Scrapping $14K Monthly? Use Odoo 18 Barcode App for Manufacturing

Your manufacturing floor worker starts assembly. Needs 12 components. Checks paper work order. Walks to warehouse. Grabs parts based on handwritten list. Gets wrong component (part #4728 instead of #4782). Assembles product. QA catches error 3 hours later. Product scrapped. Cost: $840 in materials + 3 hours labor.

This happens 17 times per month. Wrong components picked because part numbers look similar. Manual data entry errors in production logs. No way to track which batch of materials went into which finished product. When customer reports defect, you can't trace it back to source.

Cost: 17 errors × $840 = $14,280 monthly in scrapped materials. Plus 51 hours wasted on rework = $1,428 labor. Total waste: $15,708/month = $188,496/year. All because workers are reading part numbers from paper and typing them into Odoo manually.

Odoo 18 Barcode app eliminates this. Workers scan component barcodes, system confirms correct parts, manufacturing order updates automatically. No typing, no errors, full traceability. Here's how to set it up so your shop floor stops throwing away $15K monthly.

What Odoo 18 Barcode App Does for Manufacturing

Mobile app + barcode scanner that processes manufacturing orders. Scan raw materials to confirm correct components, scan finished product to complete order, instant inventory updates. Full traceability from raw material lot to finished product serial number.

Prerequisites

• Odoo 18 Enterprise (Barcode app not in Community)
• Manufacturing module installed
• Barcode scanner or smartphone with Odoo app
• Product barcodes printed on labels

Step 1: Enable Barcode App

1. Go to Inventory → Configuration → Settings
2. Find Barcode section
3. Enable "Barcode Scanner"
4. Choose barcode nomenclature:
   • Default Nomenclature: Standard barcodes (Code 39, Code 128, EAN-13)
   • GS1 Nomenclature: Industry-standard format with lot/serial numbers embedded
5. Click Save

Step 2: Assign Barcodes to Products

Every component and finished product needs a barcode.

Add Barcode to Product

1. Go to Manufacturing → Products
2. Open a product (e.g., "Aluminum Frame")
3. Find Barcode field
4. Enter barcode: ALU-FRAME-001
5. Or click Generate to auto-create unique barcode
6. Save

Print Barcode Labels

1. In product form, click Print → Barcode Label
2. Choose format: PDF or ZPL (for Zebra printers)
3. Print labels
4. Attach to warehouse bins, component boxes, etc.

Step 3: Create Manufacturing Order (Desktop)

MOs are created in desktop Odoo, then processed via barcode scanner on shop floor.

1. Go to Manufacturing → Operations → Manufacturing Orders
2. Click Create
3. Select product to manufacture: "Mountain Bike"
4. Quantity to produce: 10 units
5. Components auto-populate from Bill of Materials:
   • Aluminum Frame × 10
   • Front Wheel × 10
   • Rear Wheel × 10
   • Handlebar × 10
   • etc.
6. Click Confirm
7. MO status: "To Start"

Step 4: Process MO with Barcode Scanner

Worker on shop floor now uses mobile device or handheld scanner.

Open Barcode App

1. On mobile device, open Odoo app
2. Select Barcode module
3. Tap Operations
4. Tap Manufacturing card
5. See list of MOs with status "To Start"

Select MO to Process

1. Find MO: "WH/MO/00347"
2. Tap to open
3. See list of required components:
   • ☐ Aluminum Frame × 10
   • ☐ Front Wheel × 10
   • ☐ Rear Wheel × 10

Scan Components

1. Worker goes to warehouse shelf
2. Finds bin labeled "Aluminum Frame"
3. Scans barcode on bin: ALU-FRAME-001
4. App beeps ✓ (correct component)
5. Item turns green: ☑ Aluminum Frame × 10
6. Repeat for each component

Complete Manufacturing

1. All components scanned (all green ✓)
2. "Produce All" button turns green
3. Worker taps Produce All
4. System:
   • Consumes raw materials from inventory
   • Creates 10 finished "Mountain Bike" units
   • Updates stock levels
   • Records traceability (which lot of aluminum went into which bike serial number)
5. MO status: "Done"

Advanced: Lot/Serial Number Tracking

Track which specific batch of materials went into which finished product.

Enable Tracking

1. Go to product: "Aluminum Frame"
2. Inventory tab → Tracking: By Lots
3. For finished product "Mountain Bike": Tracking: By Unique Serial Number

Scan with Lot Numbers

1. When scanning component, system asks: "Which lot?"
2. Worker scans lot barcode: LOT-2025-001
3. System records: "Bike #S00347 used Aluminum Frame from LOT-2025-001"

Traceability Report

Customer reports defect in Bike S00347. You can now trace exactly which lot of each component was used. If aluminum was faulty, you know which other bikes used same lot. Recall only affected units, not entire production run.

Alternative: Manual Barcode Entry

If scanner hardware fails, workers can type barcodes manually.

1. In barcode app, tap Barcode icon (top-right)
2. Type barcode manually: ALU-FRAME-001
3. Press Enter
4. System validates just like scanning

Real-World Example: Electronics Assembly

Common Mistakes That Break Barcode Scanning

Hardware Recommendations

Quick Implementation Checklist