Vendor Product Code for Product Variants in Odoo 18 (Enterprise)
Introduction
Managing product variants efficiently is critical in any purchase- or inventory-driven business. In Odoo 18, each product variant can have its own supplier information, including unique vendor product codes. This ensures clear communication with vendors and accurate purchase order generation. Odoo's purchase tab allows users to assign suppliers to specific variants and record their respective supplier product codes.
In this blog, we will walk through how to manage and configure supplier product codes for product variants in Odoo 18.
Purpose
The purpose of this feature is to
Define vendor-specific product codes for each product variant.
Avoid confusion when purchasing from suppliers who use different internal codes for variants.
Ensure accuracy in purchase orders, improving supply chain coordination.
Enable quick identification of products based on the supplier's catalog.
Step-by-Step Flow
Step 1: Activate Variants for a Product
Go to Sales > Products > Products.
Create a new product or open an existing one.
Under the Variants tab, add attributes (e.g., color, size).
4. This will generate product variants automatically.
Step 2: Open the Purchase Tab
Navigate to the Purchase tab of the same product.
5. Scroll to the Vendors section.
Step 3: Enable Variant & Vendor Code Columns
6. Click on the “two lines and two dots” icon (☰) at the end of the column headers in the Vendors table.
7. Ensure the following columns are selected:
Product Variant
Vendor Product Code
Step 4: Add Vendor-Specific Details
8. Click Add a line in the Vendors table.
9. Select a vendor (supplier).
10. In the Product Variant field, select the variant this line refers to.
11. In the Vendor Product Code field, enter the code the supplier uses for that variant.
12. You can add multiple lines for different variants and vendors.
Step 5: Save and Use
Click Save.
When creating a Request for Quotation or Purchase Order, Odoo will automatically fetch the supplier product code based on the selected variant and vendor.
Conclusion
Odoo 18 offers flexible and detailed product management by allowing supplier product codes for each variant. This small yet powerful feature streamlines your procurement process, ensures consistent vendor communication, and reduces the risk of order errors. Whether you're managing fashion products with multiple sizes and colors or hardware components with technical variants, this feature will help you stay organized and efficient.
Start using supplier product codes for variants today and make your purchasing process smarter in Odoo 18!