Table of Contents

  1. Introduction

  2. Why Choosing the Right ERP Features Matters

  3. Overview of Dolibarr ERP & CRM

  4. Feature #1: Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

    • Contact Management

    • Sales Follow-up

    • Opportunities and Leads

  5. Feature #2: Product and Service Catalog

    • Centralized Item Repository

    • Pricing and Custom Attributes

  6. Feature #3: Sales and Invoicing Automation

    • Quotation to Invoice Workflow

    • Recurring Billing

    • Online Payment Integration

  7. Feature #4: Inventory and Stock Management

    • Real-time Stock Tracking

    • Multi-Warehouse Management

    • Supplier Orders and Alerts

  8. Feature #5: Accounting and Financial Tools

    • Expense Tracking

    • Bank Reconciliation

    • VAT and Tax Management

  9. Feature #6: Project and Task Management

    • Gantt Charts and Time Logs

    • Resource Allocation

    • Milestone Monitoring

  10. Feature #7: User Rights, Permissions, and Audit Trails

    • Role-Based Access

    • Security Logs

    • Compliance Support

  11. Bonus Features Worth Exploring

  12. Integrations and Extensibility

  13. Dolibarr in Action: Real-World Use Cases

  14. Tips for Maximizing These Features

  15. Conclusion

1. Introduction

In today’s business landscape, having a flexible, scalable, and easy-to-use ERP is no longer optional—it’s essential. For small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and freelancers looking for an open-source solution, Dolibarr ERP & CRM stands out as a feature-rich and modular system.

This article explores the seven most powerful and indispensable features in Dolibarr that help ensure efficient, error-free, and streamlined business management.

2. Why Choosing the Right ERP Features Matters

Your ERP system should grow with your business, not limit it. Choosing a system like Dolibarr that offers modularity allows you to activate only what you need—reducing clutter, improving usability, and optimizing resources.

3. Overview of Dolibarr ERP & CRM

Dolibarr is an open-source software suite designed for SMEs, freelancers, and nonprofit organizations. It offers features across CRM, accounting, sales, inventory, HR, and more. Its modular design, intuitive web interface, and extensive customization capabilities make it ideal for businesses of all sizes.

4. Feature #1: Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Dolibarr’s built-in CRM module helps you manage every aspect of the customer lifecycle.

Contact Management

Maintain detailed records of clients, prospects, and suppliers. Link them to related quotes, invoices, tasks, and projects.

Sales Follow-up

Track interactions, calls, emails, and follow-ups. You can assign tasks to sales reps and receive notifications for next actions.

Opportunities and Leads

Manage the sales pipeline, set expected revenues, and monitor conversion rates—essential for strategic planning.

5. Feature #2: Product and Service Catalog

The products/services module provides a centralized hub for everything you sell.

Centralized Item Repository

Create and manage all product and service records with SKUs, prices, taxes, and supplier links.

Pricing and Custom Attributes

Support for multi-price levels, promotional pricing, and user-defined fields enables deep customization.

6. Feature #3: Sales and Invoicing Automation

Dolibarr simplifies your financial workflow, from the first quote to payment collection.

Quotation to Invoice Workflow

Generate quotes, convert them into orders and then into invoices, all within a few clicks.

Recurring Billing

Set up automatic invoice generation for subscriptions or maintenance contracts.

Online Payment Integration

Accept payments through integrated gateways like PayPal, Stripe, or bank transfers.

7. Feature #4: Inventory and Stock Management

A critical component for product-based businesses, Dolibarr's inventory system is both robust and simple.

Real-time Stock Tracking

Get live updates on stock movements across warehouses.

Multi-Warehouse Management

Track product availability across different physical locations.

Supplier Orders and Alerts

Generate supplier purchase orders and receive alerts for low stock levels.

8. Feature #5: Accounting and Financial Tools

Dolibarr’s financial modules cover core accounting needs and offer export/import options for deeper analysis.

Expense Tracking

Record operational expenses and categorize them for budgeting.

Bank Reconciliation

Import bank statements and match them against recorded transactions.

VAT and Tax Management

Generate reports and summaries for local tax compliance.

9. Feature #6: Project and Task Management

Ideal for service providers, agencies, and teams needing structured workflows.

Gantt Charts and Time Logs

Visualize project timelines and log hours worked by team members.

Resource Allocation

Assign human and material resources to projects with timeline expectations.

Milestone Monitoring

Track project deliverables, phases, and deadlines.

10. Feature #7: User Rights, Permissions, and Audit Trails

Security is crucial in ERP systems. Dolibarr offers:

Role-Based Access

Grant or restrict access based on user roles.

Security Logs

Track user activity and changes for transparency.

Compliance Support

Facilitate GDPR and internal audit requirements with logging and access control.

11. Bonus Features Worth Exploring

  • E-commerce connectors

  • Point-of-sale (POS) systems

  • Email marketing integration

  • Ticketing and support desk

  • Multi-language and multi-currency support

12. Integrations and Extensibility

Dolibarr can integrate with tools like WooCommerce, WordPress, Mailchimp, and external accounting platforms. Developers can also extend its functionality via REST APIs or by building custom modules.

13. Dolibarr in Action: Real-World Use Cases

  • A digital agency using CRM + Projects + Invoicing

  • A retailer managing stock and POS

  • A consultant running client billing and time tracking

14. Tips for Maximizing These Features

  • Start with your core workflows

  • Only enable necessary modules

  • Train staff gradually

  • Use templates for consistency

  • Set regular review cycles for optimization

15. Conclusion

Dolibarr isn’t just another ERP system—it’s a comprehensive business backbone. The seven features covered here are foundational pillars for successful operations. By leveraging Dolibarr’s full potential, companies of all sizes can scale, automate, and optimize their workflows with confidence.

Whether you're launching a startup, running an SME, or leading a nonprofit, Dolibarr gives you the tools to manage your operations effectively in 2025 and beyond.