Odoo manufacturing basics: create a bill of materials and production order

1. Prepare a small production example

Use a test database with Manufacturing and Inventory and a user allowed to configure products and process manufacturing orders. The warehouse’s manufacturing steps affect the documents you will see. This example uses Manufacture (1 step) on the warehouse configuration.

Create an inventory-tracked finished product called “Training kit” and two tracked components: “Practice bracket” and “Practice screw.” For the illustration, one kit uses one bracket and four screws. Use compatible units and make the components available through a real test receipt or an authorized opening count.

Keep the first exercise free of variants, subcontracting, by-products, and work-center operations. Add those when they represent the actual process, with separate checks for their configuration.

2. Create a bill of materials with an explicit output quantity

1. Open Manufacturing → Products → Bills of Materials and click New.
2. Choose Training kit and set the BoM output Quantity to 1 kit.
3. Use the BoM type Manufacture this product.
4. On Components, add 1 Practice bracket and 4 Practice screws, with the correct units.
5. Give the recipe a useful reference, check the company, and save.

The output quantity is the denominator of the recipe. A BoM that makes 10 kits needs the components for 10 kits; otherwise the order’s scaling will be wrong. Check the component list with the person who understands assembly before creating production orders.

3. Create the manufacturing order for a small batch

1. Go to Manufacturing → Operations → Manufacturing Orders and select New.
2. Choose Training kit, select the intended BoM, and enter a production quantity of 3.
3. Review the component requirements. The simple example should require 3 brackets and 12 screws.
4. Check the company, warehouse, scheduled information, and units, then click Confirm.

If several BoMs exist, select the correct one explicitly. Review generated component and work-order lines rather than assuming that a product name guarantees the right manufacturing recipe.

4. Check materials before starting the run

Inspect component availability and reservations on the order and related forecast. On-hand material in another company or an unavailable location is not necessarily usable for this order. An expected receipt is future supply until the receipt is completed.

If the order is short of screws, follow the purchasing, transfer, or replenishment process instead of changing the BoM solely to make the shortage disappear. Confirm substitutions and actual consumption through the authorized production process.

Work orders are optional additional process detail. If your BoM includes operations, enable and configure Work Orders, work centers, and the required instructions. Complete those operations before closing production; their presence changes the simple flow described here.

5. Record what was actually made and consumed

Carry out the test assembly, review the quantity produced and the consumed components, and use the order’s production action. The reviewed Odoo 20 one-step flow uses Produce to complete production. Resolve any consumption, tracking, or partial-production dialog according to what actually happened.

If you made only 2 of the planned 3 kits, do not record 3 simply to close the screen. Review the partial quantity and proposed backorder or remainder. If a product or component is lot- or serial-tracked, record the required identifiers.

In a flow with work orders, Start and Done record operation progress; completing an operation is not the same as closing the entire manufacturing order. Follow the remaining operations and final production action.

6. Reconcile the resulting stock and improve the recipe

For a complete 3-kit run with no substitutions, waste, or other stock moves, finished stock should increase by 3, brackets decrease by 3, and screws decrease by 12. Inspect the order’s status and stock movement history for the actual values.

• Check the finished product, component quantities, locations, and any tracking numbers.
• Record authorized scrap and extra consumption explicitly rather than hiding them in an unrelated adjustment.
• Separate a future BoM improvement from corrections to a production order already processed.
• If the business needs costing, review valuation methods, component costs, operation time, and overhead treatment with the responsible finance team.

Completion check: another user can trace the recipe, production quantity, consumed materials, and resulting finished stock from the order.

7. Frequently asked questions

8. Related articles and next steps

• Replenish components and finished goods
• Add batch and serial traceability
• Verify and correct physical stock counts

Reviewed against Odoo 20 documentation. Menu labels, availability, and actions depend on your edition, hosting, installed apps, and permissions. Practise the workflow in a test database before changing production.