Odoo for Import and Export

Import and export businesses move goods across borders, and the border is where the complexity lives: customs, duties, freight, multiple currencies and long lead times. Odoo can run a cross-border trading business, with landed cost and multi-currency as the areas to get right.

The pain is knowing the true cost of imported goods and managing the paperwork and timing of cross-border trade. Freight, duty and handling all add to the purchase price, and if they are not captured, margin is an illusion.

• Landed cost from freight, duty and handling not reflected in product cost.
• Multiple currencies on the buy and sell sides.
• Customs documentation and compliance.
• Long lead times that complicate planning and cash flow.

Odoo's landed cost feature adds freight, duty and handling to the cost of received goods, so product cost and margin are real. Multi-currency accounting handles buying and selling in different currencies. Purchase and Inventory manage the procurement and stock cycle, and Sales handles the export side.

• Landed costs for true imported product cost.
• Multi-currency accounting for cross-border trade.
• Purchase and Inventory for procurement and stock.
• Sales for the export side of the business.

The configuration centre is the landed cost setup and the multi-currency accounting design. Customs documentation is usually handled with deliberate document templates or an integration to a customs or freight system. Long lead times mean planning and replenishment must be set for them.

• Set up landed costs properly. Without them, margin is guesswork.
• Design multi-currency accounting with finance early.
• Decide how customs paperwork is produced or integrated.
• Plan replenishment around real lead times.