Odoo 18 Manufacturing One-Step Setup
By Braincuber Team
Published on January 15, 2026
In modern manufacturing, efficiency is determined by how quickly raw materials can be converted into finished goods. For small-to-medium manufacturing lines—like assembling custom drones or specialized bicycles—complex multi-step warehouse routings (Pick → Stage → Manufacture → Store) can introduce unnecessary bottlenecks.
Odoo 18's One-Step Manufacturing configuration solves this by streamlining the entire process into a single operation. When a manufacturing order is confirmed, components are consumed directly from stock, and the finished product is immediately available—eliminating intermediate picking and staging moves. This tutorial walks you through setting up a "Drone Assembly Line" using this efficient workflow.
Scenario: We are manufacturing a "Racing Drone (Model X1)" which requires 1 Carbon Frame, 4 Brushless Motors, and 1 Flight Controller. Our goal is to configure the warehouse so that confirming the manufacturing order validates stock consumption and product entry in one click.
Step 1: Enable Multi-Step Routes
Before configuring specific warehouse flows, you must enable the routing capability in Odoo's global settings.
Navigate to Inventory Settings
Go to Inventory → Configuration → Settings.
Activate Routes
Scroll to the Warehouse section and check the box for Multi-Step Routes. Click Save to apply the changes.
Note: Enabling Multi-Step Routes reveals the "Routes" menu and "Warehouse Configuration" options that are hidden by default to keep the interface simple.
Step 2: Configure Warehouse for One-Step Manufacturing
Now we configure our main warehouse to handle manufacturing in a single step.
Inventory → Configuration → Warehouses → [Select Your Warehouse]
Select Manufacturing Strategy
In the warehouse form, look for the Resupply or Manufacturing tab (depending on your Odoo version/view). Find the Manufacture field.
Choose "Manufacture (1 step)"
Select the option: Manufacture (1 step): Consume components from stock + Manufacture.
1 Step (Selected)
Direct production. Good for assembly lines where parts are always available at the bench.
2 Steps
Pick components → Manufacture. Useful if you need to fetch parts from a central storage area first.
3 Steps
Pick → Store Pre-Production → Manufacture. Necessary for complex lines with staging zones.
Step 3: Setup Product & Bill of Materials (BOM)
Let's create our "Racing Drone" configuration to test the flow.
Create Finished Product
Go to Manufacturing → Products → Products and create "Racing Drone Model X1".
- Product Type: Storable Product
- Routes: Check "Manufacture" (and "Make to Order" if you don't stock finished goods)
Create Components
Ensure you have these raw materials created as "Storable Products":
- [COMP-001] Carbon Fiber Frame
- [COMP-002] Brushless Motor (2300KV)
- [COMP-003] Flight Controller F4
Define Bill of Materials
On the "Racing Drone" product, click the Bill of Materials smart button.
Product: Racing Drone Model X1 BOM Type: Manufacture this product COMPONENTS: ---------------------------------------- | Component | Quantity | |-------------------------|------------| | Carbon Fiber Frame | 1.00 Unit | | Brushless Motor | 4.00 Units | | Flight Controller | 1.00 Unit | ----------------------------------------
Step 4: Execute Manufacturing Order
With configuration complete, launch a production run to witness the one-step flow.
Create Order
Go to Manufacturing → Operations → Manufacturing Orders and click New.
Select "Racing Drone Model X1". The BOM will auto-load component requirements.
Confirm & Check Availability
Click Confirm. The status moves to Confirmed.
Odoo immediately reserves specific units of Frame, Motors, and Controller from stock. If items are missing, they will be highlighted in red (Not Available).
Produce All
Click Produce All (or manually set quantities to 'Done'). Then click Mark as Done.
Step 5: Verify Inventory Moves
The beauty of the one-step confirmation is visible in the traceability report. You will see a single coherent transaction.
Transformation Logic:
- Source Location: WH/Stock (Raw Materials)
- Virtual Location: Production (Conversion Zone)
- Destination Location: WH/Stock (Finished Drone)
Moves History (One Operation): 1. OUT: Carbon Fiber Frame (-1) → WH/Stock to Virtual/Production 2. OUT: Brushless Motor (-4) → WH/Stock to Virtual/Production 3. OUT: Flight Controller (-1) → WH/Stock to Virtual/Production ------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. IN: Racing Drone X1 (+1) → Virtual/Production to WH/Stock
When to Use One-Step Manufacturing?
Ideal For
Lean manufacturing, assembly cells where parts are stocked at the bench, and simple production lines without chaotic warehousing requirements.
Avoid When
You have a massive central warehouse and manufacturing happens in a separate building requiring a dedicated "Picking" team to move goods first.
Conclusion
Optimizing your warehouse route is the first step to successful MRP implementation. For many businesses, the default One-Step Manufacturing in Odoo 18 provides the perfect balance of control and speed—removing administrative overhead while maintaining full traceability of every motor, frame, and screw that goes into your final product.