Lailio, a Latvian IT partner with significant experience since 2008, specializes in implementing Odoo ERP systems and developing custom software. One of our most significant and technologically challenging projects in the logistics industry was implemented in close cooperation with Omniva, developing a modern warehouse-as-a-service (fulfillment) platform. The primary goal of the project was to create a unified, automated, and secure system that allows Omniva’s B2B clients to conveniently and transparently manage their warehouse operations using a specially designed portal. In this article, we share more details about the project’s technical architecture and developed processes from the system developer’s perspective.
Platform Architecture on Odoo
The technical architecture of the system is based on the Odoo ERP solution, which was significantly customized during development to meet the specific needs of a third-party logistics (3PL) service provider. One of the main architectural challenges was ensuring an extremely stable and secure multi-tenant environment. Numerous Omniva clients operate within it simultaneously and completely independently, making data isolation and security critical. Standard Odoo warehouse modules were expanded to support complex, multi-stage fulfillment processes—from precise inventory tracking to detailed service pricing and automated invoicing for physical storage and every operation performed in the warehouse. The platform is designed so the system can quickly process large volumes of data while continuously maintaining real-time synchronization with external e-commerce systems.
Client Self-Service Portal
To radically reduce manual communication and significantly speed up processes, we created a specialized self-service portal. It is a convenient, modern environment where the client authenticates and, thanks to strict access policies, gains exclusive access only to their own data. In the portal, the client can independently maintain their product catalog, define new products and their parameters, and continuously monitor warehouse inventory levels in real time. This portal serves as the main control panel for e-commerce merchants and B2B clients, allowing them to independently manage their goods’ movement at any time of day, without direct, time-consuming communication with warehouse operators.
Receiving
The arrival of goods at the warehouse is the critical first step in the entire supply chain. In the system, the process begins when a client creates an Advanced Shipping Notice (ASN) in the self-service portal. This gives warehouse staff and planners crucial advance information about what goods will be delivered and in what quantities, allowing them to reserve resources in time. When the physical cargo reaches the Omniva warehouse, the system ensures structured and fast receiving control. Employees use scanners to verify product quantities, with the system automatically comparing the actual receipt against the ASN. Once receiving is complete, the platform generates putaway tasks to place the goods in their appropriate storage locations, maximizing the optimization of available space and shelving.
Order Fulfillment
Order execution and goods issuance, or picking, is automated to minimize the processing time per order. Clients can enter their orders manually through the portal or entirely automatically via our custom API and e-commerce integrations. As soon as a new order enters the system, it is immediately routed to the warehouse floor for picking. Odoo generates the most optimal picking routes, allowing a single employee to collect goods for multiple orders simultaneously in a logical sequence and without unnecessary walking. This is followed by the packing stage, where the system helps select the most appropriate packaging and accurately records the final shipment’s weight and dimensions.
Delivery
Once a shipment is securely packed, the system automatically prepares it for dispatch or delivery. Shipping labels and all necessary accompanying documents are generated and printed. The platform is directly and tightly integrated with Omniva’s extensive delivery network, ensuring absolutely seamless data transfer from the warehouse to the transport department. The warehouse operator simply needs to place the shipment in the designated outbound zone. Consequently, the client immediately sees the order status change in their portal and can track the delivery process.
Returns, Reports, and Invoicing
In real-world e-commerce, product returns are inevitable. The developed system ensures standardized registration of returned goods, recording their quality inspections, and returning them to active inventory or writing them off in case of damage. Another essential component of the system is the comprehensive reporting module. Various documents, inventory movement reports, and historical data are always available to clients in the portal. Additionally, the platform automatically tracks all provided services—it records the volume of physical storage used, the number of orders and lines processed, receiving units, and operations. This precise information serves as the basis for invoicing, fully automating the complex 3PL service billing process.
Our Approach
Implementing Odoo on such a large scale and with such complexity requires clear planning and methodical execution. The Lailio team started the project with an in-depth analysis of existing requirements and logistics processes, working alongside Omniva industry experts. Together, data flow models and user permission matrices were defined. The business analysis was followed by the creation of architecture and rapid prototypes, allowing the client to validate the user interface and core processes early on. The next and most extensive phase was programming and customizing Odoo functionality, incorporating security policies, and building complex integrations. Finally, rigorous testing was conducted by simulating real warehouse workloads, followed by a secure and gradual deployment of the platform into the production environment.
The Benefits
The newly developed warehouse-as-a-service platform fundamentally changes the approach to warehouse management and B2B client service in logistics. It gives e-commerce merchants full, real-time control over their inventory without the need to invest in and maintain their own physical warehouse infrastructure. Automated data exchange and the self-service portal drastically reduce the risk of human error and the administrative burden for both the client and the service provider. In turn, the service provider gains a scalable, fast, and stable system. It allows for significantly more efficient management of warehouse capacity, standardizes all floor operations, and accounts for all provided services entirely without manual effort to ensure accurate client invoicing.