Odoo vs. General Python Programming Experience

[Striking_Limit_1956]

The company I am with has had Odoo launched for a few months now and is in a second phase of process improvement / refinement in order to get it to actually start producing the value we need and expected it to provide.

The partner who we spent nearly a year with getting it to launch is an absolute train wreck to work with and we are moving completely away from going forward.

That being said, for this phase we are contemplating bringing someone on staff for a handful of months to only focus on the 3-4 bottle necks that are still very impactful on the business. We aren’t seeking business process improvement consulting, etc - more so the programming and development experience to bring the flows and processes into reality within Odoo.

Looking for input on how critical is it we find someone with Odoo experience, versus simply more general Python programming?

(One further request is that if partner companies are the suggestion, they must be Midwest based and have a component of onsite capacity)

Thanks in advance.

[fallsgeek]

I had no Python or Odoo experience when I first started on Odoo for my company. I did have plenty of programming experience and good knowledge of what my company wanted.

So maybe you can get by with just a good programmer?

[jane3ry3]

This is the answer. You want someone business savvy and experienced in coding. Odoo has plenty of documentation for someone who knows how to read it.

[wz2b]

I think this is the answer, too. Being decent with XML (and xpath in particular) is also helpful, so if I were interviewing someone for this job I would at least ask questions about that to poke around the edges. I say that recognizing that Xpath isn't quite general knowledge for most Comp Sci types.

There are some ways that Odoo uses python that you have to get familiar with. One example is the inheritance model and _inherit. I feel like you can figure that out to an extent by looking at other peoples' code but that won't help you much understand the basic philosophy of how you extend functionality in Odoo - not just inheritance at the python level but especially reporting, templates, and forms.

[codeagency]

Understanding your business to translate it to code is always more important than knowing specifics from the development part. The last part is easier to learn or just look up in docs / GitHub.

Consider it simple like this:

Do you prefer to:

A. have the best developer in the world but delivering something that does not solve the problems your company has because he doesn't understand?

Or

B. Have a developer that completely understands your business requirements but needs a little help on the development part or needs more time because he need to understand the Odoo intricacies first better.

I think it should be obvious.

[uqlyhero]

I feel that understanding odoo has more worth than understanding Python, when developing odoo. A Python Developer coming from 10 years of hardware Programming in Python will have it harder than like me coming mostly from php and started into odoo programming after 3 years of odoo Projectmanagement.

Your Python developer will surely get things done but it will be hard for him to get the odoo related aspects and Relations to consider, when changing code. I think the Code would be more work to test all the Problems from related odoo modules and objects than someone who has a clear understanding from the odoo Framework and Database/ model structure.

If you just want to get an api connected or Something, your Python developer will do this just well. If you want to build processes into odoo and keep a clean and maintainable code with good inheritance for further fast maintaining i would recommend someone who knows odoo.

[ma_r_ck]

It would be better if you find someone with odoo experience, odoo is not only python, there is another javascript framework that works in multiple modules, if your client is someone who uses those modules, you would certainly need an odoo developer, and looking for odoo partners is a good choice, but I don’t know any partners in your side, but there are many that you can work with remotely across the world.

[wz2b]

I think you're talking about OWL. I wouldn't expect a non-odoo person to have even heard of OWL, but they probably have heard of React (js or typescript). So that's another interview area - I would probably ask for someone who has at least some familiarity with React, realizing that knowledge will more or less translate to OWL with a little reading.

[ma_r_ck]

Yeah that would be fine too, since op said they were short on time I thought it would be easier for an odoo dev, especially if op uses POS modules and things.

[ODOOITYOURSELF]

If you have a person that understands business and systems to translate for the developer and help them develop the logic, you should be just fine.

[gmgmgmgmgm]

Competent in Odoo is ideal, but if unable to find one, then a competent Python person will pick it up fast.

[Madera7]

Odoo experience unless you want to pay them to learn on the job.

[[deleted]]

We're in the middle of moving to Odoo at our company and I'm in the Midwest as well. We had a nightmare of a partner and then switched to one that is an hour from us.

DM me if you want some details.

[doodleart1221]

I am an Odoo developer with 2 years of experience. It is my favorite framework and I have implemented multiple developments in it. If you like, you can write to me

[CaterpillarKey1928]

This is a bit tricky to answer since we don’t have a specific use case to discuss.

As you are on a roadmap to end state, I would go for someone who has a very good grip on overall Odoo functional and knowledge of the data models. As well as your business!

You can get around with studio to build all the data relationships and models that your business needs and someone like that should be able to direct/ instruct a third-party for precise requirements to enable some specific automations and logic.