Resupply subcontractor

Estimated reading: 3 minutes 59 views

Introduction

In manufacturing, it’s common for companies to work with third-party manufacturers – known as subcontractors – to produce goods on their behalf.

In Odoo, the Resupply Subcontractor on Order route is a handy feature that ensures your subcontractor receives all the necessary components every time you confirm a purchase order (PO) for a subcontracted product.

Here’s how it works:

  • You send components from your warehouse to your subcontractor.
  • They manufacture the product.
  • The finished goods are either shipped back to you or sent directly to your customer.

Key Difference:


Don’t confuse Resupply Subcontractor on Order with Dropship Subcontractor on Order.

  • Resupply: Components come from your warehouse.
  • Dropship: Components are bought from a vendor and sent straight to the subcontractor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

 

  1. Enable Subcontracting in Odoo
  • Go to Manufacturing app → Configuration → Settings.
  • Under Operations, tick Subcontracting.
  1. Configure Your Subcontracted Product
  • Open Inventory app → Products → Products.
  • Select an existing product or click New.
  • In the Purchase tab:
    • Add your subcontractor as a vendor.
    • Enter the agreed manufacturing price.
  • In the Inventory tab:
    • Select Buy and Replenish on Order (MTO) if goods come back to you.
    • Select Dropship if the subcontractor ships directly to your customer.
  1. Set Up the Bill of Materials (BoM)
  • On the product page, click Bill of Materials (or go to Manufacturing → Products → Bills of Materials).
  • Set BoM Type to Subcontracting.
  • Add your subcontractor(s) in the Subcontractors field.
  • On the Components tab, list all parts needed for manufacturing.
  1. Configure Each Component
  1. Go to each component in Inventory → Products.
  2. In the Inventory tab, select Resupply Subcontractor on Order.
  1. Run the Resupply Workflow

If you’re fulfilling a customer order:

  1. Create a Sales Order (SO) for the subcontracted product.
  2. Odoo automatically creates a Purchase Order (PO).
  3. Confirm the PO. This creates:
    • A Resupply Subcontractor order (for components).
    • A Receipt or Dropship order (for the finished goods).

If you’re restocking:

  1. Create a PO directly in Purchase app → Purchase Orders → New.
  2. Select subcontractor, add product, and confirm.
  1. Process the Orders
  • Resupply Subcontractor Order → Send components to subcontractor → Click Validate.
  • Receipt Order (if goods come back to you) → Click Receive Products → Validate.
  • Dropship Order (if goods go to customer) → Open Dropship order → Validate.
  • Delivery Order (if goods came to you first) → Open from Sales Order → Validate.

Tips

  • Plan ahead: Keep enough stock of components to avoid subcontractor delays.
  • Track costs: Remember the subcontractor’s manufacturing fee is separate from component costs.
  • Automate where possible: Using MTO ensures orders trigger automatically when needed.
  • Use reporting: Odoo’s inventory and manufacturing reports can help track subcontractor performance.

Related Articles

subcontracting - Previous Basic subcontracting lead times Next - subcontracting Resupply subcontracting lead times

Recently Viewed articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Learn how we helped 100 top brands gain success