Transforming Manufacturing operations with Odoo ERP : Coast Concrete Poles’ journey toward clarity and control

The Challenge of Growth in Manufacturing

Growth is a double-edged sword in manufacturing. The more business you win, the harder it becomes to keep track of the hundreds of small decisions that make your operations run.

Spreadsheets multiply, approvals slow down and data gets buried in disconnected systems.
Teams still push hard – but instead of growing smarter, they start firefighting.

That’s where Coast Concrete Poles, one of Tanzania’s leading manufacturers of precast concrete poles, found themselves.

They were growing fast, delivering quality products for large infrastructure projects, yet their operations were held back by one thing – lack of visibility and integration.

To move forward, they needed a system that could bring their processes together, automate key workflows and give leadership a clear, real-time view of the business.

About Coast Concrete Poles

Coast Concrete Poles (CCP) is a Tanzanian manufacturing company specializing in reinforced concrete poles used for electrical distribution, construction and utility infrastructure.

Their operations span multiple verticals :

• Tendering & Project Management – Managing bids, contracts and delivery timelines.
• Procurement – Sourcing raw materials, handling vendor negotiations and managing approvals.
• Engineering & Production – Overseeing manufacturing precision and quality standards.
• Finance & Accounting – Monitoring expenses, advances and purchase order workflows.

The company’s footprint and influence in Tanzania’s power infrastructure sector are significant – but their rapid expansion came with growing operational complexity.

The operational roadblocks

As their teams and projects grew, the cracks started showing :

• Disconnected s Each department operated in silos, making it difficult to track data and coordinate decisions.
• Manual processes : Expense approvals, purchase requests and vendor management were handled through paper trails and spreadsheets.
• Limited visibility : Management couldn’t see real-time updates on spending, material utilization or procurement progress.
• Lack of control : Without defined approval hierarchies or role-based access, financial oversight was difficult.
• Human error : Manual data entry often led to inconsistencies between procurement, accounting and reporting.

These weren’t just inefficiencies – they were blockers to scaling smoothly.

Why Odoo ERP was the right choice

When the leadership team began evaluating ERP systems, they needed something powerful yet flexible.

Odoo ERP emerged as the ideal choice because it offered :

• A modular structure – allowing them to start with critical areas like procurement and accounting and scale later.
• Customizability – adaptable to their unique approval chains and procurement logic.
• User-friendly design – ensuring adoption across all levels of staff.
• Cost-effectiveness – a better ROI than heavy, complex enterprise systems.

They weren’t just looking for software – they were seeking a partner who understood manufacturing operations and could translate business challenges into technology that worked.

That’s where Pragmatic Techsoft  came in.

Pragmatic Techsoft’s approach

At Pragmatic Techsoft, we’ve seen this story before.
As Odoo Gold Partners with 17+ years of manufacturing ERP experience, we know that success begins with understanding people and processes – not just modules.

Our techno-functional consulting team and operations specialists led a deep-dive discovery phase, collaborating with CCP’s stakeholders across departments.

We focused on three key goals :

1. Unify operations – Centralize all procurement, approvals and financial workflows into a single system.
2. Enhance visibility – Enable leadership to track cash flow, procurement, and expenses in real time.
3. Establish accountability – Implement role-based access and audit trails to strengthen financial control.

This wasn’t about “installing Odoo.”
It was about designing a digital ecosystem tailored for how Coast Concrete Poles actually worked.

Implementation Highlights

The project was implemented on Odoo v16 Enterprise, deployed on Pragmatic’s secure SaaS infrastructure and delivered in just two months, without disrupting ongoing operations.

Phase 1 : Discovery & Documentation

• Conducted requirement workshops with all functional heads.
• Documented end-to-end workflows and pain points.
• Defined measurable success criteria for the ERP rollout.

Phase 2 : Configuration & Customization

• Configured Odoo modules for Sales, Purchase, Accounting and Expense Management.
• Built multi-level approval flows for purchase requests and advances.
• Added custom fields, notification systems and dashboards.

Phase 3 : Testing & Go-Live

• Iterative demos ensured users could test the system early.
• Smooth go-live supported by Pragmatic’s post-launch training and support team.
  

Key Functionalities Developed

To address Coast Concrete Poles’ operational needs, our team developed several custom functionalities :

• Procurement Planning : Smart planning of materials with real-time cost and utilization visibility.
• Automated Order Management : From requisitions to supplier approvals – the process now runs seamlessly.
• Advance Management : Controlled processing of PO advances and billing approvals.
• Expense & Petty Cash Management : Requests, approvals and tracking integrated with accounting.
• Approval Notifications : Role-based alerts ensure accountability at every step.
• Custom Print Layouts : Tailored formats for purchase orders and operational documents.

Each feature was built to simplify – not complicate – how their teams worked day to day.

Tangible Results and Impact

Within weeks of going live, the impact was visible :

• Centralized Operations : All functions, from procurement to expenses, managed under one ERP.
• Improved Transparency : Real-time dashboards made financial control easy and proactive.
• Faster Approvals : Multi-level workflows reduced approval time dramatically.
• Fewer Errors : Automation eliminated duplication and manual miscalculations.
• Smarter Decision-Making : Data-backed insights replaced guesswork.

In the words of the Coast Concrete Poles team:

“We can now track and manage our operations with ease. It has improved accountability and streamlined our workflows.”

For a manufacturer, that’s transformation you can feel every single day.

Lessons for Manufacturers

Every manufacturer eventually reaches a point where spreadsheets and disconnected systems can’t keep up.
Here are key takeaways from Coast Concrete Poles’ journey :

1. Don’t wait until things break. ERP isn’t a luxury – it’s a foundation for sustainable growth.
2. Customization matters. Off-the-shelf software rarely fits the complexities of real operations.
3. Adoption is everything. Choose a system your people can actually use and trust.
4. Visibility equals control. The more you can see, the faster and smarter you can act.
   

Why choose Pragmatic Techsoft

At Pragmatic Techsoft, we don’t just implement Odoo – we make it work for you.

Our strength lies in combining technical mastery with operational empathy.
We understand manufacturing, logistics, and finance from the inside out, allowing us to translate business goals into functional ERP systems that deliver measurable results.

• 17+ years of Odoo expertise
• Global implementation experience across 50+ industries
• Rapid SaaS deployments
• Proven track record in manufacturing automation

We believe technology should serve people, not overwhelm them – and this project is proof of that philosophy.

Building Connected Operations for the Future

The Coast Concrete Poles transformation wasn’t just an ERP upgrade – it was a mindset shift.

From scattered spreadsheets to structured workflows, from reactive management to proactive visibility — they’ve built a stronger operational backbone.

For other manufacturers, their story is a clear reminder:
Growth demands clarity. And clarity starts with connection.

At Pragmatic Techsoft, we help manufacturers achieve that connection – one well-designed Odoo implementation at a time.

👉 Talk to our experts and see how we can help you digitize, streamline and scale your manufacturing operations.

FAQs

1. What made Odoo ERP ideal for Coast Concrete Poles?
Its flexibility, modular design and affordability made Odoo the perfect fit for a growing manufacturer that needed customization without complexity.

2. How long did the ERP implementation take?
Just two months from discovery to go-live, thanks to Pragmatic Techsoft’s structured rollout and SaaS deployment.

3. Which departments are now using Odoo ERP?
Procurement, Accounting, Sales and Expense Management, with scope for future integration of Inventory and Manufacturing modules.

4. Can this solution scale for other industries?
Absolutely. The same framework can be tailored for any mid-sized manufacturing or trading company.

5. How does Pragmatic ensure smooth user adoption?
Through hands-on training, iterative testing, and post-implementation support to ensure every team member feels confident using Odoo.