Migrating from Odoo 15 to Odoo 18 or 19: the guide to success without disrupting your business

Many Moroccan companies adopted Odoo a few years ago. Their ERP works, and their teams know the tool well. So the idea of touching something that “works” is scary. Yet staying on an old version ends up costing more than migrating. This guide explains how to approach an Odoo migration with confidence.

Why not stay on Odoo 15?

Odoo officially maintains the last three major versions. Since the release of Odoo 19, the vendor no longer covers version 15: it no longer publishes security patches or bug fixes for it.

Beyond security, an old version also deprives you of many improvements. Each version brings a faster interface, richer reports, better mobile usability and new features in accounting, inventory and e-commerce. These are all concrete productivity gains. Finally, third-party modules and connectors are gradually dropping support for older versions, so your ecosystem shrinks year after year.

What makes a migration tricky

An Odoo migration is not just a matter of clicking “update”. Three elements need particular attention.

The data. The database structure changes from one version to the next. Invoices, accounting entries, stock and customer history must be transformed without loss or inconsistency.

Custom modules. If you had custom modules developed, they also need to be adapted to Odoo’s new code. This is often the longest part of the project.

Integrations. Finally, everything that communicates with Odoo must be checked and tested on the new version: e-commerce site, connectors, business applications.

The steps of a successful migration

1. Auditing the existing setup

First, we list the installed modules, custom developments, customizations and integrations. It is also the moment to clean house: some custom modules become unnecessary because the new version covers the need natively.

2. Migrating a copy

We never touch the production database first. Instead, we work on a copy, migrating the data and adapting the modules in a test environment.

3. Testing with your teams

Next, your key users validate real processes: creating a quote, delivery, invoicing, closing the till… The project team fixes any issues before the switchover.

4. A planned switchover

Go-live then takes place at a quiet time, often over a weekend, with a final migration of up-to-date data. The goal: everything works on Monday morning.

5. Post-go-live support

Finally, during the first few weeks, responsive support makes it possible to handle small adjustments quickly. It is also used to train teams on what’s new.

Mistakes to avoid

Some mistakes come up often. Here are the main ones to avoid:

• Migrating without a tested, restorable backup.
• Underestimating the time needed to adapt custom modules.
• Neglecting user testing in favor of technical tests alone.
• Migrating in the middle of an accounting close or a peak sales period.

What about your WooCommerce store?

If you have connected your WooCommerce site to Odoo, syncing products, stock and orders must keep working after the migration. Our he_odoo_woocommerce connector is compatible with Odoo 15, 18 and 19, which makes the transition easier.

HE digital is here to help

Since 2010, HE digital has been supporting businesses with Odoo implementation and custom module development. We handle the audit, data migration, adaptation of your modules and support for your teams.

Are you on an old version of Odoo? Contact us at contact@hedigital.ma for a migration audit.