Migrate from Method:Field Services to Odoo CRM

Method contacts map directly to Odoo res.partner records with company_type='person'. Email, phone, address, and custom fields transfer as partner fields. Company-linked contacts use res.partner's parent_id for the company relationship. This structure allows contacts to be linked to parent company records, enabling hierarchical views of customer data and proper billing/shipping assignments within Odoo's standard partner model.

Method companies map to res.partner with company_type='company'. Billing address, shipping address, and industry classification transfer to the partner record. Multi-location companies may require multiple partner records with parent_id linking. This handles scenarios where the same company operates across different sites, with each location stored as a child partner record while maintaining the parent company relationship for reporting and consolidated views.

Method work orders map to Odoo crm.lead as opportunities. Job status (Scheduled, In Progress, Completed) maps to pipeline stage. Technician assignment, job location, and time-tracking entries transfer as custom fields on the crm.lead record. This preserves all operational details while fitting into Odoo's standard opportunity framework, allowing teams to leverage built-in CRM reporting and pipeline management tools.

Method estimates map to Odoo sale.order in quotation state. Line items, pricing, and customer reference transfer. If the Sales app is not installed, estimates land as crm.lead with a custom estimate_reference field for traceability. This ensures estimates aren't lost in migration and can be converted to sales orders later when the Sales module is activated, maintaining the complete audit trail.

Method pipeline stages map value-by-value to Odoo crm.stage records within each sales team. Stage order, probability, and category (e.g., New, Won, Lost) are preserved. Stages without a direct Odoo equivalent become custom stages created before migration. This approach maintains your existing sales process logic in Odoo while allowing flexibility for unique stage definitions that don't have native counterparts in the standard CRM.

Method dispatchers resolve to Odoo res.users by email match. Unmatched dispatchers are flagged before migration; you either create Odoo users first or assign their records to a fallback user. Dispatcher permissions map to Odoo group membership (Sales / Field / Portal).

Technicians map to Odoo res.users if they need system login, or to res.partner with portal access if they only interact via Odoo's customer portal. Work order assignments transfer as custom fields on crm.lead referencing the technician's partner record. This dual approach accommodates different access levels and ensures technicians can view their assignments through the portal without requiring full system credentials.

Method time entries transfer to Odoo account.analytic.line if the Timesheet app is installed. Without it, time data lands as custom datetime fields on the related crm.lead. Original duration, date, and technician user are preserved. If the Timesheet module is activated post-migration, these custom fields can be mapped to proper analytic line records for enhanced reporting and billing integration.

File attachments and e-signature images on work orders re-upload to Odoo ir.attachment records linked to the crm.lead. Original filenames and MIME types are preserved. Odoo's 25MB per-file limit is enforced; large files are flagged before migration. This ensures all supporting documentation travels with work orders and remains accessible within the opportunity record, maintaining compliance records and customer communication history.

Method custom fields on work orders create corresponding custom fields on crm.lead in Odoo via Studio before migration. Field type mapping: text to char, number to float or integer, date to date, pick-list to selection. Nomenclature follows Odoo's x_ prefix convention for custom fields.

Method's communication log entries (emails, call notes) migrate to Odoo mail.message records linked to res.partner or crm.lead. Call activities with duration and outcome map to mail.activity with type='call'. Original timestamps and author are preserved. This maintains the full customer interaction history within Odoo's native chatter system, enabling teams to review past communications directly on the opportunity or contact record.

Method's QuickBooks customer ID and invoice reference fields have no native Odoo equivalent. We preserve these as custom char fields (qb_customer_id__c, qb_invoice_ref__c) on the relevant records for audit trail and future reconciliation if a QuickBooks connector is installed. This prevents data loss and allows your finance team to cross-reference historical transactions once a connector is configured, supporting continuity in financial reporting.