Barcode Receiving and Multi-Step Picking in Odoo for Auto Parts Distributors
Illustration: the people shown are AI-generated and fictional.
In auto parts, look-alike part numbers are a daily risk. Two brake components can differ by one character, and a wrong pick means a return, a second shipment and a customer waiting on a vehicle. The fix isn’t more care from the team; it’s a process where the scanner, not memory, confirms each part.
This guide covers how Odoo 19 supports that with Odoo Barcode, multi-step receipts and deliveries, and a clean returns process.
Barcode Picking in Odoo at a Glance
- Scan, don’t type. Odoo Barcode assigns barcodes to products and packagings, and scanning drives receipts, picks and counts.
- Inspect before stocking. Three-step receipts move goods through input and quality before they reach stock.
- Pick, pack, ship. Three-step deliveries add a packing zone and an output location before goods leave.
- One setting unlocks the routes. Multi-Step Routes, which also turns on Storage Locations.
- Returns stay traceable. Reverse Transfers before invoicing; a credit note after.
Odoo Barcode: Let the Scanner Confirm Each Part
Odoo Barcode assigns barcodes to individual products and to product packagings, and tracks inventory movements with them. With a connected scanner, scanning a barcode triggers inventory processes:
- Receipts and deliveries processed by scanning each product.
- Batch transfers, so one picker handles several orders in one trip.
- Inventory adjustments, counting a location by scanning instead of keying quantities.
- GS1 barcodes, for suppliers that label with the GS1 standard.
Barcode accuracy starts with the catalog. Every part needs one clean record before you label it; see managing an auto parts catalog in Odoo.
Receiving in Three Steps: Input, Quality, Stock
In a three-step receipt, goods arrive in an input area, move to a quality area for inspection, and only then move into stock. They aren’t available for other operations until they leave the quality area. For parts that arrive damaged or mislabelled, that inspection step stops a problem before it reaches a customer order. Odoo creates the Input and Quality Control locations when you turn it on.
Delivering in Three Steps: Pick, Pack, Ship
In a three-step delivery, products are picked according to their removal strategy and brought to a packing zone, packed into shipments, and then moved to an output location before they ship. To set it up:
- Turn on Multi-Step Routes in Inventory settings; it also turns on Storage Locations.
- On the warehouse, choose Pack goods, send goods in output and then deliver (3 steps) for outgoing shipments.
- Use fewer steps where volume is low; the number of steps is set per warehouse.
Handling Returns Cleanly
Parts distributors see a steady flow of returns. Odoo handles them in two ways, depending on whether the order has been invoiced:
- Before invoicing: a Reverse Transfer on the validated delivery order brings the goods back, and the customer is invoiced only for what they keep.
- After invoicing: the reverse transfer is paired with a credit note, because a validated invoice can’t be changed by a return alone.
Inspect returned parts before they go back on the shelf, so a damaged return isn’t sold again. For more, see Odoo for auto parts distributors.
Barcode Picking in Odoo: FAQ
What does Odoo Barcode do?
Odoo Barcode assigns barcodes to products and product packagings and tracks inventory movements with them. With a connected scanner, scanning triggers inventory processes such as receipts, deliveries, transfers and inventory counts.
What is a three-step receipt in Odoo?
Goods are received into an input area, moved to a quality area for inspection, and only then moved into stock. Products aren’t available for other operations until they leave the quality area.
What is a three-step delivery in Odoo?
Products are picked according to their removal strategy and brought to a packing zone, packed into shipments, then moved to an output location before shipping. Select “Pack goods, send goods in output and then deliver (3 steps)” on the warehouse.
What do I need to turn on for multi-step routes?
The Multi-Step Routes option in Inventory settings, which also turns on Storage Locations. Then choose the number of steps for incoming and outgoing shipments on each warehouse.
How are customer returns handled in Odoo?
Before invoicing, a return is a Reverse Transfer on the validated delivery order, and the customer is only invoiced for what they keep. After invoicing, a credit note is also needed, because a reverse transfer alone doesn’t change a validated invoice.
Too many wrong picks?
Our Odoo inventory team can set up barcode scanning and multi-step routes around how your warehouse really works.
Talk to Our Odoo Team