How do you automate purchasing in Odoo?

To automate purchasing in Odoo, you can set reordering rules that create requests for quotation, or let ReorderOwl, a purchasing agent, do the forecasting for you. ReorderOwl reads your Odoo sales history, stock, open purchase orders, vendors and lead times, tells you what to order and how much in ChatGPT, and drafts purchase orders that save only after you confirm.

Is ReorderOwl ready for Odoo today?

The Odoo connection is built and tested against Odoo test systems; we connect it to yours with you during setup. Odoo runs through the ReorderOwl app in ChatGPT, and you get it by booking a demo.

In testing, ReorderOwl's answers matched a reference answer key exactly, and a test purchase order was created and then deleted. Slack is not available for Odoo today; it works with EBMS only.

What does ReorderOwl read from Odoo?

ReorderOwl reads five things from Odoo: sales history, stock on hand, open purchase orders, vendors and lead times. It syncs them into one common shape, so the same purchasing logic runs whichever ERP the data came from.

Sales history goes back three years. Confirmed purchase orders count as incoming supply, so ReorderOwl does not suggest buying what is already on its way; requests for quotation that are not yet confirmed are not counted. The hosted engine reads with read-only access.

How does ReorderOwl decide what and how much to order?

For each item, ReorderOwl forecasts demand, then orders enough to cover the vendor lead time plus your safety stock, measured in days of cover. Stock on hand and open purchase orders are counted first, so it only suggests the gap.

• Forecast. The default method looks at 36 months of monthly demand per item. Items that sell most months get a trailing average (12 months by default). Items that sell only now and then get a method built for intermittent demand, and their reserve is at least one typical order.
• Seasonal options. You can choose a same-season-last-year or three-year seasonal median method. The default is a flat rate, not seasonal.
• Lead time. A one-run override wins, then a vendor and warehouse rule, then a vendor rule, then the lead time stored in your ERP.
• Scope. Run it for one vendor, a warehouse, a product group or a single item. It covers all vendors only when you ask.

How does it work alongside Odoo's reordering rules?

Odoo's reordering rules and ReorderOwl answer the same question in different ways, and you can run both. A reordering rule holds a Min and a Max for a product at a location; when forecasted stock falls below the Min, Odoo creates a request for quotation for the vendor at the top of the product's vendor list, ordering up to the Max.

Odoo's forecast here is built from stock on hand and known future demand, such as confirmed sales orders, along with lead times. Rules can trigger automatically when the daily scheduler runs, or wait on the Replenishment report for someone to click Order. That works well for items whose Min and Max are tuned. The work is keeping those numbers right as demand shifts.

ReorderOwl does not need Min and Max values to be kept current; by default it forecasts each item from its own sales history when you ask, then drafts a purchase order for a vendor in one pass. You might keep automatic rules for steady items and use ReorderOwl for the weekly buy. To tune Odoo's side, read our guide on how to set reorder points in Odoo, and for a side-by-side view see Odoo reordering rules vs ReorderOwl.

What happens when ReorderOwl creates a purchase order?

You ask ReorderOwl to draft a PO, review it, then tell it to confirm. Nothing saves until you confirm, and nothing goes to a vendor until someone on your team sends it.

The confirm step is designed so a repeated confirmation does not create a second order. Your buyer stays in charge of what is sent and when.

Frequently asked questions

Does ReorderOwl work with Odoo in Slack?

Not today. Slack works with EBMS only. Odoo runs through the ReorderOwl app in ChatGPT, which we set up with you after a demo.

Do I have to delete my Odoo reordering rules?

No. ReorderOwl reads your data and suggests orders on its own forecast. Keep the rules that work; if both cover the same item, review open RFQs before you confirm a ReorderOwl draft, because ReorderOwl counts confirmed purchase orders as incoming supply, not unconfirmed RFQs.

Does ReorderOwl send purchase orders to my vendors?

No. It drafts the PO and saves it in Odoo as a confirmed purchase order after you confirm. Nothing goes to a vendor until someone on your team sends it.

Is ReorderOwl ready to connect to my Odoo?

The connection is built and tested against Odoo test systems. We connect it to your Odoo with you during setup.

Sources

1. Reordering rules, Odoo 19.0 documentation, accessed 2026-10-01
2. Replenishment report, Odoo 19.0 documentation, accessed 2026-10-01
3. Just in time logic, Odoo 19.0 documentation, accessed 2026-10-01
4. Configure reordering rules, Odoo 19.0 documentation, accessed 2026-10-01