Digitizing Without Big Budgets
Many people think that digitizing a process requires a robust, expensive system with a full IT team behind it. In reality, you can start with very basic resources and still achieve a functional and efficient workflow. In my case, after learning to use different AI business agents and models, I was able to rely on them quickly, simply, and effectively.
A clear example was when I had to solve employee attendance tracking, combining Odoo (ERP) and Google Forms. The challenge was that some employees had Odoo licenses and others didn’t, yet all of them needed to reliably log their check-ins and check-outs. Additionally, since several employees worked remotely from other cities, having location data for where they clocked in was an added benefit.
The Hybrid Solution
With the help of AI, I designed a two-layer process:
- Google Forms + App Script + Sheets for employees without Odoo accounts.
- Odoo Attendance for employees with licenses.
The key was to normalize the data so it could later be imported into Odoo, consolidating everything in one system. That included:
- Standardizing names and preventing duplicates.
- Capturing location and device data.
- Detecting possible fraud or inconsistent situations (like double check-ins from the same phone, sudden device changes, etc.).
- Automating the conversion of data into the format Odoo required.
Key Lessons
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Technology is flexible if you know how to integrate it
You don’t always need custom development. Sometimes connecting existing tools (ERP, Forms, Sheets) with creativity is enough. And this doesn’t mean a temporary or low-quality solution — today’s tools often eliminate the need for long, costly development cycles. -
Details matter
Normalizing data and controlling duplicates may seem tedious, but it’s what makes a system reliable. For the version my client currently uses, I had to build several iterations, improving each based on employee usage — things like detecting duplicates, preventing double check-outs, or correcting user errors. -
Think about the future from the start
Even though the system started as a quick fix, I designed it to migrate into Odoo later without losing historical data. This is important because if data only stays in a spreadsheet, you lose the value of centralizing everything in an ERP. Odoo is flexible enough to import external data, but giving it the right structure and automating the process as much as possible is part of forward planning. -
Client communication is critical
Explaining the value of a “provisional” but solid process helped my client trust the path toward a more complete solution. Today, it’s part of the everyday information HR and payroll departments rely on.
My Personal Learning
This case reminded me that digitization is not about budget, it’s about vision and discipline. With simple but well-connected tools, you can create reliable workflows that scale into more robust platforms.
I still apply this mindset today: solve with what you have, but always keep the final system in mind.
Want to start digitizing processes with the tools you already have? Let’s design a realistic and scalable workflow.