A facade contractor builds the glass and aluminium skin of a building. Its work moves in a fixed order, and each step must wait for the one before it. Al Jawad Software House shaped Odoo around that order for a facade contractor in Saudi Arabia, so approvals, deliveries and billing follow the same sequence.
The business
A facade contractor fabricates aluminium and glass packages, brings in part of its material from abroad and installs on sites supervised by a consultant. Nothing is built until the consultant has approved what will be built.
Where the work gets hard
Every submittal needs two approvals. A submittal is a package sent for approval, such as material samples or shop drawings. It needs the project manager first, then the consultant. A rejection needs a reason, and the revised version must answer each point.
Stages depend on evidence. Fabrication should not start without approved shop drawings. Installation should not start without an approved delivery inspection.
Imported material needs paperwork. Sea, air and road shipments need their documents on file before customs clearance.
Billing holds money back. Customers are billed by milestone. A share is held as retention until the final invoice, and advance payments are deducted.
What we implemented
Submittals with a second, external decision
Each type of submittal carries its own reference and revision. After the project manager approves, the submittal waits for the consultant, and the outcome is recorded. A rejection must carry a reason. A revision copies the compliance sheet, and resubmission stays blocked until every point is answered. Only the project's own manager can sign.
Stages that cannot be skipped
A project advances only when the work before it is proven: an approved submittal, a fabrication sign-off, site measurements sent to the factory, a delivered shipment, and confirmation that the site is ready. Where a material sample test exists, it must be approved too. In a flexible mode, an administrator can bypass a gate only by writing down a reason.
Shipments and customs
A shipment moves from draft to in transit, customs, transport and delivered. Customs is blocked until the insurance, bill of lading, packing list, certificate of origin, SABER certificate and commercial invoice are received. When a shipment is delivered, the delivery inspection is created automatically.
Milestone billing with retention
Payment milestones can be created freely or from a template, and each can be invoiced once it exists. Retention is held on the invoice as a separate line and released at the final invoice. Advances are deducted before VAT, and credit notes reverse retention in proportion. The invoice prints in Arabic and English.
How the work gets easier
| The usual way | With the new process |
|---|---|
| The consultant's decision sits in email | The decision is part of the submittal record, with its revisions |
| A rejected submittal is resent without checking | A revision cannot go back until every point is answered |
| Stages start on trust | A stage opens only when its prerequisites exist |
| Customs paperwork is checked at the last minute | Customs is blocked until the documents are in |
| Retention and advances are worked out by hand | The invoice holds retention and deducts advances |
The result is a project that cannot move ahead of its evidence. The team spends less time chasing approvals and paperwork, and more on delivering the facade.
