Enabling Custom Manufacturing:
How CR Doors Improved Efficiency and Reduced Inventory with Odoo
CR Doors, a U.S.-based building supply company specializing in custom interior and exterior doors, millwork, and related components, serves contractors and homeowners with made-to-order products. Their focus is on delivering precision-built, custom-sized solutions tailored to exact project requirements.
As the business grew, the limitations of their existing systems became more apparent. To improve reliability, better support custom manufacturing workflows, and gain greater control over inventory, they partnered with QOC Innovations to implement Odoo.
Challenges
System Instability with Legacy Software
CR Doors previously relied on QuickBooks for financial management but experienced frequent data corruption issues. This created risk and uncertainty, ultimately driving the need to transition to a more reliable system.
Lack of Support for Custom Manufacturing
Their business model requires highly customized production, including unique dimensions, materials, and configurations. Existing tools did not support:
- Structured manufacturing workflows
- Detailed product configuration
- Efficient management of custom components
Complexity in Product Configuration
With a wide range of potential product variations, the company needed a way to manage configurations without creating excessive complexity or an unmanageable number of product options.
Inefficient Inventory Management
Limited visibility into inventory and future demand made it difficult to plan effectively, leading to higher inventory levels than necessary.
Solution
Odoo Implementation with Manufacturing Focus
QOC Innovations implemented Odoo to support the company’s accounting, manufacturing, and inventory operations, providing a centralized and reliable system.
Custom Configuration Using Dynamic Attributes
To manage product complexity, QOC leveraged dynamic attribute values, allowing the company to:
- Configure custom products without creating excessive variants
- Isolate relevant product options
- Maintain flexibility while controlling system complexity
Child Manufacturing Orders
Odoo’s ability to support child manufacturing orders enabled better handling of multi-step production processes, aligning with CR Doors’ custom manufacturing needs.
BOM Management Optimization
QOC implemented a customization that allows users to copy Bills of Materials (BOMs) from one product to another, reducing the time and effort required to create new configurations.
Inventory Visibility and Planning
With improved forecasting and reservation capabilities, Odoo provided clearer insight into inventory needs and usage across projects.
Ongoing Support and Optimization
Following go-live, QOC continues to support CR Doors with ongoing guidance, helping them deepen their understanding of the system and maximize its capabilities.
Results
Elimination of Data Integrity Issues
In the switch to managing all accounting needs through Odoo, CR Doors resolved the data corruption challenges experienced in their previous system, providing a stable and reliable operational foundation.
Improved Manufacturing Efficiency
Enhanced configuration and production workflows streamlined custom manufacturing processes and reduced setup time.
Reduced Inventory Levels
Improved visibility and planning enabled CR Doors to operate with approximately 20% less inventory, while still supporting business needs.
Faster Product Configuration
The ability to reuse and adapt BOMs significantly reduced the time required to create new custom products.
Scalable System for Custom Work
Odoo now supports CR Doors’ highly customized business model, allowing them to manage complexity without sacrificing efficiency.
Strong Ongoing Partnership
CR Doors continues to work closely with QOC Innovations, leveraging ongoing support to refine processes and expand system capabilities.
Conclusion
This case highlights the importance of aligning ERP systems with the unique requirements of custom manufacturing. By implementing Odoo and tailoring it to support flexible product configuration and production workflows, QOC Innovations helped CR Doors move from system limitations to a more efficient and reliable operation.
Through a collaborative and ongoing partnership, QOC continues to support them as they grow, helping them improve efficiency, reduce inventory, and better manage the complexity of custom manufacturing.