Odoo vs. SAP: Which Is Better For You?

Inefficient operations, disorganized data, unorganized systems, and unclear inter-departmental communication are some signs that your company needs an ERP. Choosing the right software is a real pain in the neck because of the several options available and their comparable features. 

This article compares Odoo vs. SAP, two well-known ERPs, highlighting their key components to help you decide which software is better for your business. 

Comparing Odoo vs. SAP 

Integration

Odoo integrates multiple applications and systems, including eBay, DHL, Ups, and Ogone. 

SAP has advanced integration options. You can connect your core suite, SAP Business Suite, or SAP HANA with several other SAP or third-party applications. 

Customization 

Odoo can be extensively customized by any developer who understands Python. There is no SDK, no licensing, just a straight jump into the code. Like many other proprietary systems, SAP customization is limited and costly. This becomes a problem for clients with many custom processes to connect to local APIs.

Hosting

Users host the Odoo community version themselves, using hosted or on-premise servers. It is compatible with cloud hosting platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud, Digital Ocean, and others. Odoo Enterprise, as well as Odoo SaaS and Odoo.sh, Odoo’s cloud hosting option, can be hosted in the same manner. 

You can host SAP Business One in multiple ways. Deploy it on-premises while keeping your SAP hardware on your server, or use cloud-based technology to host SAP Business One.

Complexity 

Odoo and SAP offer different levels of customization. Modifying the steps of any process, whether product delivery, exchange, or return, is easier in Odoo than in SAP.

SAP is incredibly comprehensive. It routinely handles several warehouses containing multiple revisions of products valued in different currencies and assigned to different orders destined for multiple plants. 

Flexibility

Odoo assists small and medium-sized businesses that can change their operations to remain competitive. You can adapt different business processes as your customer’s needs change. 

SAP is designed for giant organizations whose survival requires strict adherence to processes rather than flexibility. Following fixed business processes is critical to the smooth operation of the entire enterprise when you have offices or subsidiaries with hundreds or thousands of employees in different countries.

Factors to Consider While Deciding Between Odoo vs. SAP

No ERP is good or bad. It’s rather either for you or not for you. Both Odoo and SAP have an inexhaustible list of pros and cons. Hence you can’t decide which one to choose based on the features they offer. Here are 3 factors you should consider before deciding which ERP software to get for your company.  

Your Company Size

SAP is best suited for large businesses, though it has a simpler version, SAP Business One, for medium-sized businesses. It can store and handle massive amounts of data for businesses that process thousands or even millions of orders daily.

Odoo is intended for all sizes of small, medium, or large businesses. However, it is best suited for SMEs and startups. 

This distinction is because Odoo is a modular and adaptable software that can be tailored to any business. They operate on the principle of activated or deactivated applications based on their needs.

Affordability 

Odoo has the advantage of being less expensive than softwares with comparable functionalities. The Community version is free with limited modules. The Enterprise version is still cheaper than the SAPs alternative for SMEs, SAP Business One. 

According to Odoo.com, the annual cost of using Odoo for 50 users is USD 75,000, while SAP business one costs USD 282,625 annually.

Implementing Software

Odoo is developed in Python, has a modular structure, and is simple to use. As a result, it can be quickly installed in a company and then evolve in response to its needs. Because of the popularity of Python programming, it is easier to find developers with the necessary level of expertise and experience to implement Odoo.

SAP also allows the software to evolve in response to the company’s changing needs, but it takes longer to configure and implement. It was developed in C, C++, Java, and ABAP. This ERP requires SAP specialists with at least five years of experience, which may be difficult to find.

The Endnote

Odoo is best suited to small and medium-sized businesses with simple business processes. SAP is a more complex system designed for giant companies which make their way into fortune 1000 with more complicated business processes.

DEHA Vietnam JSC has a team of certified Odoo developers who can help you customize and deploy Odoo for your business. We are flexible when selecting from various engagement models, whether working on a project-basis consultation/development or a dedicated module. Check out our Odoo development services and get in touch with us right away for a free consultation.