Arabia?
Yes. OzonLayer is an official Odoo Silver Partner with offices in London and Riyadh. We implement Odoo for businesses across the UK and Saudi Arabia, and work remotely with clients in other markets.
Official Odoo Silver Partner
Put OzonLayer through the same checklist
Tell us what you need Odoo to do, for which companies and countries, and what you use today. We will answer every check on this page in writing and send you a written estimate.
Call UK +44 7477 204638 · KSA +966 56 434 5818 · Email info@ozonlayer.com
