Experienced Odoo ERP Implementation Partner / Freelancer for Water Treatment & Chemical Manufacturing Business

We are a Johannesburg-based water treatment and engineering company specializing in:

Chemical manufacturing & blending (process manufacturing with recipes, yields, lot traceability)
Engineering projects (containerized water plants – engineer-to-order / project costing)
Recurring service & maintenance contracts (SLAs with field service verification)
Online retail arm

We are currently using QuickBooks Online for finance and accounting, along with a fragmented stack of spreadsheets and other tools. The goal is to migrate fully from QuickBooks Online to a single unified Odoo ERP system and consolidate everything into one platform.
We have a detailed functional specification document that maps every requirement point-by-point (Finance, Process Manufacturing, Sales/CRM, Inventory, Field Service with mobile reporting, etc.).
This is a mid-sized implementation (10–25 users initially) with strong emphasis on:

Strict financial controls (unified ledger, analytic accounting with custom tags, job costing, 3-way matching)
True process manufacturing (FIFO, UoM conversions with specific gravity, overheads in BOMs, by-products/waste)
Field service mobile app with custom water quality forms (TDS/pH trending, auto-PDF/WhatsApp reports)
Minimal custom coding preferred – prioritize standard modules + configuration + Studio/custom fields

We already have a comprehensive Odoo Functional Specification & Implementation Guide (detailed mapping to our requirements) that we will share with shortlisted freelancers.
Critical Timeline

Must be fully implemented and go-live ready by 1 March 2026 (including migration from QuickBooks Online, data mapping/testing, staff training, and basic post-go-live stabilization).
We need a partner who can commit to this aggressive deadline with a clear phased plan and realistic resource allocation.

Scope of Work (High-Level – Phased)

Discovery & Setup (immediate – 1–2 weeks): Review spec, refine requirements, install/configure Odoo (Enterprise or Community – open to either), multi-company setup, multi-currency, users/permissions.
Migration from QuickBooks Online (critical early phase):
Map and migrate chart of accounts, historical transactions, open invoices/bills, customers/vendors, products/items, and key balances
Ensure accurate opening balances and reconciliation in Odoo
Handle any SA-specific localization (VAT handling, etc.) during migration

Core Configuration (main phase):
Finance: Analytic tags (exact lists provided), job costing, approvals, GP reporting
Manufacturing: Process BOMs, FIFO, traceability, cyclic stock takes
Sales/CRM: Multi-pipelines, SLA "Verify then Bill" workflow (Field Service tasks → draft invoice)
Inventory/Logistics: Delivery splitting, POD signatures
Field Service: Custom mobile worksheets, auto-PDF/WhatsApp, graphing in Spreadsheet

Integrations & Polish: WhatsApp for reports (via official API), online store connector if needed, additional data cleanup post-migration.
Testing, Training & Go-Live: Full UAT (including migration validation), staff training (remote/on-site in JHB), go-live by 1 March 2026.
Post-Go-Live Support: 1–2 months stabilization support included (or quoted separately) with defined SLA.

Required Experience & Skills

Proven Odoo implementations (at least 5+ completed projects, ideally in manufacturing, chemicals, engineering, or process industries)
Specific experience migrating from QuickBooks Online to Odoo (or similar accounting systems) – please highlight this in your proposal
Strong knowledge of Odoo Manufacturing (Process), Field Service, Project, Analytic Accounting, Inventory
Experience with Odoo Studio for custom forms/reports (avoid heavy Python dev unless essential)
Familiar with South African localization (VAT, multi-currency, etc.)
Ability to deliver clean, standard-feature-heavy setups
Excellent English communication (written & calls – GMT+2 timezone)

What to Include in Your Proposal (Mandatory – incomplete proposals will be ignored)

Your relevant Odoo experience: Number of implementations, industries, links to case studies or profiles.
Specific experience migrating from QuickBooks Online (or similar) – examples, challenges overcome, tools used.
Odoo Enterprise or Community? Any certifications?
Fixed-price quote for full implementation (including QuickBooks migration) to meet the 1 March 2026 deadline (phased breakdown strongly preferred).
Hourly rate (ZAR or USD) if preferring time & materials.
Realistic timeline & number of hours/days per phase – confirm you can commit to go-live by 1 March 2026.
Availability to start immediately (we need to move fast).
Any initial questions/clarifications on the spec (full document shared after initial chat).
References or past clients in similar sectors (manufacturing / field service / accounting migrations preferred).