ERP for the SMB: Why Customization is the Last Step, Not the First.

My work helping small businesses centralize their operations with Odoo ERP has taught me one non-negotiable lesson: the foundation must be solid. Too often, clients (and sometimes even consultants) rush straight to customizing dashboards. It’s like buying a Ferrari and immediately trying to add a spoiler before you’ve learned to park it. This is the wrong order! You can’t optimize a workflow you haven’t fully documented and tested with the out-of-the-box functionality.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Leonardo da Vinci

My approach at WEB4U is discipline first. We deploy the core system (sales, inventory, CRM) and make sure everyone knows how the base system works before touching custom code. Why? Because unnecessary customization leads to technical debt that cripples future upgrades. Trust the ERP framework; customization is merely the delicious (caramel yum) icing, not the cake.