According to industry analysts, up to 30% of problems after ERP launch are related to poor quality or unstructured data. ERP is not just a program, but a system that is powered by accurate numbers. And if the data is incomplete, duplicated, or outdated, ERP will only “digitize the chaos,” not solve it.
Before implementing Odoo, it is important to conduct “data cleanup”— cleaning, checking, and standardizing all information that enters the system. It is this stage that determines whether the ERP will work quickly, without errors, and with real effect.
1. Accuracy: Every entry reflects reality
The database should not contain incorrect codes, old details, or incorrect contacts. ERP works with numbers literally: if the data is inaccurate, the reports will be incorrect.
✅ Check:
- whether the details of customers and suppliers match those of current contracts;
- Are the product codes, units of measurement, and prices up to date?
- Do the bank accounts correspond to real data?
❌ Typical error: old company name or outdated IBAN — ERP generates the payment to the wrong place.
💡 ERP has no idea what you “meant.” It calculates exactly what is specified.
2. Completeness: all key fields are filled in
Blank fields are the main enemy of analytics. If 30% of customers do not have a city or country, regional reports will be distorted.
✅ Before migration, check:
- Are all required fields filled in (names, contacts, tax numbers, prices);
- Are there any “empty” rows in the tables?
- whether the connections between objects have been lost (for example, an order without a customer).
❌ Typical error: When importing incomplete data, orders “hang in the air” — without connection to the counterparty.
🧠 The more complete the database, the less customizations are required when launching ERP.
3. Consistency: uniform format logic
When the system contains “city of Kyiv”, “Kyiv”, “Kyiv” and “Kyiv”, ERP perceives these as different cities. Formats should be the same for all data types — dates, currencies, phones, abbreviations.
✅ Use the same rules:
- date format (for example,rrrr-mm-dd);
- telephone — only international (+380);
- company names - without unnecessary spaces and quotation marks;
- currency — in a special field, not in the text.
❌ Typical error: In the “city” report, the system shows 12 options for Kyiv — and breaks down the statistics into parts.
💡 Odoo “thinks logically” but does not correct for diversity manually.
4. Uniqueness: no duplicates
Duplicates are the most common cause of migration errors. A customer can be recorded three times with different spellings, and the system will perceive it as three different ones.
✅ Check:
- by phone number, TIN, email or product code;
- merge duplicates into one record;
- Create a “one entity, one record” rule.
❌ Typical error: Duplicate customers create “extra” orders and double billing in the accounting.
🧩 Clean data = transparent analytics.
5. Timeliness: data is updated and relevant
ERP must work with a live database. If the last update was a year ago, you will get automation from the past.
✅ Before starting Odoo:
- delete or archive inactive customers, suppliers, and products;
- check the dates of recent transactions;
- Update current prices, exchange rates, and tax rates.
❌ Typical error: Old goods “hang” in the remnants and distort real turnover.
📅 ERP is a mirror of the business. If it is not updated, the reflection becomes incorrect.
How to check yourself before starting
Before uploading the database to Odoo, go through a short audit checklist:
1️⃣ Take a sample of 100 customers and 100 products — check them for duplicates and empty fields. 2️⃣ Make sure that the data formats are the same in all tables (dates, phones, codes). 3️⃣ Check the latest updates and prices. 4️⃣ Delete or archive anything that is no longer used.
🧭 The cleaner the data at the start, the faster the ERP will work after migration.
Result
Data preparation is not a technical detail, but the main condition for the success of ERP implementation. System Odoo does not fix errors - it shows them, highlights them, and multiplies them. Therefore, it is better to clean the database now than to fix the consequences after launch.
📖 If you are not yet sure that your business is ready for ERP, we recommend starting with the checklist «How to assess business readiness for ERP» to understand where to start.
💬 Ready to prepare your data and start implementing Odoo without errors?
Sign up for free consultation with an Odoo expert. We will help:
- assess the current state of your data;
- draw up a plan for cleaning and structuring the base;
- determine which Odoo modules to start with for a quick effect.
Data preparation is the first step to confident automation. Start right and Odoo will become a system you can rely on.