How to Not Screw Up Your Odoo Upgrade: End-to-End Process Explained!

Upgrading your Odoo system is like renovating a house while living in it—messy, risky, and full of hidden surprises.

Most businesses focus on the obvious steps (like data migration or testing), but the devil is in the unchecked details.

At Aktiv, we’ve refined our Odoo Upgrade process over years of trial, and error, and “why didn’t we think of that?!” moments. Here’s one of the best ways to divide the whole upgrade process, continue reading the blog to find a detailed breakdown of each phase.

Upgrading Odoo? Here’s Aktiv’s battle-tested process, hope this helps!

Phase 1: Code Migration

What’s Overlooked: Assuming custom modules will “just work” in the new version. Spoiler: They won’t.

Checklist:

• Do a pre-upgrade code audit for deprecated APIs, third-party dependencies, and version compatibility.
• Review version release notes for breaking changes.
• Setup staging environment.
• For Third-Party Modules or OCA (Open Community Association) Modules, check if the module has a branch for your target Odoo version (e.g., 16.0). If not, fork and migrate.
• Organize a few manual tests to ensure modules work flawlessly in the new environment.

Phase 2: Database Migration

Upgrading your database isn’t just about handing a backup to Odoo and waiting. It’s a high-stakes game of “fix, test, repeat” where your preparation determines whether this phase takes days or months.

Your current database’s hidden flaws (e.g., corrupted data, deprecated workflows, untested customizations) will amplify migration issues. Odoo Upgrade scripts only upgrade what you give them—garbage in, garbage out.

The Non-negotiable Database Migration Checklist:

• Run a test migration on a copy of your DB before the official upgrade.
• Budget 2-3 weeks (not days) for Odoo Support to resolve migration bugs.
• Document every issue with screenshots and logs to accelerate their fixes.
• Functional testing is YOUR job: Validate workflows like invoicing, inventory transfers, and CRM pipelines.
• Check if your custom email/pdf templates & server actions align with the new version.
• For OCA modules- check if they’re available for your target version.

If you skip pre-migration audits or testing cycles, you’ll waste weeks rebuilding data post-go-live. And no, Odoo Support won’t refund your downtime.

Need a Phase 2 survival guide? Aktiv’s team has war stories (and solutions) from real-world Odoo Upgrade projects.

Phase 3: QA Testing

Focusing on testing “the usual” and ignoring critical workflows like payroll, inventory adjustments, or tax reports will only result in chaos. Instead, list down the objectives of QA testing in the third phase of Odoo Upgrade.

QA Testing Objectives:

• Validate that all core business workflows function as expected.
• Ensure data integrity post-migration (no corrupted records or broken relationships).
• Identify performance bottlenecks (e.g., slow reports, cron jobs).
• Confirm third-party integrations (payment gateways, APIs) work flawlessly.

Checklist:

• Functional Testing: Validate workflows against business requirements.
• Regression Testing: Ensure new changes don’t break existing functionality.
• Performance Testing: Stress-test high-traffic processes. (Run MRP for a Bill of Materials (BoM) with 500 components).
• Security Testing: Validate user permissions and data access controls.
• Integration Testing: Verify third-party systems (e.g., payment gateways, ERPs) work post-upgrade.

Phase 4: UAT (User Acceptance Testing) Sprint

Without structure, UAT becomes a chaotic wishlist. Make sure to report bugs that don’t say (“I can’t find the ‘Print’ button!”) while critical bugs hide in the noise.

Detailed Checklist for Efficient Fixes:

• Step 1: Weed Out Non-Bugs. Example: The menu moved! → Training issue. Report is slow → Check server load.
• Step 2: Prioritize bug fixes:
  • Blocker: System crashes, data corruption (fix in 24 hours).
  • Critical: Broken workflows (e.g., can’t process payments).
  • Manageable: Cosmetic UI issues (post-launch).
• User Selection- Who to Involve:
  • 1-2 key users per department (Finance, Sales, Inventory).
  • Few Sherlock Holmes(employees who always find edge cases).
  • Avoid including users who “don’t have time” – they’ll half-test.

💡 Pro Tip: Bribe your employees with pizza. They’ll test accurately.

Phase 5: Pre-Go Live

Skipping a full system closure dry run is just like skipping dress trails before your wedding day.

This Odoo Upgrade phase is not a Final Go-live but an intermediate Go-live procedure generally done to check and prepare that Final Go-live goes smooth and we identify any blockers prior.

Checklist:

• Validate- User logins, Critical reports (Balance Sheet, Inventory Valuation), Integration health checks, etc.
• Pro Tip: Also test your coffee machine. You’ll need it.

If you skip Pre-Go Live, you’ll spend a Go-Live weekend frantically Googling “How tos”.

Phase 6: The Final Go-Live

Here’s your Step-by-Step Go-live Guide:

• Ensure no active transactions remain in the old system before migration.
• Send a company-wide email 7 days, 3 days, and 1 day before D-Day.
• Freeze the Old System: Disable “Create” and “Edit” permissions for all users except admins.
• Proceed for final backup and check its integrity to ensure no corruption.
• Once the Odoo Upgrade is completed, do functional testing.
• Deployment Tasks:
  • Environment Prep:
    • Spin up a mirror production server (same specs as live).
    • Restore the upgraded DB and codebase.
  • Integration Checks:
    • Test payment gateways, email servers, and third-party APIs.
  • Assign Subscription Manager to resolve license issues, escalate Odoo-side bugs, and unlock SaaS instances if stuck.

What’s Overlooked: Forgetting time zones. Let’s suppose your IT & Consulting team is in India, Odoo Support is in Belgium, and users are in Texas.

Phase 7: Post-Migration Support

After Go-Live, your system is live, but the journey isn’t over. The first 30 days are critical—users will uncover hidden bugs or someone will inevitably ask, “Why is this button orange now?” Here’s what a proactive Odoo implementation partner should deliver during this phase:

• Priority-Based SLAs:
  • Critical (Blocker): Example: System crashes, payroll failures, inventory stock mismatches
  • High (Workflow Disruption): Example: Sales orders stuck in “draft,” email notifications not sent.
  • Low (Cosmetic/Usability): Example: Misaligned labels, slow report generation.
• Quick-Response Training:
  • If >3 users report the same “bug” (e.g., “I can’t find the purchase order menu”), your partner should:
  • Identify if it’s a training issue.
  • Update the user guide with screenshots.
• Post-Migration Reconciliation:
• Compare key metrics between old and new systems like total open invoices, Inventory valuation, or bank balances as of cut-off date.
• Formal Handover Documentation:
  • A Post-Go Live Report including:
    • Resolved issues (with root causes).
    • Pending tweaks (e.g., “Optimize stock valuation query in Q2”).
    • Recommendations for future upgrades.

Red Flags: Is Your Partner Dropping the Ball?

🚩 Slow Response Times: No acknowledgement of critical tickets within 2 hours.

🚩 Blaming “User Error” for Everything: A good partner fixes the system AND the training gaps.

🚩 No Proactive Checks: If they’re waiting for you to report issues, they’re not monitoring.

While upgrading Odoo, partners are meant to stick around to ensure your system survives real-world chaos and users don’t revolt.

If your current partner ghosts you post-launch, Aktiv’s team offers 24/7 support for critical issues.