On Friday, October 4, the CEO of Odoo, Fabien Pinckaers, captivated a large audience at Odoo's Headquarters as he introduced the latest version, Odoo 18. His presentation highlighted the mission of empowering entrepreneurs at every level, from small startups to medium-sized retailers, restaurateurs, and intricate manufacturers, all the way to expansive multinational enterprises. With an 8-meter-wide screen showcasing the new features, our team at Blackpaw Innovations has carefully reviewed the updates and is excited to present our findings in this article.
Odoo 18 features have arrived, delivering a major upgrade to business management tools, specifically designed to enhance efficiency and performance. With a sharp focus on usability and automation, Odoo 18 introduces features that make it an essential resource for entrepreneurs and businesses in Kenya striving to remain competitive in 2025.
Key Features of Odoo 18
1. Refined User Interface
The user experience in Odoo 18 is markedly more refined, with an intuitive interface that simplifies navigation across devices. Whether managing projects or monitoring sales, the layout is designed to reduce the time spent learning the platform while boosting productivity for seasoned users. This improvement cuts down on training time, allowing users to focus on running their business.
2. Advanced Reporting and Analytics
In today’s data-driven world, real-time insights are critical for business success. Odoo 18 offers customizable reporting tools, allowing Kenyan entrepreneurs to drill down into their financials, sales, and operations. Enhanced filters and real-time dashboards provide better tracking of key performance indicators, enabling smarter decision-making with up-to-date data.
3. Improved Project Management
For businesses handling complex workflows, Project Management Odoo 18 offers advanced tools that simplify organization and communication. The introduction of customizable views and a top bar for easier access to records like sales orders and analytics ensures smoother collaboration and more efficient project execution.
4. Sales Commissions Module Odoo 18
A standout feature in Odoo 18 is the new sales commissions module Odoo 18, which helps Kenyan entrepreneurs keep their sales teams motivated. Businesses can now calculate commissions based on various metrics, ensuring accurate alignment with sales goals and providing transparent incentives that drive performance.
5. Inventory Management Odoo 18 Enhancements
Inventory management Odoo 18 significantly improves inventory processes with features like better delivery dispatching, automated batch processing, and mobile barcode scanning. These upgrades help Kenyan businesses keep a closer eye on stock levels and streamline the fulfillment process, reducing errors and improving customer satisfaction.
6. Odoo eCommerce Solutions Upgrades
As e-commerce continues to grow in Kenya, Odoo 18 steps up with new features like a simplified one-page checkout process and improved SEO capabilities. The ability to manage multiple warehouses directly from the platform also boosts efficiency, allowing entrepreneurs to cater to customers both locally and internationally with minimal hassle.
7. Cloud Storage Integration Odoo 18
Integrating Google Cloud and Azure into Odoo 18 brings a new level of convenience for file management. Entrepreneurs can now save email attachments and documents directly in the cloud, ensuring secure and easily accessible data storage for business needs.
8. Point of Sale System Kenya Enhancements
Odoo 18 has revamped its Point of Sale (POS) system Kenya, making it easier for businesses to create and edit products directly from the POS interface without backend access. Features like an improved restaurant view, real-time order tracking, and tax adjustments for dine-in or takeaway orders make it highly adaptable to different business environments, such as retail or hospitality.
Key Improvements in the POS System
1. Direct Product Creation
With Odoo 18, users can now create and edit products directly from the Point of Sale (POS) interface, significantly enhancing operational efficiency. This feature eliminates the need to navigate back to the backend system for product modifications, allowing sales staff to make real-time adjustments as needed. Whether adding new items to the inventory or updating pricing and descriptions, the streamlined process ensures that the sales team can respond quickly to customer needs, thereby reducing potential delays at the checkout and enhancing overall customer satisfaction. Odoo eCommerce solutions are also integrated seamlessly, enabling businesses to synchronize their online and offline sales efforts.
2. Improved Restaurant View
The revamped restaurant view in Odoo 18 offers an intuitive layout designed specifically for dining establishments. This enhancement provides restaurant managers and staff with tools to optimize seating arrangements, track table status, and manage reservations more effectively. With visual representations of tables and their respective statuses (available, occupied, or reserved), the system allows for seamless coordination among waitstaff, resulting in quicker service and improved customer experience. This enhancement caters to the unique needs of the Kenyan market trends, ensuring that businesses can provide an optimal dining experience.
3. Tax Adjustments for Dine-In and Takeaway
Odoo 18 simplifies tax management by allowing users to easily adjust tax rates based on the type of service—dine-in or takeaway. This functionality is crucial for compliance with local regulations and for providing transparent billing to customers. Staff can quickly apply the correct tax rate with just a few clicks, ensuring that every transaction is accurate and compliant. This not only streamlines the billing process but also alleviates the burden of manual tax calculations, significantly reducing the chances of errors and ensuring that customers are charged correctly. Such compliance is essential for businesses operating within Kenya's regulatory framework.
4. Order Tracking Enhancements
The order tracking features in Odoo 18 have been upgraded to provide comprehensive oversight of edited orders. Every modification made at the POS is automatically recorded in the backend, allowing businesses to maintain an accurate history of transactions. This functionality is vital for effective order management, enabling managers to review changes, track customer preferences, and identify trends in purchasing behavior. Such insights can drive future sales strategies and improve inventory management, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction. This is particularly beneficial for businesses utilizing Odoo ERP solutions in Kenya, where data-driven decisions can significantly impact operations.
5. SMS Receipt Notifications
In an effort to enhance customer convenience, Odoo 18 introduces SMS receipt notifications, allowing customers to receive their purchase receipts directly on their mobile phones. This feature not only reduces paper waste but also offers customers a quick and easy way to keep track of their purchases. With SMS notifications, businesses can improve customer engagement by providing them with immediate confirmation of their transactions, fostering a positive shopping experience and encouraging repeat visits. This capability aligns well with the mobile app for Odoo 18, which enhances customer interaction through modern communication channels.
6. Self-Service Invoicing
Odoo 18 empowers customers with the ability to request invoices through the Odoo portal, enhancing their shopping experience and increasing transparency. This self-service invoicing feature allows customers to access their invoices anytime, reducing the workload on staff who previously managed invoice requests manually. This not only streamlines the invoicing process but also builds trust with customers by providing them with easy access to their purchase information. The integration of local payment gateways in Odoo further simplifies transactions, making it easier for customers to complete their purchases.
7. Event Ticket Sales
The POS system in Odoo 18 now includes the capability to sell event tickets directly, catering to businesses that host events such as concerts, workshops, or seminars. This feature allows for seamless ticket management, including the ability to track ticket sales, manage seating arrangements, and handle customer inquiries all from one platform. This integration is particularly beneficial for venues and event organizers, simplifying the ticketing process and enhancing the overall customer experience. It reflects the growing trend of using Odoo for Kenyan businesses, which are increasingly turning to digital solutions for their operations.
8. Enhanced User Experience
Odoo 18 has undergone significant enhancements to its user interface, focusing on improving user experience through redesigned login and payment screens. These updates facilitate easier navigation, allowing staff to complete transactions quickly and efficiently. The cleaner layout and intuitive design reduce the learning curve for new users, ensuring that employees can become proficient in the system in less time, ultimately leading to better service for customers. This focus on usability is a vital aspect of business automation in Kenya, helping businesses to operate more efficiently.
9. Background Customization
Businesses can now personalize their branding on customer displays within the POS system, enhancing brand visibility and customer recognition. This feature allows establishments to showcase their logos and promotional messages, creating a cohesive brand experience for customers during transactions. Such customization not only strengthens brand identity but also opens up opportunities for upselling and promotions directly at the point of sale, which is essential for any small business solutions in Odoo.
10. Support for Floating Orders
Odoo 18 supports floating orders, providing greater flexibility in service scenarios. This feature allows staff to take orders from multiple tables or customers simultaneously, enabling them to manage high volumes of transactions during busy periods without compromising service quality. Floating orders help improve efficiency in fast-paced environments, ensuring that all customers receive timely attention and that order processing remains smooth and organized. This adaptability is crucial for businesses that need to respond to dynamic customer demands while leveraging Odoo customization options to fit their specific needs.
9. Mobile App for Odoo 18
Managing inventory on the go has never been easier. Odoo 18’s upgraded mobile app streamlines stock management with improved functionality, allowing business owners to handle updates and scans from their mobile devices with ease.
10. Automation and Workflow Features
Time-consuming manual tasks are now a thing of the past with Odoo 18’s enhanced automation features. Follow-up actions based onFi, saving time and boosting productivity, particularly for businesses with high volumes of repetitive tasks.
Why Odoo 18 Matters for Kenyan Entrepreneurs in 2025
As businesses in Kenya face increasing pressure to innovate and grow, Odoo 18 steps in as a game-changer. By expanding its capabilities across key areas like Odoo accounting features, inventory, and sales management, the system is perfectly suited for Kenyan businesses looking to automate processes, reduce errors, and boost overall efficiency.
Whether you’re in manufacturing, retail, or services, Odoo 18 provides an advanced, user-friendly ERP solutions Kenya that addresses the unique challenges faced by entrepreneurs in Kenya. With better mobile capabilities, enhanced inventory tools, and a powerful Point of Sale system Kenya, businesses can operate with greater agility and responsiveness, helping them stay ahead in a competitive market.
Final Verdict on Odoo 18 Review: A Product Designed to Improve Kenyan Businesses
Odoo 18 is more than just an ERP system—it’s a comprehensive platform designed to optimize every aspect of business management. Its Odoo customization options, e-commerce improvements, advanced accounting tools, and seamless inventory integration offer a transformative experience for Kenyan businesses. As Kenya continues to emerge as a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation, Odoo 18 proves to be the right tool for businesses striving to reach new heights in 2025 and beyond.
