Duration: 25:54
PART 1 — Analytical Summary 🚀
A first-of-its-kind integration for Belgium’s HR-tech landscape was unveiled at a recent three-day Odoo event: a full, productized connection between Odoo and a Belgian social secretariat, delivered by Attentia (payroll provider) and engineered with Endare (software and Odoo partner). Kristoff from Attentia and Peter from Endare walked through the why, what, and how—framing the integration as a direct response to the persistent inefficiencies in Belgian HR and payroll operations: multiple tools, double data entry, Excel workarounds, and error-prone processes that obscure visibility. Their goal: let companies run HR in Odoo while delegating Belgian payroll compliance and calculations to Attentia’s Kiosk engine—without friction.
The core idea is a secure, “pass-through” connector that orchestrates two-way synchronization between Odoo and Kiosk, without persisting sensitive data beyond processing. On the Odoo side, the solution adds light configuration and an Attentia HR tile to surface payroll synchronization issues in a Kanban view (for example, invalid bank account formats or unknown joint committees), so HR managers can fix problems directly where they work. Employees and contracts remain familiar Odoo objects, extended with required Belgian payroll fields (e.g., pay way, legal name vs. preferred name, Attentia code) to ensure accurate downstream calculations. The process formalizes a clean handover from HR to payroll with two pivotal steps: a data alignment phase called singling (ensuring all employee and contract fields in Odoo match what Kiosk expects), followed by the transfer and confirmation of prestations (work entries like worked days, sickness, and time off). Once confirmed, Kiosk runs the payroll and returns results—including payslips and legal documents—into Odoo Documents, assigned to the correct employee automatically.
Beyond the demo, the team emphasized a structured onboarding methodology grounded in payroll accuracy. Attentia first configures the payroll engine and performs a parallel run to match gross-to-net with the client’s current provider. They then map fields and migrate data. In phases 1–4, Attentia/Kiosk remains master; once verified, control flips and Odoo becomes the single source of truth for HR data. The connector supports Odoo 17 and Odoo 18 (with a roadmap for future versions). Technically, it leverages Odoo’s JSON API and webhooks, using a dedicated API user. Because Kiosk’s API is asynchronous, the connector manages callback timing and validations, logging issues back in Odoo for rapid resolution. Security-wise, data is encrypted and only stored transiently for processing. The team also highlighted extras: an automatic XML output for KPMG into Odoo Accounting, and support for Odoo Online—with the caveat that some exports (e.g., flat file attendance/data) can be used where deeper API access isn’t available. Notably, the interface itself is free of charge; setup follows Attentia’s standard onboarding (typically around two months), enabling a parallel run and smooth go-live.
The impact is straightforward and significant 💼. HR teams can manage employees, contracts, time off, attendance, and documents entirely in Odoo, while payroll precision and Belgian legal compliance are guaranteed by Kiosk. Real-time-like sync (asynchronous under the hood) reduces manual entry and payroll errors, and the Attentia HR tile centralizes issue handling. Payslips and legal documents return to Odoo and are automatically linked to the right employee, preserving confidentiality and improving self-service usability. The result is a leaner, more automated HR-to-payroll flow that saves time, cuts administrative workload, and lets customers pay for—and work in—one primary platform. 🧠⚙️
PART 2 — Viewpoint: Odoo Perspective
Disclaimer: AI-generated creative perspective inspired by Odoo's vision.
What I appreciate here is the discipline of making complex things simple for users. Belgian payroll is intricate; letting HR teams stay in Odoo while a specialized engine handles compliance is exactly the kind of integrated simplicity we aim for. You see it in the small details: validation feedback in Kanban, documents syncing back to the right employee, and a clean handoff via singling and prestations.
The ecosystem matters. Partners like Attentia and Endare prove how open APIs and a modular design can unlock value without forcing customers to switch context or duplicate data. This is how we scale: one coherent experience, community-driven innovation, and a relentless focus on making the business run smoothly in a single system.
PART 3 — Viewpoint: Competitors (SAP / Microsoft / Others)
Disclaimer: AI-generated fictional commentary. Not an official corporate statement.
This integration is well executed for a country with complex payroll rules. Anchoring HR in Odoo while delegating compliance to a certified payroll engine aligns with customer demand for usability and single-pane operations. The Kanban-first error handling and document roundtrip are thoughtful touches that elevate the UX.
The strategic questions ahead are about scale and governance. Replicating this depth across multiple geographies requires consistent compliance coverage, robust SLAs, and strong data residency and audit controls. Asynchronous flows must be observable end-to-end in enterprise settings, with clear ownership for reconciliation. If Odoo and partners can maintain this UX differentiation while hardening compliance and scalability, they’ll remain formidable—especially for midmarket customers looking for faster time-to-value.
PART 4 — Blog Footer Disclaimer
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.