Odoo Implementation - Aerospace Manufacturing

About APEIRON Aerospace

APEIRON Aerospace is a subsidiary of a rapidly growing aerospace group based in Canada. The company specializes in manufacturing high-precision aerospace components for global industry leaders such as Boeing and Airbus.

Operating in a highly regulated aerospace and defence environment, APEIRON places strong emphasis on:

· Quality assurance

· Regulatory compliance

· End-to-end traceability

· Precision-driven manufacturing

Their operations demand robust systems capable of handling complex documentation, strict quality standards, and dynamic product engineering requirements.

Business Challenges

1. Disconnected data storage

APEIRON’s legacy ERP system provided rudimentary project tracking, but no sophisticated manufacturing features. Critical data like Bills of Material (BoMs) was stored outside in spreadsheets.

This resulted in:· 

• Lack of project-to-project visibility
• Data duplication and inconsistencies
• Data Migration is Manual and Error-Prone
• Poor inter-team collaboration 

2. System integration issues

Each of the departments (sales, engineering, procurement, manufacturing and quality) were running different systems and workflows.

Which led to:·

• Functional silos
• Lack of cross-functional teamwork
• Inconsistent data
• Slow in decision-making

3. Difficult compliance and reporting requirements

The aerospace and defence sector is governed by strict regulatory standards for APEIRON that require:

• Certification tracking
• Document versioning
• Approval pending
• End-to-end traceability from raw materials to final delivery

Managing these requirements manually was time consuming and posed compliance risks.

4. Dynamic Product Structures (Single BoMs)

Every project at APEIRON has different part numbers and custom-built components so each time a new BoM is needed.

Challenges included:

• Manual creation of BoMs for each project
• More engineering work to do
• Higher likelihood of mistakes
• Delays in the start of projects

5. High Standards of Quality Control

Quality control at all stages of manufacture was difficult to maintain because of:·

• Non-standardized QC workflows
• Traceability very limited 
• Inconsistent inspection practices 

6. BoM Dependence and Cost Estimation

Final BoMs were needed for accurate cost estimates. Without a structured system:

• Quote generation is slow
• Costing was not correct
• Extend sales cycles

7.  Vendor Management & Outsourcing Problems

Manufacturing processes for APEIRON are outsourced to a number of vendors.

The main points were:·

• No structured work flows for sub-contracting
• No vendor progress visibility
• Quality and timelines hard to monitor
• Limited accountability Issues on the shop floor

Shopfloor Challenges

One of the main gaps identified in the implementation was at the shop floor level.

Shopfloor personnel are not system-oriented users, but rather machine operators and technicians, unlike typical ERP users. This gave rise to a number of practical difficulties:

• Issues with correct filling of Quality Check (QC) data
• Resistance to completion of time-sheets and inconsistency
• Limited knowledge of latest BoM versions
• Absence of a friendly communication channel between operators and internal teams

Also, the standard ERP interfaces were not designed to be used quickly and in real time on the shop floor which resulted in delays and data not being captured completely. 

Manufacturing Challenge: Handling High-Volume Production Orders

Standard Odoo Flow Problem

When you generate large quantities under a Manufacturing Order (MO), Odoo will split them into several back orders by default.

But in aerospace manufacturing though you:·

• Very high production levels (e.g., 10,000 – 50,000 units)
• Products produced in controlled batches/lots 
• Partial shipments (chunks) are shipped as they are ready and approved

This requirement failed in the default back-order based approach.

Post-Production Challenge: Need for Consolidated Documentation Package

Requirement

At the end of a Manufacturing Order APEIRON has to provide a complete documentation package to the customers.

The package contains several documents produced at different stages in the process, including:

• Purchase Order (PO) from the customer
• QC (Quality Check) reports
• Traceability information of materials (e.g. heat numbers)
• Heat-wise Certificate of Conformance (CoC) 
• Lot by lot CoC completed
• Non Conformance Reports (NCR) for customers
• Packing List
• Delivery documents
• Other inspection and compliance documentation

The creation of these documents was manual, time consuming and error prone.

Solution: Odoo Digital Transformation

To overcome these challenges, a complete and tailored Odoo ERP system was implemented, specifically tailored to the needs of aerospace manufacturing.

1. Centralized Document & Compliance Management

The structured document management system implemented in Odoo included:

• Developed folder architecture for each project
• Documented requirements per phase
• Submission of required documents at critical junctures
• Control of versions for certificates and approvals

Impact:

• Complete document traceability
• Higher compliance
• Reduced risk of missing or outdated documents

2. Automatic AI based generation of BoMs

A custom AI-driven solution was developed to automatically generate Bills of Materials based on product specifications and historical data.

Main Features:

• Automatic unique BoM generation for each part number
• Reduced reliance on manual engineering inputs
• More accurate and consistent

Impact:

• Engineering effort reduced dramatically
• Quicker start on projects
• Lowered human error

3. Standardized Quality Control Process

The built-in Quality module in Odoo has been improved and optimised to aerospace-grade standards.

Enhancements included:

• Quality control on multiple levels
• Manufacturing inspection triggers
• Real-time quality monitoring
• Complete traceability of defects and approvals

Impact:

• Uniform QC processes
• Improved quality product 
• More audit ready 

4. Custom Estimation Module

A module has been developed to provide accurate project costing based on BoMs.

Capabilities:

• Automatic calculation of costs with material, labour and overhead.
• Generate quick quotes
  
• Estimation based on scenarios

Impact:

· Faster quotation turnaround

· Improved pricing accuracy

· Enhanced sales efficiency

5. Fully Integrated ERP for All Departments

An Odoo platform integrates all business functions:

• Sales
• Engineering
• Manufacturing
• Quality
• Procurement
• Finance

Impact:

• Easy sharing of data across departments
• Break Down Silos
• Real-Time Operational Visibility
• Better decision making

6. Streamlined Outsourcing & Subcontracting Flow

A structured outsourcing workflow was implemented to manage vendor operations efficiently.

Key Features:

• Handling of subcontracted manufacturing orders
• Vendor Tracking & Assignment·
• Status Reporting in Real Time
• Quality assurance of outsourced work

Impact:

• Improved vendor coordination
• Enhanced visibility and control
• Higher compliance with time-frames and quality criteria

7. Our Remedy: Customisation at The Shopfloor

To address these issues, we developed a set of custom shopfloor modules and usability enhancements:

Streamlined QC and Time-sheet Interfaces

Operator friendly screens are designed with minimal input and guided workflows to make QC data entry and timesheet logging faster and more intuitive.

· Availability of Bill of Materials versions

Empowered operators with direct access to the latest BoM versions from the shopfloor interface so always working with the right specifications.

· Operator Access to The System

Configure role-based access for shopfloor users that only see what they need, and aren’t slowed down by complexity.

· Talk Channel Internal Communications

Used Odoo’s Discuss module for one-on-one communication, allowing operators, supervisors and internal teams to collaborate in real-time on specific jobs or issues.

Impact:

• Better data accuracy in the shop floor
• Operators are accelerating ERP adoption
• Quick communication and problem-solving
• Enhanced production tracking

8. Our Solution Custom MO processing logic

We customised the Manufacturing workflow to:· Don’t start splitting MOs into multiple backorders by default

• Prevent automatic splitting of MOs into multiple backorders
• Allow production teams to:
• Manufacture in small quantities
• Run operations and quality control at the batch level
• Incrementally handle inventory and stock updates

Enable partial deliveries from a single MO without splitting the MO into several orders

Impact:

• More consistent with aerospace manufacturing practices
• Improved production control on batch basis
• Less tracking and reporting burdens
• Reduced operational complexity

9. Our Solution: Automated Document Compilation

We’ve built a custom Odoo document consolidation system

Automatically collects all relevant documents for manufacturing orders:

• Manufacturing Orders
• Lots / Serial Numbers
• Quality Checks
• Deliveries
• Generates a final packaged document set for each completed order

Ensures:

• Correct sequencing of documents
• Versioning 
• Complete traceability 

Impact:

· Significant reduction in manual effort

· Faster document submission to customers

· Improved compliance and audit readiness

· Enhanced customer confidence

Business Impact

• Full visibility throughout the production lifecycle
• BoMs, documentation, QC entry – substantial manual work reduction
• Better compliance to aerospace standards
• Faster quotes and project start-ups
• Better product quality and audit readiness 
• More data accuracy, more shop floor adoption
• High volume production efficiency
• Vendor & outsource operations simplified

FAQ ( Frequently Asked Questions)