Duration: 26:56
PART 1 — Analytical Summary: APAC localization in Odoo 19 🚀
Context 💼
This session was led by Do, Product Owner for APAC localization at Odoo, during the release of Odoo 19. The talk outlined what the APAC R&D team delivered since Odoo 18, what’s newly available in Odoo 19, and what’s next on the roadmap. The team’s mission is to “enable, not reinvent”: leverage Odoo’s standard frameworks to keep the core user experience simple while delivering country‑specific compliance at scale across 20+ APAC markets.
Core ideas & innovations ⚙️
The team expanded core coverage with new localization packages and accelerated adoption of e‑invoicing, a regulatory trend gaining momentum worldwide. For Cambodia, Odoo now ships a full accounting baseline plus national payment rails via KHQR (using the Bakong ID) across Invoicing, eCommerce, and POS. South Korea received a robust K‑GAAP setup with financial statements and VAT.
The biggest leap is in compliance automation. E‑invoicing is live and deeply integrated for Malaysia (official MyInvois portal) and Taiwan (EC Pay), reducing double data entry and aligning with government validation flows. Malaysia’s integration supports all key document types (including self‑billed and billing notes), pre‑prod/prod environments, QR on PDF, POS submission, batch submission, and consolidated e‑invoices for POS orders that weren’t individually invoiced. Taiwan’s integration auto‑detects B2B/B2C endpoints, supports VAT and excise‑like tax flows based on the tax used, handles foreign currency on invoices and credit notes, and submits directly for government validation and customer notification.
On the accounting side, the team introduced a standard module for withholding tax on payment—critical in countries where withholding is recognized at payment (e.g., Thailand) rather than on accrual. This avoids premature recognition on invoices and keeps journals compliant. Reporting was also upgraded: the Philippines got a complete revamp of VAT and alphalist reports (e.g., 2550Q, SLSP, QAP, SAWT) with Odoo generating BIR‑compliant DAT files ready for upload; Malaysia’s SST reporting was enhanced with product‑level tariff/service code capture and a composite report aligned with MySST’s grouping; China and Vietnam financial statements were updated to the latest standards (China small/business entities; Vietnam Circular 200).
Impact & takeaways 🧠
For APAC users, Odoo 19 meaningfully reduces compliance friction. End‑to‑end e‑invoicing removes duplicate work and improves accuracy, while consolidated POS reporting and batch submissions streamline high‑volume scenarios. The new withholding tax on payment module brings clarity where rules differ by jurisdiction, and the refreshed statutory reports in the Philippines and Malaysia shorten filing cycles by producing regulator‑ready outputs.
From a product strategy lens, Odoo continues to scale localization by: - Reusing core frameworks for consistent UX and easy adoption. - Building direct integrations where it saves the most time (e.g., MyInvois, EC Pay). - Delivering “file‑and‑forget” exports (e.g., BIR DAT, XML for Thailand) when direct APIs aren’t yet viable.
What’s new since Odoo 18, and what’s coming in Odoo 19+ 💬
Since Odoo 18, the team released new country packages (Cambodia, South Korea), major e‑invoicing integrations (Malaysia, Taiwan), a standard withholding tax on payment module, stronger reporting (Philippines DAT exports; Malaysia SST composite report), and updated financial statements (China, Vietnam).
Looking ahead, Odoo is prioritizing Singapore e‑invoicing via PEPPOL—working through access‑point accreditation and incorporating requirements like advanced ordering and order balance to qualify as a Ready Solution Provider. Parallel tracks are planned for the Philippines (BIR API access), Thailand (XML generation for portal upload), and Japan (PEPPOL adoption later). Enhancements are also planned to extend e‑invoicing across POS and eCommerce in Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; add direct submission via Pajak.io for Indonesia; evolve withholding tax with in‑app certificate generation (e.g., PH BIR 2306/2307; Thai and Indonesian certificates) and regulator‑ready exports (e.g., PH final withholding; Thailand RD Prep compatibility).
Additional roadmap items include: an initial Sri Lanka package (CoA, taxes, financials, VAT), Philippines CAS features (senior citizen/PWD discounts, computerized books, payroll), Japan VAT reports (general vs. simplified taxpayers), Taiwan chart/financial/VAT improvements, Hong Kong payroll and MPF enhancements, and Singapore GST F5/F8 direct submissions.
The headline: Odoo 19 deepens APAC readiness by automating compliance where it’s mandatory, making reporting regulator‑friendly, and keeping everything integrated across Invoicing, POS, and eCommerce—without sacrificing Odoo’s simplicity. 🚀
PART 2 — Viewpoint: Odoo Perspective
AI-generated creative perspective inspired by Odoo’s vision.
What excites me is not just ticking boxes for compliance, but making complex national rules feel invisible to users. When localization rides on standard Odoo frameworks, we deliver the same simple experience no matter the country. That’s the promise of an integrated platform.
E‑invoicing, withholding at payment, regulator‑ready exports—these are building blocks. As we expand to PEPPOL in Singapore and deepen flows in Malaysia, Taiwan, and beyond, our focus remains the same: practical automation, thoughtful defaults, and collaboration with partners and authorities. The community’s feedback keeps us honest and helps us ship what businesses actually need, faster.
PART 3 — Viewpoint: Competitors (SAP / Microsoft / Others)
AI-generated fictional commentary. Not an official corporate statement.
Odoo’s APAC push is smart: meet governments where they are with direct integrations, and keep UX uniform through the core platform. That’s appealing for mid‑market customers who want speed and low overhead. The new withholding‑on‑payment capability and BIR DAT exports show good sensitivity to local nuances.
The challenges will be scale and durability. Accreditation for networks like PEPPOL, ongoing change management for tax regimes, and regulator SLAs demand strong governance. Large enterprises will compare depth of controls, data residency options, and complex approval and segregation models. If Odoo sustains its cadence—especially across POS/eCommerce, consolidated reporting, and assurance for high‑volume finance—its differentiation on usability and time‑to‑value will resonate.
Disclaimer: This article contains AI-generated summaries and fictionalized commentaries for illustrative purposes. Viewpoints labeled as "Odoo Perspective" or "Competitors" are simulated and do not represent any real statements or positions. All product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners.