Understanding Product Variants in Odoo 16
Product variants refer to different versions or options of a particular product that share a common base but have variations in features, specifications, or configurations. This concept is commonly used in various industries, including retail, manufacturing, eCommerce, and technology. Product variants allow businesses to offer a range of choices to meet the diverse needs and preferences of customers.
For example, a clothing company may sell the same shirt in different sizes and colors. Similarly, an electronics business may sell a smartphone with different storage capacities and colors. Instead of creating completely unrelated products for every combination, businesses can use Odoo 16 product variants to organize these options under a single product template. As a result, businesses can maintain a cleaner product catalog while still giving customers the flexibility to select the product configuration they need.
Odoo provides product attributes and variant management features that help businesses create and sell different versions of the same product. These features are particularly useful when a company manages a large product catalog with multiple specifications. Moreover, product variants can help sales teams select the exact product requested by a customer and maintain accurate information throughout the sales process.
You may handle product variations with the help of cutting-edge tools and capabilities included in the Odoo Sales module. You must enable the option to sell products using attributes in the Odoo 16 platform by going to the Settings window of the Odoo Sales module.
Sales Application => Configuration menu => Settings => Product Catalog section => Variants => Save
You may also enable the ‘Variant Grid Entry’ setting in the Product Catalog section to view and select multiple variants of a product in a grid form while selling a product with the required variants.
Every industry provides a wide range of products with different product lines, variants, and customization. Even if the industry offers only one product, say KFC chicken, there are still variations in the items they offer such as boneless strips, chicken burger, popcorn chicken, bucket chicken, chicken rice box, and so on. So, let us see how Odoo makes it easier to create, manage, and select different variations of products ordered by a customer.
Why Product Variants Are Important for Businesses
Businesses often provide customers with multiple choices for the same product. However, maintaining every option as a separate product can make product management complicated. It can also create duplicate records, increase manual data entry, and make it harder for employees to identify the correct product during sales and inventory operations. Odoo product variants solve this problem by allowing businesses to manage multiple versions of a product through attributes and attribute values.
For instance, a furniture company may sell a chair in three colors and two materials. Instead of creating six completely independent product records, the company can define Color and Material as attributes and allow Odoo to manage their combinations as product variants. Therefore, employees can select the required combination while creating a quotation or sales order. This approach makes product management more structured and also helps businesses provide customers with more accurate product choices.
Furthermore, product variants can become increasingly important as a business grows. A company with a few products may manage variations manually, but a business with hundreds or thousands of products needs a centralized system. By using Odoo 16 product variant management, companies can reduce repetitive work and maintain product information more efficiently.
Before creating product variants, we need to define their attributes.
Creating Attributes
When a business offers product variants, it typically defines a combination of these attributes for each variant. For example, a shirt might have attributes for size and color, while a smartphone might have attributes for capacity and color. Each combination of attribute values represents a unique product variant.
Sales Application => Configuration menu => Products section => Attributes => New
You can also directly go to the attributes in the settings page in the ‘Variants’ setting. To view a detailed picture of an attribute, we can either go to the new attribute or select an existing attribute.
In the attribute page, we can specify the attribute name, category, display type, variants creation mode, and eCommerce filter visibility and can add attribute values by selecting the ‘Add a line’ option in the ‘Attribute Values’ tab. You can also view the products in which this attribute is applicable as a product variant by going to the ‘Related Products’ smart button at the top-right corner of the attribute form.
It is important to note that the ‘Variants Creation Mode’ is only enabled at the time of creation of a new attribute. Once the field’s value is set, the field is disabled and cannot be updated later. So, make sure that you have selected the right choice such as Instantly, Dynamically, or Never in the variants creation mode field.
Understanding Product Attributes and Attribute Values
Product attributes form the foundation of Odoo 16 product variants. An attribute describes a characteristic of a product, while attribute values define the options available for that characteristic. For example, Size can be an attribute with Small, Medium, and Large as its values. Likewise, Color can have Black, White, Red, and Blue as its available values.
Businesses can create attributes according to their product requirements and then apply them to the relevant products. This makes it easier to organize products without creating unnecessary duplicate records. In addition, businesses can use different attributes for different product categories. A clothing company may use Size and Color, whereas an electronics company may use Storage, RAM, and Color. Similarly, a furniture manufacturer may use Material, Finish, and Dimensions.
The flexibility of Odoo product attributes makes product configuration useful across many industries. Once the attributes are properly defined, businesses can create product variants based on the combinations required for their products. Consequently, sales teams can work with specific product configurations instead of manually entering product details for every customer order.
Specifying Attributes for a Product
We need to specify which products have which attributes to be considered as a variant.
Sales Application => Products menu => Products => Select the product
In the ‘Attributes and Variants’ tab, we have the option to add different attributes related to the product by selecting the ‘Add a line’ option and selecting the values of each attribute applicable to that product from the drop-down. Make sure to activate the ‘Product Configurator’ option in the ‘Sales Variant Selection’ section for configuring the variants created for the product.
You can also see that the number of product variants in the above image is 6. This is because we have one attribute with two values and the other attribute with three values (2*3 = 6).
How Odoo 16 Manages Product Variant Combinations
When a product contains multiple attributes, Odoo can use the available attribute values to determine the possible combinations. For example, suppose a product has two colors and three sizes. Odoo can create six possible combinations because there are two Color values and three Size values. This makes it easier for businesses to maintain multiple product options under one product template.
However, businesses should carefully plan their attributes before creating a large number of combinations. Adding several attributes with many values can result in a significant number of product variants. Therefore, companies should only include attributes that represent meaningful product differences. Proper planning can help businesses keep their product catalog organized and prevent unnecessary variants from increasing the complexity of inventory and sales management.
This is one of the key advantages of Odoo 16 product variant management. Rather than manually maintaining every product variation, businesses can define the product structure once and allow Odoo to manage the resulting combinations. As a result, employees can save time while maintaining more consistent product information.
Configuring Product Variants
Let us now configure the attributes added in the product form to create it as different variants of that product. For that, we have to select the ‘Configure’ option available in the product form while adding the attributes in the ‘Attributes and Variants’ tab. We will be directed to the window below when configuring the selected attribute. Here, I have selected the attribute, color.
I can add an extra price for the values of the attribute that I want to charge an additional price by selecting the specific attribute value.
Since I want to add an extra price for selling a Stool with custom legs, I can mention the additional price in the ‘Value Price Extra’ field. I also have the option to not display the attribute value for products with specific attribute values. After entering all the above necessary attributes and values, ‘Save’ the changes.
Managing Variant Pricing in Odoo 16
Different product variants may have different selling prices. For example, a standard chair may have a basic price, while a chair with premium material or customized legs may cost more. Instead of calculating these additional charges manually, businesses can configure extra prices for specific attribute values in Odoo.
When a customer selects an option with an additional price, Odoo can apply the corresponding amount to the product during the sales process. This helps sales teams prepare more accurate quotations and reduces the possibility of pricing errors. Moreover, it provides a consistent pricing method when multiple employees handle customer orders.
Odoo 16 product variant pricing can therefore help businesses manage customized products more efficiently. Companies can define standard product prices and then add appropriate price differences for specific options. This approach works particularly well for businesses selling furniture, electronics, apparel, industrial products, and other configurable products.
Using the Odoo 16 Product Configurator
The product configurator helps sales employees select the appropriate variant while creating a quotation or sales order. Instead of searching through multiple product records, the salesperson can select the main product and then choose the required attribute values. Odoo can then identify the corresponding product variant based on the selected configuration.
This feature becomes especially useful when products contain several customization options. For example, a furniture business may allow customers to choose a table’s size, material, color, and finish. The Odoo 16 product configurator allows the salesperson to capture these requirements during the sales process. Consequently, the quotation can represent the customer’s requested configuration more accurately.
Now, let’s see how we can select a specific product variant that the customer ordered while selling the product.
Creating a Quotation
Sales Application => Orders menu => Quotations => New
After Adding the Customer and the necessary information such as Referrer, Invoice address, Delivery address, Quotation template, Expiration date, Recurrence, price list, and Payment terms we have to add the product. While adding the product by selecting the ‘Add a Product’ button, a pop-up for selecting the required variants of that product appears.
Here, we can select the required values of each attribute for the added product in the quotation. Since I have selected the product Stool of color green with custom legs, an additional price of $5 is added to the total cost of the product. After selecting the variant, click on the ‘Confirm’ button.
Selling Product Variants Through Odoo Sales
Once the product variants are configured, sales employees can use them directly while preparing quotations. The salesperson can select the required product and choose the attribute values according to the customer’s requirements. As a result, Odoo adds the appropriate variant to the quotation instead of requiring the employee to create or search for a separate product record.
This workflow can improve order accuracy because the sales order contains the specific configuration selected by the customer. Furthermore, it reduces repetitive data entry and helps sales teams follow the same process for different products. Businesses that sell configurable products can therefore use Odoo Sales product variants to create a more efficient sales workflow.
The variant selection process can also improve communication between departments. When the sales team records the correct variant, other employees can refer to the same product information during subsequent business operations. Therefore, product variant management can support a more connected workflow across sales, inventory, purchasing, and delivery.
Product Variants and Inventory Management
Product variants can also support more accurate inventory management. Different versions of the same product may require separate stock tracking because each variation can have different quantities available. For example, a business selling shoes may need to track each size and color combination separately. By managing these combinations as variants, the business can maintain more precise product information.
This becomes particularly valuable for businesses with large inventories. Instead of treating all versions of a product as one generic item, employees can identify the specific variant required for an order. Consequently, businesses can improve stock visibility and reduce the possibility of delivering the wrong product configuration.
Moreover, accurate product variant information can help businesses coordinate their sales and inventory activities. When customers order a particular variant, employees can identify the required product more easily. This creates a smoother workflow from quotation creation to order fulfillment.
Benefits of Using Odoo 16 Product Variants
Using Odoo 16 product variants offers several advantages for businesses that sell products with multiple options. First, businesses can organize different product versions under a common product template. Second, sales teams can select the exact combination required by the customer. Third, companies can configure additional prices for specific attribute values. Finally, Odoo can help businesses maintain more structured product information.
Product variants can also reduce duplicate product records. Without a variant system, businesses may create separate products for every color, size, or configuration. Over time, this approach can make the product catalog difficult to maintain. With Odoo, businesses can instead use attributes and attribute values to structure product options in a more organized way.
Furthermore, product variants can improve the customer experience. Customers often want to select specific options before purchasing a product. By giving sales teams an easy way to configure these choices, businesses can respond to customer requirements more quickly. Therefore, Odoo product variant management can support both operational efficiency and better customer service.
Managing Custom Products with Odoo Product Variants
Many businesses do not sell products in only one standard configuration. Instead, they allow customers to customize products according to their preferences. Furniture manufacturers, apparel businesses, electronics retailers, and industrial equipment suppliers are some examples. For these businesses, product variants provide a structured way to manage customization.
For example, a furniture company may offer a table in different sizes, materials, and colors. A customer may select a large table with a premium wood finish and a specific color. Rather than recording these requirements only in quotation notes, the sales employee can select the appropriate attributes and values. Therefore, the quotation provides a clearer representation of the product the customer wants.
At the same time, businesses can configure additional pricing for selected options. This makes the sales process more transparent because customers can see how customization affects the final price. As a result, businesses can manage customized products without creating unnecessary manual calculations for every quotation.
Product Variants for E-Commerce in Odoo 16
Product variants can also play an important role in eCommerce operations. Online customers commonly expect to select options such as size, color, storage capacity, or material before adding a product to their shopping cart. A well-configured product catalog can make these choices easier to understand and select.
With Odoo 16 product variants, businesses can organize these options within their product configuration. This allows customers to choose the appropriate combination while shopping online. Moreover, businesses can maintain product information centrally instead of managing separate records for every possible option.
For growing eCommerce businesses, this centralized approach can become particularly useful. As the number of products and product combinations increases, manual management becomes more difficult. Therefore, using Odoo product attributes and variants can help businesses maintain a more structured catalog while supporting a better online shopping experience.
Best Practices for Managing Product Variants in Odoo 16
Businesses should plan their product attributes carefully before creating variants. First, identify the characteristics that genuinely differentiate one version of the product from another. Then, create clear and consistent attribute names and values. For example, use “Color” as the attribute and “Black,” “White,” and “Blue” as values rather than creating separate products for each option.
It is also important to avoid creating unnecessary combinations. When a product has many attributes and values, the number of possible variants can grow quickly. Therefore, businesses should review their product structure before activating large numbers of combinations. A well-planned configuration makes Odoo 16 product variant management easier for sales, inventory, purchasing, and other teams.
In addition, businesses should use meaningful product names and references for their variants. Consistent product information can help employees identify the correct product more quickly. Finally, companies should regularly review their product catalog and remove unnecessary configurations when appropriate. These practices can keep the Odoo product database organized as the business grows.
How Product Variants Improve the Sales Process
Product variants can simplify several steps in the sales process. When a customer requests a specific product configuration, the salesperson can select the required attributes instead of manually entering the details. Odoo can then add the appropriate variant to the quotation. This reduces repetitive work and helps ensure that the order reflects the customer’s requirements.
Additionally, variant-based sales can reduce communication gaps between employees. The sales team can record the exact product configuration in the quotation, allowing other departments to work from the same information. Consequently, businesses can reduce mistakes caused by unclear product descriptions or manually entered specifications.
For businesses that frequently sell customized products, this structured process can save considerable time. Instead of handling each customization as a special case, sales employees can use the same product configuration workflow. Therefore, Odoo product variants provide a scalable approach to managing product choices as the business expands.
Conclusion
Now that the product of the selected variant is added to the quotation. This is how we can easily sell different product variants in Odoo 16. This ensures accurate representation of products, smooth order processing, and enhanced customer satisfaction.
With Odoo 16 product variants, businesses can manage different versions of products through attributes and attribute values while keeping their product catalog organized. From product configuration and variant pricing to quotation creation and sales, Odoo provides a connected workflow for managing products with different specifications.
Whether a business sells clothing, furniture, electronics, food products, industrial equipment, or customized products, product variants can make product management more efficient. Moreover, the Odoo 16 product configurator helps sales teams select the right product combination and apply additional pricing when required. As the business grows, a structured product variant strategy can also reduce duplicate product records and improve the accuracy of sales and inventory operations.
As an official Odoo Partner, Infintor Solutions can help businesses to sell a wide range of products according to customer’s preferences using different kinds of product customizations.