Table of Contents:

  1. Introduction

  2. Understanding the Project and Opportunity Modules in Dolibarr

  3. How Opportunities Relate to Projects

  4. The Need for Automation in Opportunity Amounts

  5. Manual vs Automated Amount Management

  6. Core Functionalities of the Project Module

  7. Overview of the Opportunity Pipeline in Dolibarr

  8. Defining the Opportunity Amount: What Should Be Included?

  9. Sources of Opportunity Amount Data

  10. Linking Proposals and Quotes to Opportunities

  11. Pulling Amounts from Linked Commercial Documents

  12. Tracking Changes to Amounts and Status

  13. Trigger Points for Automation

  14. Using Dolibarr Triggers and Hooks

  15. Developing Custom Automation Logic

  16. Using the API to Synchronize Opportunity Data

  17. Validating Data Accuracy Across Modules

  18. Impacts on Sales Forecasts and CRM Reporting

  19. Integration with the Third-Party Module

  20. Best Practices for Automated Opportunity Management

1. Introduction

In the modern sales cycle, speed and accuracy are everything. Enterprise Resource Planning systems like Dolibarr centralize customer, sales, and project data, providing a full view of your operations. One area that still often relies on manual updates, however, is the management of opportunity amounts within the project module.

This article will explore how to automate opportunity amounts in Dolibarr using the native project and opportunity modules, reducing human error and improving forecast accuracy.

2. Understanding the Project and Opportunity Modules in Dolibarr

Dolibarr features modular functionality. The Project Module allows tracking of tasks, budgets, and milestones, while the Opportunity Module is part of the CRM suite for managing sales leads.

When configured correctly, these modules can interact fluidly: projects can be born from opportunities and vice versa.

3. How Opportunities Relate to Projects

An opportunity in Dolibarr is typically a lead or deal with financial potential. Once qualified, it often results in a project being created—especially in service-based businesses.

Therefore, it is critical that the financial value of the opportunity reflects the real potential revenue tied to a given project.

4. The Need for Automation in Opportunity Amounts

Why automate this?

  • Avoid discrepancies between estimated and actual value

  • Save time spent on manual data entry

  • Align CRM insights with project deliverables

  • Enable dynamic forecasting

When opportunity amounts are not kept up to date, you risk misleading dashboards and flawed sales strategies.

5. Manual vs Automated Amount Management

Manual input allows control but is prone to error. It also demands constant oversight. With automation:

  • You define data sources once

  • Changes are reflected instantly

  • Sales teams spend less time updating and more time selling

6. Core Functionalities of the Project Module

The Project Module includes:

  • Tasks and milestones

  • Time tracking

  • Budget estimation

  • Linked third parties

  • Document attachments

All of these can be indirectly used to calculate or validate an opportunity amount.

7. Overview of the Opportunity Pipeline in Dolibarr

Opportunity records include:

  • Status (Open, Won, Lost)

  • Source

  • Expected revenue

  • Probability

  • Associated third party

  • Linked proposals

These fields can be populated and updated automatically.

8. Defining the Opportunity Amount: What Should Be Included?

It depends on your business model:

  • Net proposal total?

  • Gross margin?

  • Recurring revenue from subscriptions?

  • Products only, or include services and discounts?

Define clear internal rules for calculation.

9. Sources of Opportunity Amount Data

Key sources include:

  • Commercial Proposals (devis)

  • Customer Orders

  • Invoices (if post-sale)

  • Budget estimates in the Project Module

10. Linking Proposals and Quotes to Opportunities

Dolibarr allows linking proposals directly to an opportunity. Once linked:

  • Total from proposal can be used as amount

  • Updates to the proposal can sync automatically

This linkage is critical to automating accurate totals.

11. Pulling Amounts from Linked Commercial Documents

Workflow:

  1. User creates opportunity

  2. Links a new or existing proposal

  3. Script or module reads total amount

  4. Value is inserted into opportunity amount field

This reduces error and increases speed.

12. Tracking Changes to Amounts and Status

You can log changes in:

  • Amount value

  • Status (from draft to won)

  • Associated documents

This provides a timeline for each sales opportunity.

13. Trigger Points for Automation

Automation can be based on:

  • Proposal creation or update

  • Change of project status

  • Task completion milestones

  • Manual override with admin approval

Choose triggers based on your workflow.

14. Using Dolibarr Triggers and Hooks

Dolibarr has a strong trigger system:

  • PROPAL_MODIFY

  • PROJECT_CREATE

  • OPPORTUNITY_UPDATE

Custom PHP functions can listen to these and update opportunity records accordingly.

15. Developing Custom Automation Logic

You can create a module or script that:

  • Hooks into the Dolibarr core

  • Queries linked proposal totals

  • Applies business logic (e.g., taxes, discounts)

  • Updates the opportunity record

This logic can be extended to set probability and forecast close date.

16. Using the API to Synchronize Opportunity Data

Dolibarr's REST API enables automation externally:

  • Authenticate with API token

  • Query proposals and opportunities

  • Match by linked IDs

  • PATCH update the amount field

APIs are ideal for integrating with external CRMs or BI tools.

17. Validating Data Accuracy Across Modules

Always ensure:

  • Linked documents exist

  • Amounts are not overwritten unexpectedly

  • Permissions prevent unauthorized updates

Create audits or dashboards to highlight inconsistencies.

18. Impacts on Sales Forecasts and CRM Reporting

Accurate opportunity values mean:

  • Better sales funnel visibility

  • More realistic revenue projections

  • Cleaner segmentation by deal size, industry, etc.

Use Dolibarr’s reporting tools or export to Excel/BI dashboards.

19. Integration with the Third-Party Module

The third-party module affects:

  • VAT calculation rules

  • Currency settings

  • Default payment terms

Make sure automation scripts take these into account when pulling values.

20. Best Practices for Automated Opportunity Management

  • Document how amounts are calculated

  • Train sales teams on links between modules

  • Backup before deploying automation

  • Version-control your scripts

  • Regularly review error logs and change history

Conclusion

Automating opportunity amounts in Dolibarr's Project Module may seem complex, but it’s entirely feasible with the right combination of configuration, triggers, and data hygiene. Whether you’re a growing business or a large organization, this automation brings clarity, reduces overhead, and makes your sales pipeline smarter and more responsive. By fully leveraging Dolibarr’s modular structure and extensibility, you can turn opportunity tracking from a manual chore into a real-time strategic advantage.