Odoo 18 PLM Module: Your Ultimate 11-Step Guide to Flawless Product Management

The Odoo 18 PLM Module is not just another piece of software; it’s a strategic command center for your entire product development process. In today’s competitive market, managing a product’s journey from concept to retirement is riddled with complexity. Mismanaged engineering changes, poor version control, and siloed communication can lead to costly errors, production delays, and a frustrating lack of traceability. This is where a powerful Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system becomes indispensable.

If you’re looking to eliminate chaos and introduce streamlined efficiency, the Odoo 18 PLM Module is the game-changing solution you need. It offers a centralized, integrated, and transparent way to manage every aspect of your product’s lifecycle.

This comprehensive guide will not only persuade you of its transformative power but also provide a detailed, step-by-step tutorial to help you master its features. Get ready to revolutionize your product management.

The Transformative Power of an Integrated PLM System

Before we dive into Odoo, let’s understand why Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is a critical business strategy. PLM is the process of managing a product’s entire journey, from its initial conception, through design and manufacturing, to service and disposal. An effective PLM system, as defined by industry leaders like CIMdata, centralizes all product-related data and processes.

The benefits are profound:

• Centralized Data Hub: No more hunting for the latest Bill of Materials (BOM) or design file. All information is stored in one accessible location.
• Seamless Collaboration: Engineers, designers, manufacturing teams, and managers can all work from the same page, eliminating misunderstandings.
• Streamlined Change Management: Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) are managed through structured, transparent, and auditable workflows.
• Flawless Version Control: Automatically track every revision of your BOMs and product designs, ensuring you never use an outdated version again.
• Accelerated Time-to-Market: By optimizing workflows and reducing errors, you can get your products to market faster than the competition.

What Makes the Odoo 18 PLM Module a Game-Changer?

While standalone PLM systems exist, the true power of the Odoo 18 PLM Module lies in its native integration with the entire Odoo ecosystem. It doesn’t just manage product data; it connects that data directly to your inventory, manufacturing, purchasing, and quality control apps.

This integration means that when a BOM is updated in the PLM module, the changes are instantly reflected in your manufacturing orders and inventory forecasts. This seamless flow of information is what sets the Odoo 18 PLM Module apart, turning it from a simple data repository into an active, intelligent part of your operations.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Using the Odoo 18 PLM Module

Ready to take control? Let’s walk through the essential functions of the Odoo 18 PLM Module.

Step 1: Accessing the PLM Module

First things first, find your PLM application. From the main Odoo dashboard, you can either type “PLM” into the search bar or locate its distinct icon. A single click will take you to the PLM main menu.

Step 2: Navigating the PLM Dashboard & Understanding ECOs

The main menu is your launchpad. Here, you’ll see a Kanban view of your Engineering Change Orders (ECOs), organized by type, such as “New Product Introduction” or “Bill of Materials Update.”

An ECO is the formal process for requesting, approving, and implementing a change to a product. The Odoo 18 PLM Module uses ECOs to ensure every modification is tracked, justified, and properly executed.

Step 3: Essential Configuration: Setting Up ECO Types

To tailor the module to your business, you need to configure your ECO types.

1. Navigate to Configuration > Engineering Change Order Types.
2. Here you can view, edit, or create new types of ECOs.
3. When editing a type, you can define its Name (e.g., “BOM Component Swap”) and an Alias Email. This powerful feature allows you to automatically create an ECO of this type just by sending an email to the specified alias.

Step 4: Building Your Workflow: Configuring ECO Stages

Your change management process needs a clear workflow. In Odoo, this is managed with stages.

1. Go to Configuration > Engineering Change Order Stages.
2. You will see default stages like “New,” “In Progress,” “Validated,” and “Applied.” You can customize these or add new ones to perfectly match your company’s process.
3. Click on a stage to configure its properties:
   • ECO Type Association: Specify which ECO types can use this stage.
   • Is Final Stage: Mark a stage (like “Applied”) as the final step.
   • Allow Apply Changes: This critical checkbox, when ticked for a stage, allows the changes defined in the ECO to be officially implemented.
   • Approvals: This is key for quality control. You can assign specific users who must approve an ECO before it can move out of this stage. This creates a mandatory checkpoint, ensuring no unauthorized changes slip through.

Step 5: Creating Your First Engineering Change Order (ECO)

Let’s create an ECO to update an existing Bill of Materials.

1. From the main PLM menu, click on the relevant ECO pipeline (e.g., “Bill of Materials Update”).
2. Click the New button to open the ECO form.
3. Fill in the details:
   • Description: Give your ECO a clear, concise title.
   • Apply On: Choose whether the change applies to an entire BOM or just specific products.
   • Product: Select the finished product whose BOM you want to update. The current BOM will load automatically.
   • Responsible: Assign a user to oversee the ECO.
   • Apply: Choose to apply changes “As soon as possible” or schedule them for a specific future date—perfect for planned product launches.

Once filled, click Start Review. The ECO is now live and in the “New” stage of your workflow.

Step 6: Managing the ECO Workflow

Your new ECO will appear as a card in the Kanban view. You can easily drag and drop it from one stage to the next (e.g., from “New” to “In Progress”).

Inside the ECO, the Approvals tab will show who needs to sign off on the change. If you configured approvals in Step 4, the ECO cannot proceed until all required users have given their consent.

Use the Chatter at the bottom to communicate with your team. You can log notes or tag colleagues (e.g., “@Fermin, please review the proposed component change”) to send them a notification. This keeps all communication related to the change in one place.

Step 7: Executing the Change: Modifying a Bill of Materials (BOM)

This is where the magic happens.

1. Inside the ECO, use the Changes smart button to see the change details.
2. Let’s say you want to change the quantity of a component from 1 to 5. Simply go to the Bill of Materials tab, click on the component, and edit the quantity.
3. After saving, navigate back to your ECO. The Component Changes tab will now show a clear record of what was altered. It will state that for the sub-contracted component, you “added 4 additional units.” This precise logging is essential for traceability.

Step 8: Finalizing the Process: Applying Changes and Versioning

Once the ECO has moved through all review and validation stages, it’s time to make it official.

1. Move the ECO to your final stage (e.g., “Applied”).
2. A purple button, Apply Changes, will appear. Click it.
3. The Odoo 18 PLM Module will now perform two crucial actions: it will update the live Bill of Materials with your changes and automatically create a new version.

Step 9: Maintaining Control: Reviewing BOM Versions

How do you track these changes?

1. Navigate to Master Data > Bill of Materials.
2. Find the BOM you just modified. You will see a Version column. The BOM you updated will now be at “Version 2,” while the original is archived.
3. To see past versions, simply use the Filters > Archived option. Odoo keeps a complete history, so you can always review or even revert to a previous version if needed by unarchiving the old one and archiving the current one. This robust versioning is a cornerstone of the Odoo 18 PLM Module.

Step 10: Gaining Insights: Leveraging PLM Reporting

Data is only useful if you can analyze it.

1. Go to the Reporting menu in the PLM module.
2. Odoo provides powerful reporting tools out-of-the-box, including bar charts, line graphs, and pivot tables.
3. You can analyze ECOs by type, stage, product, or responsible user. These reports are invaluable for identifying bottlenecks in your change process and presenting performance metrics to management. You can even add these reports to your personal dashboard. For more on this, check out our guide on Odoo Dashboards.

Step 11: Visual Customization for Better Clarity

For a quick visual overview, you can assign colors to your ECO types. On the main dashboard, click the three dots on an ECO type and select a color. For example, you could make “New Product Introductions” blue and “BOM Updates” green. This simple trick makes your dashboard more intuitive for all users.

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Tips for the Odoo 18 PLM Module

• Integrate with Manufacturing: The real power of the Odoo 18 PLM Module is its connection to other apps. When a BOM change is applied, your Odoo Manufacturing orders will automatically use the new version, ensuring production is always accurate.
• Leverage Email Aliases: For recurring change types, set up email aliases. A floor manager could email bom-correction@yourcompany.odoo.com with details, and an ECO would be created automatically, assigned to the right team.
• Use Scheduled Dates Strategically: For a major product update launching next quarter, you can prepare and validate the ECO today but schedule the changes to apply on the exact launch date.

Conclusion: Your Path to Engineering Excellence

The Odoo 18 PLM Module is far more than a simple tracking tool. It is a comprehensive, integrated system designed to bring order, transparency, and efficiency to your product lifecycle. By centralizing data, structuring change management, and providing bulletproof version control, it empowers your teams to innovate faster and with greater confidence.

Stop letting product management be a source of stress and errors. Embrace the structure and power of Odoo’s PLM solution.

Ready to transform your product development? Explore Odoo’s official documentation or contact our experts today for a personalized demo to see the Odoo 18 PLM Module in action!