Keep the line moving with governed component swaps on every manufacturing order
Substitute or add components on a running manufacturing order without touching the master Bill of Materials — with live stock visibility, side-by-side cost impact, optional approval, and a permanent audit trail.
The problem
When a component runs short, is back-ordered, or is discontinued, a production order stalls. Standard Odoo treats the Bill of Materials as fixed: substituting a component or adding unplanned material mid-run means editing the master BOM, creating a variant, or cancelling and re-creating the order — slow, error-prone, and disconnected from what was actually planned versus consumed.
The solution
Pre-configure approved alternatives per BOM component, then substitute or add materials directly on a running order. Every swap shows live on-hand quantity and cost impact before it is committed, can require approval, and is permanently logged — so the line keeps moving and the record stays accurate.
Everything a planner needs to keep production moving
Every capability below is implemented in the module.
Approved Alternative Components
Pre-define approved equivalents for any BOM component, each with its own sequence and a price markup or discount, so operators are never guessing what may be swapped in.
Live Availability Check
Every configured alternative shows real-time on-hand quantity, so the system only surfaces substitutes that are actually usable right now.
Side-by-Side Cost Impact
Compare the primary component's cost against the adjusted alternative cost, cost difference, and percentage change before committing to a swap.
One-Click Component Substitution
Swap a running production order's component without ever touching the master Bill of Materials, right from a "Substitute" button on the component row.
Add Unplanned Materials
Capture rework, extra packaging, or scrap replacement with an MO-level "Add Material" action so actual consumption and cost stay accurate.
Optional Approval Workflow
Require sign-off from a dedicated approver group before a substitution is applied, with clear Approve and Reject actions on the record.
Permanent Audit Trail
Every substitution and addition is logged with requester, approver, timestamps, and cost delta, with full chatter tracking on each record.
Configurable Cost-Change Warning
Set a percentage threshold in Settings; the substitute wizard flags any swap that changes component cost beyond it before you confirm.
Bulk Import via Standard List Import
Load hundreds of alternative-component mappings at once using Odoo's native list import on the Alternative Components list — no custom importer required.
How it works
Configure alternatives
Define approved alternative products per BOM component line, with an optional price markup or discount.
Hit a shortage mid-run
A confirmed manufacturing order runs short on a component, or needs an unplanned extra material.
Substitute or add material
Click "Substitute" on a component row, or "Add Material" on the order, and review availability and cost impact in the wizard.
Confirm, approve, and track
The change applies immediately or routes for approval depending on your settings, and is logged permanently either way.
Frequently asked
No sales fog. If your question isn't here, email us and we'll answer it the same way.
No. Every substitution and addition applies only to the specific manufacturing order it is made on. The master BOM is never touched, so future orders are unaffected.
Buy it on the Odoo App Store
Purchase, download and install directly from the official Odoo Apps Store — you'll always get the latest supported build.
MRP Alternative & Additional Components
One-click substitution from approved alternative components with live availability and side-by-side cost impact, plus unplanned material additions — under optional approval and a permanent audit trail.
Buy on Odoo App Store