Importance of Customer & Supplier Approval
Managing customers and suppliers is a daily task in any business. In Odoo, partners are used for sales orders, purchase orders, invoices, and deliveries. If incorrect or unverified customer or supplier data is entered into the system, it can create serious issues, such as billing errors, delivery problems, and compliance risks.
This is where the Customer & Supplier Approval Workflow in Odoo becomes very important. It helps businesses control partner creation, verify details, and allow transactions only after proper approval.
Let’s understand why this workflow matters and how its features help in real business situations.
1. Validation Flow on Customer Screen
The approval process starts directly on the customer or supplier screen in Odoo.
When a new customer or supplier is created, it does not become active immediately. Instead, it goes through a validation flow. An authorized user reviews the details such as name, contact information, tax details, and other vital fields before approving.
Why this matters:
- Prevents incorrect or incomplete partner data
- Avoids duplicate customers or suppliers
- Ensures only verified partners are used in transactions
- Keeps the database clean and reliable
This validation flow adds a simple yet strong control without complicating the process.
2. Approved Customer Visible Across Sale, Purchase, Invoice & Delivery
Once a customer or supplier is approved, the approval status is clearly reflected across multiple Odoo screens.
The “Validated Customer” status is visible on:
- Sale Orders
- Purchase Orders
- Invoices
- Delivery Orders
This means users can instantly know whether they are working with an approved partner.
Why this matters:
- Sales teams do not create orders for unapproved customers
- Purchase teams avoid placing orders with unverified suppliers
- The accounts team issues invoices only to validated partners
- Delivery teams avoid shipping to unapproved or incorrect parties
This feature ensures that no business transaction moves forward without approval, reducing mistakes and rework.
3. Easy Approval Status View in Kanban View
The approval status of customers and suppliers is also shown clearly in the Kanban view.
With just a glance, users can see:
- Approved customers
- Pending approvals
- Rejected or unvalidated partners
There is no need to open each record individually.
Why this matters:
- Saves time for managers and teams
- Makes approval tracking visual and straightforward
- Helps prioritize pending approvals quickly
- Improves day-to-day workflow efficiency
For businesses handling a large number of customers and suppliers, this Kanban view makes partner management much easier.
4. Unique Approval Number for Easy Identification
Each customer or supplier approval generates a unique approval number.
This number helps in:
- Easy identification of approval records
- Internal reference during audits or reviews
- Tracking approval history clearly
- Communication between teams
Why this matters:
- Makes approvals traceable
- Helps in internal controls and compliance
- Avoids confusion when multiple approvals exist
- Adds a professional structure to partner validation
This minor feature plays a significant role in organized partner management.
Conclusion
The Customer & Supplier Approval Workflow in Odoo is not optional; it is for businesses that need accurate data, better control, and reliable operations. With a validation flow on the customer screen, approval status visible across sales, purchases, invoices, and deliveries, a clear Kanban view for quick tracking, and unique approval numbers for easy identification, businesses can ensure that only approved and verified customers and suppliers are used across the system.
Available on the Odoo App Store and implemented by Devintellecs, this approval workflow helps reduce errors, improve data quality, and support smoother day-to-day operations in Odoo.
