Business Consultant v/s Odoo ERP Consultant: Decoding their Roles and Impact

Two experts stood out in the consulting field for their specialties: 

Max, who specialized in business consulting, assisted a construction company that was having trouble with its operations. He assessed the impact of the challenges, offered solutions, and led the company toward best practices, which helped guarantee long-term profitability. 

Meanwhile, Sophia, an Odoo consultant, assisted a startup that was having trouble managing operations in different softwares. She implemented a customized Odoo ERP Suite, and together, they automated every aspect of the business, from accounting and HR to supply chain management and sales, resulting in streamlined operations that ultimately saved time, money and improved quality.

Their paths intersected when a business sought a comprehensive change that included cost containment and automating key departments. Collectively, they improved the business's standing and dedication to accuracy. The partnership between Max and Sophia demonstrated the value of combining knowledge to promote moral and profitable business operations.

Who was better, though? Who was more needed by the company? Which consultant should you hire as a business? You may be wondering what is the distinctness between an Odoo consultant and a business consultant after seeing this example. Let’s decode and lay down your answer for you.

• Business consultants have a wide focus beyond the technical aspects of specific systems. They guide various organizational elements, including strategy, operations, management, and market dynamics.
• They analyze the overall business landscape and work on factors like market analysis, competitive positioning, financial strategies, operational efficiencies, organizational structure and operational improvements.
• Their tasks involve crafting strategic plans aligned with the organization's goals, advising on market shifts and opportunities, improving operational efficiency by optimizing processes, and offering insights to drive business growth and profitability.
• The primary goal of business consultants is to enhance the overall performance and competitiveness of an organization. They focus on aligning strategies with market demands, removing operational challenges, processes automation and driving growth through a holistic approach.

• An Odoo consultant is a master in the Odoo ERP system and its workflow. They focus on understanding your business and optimizing operations inside the Odoo ERP management system.
• They possess extensive functional and technical knowledge about Odoo software, its functionalities and modules, and how the departments of an organization can be integrated with Odoo apps.
• Odoo consultants concentrate on the technical aspects of implementing, customizing, and optimization. They analyze existing business processes, recommend suitable solutions by advising applicable Odoo apps or customization to meet specific business needs.
• They perform assessments to understand the unique requirements of a business, and address it with appropriate Odoo apps, customize the software to fit the organization's workflows. 
  They may even oversee some aspects of user training so system is used effectively and providing support post-implementation.
• Odoo consultants’ primary goal is to ensure that the Odoo ecosystem effectively manages and integrates data across various functions, streamlines operations, automates processes, enhances data accuracy, and improves overall operational efficiency within Odoo system.
  

Odoo consultants may lack extensive knowledge about the intricacies of business operations and industry specifics. There's often a misconception that they should also act as business consultants, resolving business challenges solely through the Odoo software.

While some Odoo consultants may possess business or industry experience, their expertise might not match that of a seasoned business consultant. Expecting the same depth of knowledge from them in business matters might not be realistic.

In certain situations, clients may not assign resources well-versed in their company's operations or hire dedicated business consultants. Instead, they rely on Odoo consultants to fulfill this role, which can be a significant warning sign for potential implementation failure.

Alternatively, hiring an Odoo consultant because of their expertise in thoroughly understanding the Odoo suite, its various apps, default configurations, and ability to customize modules to specific business needs, will result in a home run. They use advanced Odoo features and provide a comprehensive response to all your requirements.

Understanding the differences between a Business Consultant and an Odoo Consultant is essential when deciding between the two. Business Consultants are concerned with strategic planning and overall business growth, whereas Odoo Consultants are concerned with Odoo's functional aspects and business automation optimization within Odoo.

Due to their lack of comprehensive business insights, expecting Odoo Consultants to fulfill broad business roles poses challenges, potentially leading to implementation pitfalls. As a result, a company should first assess its needs and then proceed.

Lastly, the role of business consultants and Odoo consultants is not replaceable or contrary to each other, but they corroborate each other.