Table of Contents:
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Introduction
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Understanding the Project and Opportunity Modules in Dolibarr
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How Opportunities Relate to Projects
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The Need for Automation in Opportunity Amounts
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Manual vs Automated Amount Management
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Core Functionalities of the Project Module
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Overview of the Opportunity Pipeline in Dolibarr
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Defining the Opportunity Amount: What Should Be Included?
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Sources of Opportunity Amount Data
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Linking Proposals and Quotes to Opportunities
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Pulling Amounts from Linked Commercial Documents
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Tracking Changes to Amounts and Status
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Trigger Points for Automation
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Using Dolibarr Triggers and Hooks
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Developing Custom Automation Logic
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Using the API to Synchronize Opportunity Data
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Validating Data Accuracy Across Modules
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Impacts on Sales Forecasts and CRM Reporting
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Integration with the Third-Party Module
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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?
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Avoid discrepancies between estimated and actual value
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Save time spent on manual data entry
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Align CRM insights with project deliverables
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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:
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You define data sources once
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Changes are reflected instantly
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Sales teams spend less time updating and more time selling
6. Core Functionalities of the Project Module
The Project Module includes:
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Tasks and milestones
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Time tracking
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Budget estimation
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Linked third parties
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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:
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Status (Open, Won, Lost)
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Source
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Expected revenue
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Probability
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Associated third party
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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:
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Net proposal total?
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Gross margin?
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Recurring revenue from subscriptions?
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Products only, or include services and discounts?
Define clear internal rules for calculation.
9. Sources of Opportunity Amount Data
Key sources include:
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Commercial Proposals (devis)
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Customer Orders
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Invoices (if post-sale)
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Budget estimates in the Project Module
10. Linking Proposals and Quotes to Opportunities
Dolibarr allows linking proposals directly to an opportunity. Once linked:
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Total from proposal can be used as amount
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Updates to the proposal can sync automatically
This linkage is critical to automating accurate totals.
11. Pulling Amounts from Linked Commercial Documents
Workflow:
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User creates opportunity
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Links a new or existing proposal
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Script or module reads total amount
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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:
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Amount value
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Status (from draft to won)
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Associated documents
This provides a timeline for each sales opportunity.
13. Trigger Points for Automation
Automation can be based on:
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Proposal creation or update
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Change of project status
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Task completion milestones
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Manual override with admin approval
Choose triggers based on your workflow.
14. Using Dolibarr Triggers and Hooks
Dolibarr has a strong trigger system:
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PROPAL_MODIFY
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PROJECT_CREATE
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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:
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Hooks into the Dolibarr core
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Queries linked proposal totals
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Applies business logic (e.g., taxes, discounts)
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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:
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Authenticate with API token
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Query proposals and opportunities
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Match by linked IDs
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PATCH update the amount field
APIs are ideal for integrating with external CRMs or BI tools.
17. Validating Data Accuracy Across Modules
Always ensure:
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Linked documents exist
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Amounts are not overwritten unexpectedly
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Permissions prevent unauthorized updates
Create audits or dashboards to highlight inconsistencies.
18. Impacts on Sales Forecasts and CRM Reporting
Accurate opportunity values mean:
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Better sales funnel visibility
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More realistic revenue projections
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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:
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VAT calculation rules
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Currency settings
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Default payment terms
Make sure automation scripts take these into account when pulling values.
20. Best Practices for Automated Opportunity Management
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Document how amounts are calculated
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Train sales teams on links between modules
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Backup before deploying automation
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Version-control your scripts
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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.