Packaging

In Odoo Inventory, packaging refers to disposable containers holding multiple units of a specific product.

For example, different packages for cans of soda, such as a 6-pack, a 12-pack, or a case of 36, must be configured on the individual product form. This is because packagings are product specific, not generic.

Tip

Packaging can be used in conjunction with Odoo Barcode. When receiving products from suppliers, scanning the packaging barcode automatically adds the number of units in the packaging to the internal count of the product.

Configuration

To use packagings, navigate to Inventory app ‣ Configuration ‣ Settings. Then, under the Products heading, enable the Product Packagings feature, and click Save.

Enable packagings by selecting "Product Packagings".

Create packaging

Packagings can be created directly on the product form, or from the Product Packagings page.

From product form

Create packagings on a product form by going to Inventory app ‣ Products ‣ Products, and select the desired product.

Under the Inventory tab, scroll down to the Packaging section, and click Add a line. In the table, fill out the following fields:

  • Packaging (required): name of packaging that appears on sales/purchase orders as a packaging option for the product.

  • Contained quantity (required): amount of product in the packaging.

  • Unit of Measure (required): measurement unit for quantifying the product.

  • Sales: check this option for packagings intended for use on sales orders.

  • Purchase: check this option for packagings intended for use on purchase orders.

Note

Access additional fields in the Packaging table below by clicking the (additional options) icon to the far-right of the column titles in the Packaging section, and selecting the desired options from the drop-down menu that appears.

  • Barcode: identifier for tracing packaging in stock moves or pickings, using the Barcode app. Leave blank if not in use.

  • Company: indicates the packaging is only available at the selected company. Leave blank to make the packaging available across all companies.

Example

To create a packaging type for six units of the product, Grape Soda, begin by clicking Add a line. In the line, name the Packaging 6-pack, and set the Contained quantity to 6. Repeat this process for additional packagings.

Create 6-pack case for product.

From product packagings page

To view all packagings that have been created, go to Inventory app ‣ Configuration ‣ Product Packagings. Doing so reveals the Product Packagings page with a complete list of all packagings that have been created for all products. Create new packagings by clicking New.

Example

Two soda products, Grape Soda and Diet Coke, have three types of packagings configured. On the Product Packagings page, each product can be sold as a 6-Pack that contains 6 products, as a 12-Pack of 12 products, or as a Case of 32 products.

List of different packagings for products.

Partial reservation

After completing the packaging setup, packagings can be reserved in full or partial quantities for outgoing shipments. Partial packaging flexibility expedites order fulfillment by allowing the immediate shipment of available items, while awaiting the rest.

To configure packaging reservation methods, go to Inventory app ‣ Configuration ‣ Product Categories. Then, click New, or select the desired product category.

On the product category’s form, in the Logistics section, Reserve Packagings can be set to Reserve Only Full Packagings or Reserve Partial Packagings.

Important

To see the Reserve Packaging field, the Product Packaging feature must be enabled. To enable this feature, go to Inventory app ‣ Configuration ‣ Settings, scroll to the Products section, tick the Product Packagings checkbox, and click Save.

Show Reserve Packagings field on the product categories page.

Example

To better evaluate the options based on business needs, consider the following example:

  • a product is sold in twelve units per packaging.

  • an order demands two packagings.

  • there are only twenty-two units in stock.

When Reserve Only Full Packagings is selected, only twelve units are reserved for the order.

Conversely, when Reserve Partial Packagings is selected, twenty-two units are reserved for the order.

Apply packagings

When creating a sales order in the Sales app, specify the packagings that should be used for the product. The chosen packaging is displayed on the SO under the Packaging field.

Example

18 cans of the product, Grape Soda, is packed using three 6-pack packagings.

Assign packagings on the Sales Order Line.

Routes for packaging

When receiving packagings, by default, they follow the warehouse’s configured reception route. To optionally set up a packaging-specific route, go to Inventory app ‣ Configuration ‣ Routes.

Important

The Product Packagings, Storage Locations, and Multi-Step Routes features (found by going to Inventory app ‣ Configuration ‣ Settings) must be activated, and saved.

See also

Routes and push/pull rules

Create route

On the Routes page, click New, or select a route that is not for a warehouse. Next, in the Applicable on section, tick the Packagings checkbox.

Create route for a packaging.

Route with “Packagings” selected, with “Products” and “Warehouses” not selected.

Apply route on packaging

Then, to apply the route, go to Inventory app ‣ Products ‣ Products, and select the product that uses packaging.

In the product form, switch to the Inventory tab. In the Packaging section that contains configured packagings, click the (additional options) icon. Tick the Routes checkbox to make the column visible in the Packaging table.

In the Routes field, select the packaging-specific route. Repeat these steps for all packaging intended to use the route.

Set route on a packaging.