Preparing Your Team for an Odoo Upgrade: Training & Transition Tips

Upgrading your Odoo ERP system is an exciting milestone. It means better features, improved performance, and a chance to optimize how your business operates. But even the most technically successful upgrade can fall short if your team isn’t ready for the change.

A smooth transition depends on how well your people adapt, not just how well the code migrates. In this blog, we’ll cover practical training and transition tips to prepare your team for an Odoo upgrade,  whether you’re moving from version 13 to 17 or to the latest Odoo 19, or anything in between.

1. Start with the “Why” – Communicate the Purpose of the Upgrade

Before diving into training sessions or technical walkthroughs, help your team understand the reason for the upgrade. Communication is key to building buy-in and enthusiasm.

Key Messages to Share:

• Better User Experience: New interfaces and streamlined navigation
• Enhanced Speed and Security: Faster processing and fewer vulnerabilities
• New Functionalities: Additional features to automate work and increase efficiency
• Improved Compatibility: Better support for third-party tools and mobile use

Tip: Host a brief kickoff meeting or send a concise email summarizing the benefits from a user’s perspective.

2. Identify Key Users and Internal Champions

Not everyone needs to be deeply involved in the technical side of the upgrade, but key users should be.

Define the Following Roles:

• Power Users: Deeply familiar with Odoo modules in their department
• Department Champions: Act as peer trainers and transition advocates
• Process Owners: Help test and validate new workflows

Why This Matters:

• Internal champions reduce the pressure on your IT or implementation team.
• Familiar faces offering help can ease anxiety and speed up adoption.

3. Perform a Functional Gap Analysis

Understanding what’s changing is essential before training begins. A gap analysis helps you compare the old and new versions of Odoo from a user’s standpoint.

Questions to Ask:

• Are any modules being discontinued or significantly updated?
• What workflows will look different?
• Will any customizations break or need to be reworked?

Work closely with your Odoo consultant or internal tech team to document the findings — or let Ksolves handle it with precision as part of our expert-led Odoo Upgrade Services.

4. Offer Role-Based, Hands-On Training

Generic system walkthroughs often leave users overwhelmed or uninterested. Make your training relevant to what each team member actually does.

Customize Training by Role:

• Sales: Lead management, pipeline views, and reporting changes
• Accounting: Invoicing, reconciliation, tax updates
• Inventory/Warehouse: Stock movements, barcode scanning, picking
• HR: Employee records, leave management, and approvals

Training Formats to Consider:

• Live demo sessions (record for future use)
• Interactive workshops with real company data
• Quick-start guides and cheat sheets

Reinforce with microlearning content like short videos or how-to PDFs.

5. Use a Testing Environment (Staging Server)

Before going live, create a safe space for experimentation using a copy of your live system.

Benefits of a Staging Server:

• Allows real-user testing of all modules and custom features
• Helps identify bugs or performance issues
• Provides a safe environment for training sessions

Encourage staff to “break things” — it’s the best way to learn!

6. Plan for Go-Live Support and Change Management

Even with great preparation, your team will need help during the actual transition. The first few days are crucial.

Support Measures to Put in Place:

• Designated team leads or champions per department
• A dedicated support desk or chat group (e.g., Slack, Teams)
• An on-call technical team to resolve immediate issues
• Post-go-live daily stand-ups for the first week

Also, consider a phased rollout if full migration in one step is too risky.

7. Collect Feedback and Optimize

Once the new version is in use, gather feedback regularly to tweak processes and training materials.

How to Capture Feedback:

• Short surveys after training or one week post-go-live
• Regular check-ins with department heads
• Support ticket trends (e.g., what questions are most common?)

Refine the system setup or user guides based on real user experience.

8. Celebrate the Milestone

Successfully upgrading Odoo is no small feat. Take time to recognize your team’s effort and mark the occasion.

Ideas for Recognition:

• Thank-you emails from leadership
• Small celebration or lunch
• Certificates or shoutouts for internal champions

Creating a positive vibe around the change encourages openness to future improvements.

Conclusion

Upgrading Odoo is a strategic move to unlock powerful new tools for your organization,  but the technology is only part of the story. With proper planning, clear communication, tailored training, and strong internal support, your team can transition smoothly and confidently adopt the new version.

Need expert help with a seamless and stress-free upgrade? Ksolves offers industry-leading Odoo Upgrade Services that ensure both technical success and team readiness. Let us handle the hard part, so your team can focus on what they do best.