KM Woods - Factory ERP and Manufacturing System
Khaled led the development of a full ERP and manufacturing system for KM Woods, a wood factory located in Alamein, Egypt. Built on Odoo Community Edition with extensive custom Python plugins, the system covers the complete workflow from client acquisition to delivery, including HR, accounting, supply chain, and purchasing. The project required on-site consulting with multi-day stays at the factory to deeply understand manufacturing operations before implementing solutions.
Problem Solved
A wood manufacturing factory needed a comprehensive system to manage their entire operation from client orders through production and delivery, with integrated HR, accounting, supply chain, and purchasing - requiring deep understanding of actual factory workflows.
- •Conducted on-site consulting at factory, spending multiple days understanding operations
- •Mapped inter-department workflows across HR, accounting, supply chain, purchasing, and production
- •Architected Odoo-based ERP solution with extensive custom plugins
- •Developed custom Python modules for factory-specific requirements
- •Consulted on best practices for factory logistics and operations
- •Led ORKA Solutions team through 8-month development and deployment
- ✓Delivered full factory ERP covering all departments from client acquisition to delivery
- ✓Built on Odoo Community Edition with extensive custom Python plugins
- ✓Conducted multi-day on-site consulting in Alamein desert location
- ✓Integrated HR, accounting, supply chain, and purchasing into unified system
- ✓Created factory-specific modules for wood manufacturing workflows
- ✓Most technically interesting ORKA project combining consulting with development
Scale
- • Full factory coverage
- • All departments integrated
- • Complete client-to-delivery workflow
Technology Stack
Challenge
Understanding complex factory operations where each department (HR, accounting, supply, production) has completely different workflows and requirements
Solution
Spent multiple days on-site at the factory in Alamein, observing operations, interviewing staff, and mapping inter-department communication before writing any code
Impact
Developed deep understanding enabling accurate system design that matched actual factory workflows
Challenge
Out-of-the-box Odoo needed extensive modifications for wood factory-specific processes not covered by standard manufacturing modules
Solution
Developed custom Python plugins for each department's unique requirements, extending Odoo's ORM and workflow systems
Impact
Created tailored ERP that handles wood manufacturing specifics while maintaining Odoo upgrade compatibility
Challenge
Multiple departments needed to share data and trigger cross-department workflows
Solution
Designed integrated workflow system where actions in one module automatically trigger appropriate responses in related modules
Impact
Eliminated manual data re-entry and communication gaps between departments
Situation
KM Woods, a wood manufacturing factory in the Alamein desert area of Egypt, needed a comprehensive ERP system to manage their entire operation. The factory had complex workflows spanning client management, production, delivery, HR, accounting, supply chain, and purchasing - each department with unique requirements that standard ERP solutions did not address.
Task
As Technical Lead and Consultant at ORKA Solutions, Khaled was responsible for both understanding the factory's operations deeply and architecting a custom ERP solution built on Odoo Community Edition that would address their specific manufacturing workflows.
Action
Rather than gathering requirements remotely, Khaled traveled to the Alamein factory for multi-day on-site consulting sessions. He observed operations across all departments, interviewed staff, and mapped the inter-department communication flows. This immersion revealed workflows and edge cases that no interview could capture. Based on this deep understanding, he designed an Odoo-based solution with extensive custom Python plugins tailored to each department's specific needs while maintaining an integrated workflow system.
Result
The project delivered a comprehensive factory ERP that covered the complete client-to-delivery workflow while integrating HR, accounting, supply chain, and purchasing. The on-site consulting approach ensured the system matched actual factory operations rather than theoretical requirements. This became the most technically interesting project at ORKA Solutions for Khaled, combining consulting expertise with development skills.
Technical
- • Odoo Community Edition architecture and customization
- • Python plugin development for ERP systems
- • Manufacturing ERP requirements and workflows
- • Multi-department workflow integration
Soft Skills
- • On-site consulting and requirements gathering
- • Manufacturing operations understanding
- • Cross-department stakeholder management
- • Technical consulting combined with development
Key Insights
- 💡 Deep domain understanding before development prevents costly rework
- 💡 On-site immersion reveals workflows that interviews cannot capture
- 💡 Manufacturing ERP requires balancing standardization with factory-specific needs