How to Configure Project Management in Odoo 17

Project Management in Odoo 17

Odoo 17 provides a flexible project management system with task Kanban boards, milestones, subtasks, customer ratings, and integration with timesheets and invoicing. This guide covers the essential setup for getting your project management operational.

Step 1: Install the Project Module

Navigate to Apps and install Project. Optionally install:

• hr_timesheet — Time logging on tasks
• sale_timesheet — Invoice from timesheets
• sale_project — Link projects to sales orders

Step 2: Configure Project Settings

Go to Project > Configuration > Settings:

• Milestones — Enable for deadline tracking within projects
• Task Dependencies — Enable to block tasks until predecessors are complete
• Subtasks — Enable for hierarchical task breakdown
• Customer Ratings — Enable satisfaction feedback on completed tasks
• Recurring Tasks — Enable for automatically recurring tasks
• Project Sharing — Enable to share projects with external portal users

Step 3: Create Projects

Navigate to Project > All > Projects and click New:

• Name — Descriptive project name
• Customer — Link to a customer for billing purposes
• Tags — Categorize the project
• Privacy — Set visibility: Invited Members, All Members, or Portal Users

Step 4: Configure Task Stages

Each project has its own set of task stages. In the Kanban view:

• Click Add a Column to create stages (e.g., Backlog, To Do, In Progress, Review, Done)
• Drag tasks between stages to update status
• Fold completed stages to reduce visual clutter

Step 5: Create and Manage Tasks

Click New in the Kanban view or Project > All > Tasks:

• Set the task name, assignees, and deadline
• Use subtasks for breaking down complex work
• Set task dependencies to enforce execution order
• Assign milestones for delivery tracking
• Use tags for filtering and categorization

Step 6: Enable Timesheets on Projects

With the Timesheets module installed:

• Enable timesheets on each project via the project settings
• Team members log hours directly on tasks
• View logged time per task, employee, and project
• Compare planned vs. actual effort

Step 7: Set Up Project Reporting

Access reports from Project > Reporting:

• Task Analysis — Track task completion rates and bottlenecks using pivot and graph views
• Burndown Charts — Visualize remaining work over time
• Project Updates — Post status updates for stakeholder communication

Step 8: Collaboration Features

• Chatter — Discussion threads on every task for team communication
• Activity Scheduling — Schedule follow-ups, meetings, and to-dos
• Email Alias — Create tasks from incoming emails via mail alias configuration
• Portal Access — Share tasks with external stakeholders via project sharing

Key Differences from Later Versions

• Project stages (portfolio-level stages) were refined in v18/v19
• Multi-assignee with roles was enhanced in later versions
• Core project management — tasks, stages, milestones, timesheets — is consistent across v17, v18, and v19
• To-do integration (project_todo) was added in later versions