ERP Systems for Medium-sized Companies - SAP Business One vs. Odoo

The promise of SAP software: Business One launched in 1996 and was relaunched under the SAP brand in 2004. SAP is a household name for many — especially large companies. With Business One, the provider specifically focuses on small- and medium-sized enterprises and tries to address the problems that could not be covered with other solutions. The name already suggests that one system should cover all relevant business areas and that no additional software is needed.

An on-premise and a cloud variant are offered. The costs for maintenance and support are only included in the SaaS version and come at an additional cost for the on-premise variant. Within each of these two variants, software packages can be purchased in three scopes. However, it should be noted here that the most extensive offer is significantly different in price from the other two and represents a price premium of around 75-80%. In the scope of services, the difference between the packages is mainly in the area of user access rights.

An insight into the usage:  The user interface offers you a lot of information, but unfortunately, not a clear overview. You have to be prepared to be confronted with quite a crowded screen. The interaction between individual modules could also use some improvement. In part, data from one module cannot be integrated into the other. Instead, you have to factor in additional work steps. Also, the client-server structure currently does not correspond to the modern browser-based standard. This means that restrictions, poor conditions for teamwork, and, above all, more time-consuming processes are to be expected.

The Odoo alternative: Odoo came on to the market as open-source software for the ERP sector. As one of the fastest-growing companies, Odoo has expanded its offering to include Odoo Enterprise. Odoo's evolution has been from the inside out, along with the software structure. This benefits over five million users, who are supported and trained by a strong network of implementation partners.

Odoo Business Solutions alone is the top contact for Odoo in Germany, Switzerland, the U.S., the Netherlands, the U.K., Canada, Belgium, Denmark, and Finland.

Alternatives for medium-sized businesses: Odoo offers three software options. The open-source variant is Odoo Community. In addition, there is Odoo Business with Odoo Enterprise, on-premise software, and Odoo Online, the SaaS software. Extensive testing is possible before the purchase decision.

Odoo impresses with a simple and user-friendly user interface. It makes tracking all processes particularly easy — you can see all the information on every work step, in every job, and for every associated employee in a clear and structured way. Throughout the process, you can also view your customers' views and develop your own templates based on them. This enables you to better meet your customers' needs.

Odoo's modular structure is fully thought out. Odoo places particular emphasis on interfaces — all modules are designed to communicate with each other, ensuring a seamless exchange of information. Interfaces to external software have also been taken into account. For example, you can connect your Outlook mailbox to Odoo and call it up directly in the system.

Thus, Odoo is suitable for any company size and multiple industries. Businesses can also grow with Odoo. You can expand your business software step by step as your company grows.

There are worlds between SAP and Odoo, with Odoo clearly coming out on top when it comes to price comparisons. Not only is Odoo more cost-effective, but it also allows you to tailor it to your business's unique needs.

The expertise of Odoo Business Solutions: If you need individual solutions for your business software, you can draw on a wide range of services from OBS. We offer three different integration approaches, depending on the size and requirements of your company.