All-in-one or Best-of-breed ? this is an old debate. A quick internet search yields lots of articles and opinions. In this article, we'll look at specifically our beloved odoo platform, and how it fits in this debate.
What is Best-of-breed ?
The Best of Breed (BoB) approach is a strategy used in the technology industry to identify and select the best individual solutions for specific business needs. Instead of opting for a single, all-encompassing solution, the BoB approach allows businesses to choose the best solution for each specific requirement, thereby creating a highly customized and optimized technology stack.
In the BoB approach, businesses evaluate the available solutions for each business need and select the best one based on criteria such as functionality, performance, cost, and compatibility with other systems. The result is a collection of specialized solutions that work together to meet the business's unique requirements.
One of the main benefits of the BoB approach is that it allows businesses to choose the best solution for each need, rather than being limited by the capabilities of a single, integrated solution. This results in a more efficient, effective, and cost-effective technology stack, as businesses can choose the best solution for each need without having to compromise on other requirements.
However, it's important to note that the BoB approach requires a high degree of coordination and integration between the different solutions, and it can be more complex and time-consuming to manage than an integrated solution.
Odoo's strength
Odoo's CRM, sales, purchasing, inventory, and accounting modules are some of the key strengths of the software because they are the historical core modules of Odoo, and have benefited from many improvements over the years. These modules have been refined and developed over the course of multiple releases, which has allowed Odoo to offer a highly integrated and effective solution for businesses looking to manage these critical business processes.
The long history of development of these core modules has resulted in a wealth of features and capabilities that are designed to meet the specific needs of businesses. For example, the CRM module provides advanced lead and customer management features, while the sales module offers robust order management and invoicing capabilities. The purchasing module helps businesses streamline their procurement processes, and the inventory module provides complete control over stock levels and movements. The accounting module offers a comprehensive financial management solution, making it easier for businesses to manage their financial operations.
In addition, these modules have been designed to work seamlessly together, which allows businesses to benefit from a highly integrated solution that covers all of their key business processes. This integration makes it easier for businesses to manage their operations and helps to minimize the risk of errors and inconsistencies that can arise when different systems are used to manage different processes.
Pulling it together
At Alitec, we believe that Odoo is the perfect core system for a best-of-breed solution. By using Odoo's core modules as the base and integrating with specialized dedicated systems, we can leverage Odoo's generic features and adjust it to communicate with specialized systems such as advanced point-of-sale systems, language translation management software, vehicle and proof of delivery systems, and industrial printing systems, etc..
This approach allows to take advantage of the strengths of both Odoo and specialized systems, resulting in a highly customized solution that meets the specific needs of our clients so that they can achieve their business objectives more effectively.
You have a unique business need ? You can't find a satisfactory off-the-shelf solution ? Let's talk about it !