The numbers tell only part of the story. One major trend is the continued move toward cloud-based ERP, giving businesses more flexibility without requiring them to maintain as much infrastructure themselves. Another is the growing emphasis on automation and real-time data, as companies look to replace spreadsheets and manual reconciliations with connected workflows. A third trend is the increasing integration of ERP with other business applications, including ecommerce, CRM, banking, logistics, analytics, and other SaaS platforms.
These changes help explain why ERP migration is increasingly being treated as a business transformation rather than a simple technology replacement.
In this guide, we will consider the reasons why companies migrate from Oracle ERP to Odoo, the migration process, cost factors and risks, as well as how to make a decision if Odoo ERP is right for the organization.
Reasons of Moving from Oracle ERP to Odoo
Large and complicated organizations use Oracle ERP systems (Oracle E-Business Suite and Oracle ERP Cloud). It provides a great variety of functionalities, but these functionalities may lead to a lot of cost and complexity.
It is not about the lack of features for growth and mid-market companies in Oracle ERP. The company pays for the functionality that is rarely used, while it is difficult to implement necessary changes.
Here are the main reasons of moving to Odoo ERP:
- High total cost of ownership. Annual licensing, infrastructure and database costs, and expensive consultants make Oracle ERP expensive.
- Slow customization cycles. Even small workflow or report changes can become a development project.
- Integration difficulties. Integration of Oracle ERP with modern SaaS applications, e-commerce and marketplaces is quite a complicated task.
- Rigid structure of modules. Additional functionalities require additional licensing and implementation efforts.
- Absence of specialized personnel. Oracle professionals are expensive and difficult to retain.
Odoo has another approach to ERP.
Its modular system covers accounting, inventory, manufacturing, CRM, HR, purchasing and e-commerce. The company is able to use the modules that it requires and grow the system later.
Odoo provides a practical middle way for an organization that has already outgrown basic accounting systems like QuickBooks or Tally but does not need the whole Oracle ERP. This flexibility also aligns with the broader shift in ERP deployment strategies. The ERP market is segmented by deployment type into Cloud, On-premise, Hybrid, and Others, with Cloud dominating the market share at 59%.
Why Oracle ERP Is Not Easy to Handle with Manual Business Processes
One of the most evident signs of inefficient operation of ERP environment is a revival of manual processes.
An organization may have Oracle as an official ERP system but use spreadsheets, email approvals and manual data entry to perform its daily tasks.
The result is an ERP environment where the data is stored in the ERP system but most processes happen outside the system.
There are several problems in this situation:
Productivity Loss
Finance, procurement and warehouse teams spend hours on reconciling the information that should be automatically synchronized across ERP.
Employees lose their time reconciling the data instead of analyzing and making decisions.
Reporting Delays
Monthly reporting takes much time since the information should be extracted from several systems and combined in spreadsheets.
The business environment can change during the period needed for reporting.
Data Accuracy Problems
Each manual data entry becomes an extra opportunity for mistakes.
Even a small mistake in the customer data, product details, order or finances can cause other problems. This is especially dangerous if the organization works with multiple entities, currencies or locations.
More workload for Employees
In ideal situation, the work of experienced employees should include analysis of information, customer service and improvement of operations.
Instead, they constantly perform manual data entry and reconciliations, and a lot of valuable expertise is wasted on administrative work.
Poor Decision Making
Good decision making of a leadership team requires current information.
If reports are outdated, then the decisions regarding inventory, purchasing, budget or sales are based on old data.
Expensive ERP with heavy manual layer to maintain the operations becomes a problem in this situation.
Instead of reproducing old manual layer in a new system, the business will be able to get rid of it and move to Odoo, implementing automation of approvals, notifications, inventory and cross-module workflows.
This is where another major ERP trend becomes visible: automation is moving from an optional productivity feature to a core part of enterprise operations. Financial management, supply chain activities, purchasing, inventory, and reporting can increasingly work from a shared data environment rather than through disconnected spreadsheets and manual handoffs.
ERP Migration: Why are companies moving away from inefficient business processes
Poor business processes are not formed suddenly.
They develop slowly during the expansion of a company, acquisition of another company, introduction of new products, penetration to new markets, or hiring of new employees with installation of new systems.
A workflow that was relevant five years ago may become irrelevant at the current scale of operations of a company.
Here are the common problems that the operations and finance teams face:
- Order-to-cash cycle is too long
- Inventory data is inconsistent with real stocks
- Stockouts or excessive inventory
- Purchase approvals lost in emails
- Intercompany transactions - manual adjustments
- Audit and compliance preparation takes a lot of time
- Interdepartmental reconciliations occur recurrently
Finally, the cost of fixing these problems one by one can exceed the cost of replacement of the underlying ERP system.
In most cases, it is the moment when ERP migration turns into a business project.
The reason for leaving Oracle ERP is not that Oracle is a bad product. This only means that the cost of maintaining and synchronizing the system with the evolving needs of a company exceeds its value.
The operational pressure is especially visible in supply chain functions. Within the ERP market's solution-type segmentation, solutions cover Financial Management, Human Capital Management, Supply Chain Management, Customer Relationship Management, Manufacturing Management, and Others. Supply Chain Management is particularly prominent, accounting for over 31% of total ERP market revenue in 2026, highlighting how central inventory, procurement, logistics, and operational visibility have become to modern ERP deployments.
Oracle ERP to Odoo Migration Process 1.
A successful ERP migration is impossible without proper planning. Each phase is related to the others, so omitting of an important phase will lead to problems in the future.
1. Evaluation of existing ERP
Document existing Oracle ERP environment.
Identify the modules used, customizations, integrations, reports, workflows, user access rights.
It will help the migration team understand the current state before deciding what should be moved to Odoo.
2. Analysis of business needs
The business requirements that were relevant five years ago can become irrelevant now.
Evaluate existing workflows and identify what functionalities are still needed, what should be simplified and what can be removed completely.
3. Migration planning
Define the project scope, schedule, migration strategy and responsibilities.
The company should also define whether it will implement Big Bang or phased migration.
Also, the team should create a rollback plan in case of any critical issues during go live.
4. Mapping of data
Mapping of Odoo models to Oracle tables and columns.
Before the extraction of any data, it is necessary to determine the destination of all critical data points.
5. Data cleaning
Just because legacy data exists, it does not mean that it should be moved.
Remove duplicate records, obsolete and incomplete entries, as needed.
Cleaning of data will simplify migration and avoid problems in the future.
6. Extraction of the data
Perform extraction of master data and transactional records from Oracle using controlled queries or special tools.
This process should be thoroughly documented in order to verify that the correct information was actually extracted.
7. Data conversion
Sometimes it is required to restructure data before importing it from Oracle to Odoo.
Transform the extracted data to the form corresponding to the Odoo models and fields.
8. Setting up Odoo
Create the basic Odoo environment with
- Chart of accounts
- Warehousing
- Tax rules
- Product categories
- User access rights
- Approval hierarchies
It will be the base of the new ERP environment.
9. Odoo ERP customization
Standard Odoo can solve many common business needs.
There are also organizations that will have particular workflows, fields or processes requiring customization.
Only necessary customizations should be moved.
10. Integration of Odoo with other applications
Integrate Odoo with the applications that the business still uses.
They may include
- Banking
- Payment gateways
- Ecommerce platforms
- WMS platforms
- Shipping providers
- CRM systems
- BI tools
- Other legacy systems
It is crucial to do integration planning because disconnected systems may cause the same data problems as Oracle.
11. System testing
Perform functional, integration and performance testing in the staging environment before go live.
It should include testing of normal workflows and possible problematic situations.
12. User Acceptance Testing
Actual employees should test the system before going live.
Finance, sales, warehouse, procurement and management users should confirm that the workflows fit their daily tasks.
13. Data validation
Compare the important information in Oracle and Odoo.
It should include accounts balance, inventory levels, open transactions, etc.
14. Go Live
Perform the scheduled cutover.
The business should have a scheduled launch plan and a dedicated support team available for handling of issues.
15. Post-migration support
The migration is not over at the moment of go live.
During the following months, it is important to stabilize the system, fix edge cases, improve reports and help employees to adapt to the new system.
Each phase is important.
Poor data mapping can cause incorrect reports. Omission of UAT can cause the employees' resistance. Poor integration testing can leave important business processes unavailable after launch.
ERP Migration Costs: What Determines the Investment?
There is no fixed price for migration from Oracle ERP to Odoo.
The final cost depends on the current Oracle ERP environment, user count, modules, data volume, customizations, integrations and complexity of the project.
Even two organizations with similar revenues can receive different migration estimates.
Main Cost Drivers
- ERP size and scope. The number of legal entities, warehouses, locations and business units determines the complexity of the project.
- User count. More users increase the licensing and training requirements.
- Modules count. Accounting, inventory, manufacturing, HR, CRM and other modules require configuration and testing.
- Data volume. Large number of historical transactions increases the work on extraction, cleaning, transformation and validation.
- Customization depth. Implementation of complex Oracle specific business logic will require significant Odoo development.
- Integration requirements. Each additional third-party application increases development, design and testing efforts.
- Data cleaning. Poor quality of the data increases pre-migration efforts.
- Testing requirements. Regulated businesses and organizations with multiple entities require more extensive testing.
- Training and change management. The employees need to learn to use the new system.
- Post-migration support. Hypercare and further maintenance should be considered in the financial plans.
It is a good approach to assess the migration cost in three groups:
- One-time migration cost
- First-year Odoo operating cost
- Savings from retiring Oracle licensing, infrastructure and specialized support
Evaluation of all three will give management a better understanding of the expected ROI than the migration quotes alone.
Common ERP Data Migration Challenges
ERP data migration challenges are among the most common causes of delays of migration projects.
Information that was acceptable in the older Oracle environment can become unsuitable for Odoo and require cleansing and restructuration.
Legacy data
A long-operating Oracle ERP can contain records corresponding to the old workflows, obsolete products, inactive customers and outdated processes.
Not all this information should be moved to Odoo.
Incompatible data structures
Oracle E-Business Suite and Oracle ERP Cloud store information differently from Odoo.
Accounting, tax, inventory and valuation data require proper mapping before migration.
Duplicate records
The same customer, supplier or product can be referenced under different IDs.
Duplicates should be found and solved before import.
Incomplete data
Records can be missing tax IDs, addresses, units of measure or other required fields.
It can cause transaction failures after migration.
Inconsistent data quality
Different departments can enter information differently.
Free text fields are especially difficult to map since employees use different formats for the same information.
Decision on the historical data
The business should determine how much historical data needs to be migrated.
It is both a technical and regulatory decision.
Storing of all this data will increase the migration costs, while migration of too little data can create reporting or regulatory issues.
Integration dependencies
The information coming from banks, ecommerce platforms, CRM systems and other applications into Oracle should be redirected to Odoo carefully.
Data validation
Large datasets may contain millions of records.
Special automation tools for validation and reconciliation become much more convenient than manual checking of records.
Considering of data migration as a separate workstream and assignment of a dedicated owner will significantly increase the likelihood of success.
Key ERP Migration Risks and Ways to Control Them
ERP migration risks can be controlled if they are identified beforehand and assigned to responsible persons.
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Risk
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Way to reduce it
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Data loss
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Keep full backups, check checksums and generate reconciliation reports at each phase.
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Downtime during cutover
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Use a phased approach or practice the cutover and maintain a rollback plan.
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Integration failure
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Build and test integrations along with Odoo configuration.
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Incorrectly migrated data
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Keep detailed data mapping documentation and perform multiple rounds of UAT.
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Business disruption
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Avoid non-critical changes during cutover and keep a dedicated support team available.
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Poor user adoption
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Involve the employees early and provide the specific training.
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Scope creep
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Define the project scope and use a change request process.
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Unexpected expenses
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Keep 15-20% contingency in the project budget.
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Inadequate testing
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Test the system with production level of data volume and usage scenarios.
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Most ERP projects fail not because of the software itself.
They usually fail because of poor planning, poor testing, poor requirements or poor preparation of employees.
Benefits of Migrating from Oracle ERP to Odoo
When the migration is handled properly, Odoo can bring several operational advantages to the business.
Reduced complexity of the system
Consistent interface across the modules will help to reduce training and support.
Increased automation
Approvals, notifications, inventory replenishment, invoices matching and other processes can be automated in Odoo.
Consolidation of operations
Sales, inventory, accounting, manufacturing and HR will be working in the unified system and data model.
Better reporting
Real-time dashboards and pivot tables will help to decrease reliance on static reports and Excel spreadsheets.
Greater flexibility
The business can add custom fields, workflows and modules as the requirements change instead of paying for lots of unused functionalities.
Better integrations
Odoo API and ecosystem of connectors will make integrations with ecommerce, logistics, analytics and other platforms easier.
Scalability
With the growth of business, new users, warehouses and entities can be added via configuration and implementation.
Simplified workflows
Quote-to-cash and procure-to-pay and other processes can be managed with the help of interconnected modules instead of isolated systems.
Better visibility of the business
Leadership and operational teams will be able to work with the same information instead of spreadsheets and contradictory reports.
Increased productivity
Reduction of reconciliation and data entry will give employees more time to analyze the information, serve the customers and improve operations.
Odoo ERP Implementation Following Migration
A migration cannot simply end once the data has been moved to Odoo.
The Odoo ERP implementation phase is when the business starts to convert the system into the working environment.
The typical activities included in this phase are as follows:
Configuration
Configure the chart of accounts, tax rules, product categories, warehouses, and approval flows based on user feedback.
Customization
Develop additional modules or extend existing functionality in Odoo if standard functionality does not cover a genuine business requirement.
Workflow Design
Do not transfer any inefficient workflows used in Oracle into Odoo.
It is a great opportunity to streamline the process and change the way some things need to be done.
Integration
Connect Odoo with banks, payment gateways, CRM platforms, shippers, ecommerce solutions, and analytics tools.
Training
Conduct role-based training for finance, warehouse, sales, and managerial teams.
Employees should not learn every single feature. They just need to know about those which are relevant to their duties.
Regression Testing
Continue testing with each module, customization or integration added to Odoo.
Change Management
Communicate with employees after launch, build a super user network, and define the escalation procedures.
Companies that regard the Odoo implementation as the ongoing capability rather than a one-off project tend to receive the maximum benefit from Odoo.
Should You Partner with an Odoo Migration Company?
A small company with one entity and low Oracle ERP utilization can probably manage a migration on their own.
However, in case of bigger companies, the risks are much higher.
An experienced Odoo migration company has plenty of experience from other projects and will be able to foresee potential problems.
Professional assistance in an Odoo migration can be the following:
- Odoo migration services and Odoo ERP migration services for data extraction, transformation, and validation
- An Odoo implementation consultant or Odoo ERP consultant to translate business requirements into Odoo configuration
- An Odoo consulting partner or Odoo ERP implementation partner to manage the project from planning through post-launch support
- ERP migration experts to review the migration strategy and identify risks
- Odoo consulting services to optimize the system after implementation
ERPOcean partners with companies in such kind of engagements, paying special attention to migration planning, data quality, and integration design alongside with technical migration.
Using external professionals does not imply delegating responsibility to them.
A business still has to own its requirements, decisions, data, users, and general direction of the project.
Odoo vs Oracle ERP: Which Approach is Suitable for Growing Companies?
Neither Oracle nor Odoo is always the best solution for any company.
It depends on the company size, complexity of processes, budget, and level of customizations.
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Factor
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Oracle ERP (E-Business Suite / ERP Cloud)
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Odoo ERP
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Target segment
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Large enterprises with complex requirements
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Mid-market and growing businesses
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Total cost of ownership
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Higher due to licensing and specialists' fees
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Generally lower, especially for mid-market companies
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Speed of customization
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More formal and generally slower
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More flexible and modular
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Effort to integrate with other systems
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Can require considerable development for modern solutions
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APIs and connectors make integration easier
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Implementation time
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Can take several years for large full-suite deployments
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Implemented in phases and takes weeks or months
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Flexibility
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Deep functionality with increased structural complexity
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Modular and configurable
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Availability of developers
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Specialists are expensive and rare
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Wide ecosystem of developers
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Suitability
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Large enterprises
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Growing businesses looking for flexibility without enterprise overhead
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For growing businesses, the key factor is not the length of a feature list in the ERP.
The key question is the ability of the ERP platform to evolve together with the business.
The same question is increasingly relevant in the U.S. ERP Market, where businesses are evaluating cloud adoption, automation, integration capabilities, and scalable ERP architectures alongside traditional considerations such as functionality and total cost of ownership. For companies operating across multiple entities, locations, currencies, and business processes, migration decisions increasingly involve the entire operating model rather than a single software replacement.
The wider ERP competitive landscape includes established enterprise technology providers and specialized ERP vendors. Key players include SAP SE, Oracle Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Infor Inc., Workday, Inc., Epicor Software Corporation, IFS AB, Sage Group plc, NetSuite (Oracle), Unit4, Acumatica, Syspro, and Plex Systems. Their presence illustrates the range of platforms available across enterprise, mid-market, cloud, industry-specific, and specialized ERP requirements.
Is Odoo the Best Oracle ERP Alternative?
Odoo can be the best alternative to Oracle ERP if the company satisfies most of the following criteria:
- Has annual revenues within small to upper mid-market segments
- Has from 20 to 2,000 users
- Works across multiple entities or locations without hundreds of separate legal entities
- Needs such business functions as accounting, inventory, manufacturing, CRM, etc.
- Wants to automate manual workflows
- Prefers a phased rollout, rather than multiyear company-wide transformation
- Operates in India, US or in both and needs to support such requirements as GST, TDS, sales taxes, 1099s, and multicurrency
Odoo is not the best full replacement in all cases.
For instance, a business with extremely high transaction volume and strict requirements for subsecond processing might have different needs.
The same can be true for businesses with very specific regulatory requirements supported by Oracle ERP only.
Also, companies requiring single global vendor in their entire technology stack can prefer to stay with Oracle ERP.
In such cases, Odoo can still be a solution for individual business units.
However, replacing Oracle across the whole company is not the best solution.
Conclusion
An Oracle ERP to Odoo migration is more than the IT project.
It is the business decision which can influence on the way financial, sales, procurement, inventory, manufacturing, and managerial teams work.
Businesses that derive the maximum benefit from a migration project use it as the opportunity to cut down unnecessary manual processes, redesign inefficient workflows, and create an adaptable system.
The greatest mistake is treating the project as a plain lift-and-shift activity.
Transferring old data to Odoo without the analysis of underlying processes will result in replication of these same inefficiencies in a new system.
The successful migration starts with the proper planning, data preparation, testing, training, and implementation strategy.
Whether the migration project is conducted independently or together with professional partners such as ERPOcean, the goal remains the same – create the ERP environment which employees can use efficiently and has the right cost structure for future growth.
FAQs
1. Why do companies migrate from Oracle ERP to Odoo?
Most of the businesses start considering migration to Odoo because Oracle ERP becomes too costly, inflexible or complicated for their stage of growth.
Licenses, infrastructure, and specialist fees can raise the total cost of ownership, while customization and integration can take longer time than businesses are ready to spend.
Odoo offers a modular alternative with such functionalities as accounting, inventory, manufacturing, CRM, and HR, so it can be a feasible choice for mid-market and growing businesses.
2. What are the major challenges in Oracle ERP to Odoo migration?
Data is one of the biggest challenges in most migrations.
Old Oracle systems can have duplicated records, inconsistent master data, obsolete workflows, and huge amounts of historical transactions.
All this information should be analyzed, cleaned, mapped and validated before migration.
Another challenge is to rebuild the integrations, to redesign the workflows and to help employees to use the new system.
3. How can Odoo reduce manual business processes after ERP migration?
Odoo can automate several processes in its modules.
Purchase approvals, invoice matching, stock replenishment, payment reminders, document flows can be configured in Odoo.
Proper implementation of these functionalities will allow reducing the amount of spreadsheet-based and repetitive work which tends to accumulate around older ERP systems.
4. What are the major risks of ERP data migration?
The major risks are the following:
- Loss of data
- Downtime
- Integration failure
- Incorrect data transformation
- Poor user adoption
- Scope creep
- Unplanned costs
These risks can be minimized by thorough migration planning, proper data mapping and validation, realistic testing, training and dedicated post-launch support period.
5. How can businesses control the cost of Oracle ERP to Odoo migration?
Businesses can control their migration costs by early definition of the scope of the project, cleaning existing data before migration, limiting unnecessary history and, if necessary, conducting the phased rollout.
Professional assistance of an Odoo migration company can also help to minimize rework and avoid implementation mistakes.
Also, it makes sense to allocate 15–20% of project budget for contingency reserve.
