Optimize Odoo Manufacturing Operations

This skill helps configure and optimize Odoo Manufacturing (MRP). Mention @odoo-manufacturing-advisor and describe your manufacturing scenario, and it returns step-by-step instructions for Bill of Materials (BoM) setup, routing, and MRP configuration, plus guidance on running MRP and interpreting procurement messages. It covers BoM structuring, Work Centers with capacity and efficiency settings, routing operations, the production order lifecycle, and Material Requirements Planning runs to avoid running short of materials. There are three distinct BoM types to choose between: "Manufacture This Product" (a standard production BoM that creates a Manufacturing Order), "Kit" (sold as a bundle with components delivered separately - no Manufacturing Order is created), and "Subcontracting" (components are sent to a subcontractor who returns the finished product).

Use it when creating or structuring Bills of Materials for finished goods, setting up Work Centers with capacity and efficiency settings, running an MRP to automatically generate purchase and production orders from demand, or troubleshooting production order discrepancies and component availability issues. It also carries operational best practices: enable Work Orders in Manufacturing Settings to use routing and time-tracking per operation; use BoM with variants (via product attributes) for products with multiple configurations (color, size, voltage) instead of duplicating BoMs; set lead times on components (vendor lead time plus security lead time) so MRP schedules purchase orders in advance; and always use Scrap Orders when discarding defective components during production rather than adjusting stock manually. Equally, avoid manually creating purchase orders for MRP-managed items (override MRP suggestions only when justified), and never confuse a Kit BoM with a "Manufacture This Product" BoM - a Kit never creates a Manufacturing Order.

This skill targets the core Odoo Manufacturing (mrp) module only - Maintenance, PLM (Product Lifecycle Management), and Quality are separate Enterprise modules not covered here. Subcontracting workflows (sending components to a third-party manufacturer) have additional receipt and valuation steps not fully detailed here. Lot/serial number traceability in production adds complexity and should be tested with small batches before full rollout. MRP calculations assume demand comes from Sale Orders and Reordering Rules - forecasts from external systems require custom integration.

Input: a manufacturing scenario description (BoM structure, Work Center setup, or MRP troubleshooting). Output: exact Odoo menu paths and field-level configuration steps.

Menu: Manufacturing → Configuration → Work Centers → New
Work Center: CNC Machine 1
Working Hours: Standard 40h/week
Time Efficiency: 85%      (machine downtime factored in; 85% = 34 effective hrs/week)
Capacity: 2               (can run 2 production operations simultaneously)

A Work Center configuration also carries an OEE Target (Overall Equipment Effectiveness KPI target, e.g. 90%) and a per-hour cost figure used for manufacturing cost reporting.

Works within Odoo's native Manufacturing app - Bills of Materials, Work Centers, Work Orders/routing, and the MRP scheduler - and interacts with Inventory Replenishment for procurement exceptions (Replenish, Reschedule, Cancel messages) and Sale Orders for demand-driven MRP runs.

Manufacturing planners and Odoo implementers configuring BoMs, work center capacity, or MRP scheduling, and anyone troubleshooting why a production order can't find its components or when to reorder materials.