Painting Contractor15 employees8 weeks

Custom Odoo ERP + Inventory System

Juggling Google Drive, Autocount, and spreadsheets to track jobs, inventory, and P&L across multiple sites

ClientMarcus Chen, Owner

InvestmentRM ~45,000

The Problem

WhatsApp Groups as the Operating System

The business ran entirely on WhatsApp communities. Each client had a dedicated group (boss + manager + relevant workers). Every decision, update, and resource allocation flowed through chat. The manager duplicated information to Google Sheets for resource planning, copied previous quotations or developer-provided templates to create new ones, and tracked work progress via Google Docs with evidence stored in Drive folders following a `[client-name]/[project-name]/[date]` structure.

Original Workflow

1. Boss discusses with clients via WhatsApp - manager has to constantly ask boss for decisions made
2. Manager logs everything in WhatsApp groups/communities, one per client with only relevant people
3. Manager duplicates info to Google Sheets for resource planning
4. Quotations created by copying previous client or developer-provided templates, modifying data manually
5. Monthly claims sent to property developer
6. Signed claim docs sent to external accountant to open invoice, returned to manager, sent to developer
7. Work progress tracked via Google Docs, evidence photos in Google Drive folder structure

Our Approach

Custom ID System + Unified Platform

The core challenge was not just replacing tools - it was respecting the existing ID convention that the entire business operated on. All documents, invoices, and references followed a `[client-code]-[project-code]-[running-number]` format. This is not natively supported by any ERP system, requiring custom automation to handle ID generation while maintaining the traceability the team relied on.

Caveats & Considerations

Custom ID format [client-code]-[project-code]-[running-number] is not supported natively in any ERP - required custom automation module
Team was deeply embedded in WhatsApp workflow - needed gradual transition, not a hard switch
External accountant relationship had to be maintained while bringing invoicing in-house
Google Drive folder structure had years of historical data that needed to remain accessible

The Solution

Custom Odoo ERP with Integrated Workflows

We implemented a custom Odoo system that respected the existing ID convention through automated sequence generation. The system unified quotation management, job tracking, inventory, and invoicing - while maintaining the direct claim-to-developer workflow the business depended on. Evidence and documents link directly to job records, eliminating the need for manual folder navigation.

Custom ID automation: auto-generates [client-code]-[project-code]-[running-number] across all documents

Real-time inventory tracking across multiple job sites

Integrated P&L dashboard - visible instantly, not weekly

Quotation templates with version control and client history

Claim management workflow - from progress to developer submission

Document attachment per job record - replaces Google Drive folder hunting

Results

From Chaos to Clarity

Inventory tracking time

3 hours→5 minutes

P&L visibility

Weekly (manual)→Real-time

Subscription cost

3 separate tools→Eliminated (RM 15K/year saved)

Quotation creation

Copy-paste from old files→Template-based with auto-ID

Claim form

Copy-paste from quotation→Auto-inferred from confirmed sales order

Invoice processing

Multi-step via accountant→Generated from claims directly

"Before, we were juggling Google Drive, Autocount, and spreadsheets just to track one paint job. Now everything's in one place! I can see exactly which site has what inventory and our real-time P&L without switching between three different subscriptions. It's like going from chaos to clarity overnight."

Marcus Chen, Owner