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Odoo ECO approvals

Odoo ECO approvals

Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Odoo ECO approvals streamline your engineering change management in Odoo PLM. First, they ensure that every product modification passes the right hands. Next, they integrate approval steps into each phase of your change request. Then, they maintain audit trails for compliance. Finally, they help you deliver quality products faster.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to set up and use Odoo ECO approvals from scratch. Moreover, you will see practical examples, configuration tips, and best practices. By the end, you will automate your approval cycles and reduce errors.

What Are Engineering Change Orders (ECO)?

An Engineering Change Order (ECO) or product change request controls how you modify product designs. In Odoo, ECOs act as formal records that document requested changes, required approvals, and resulting updates. By using a structured change order approval process, you avoid ad-hoc edits that lead to errors.

Why Use an Approval Workflow in PLM?

First, an ECO approval workflow centralizes decision-making. Next, it enforces accountability by logging every approval step. Then, it provides a clear audit trail for regulatory compliance. Moreover, it improves cross-functional collaboration by notifying all stakeholders. Therefore, you deliver higher-quality releases on time.

Prerequisites for Odoo ECO approvals

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  1. Odoo Enterprise or Community with the PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) app installed.
  2. A user with Administrator or PLM Manager rights.
  3. One or more product templates created in Inventory.
  4. Basic familiarity with Odoo’s UI and Studio (optional for customization).

Step 1: Activate the PLM Module

First, log into your Odoo instance as an Administrator. Next, navigate to Apps. Then, search for Product Lifecycle Management. Finally, click Install.

Apps ▶️ Product Lifecycle Management ▶️ Install

Tip: If you don’t see the app, enable developer mode:
Settings ▶️ Activate the developer mode
Then repeat the search.

Step 2: Create an ECO Request

First, go to PLM ▶️ Engineering Change Orders. Next, click Create. Then, fill in:

  • Title: A brief description, e.g., “ECO-001: Update Gearbox Design.”
  • Product: Select the product template you will change.
  • Change Type: Choose Engineering or Manufacturing.
  • Description: Add details about why you need this change.
<record id="eco_change1" model="mrp.change">
  <field name="name">ECO-001: Gearbox Update</field>
  <field name="product_tmpl_id" ref="product_template_gearbox"/>
  <field name="change_type">engineering</field>
  <field name="notes">Adjust gear ratio from 3:1 to 4:1.</field>
</record>

Once you finish, click Save.

Step 3: Configure Approval Stages

First, define each step in your change order approval sequence. Next, go to PLM ▶️ Configuration ▶️ Approval Stages. Then, click Create and add stages like:

  1. Draft (initial state)
  2. Review (technical review)
  3. Validation (management approval)
  4. Done (approved and ready)
<record id="eco_stage_review" model="mrp.change.stage">
  <field name="name">Review</field>
  <field name="sequence">10</field>
</record>
<record id="eco_stage_validation" model="mrp.change.stage">
  <field name="name">Validation</field>
  <field name="sequence">20</field>
</record>

Then, reorder stages using drag-and-drop. Finally, ensure that the Done stage appears last.

Step 4: Assign Approvers to ECO

First, decide which users or roles must approve each stage. Next, navigate to Settings ▶️ Users & Companies ▶️ Users, select a user, and assign them to the PLM or Engineering group. Then, for each stage, specify the approver role:

  1. In Approval Stages, open a stage record.
  2. In the Approver Role field, choose Engineering or Manager.

Tip: Use Odoo’s Group feature to assign multiple approvers at once.

Step 5: Initiate the Approval Process

First, open your newly created ECO. Next, click Submit for Approval. Then, Odoo automatically:

  1. Assigns the first approval stage.
  2. Notifies the assigned approver via email.
  3. Locks the ECO draft to prevent changes.
eco = env['mrp.change'].browse(eco_id)
eco.action_submit()

After submission, the ECO appears in PLM ▶️ Engineering Change Orders ▶️ In Progress.

Step 6: Review and Validate an ECO

First, the assigned approver receives an email with a link. Next, the approver clicks Review on the ECO form. Then, they:

  1. Examine the difference in BoM or routing.
  2. Add comments or request revisions.
  3. Approve or reject the stage.
eco.stage_id = env.ref('your_module.eco_stage_validation').id
eco.notes += "\nChanges look good."
eco.message_post(body="Validation approved.")

If they approve, the ECO moves to the next stage. If they reject, it returns to Draft.

Step 7: Implement Approved Changes

Once the ECO reaches Done, you can apply changes:

  1. Click Apply Changes on the ECO form.
  2. Odoo updates the Bill of Materials and Routing automatically.
  3. The ECO logs the update in the product’s version history.
eco.button_apply()

Finally, close any open manufacturing orders or inventory adjustments.

Monitoring and Reporting on ECO Status

First, head to PLM ▶️ Engineering Change Orders ▶️ All to see all ECOs. Next, filter by stage_id to view drafts, in-progress, or completed orders. Then, export the list to CSV for external reporting.

Tip: Use Smart Buttons on product forms to see linked ECOs at a glance.

Best Practices for ECO management

  • Keep change descriptions concise. Use clear titles and detailed notes.
  • Limit approvers per stage. Avoid bottlenecks by assigning only essential reviewers.
  • Leverage email templates. Customize notifications under Settings ▶️ Technical ▶️ Email ▶️ Templates.
  • Archive old ECOs. Periodically archive completed ECOs to keep the list manageable.
  • Train your team. Host short workshops to walk through the workflow.

Troubleshooting common issues

IssueSolution
ECO stages not appearing correctlyClear your browser cache or re-login as Administrator.
Email notifications not sentVerify SMTP settings under Settings ▶️ General Settings ▶️ Email.
Approver cannot access ECOCheck that the user belongs to the correct Odoo Group.
Changes not applied after approvalConfirm you clicked Apply Changes and that the BoM exists.

Further Reading & Resources

Sure—let’s enrich the ending with a few more insights and next steps.

Scaling Your ECO Approval Process

As your product portfolio grows, you must adapt your Odoo ECO approvals process. First, introduce dynamic approval rules—such as auto-route changes over a certain cost threshold to senior management. Next, integrate your ECO workflows with your Quality Management System (QMS). Then, automate document attachments, so every CAD drawing or compliance certificate links directly to its change order. By doing so, you keep your process both agile and compliant.

Integrating with Other Odoo Apps

Moreover, you can connect ECO approvals with other Odoo modules to streamline end-to-end operations:

  • Inventory: Automatically reserve raw materials for approved manufacturing changes.
  • Purchase: Trigger RFQs to suppliers when engineering changes require new parts.
  • Maintenance: Schedule service orders when ECOs impact installed equipment.
  • Quality: Create quality alerts or control plans for each approved product revision.

By leveraging these integrations, you reduce manual handoffs and maintain a single source of truth across all teams.

Measuring ECO Performance

Finally, track key metrics to continuously improve your approval cycles. Consider:

  • Approval turnaround time: Average hours from submission to final sign-off.
  • Revision rate: Percentage of ECOs sent back for rework.
  • Change success rate: Ratio of ECOs implemented without post-release defects.
  • Stakeholder engagement: Number of active reviewers and their response rates.

Use Odoo Studio or SQL views to build dashboards that surface these KPIs. Then, hold regular review meetings to identify bottlenecks and refine your process.

With these additional practices and metrics, your Odoo ECO approvals workflow will scale gracefully, foster cross-functional collaboration, and ensure your products evolve with both speed and quality.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you mastered Odoo ECO approvals from setup to execution. Therefore, you can now:

  1. Create structured ECOs.
  2. Configure approval stages.
  3. Assign and notify approvers.
  4. Automate change application.

Moreover, you improved traceability and reduced manual errors. Finally, you’re ready to scale your engineering change process. Happy approving!

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