A Guide to Issuing Pro-Forma Invoices to Clients in Odoo 18
In the latest Odoo 18, the feature to send Pro-forma Invoices enhances business processes by allowing them to send their customers documents that resemble invoices but are not finalized. A pro forma invoice can be considered the first bill presented to customers before making a sale and outlines what the customer is buying, the quantities, the price for each item, and the overall price without requiring the customer to pay. It allows clients to give the go-ahead and final approval for the charges before a final invoice with payment for all costs is drawn up, reducing chances for disagreements over billing and payments. In this article, we will discuss the specifics of sending the pro forma invoice within Odoo 18 as well as its main advantages in terms of making sure the transaction processes are smooth and transparent.
The pro forma invoice is relevant for business models where the invoice is based on complex orders that might later need further consent and a plan of action before remittance.
By way of confirming a pro forma invoice, companies can make sure that both parties are matched in what has been ordered, how much taxation would apply, what shipping costs are expected and the expected delivery time.
This strategy minimises the likelihood of payment and adjustments being delayed and also enriches the customer’s experience as it guarantees order and thorough communication. In Odoo 18,
Now, let us understand how to issue a Pro-Forma invoice to clients in Odoo 18.
First, you will go to the Odoo 18 Sales module and under Configuration > Settings enable the Pro-Forma invoice feature.
Generating Quotation and Issuing Pro-Forma Invoice
This feature being enabled, let us now create a new quotation which can be done by going to Orders Quotations and selecting the New button. Choose the relevant client and fill the product line with products. The outgoing mail server settings should also be properly configured and a valid email address for the client entered. After creating the quotation, the Pro Forma Invoice may be issued to the client. This can be done by selecting the Send Pro Forma Invoice Button. A Pro Forma Invoice can be issued before or after the confirmation of the sale order. A Pro Forma invoice is an important document, it outlines the goods a buyer is interested in purchasing and provides them with an opportunity to view the total order cost in comparison to other vendors for the same items.
A dialog box appears after clicking a button in which a user can make alterations to the email including selecting the recipients. An email contains a Pro forma invoice, which includes the quotation number and total amount, and a PDF as an attachment with all the specifics of the quotation. You can use an existing template to maintain the consistency of the email and the details such as the content, structure, and tone of the portions of an invoice.
To eliminate unnecessary information from the email, if any templates are outdated, you can remove them. This means that they can also modify a template and make changes to information such as texts and formats. This lets them send the Pro-Forma invoice to a customer attaching any required document first, then pressing the Send button.
The AI button is useful in creating emails because it means that you don’t have to create your content as you have a way of including AI-generated text within the email.
Lastly in Odoo 18, scheduling the sending of Pro-Forma invoices has been efficiently incorporated. To do this, click on the icon next to the Send button and select Send Later: you can specify when the invoice should be sent.
In the scheduling wizard that opens, you can use a predefined time from a list to set a common scheduling preference easily. Alternatively, a particular date and time can also be selected, after which the Schedule button has to be pressed to act.
The message you just scheduled can now be viewed in the chatter with its details. If you wish to send it immediately, proceed by clicking the ‘Send Now’ button. Also, if you have scheduled the message and wish to cancel it, you can click on the Cancel button to either edit the email template or cancel the scheduled message entirely.
Once the pro forma invoice has been sent out, the sale order will be in the state of quotation sent.
We also can examine in the chatter the particulars of the email that were directed toward the customer.
In case the order has been made and the customer is happy with it, it can be confirmed by the salesperson through the Confirm button. After the confirmation has been done, the transfer can be finalized using the Delivery smart button.
At this point, we have the opportunity to confirm the transfer by clicking on the confirm button and move on with the preparation of the invoice.
In closing, with Odoo 18, the issuance of Pro-Forma invoices enhances the invoicing procedures, as the primary aim of the businesses is to give the customer a clear and concise first bill. Stated differently, it improves engagement as clients can have the chance to estimate the charges before completing their order, thereby decreasing conflicts and slow payments. With the incorporation of Pro-Forma invoicing into your workflow, understanding and confidence towards customers should improve, earning better customer relationships and overall improved operational effectiveness. As we have seen, Odoo 18 has inbuilt functions that make it easy and quick to create and send invoices, making it beneficial for businesses to strengthen their sales. Investing in this function not only enhances the customers’ transactional experience but also ensures that the business grows positively as well as the customers’ satisfaction.
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