"90% of what we need is there out of the box. The system is so straightforward that I was literally standing up because I'm so excited. We found a reliable solution that will serve us for the next 15-20 years." - Warehouse Operations Manager
Background
Client/Company: Mid-sized Canadian apparel wholesaler and 3PL provider
Industry: Fashion/Apparel Distribution
Size: 15 users, 10,000-15,000 active SKUs, multiple brands
Challenge/Problem: Legacy ERP system reaching end-of-life with aggressive 60-day replacement timeline. Required dual functionality for wholesale distribution and third-party logistics operations, complex product variant management (style/colour/size matrices), customer-specific brand pricing, and multi-user warehouse "swarming" capabilities.
Solution
Approach: Multi-company Odoo 18.0 implementation with blended self-service and consultant support
Tools/Methods:
- Multi-company architecture separating wholesale and 3PL operations
- Advanced product variant management with attribute matrices
- Customer-specific pricelists with brand-based discounting
- 3-step warehouse operations enabling concurrent user processing
- Customer portal for 3PL clients with inventory visibility
- EasyPost integration for multi-carrier shipping rate shopping
- Custom dashboards and reporting suite
Results
Quantifiable Outcomes:
- 60-day implementation timeline achieved (vs. typical 4-6 months)
- 90% functionality match to requirements out-of-the-box
- 15 user licenses covering both entities
- 100% separation of wholesale and 3PL operations maintained
- Multi-user warehouse processing enabling 3-5x faster container receiving
Qualitative Benefits:
- Eliminated manual processes for seasonal line sheet creation
- Streamlined customer-specific pricing management across 3 brands
- Enhanced 3PL customer self-service capabilities
- Improved inventory visibility and real-time reporting
- Future-proofed platform supporting 15-20 year growth plans
Key Takeaway
A well-planned blended implementation approach can successfully deliver complex multi-company ERP requirements within aggressive timelines when the right platform flexibility meets dedicated client resources.