In the fast-paced world of small business management, time is a critical asset. Entrepreneurs, freelancers, and SMEs often juggle multiple tasks ranging from client communication and invoice tracking to inventory and financial management. While these operations are necessary, they can also be time-consuming and repetitive. This is where automation becomes not just a luxury but a strategic necessity.

Dolibarr ERP/CRM, a robust open-source platform designed for small to mid-sized businesses, offers powerful automation capabilities that can dramatically reduce manual workloads—especially in areas like invoicing and email communication. Whether you're running a service-based business, managing a product inventory, or freelancing across multiple clients, automating routine processes can help you reclaim valuable time and focus on what matters most: growing your business.

This article explores how you can leverage Dolibarr to automate invoices and emails, increase operational efficiency, and reduce human error. We will break down essential modules, practical use cases, technical setups, and customization options, all tailored to help you streamline your workflow in 2025 and beyond.

Why Automation Matters in Business Operations

Automation offers significant advantages to any business:

• Time Savings: Reduces time spent on repetitive administrative tasks.

• Accuracy: Minimizes human error in data entry, billing, and communication.

• Consistency: Ensures that communications and actions follow defined rules every time.

• Customer Satisfaction: Speeds up response times and reduces billing disputes.

• Scalability: Allows you to handle more clients and operations without additional staff.

When properly set up, automation can serve as an invisible assistant that handles the back-office workload so you can focus on strategy, customer service, and innovation.

Overview of Dolibarr ERP/CRM

Dolibarr is an open-source ERP and CRM solution that combines business functions like invoicing, accounting, project management, and inventory control into a single, modular interface. It is known for:

• Ease of Use: Intuitive interface suitable for non-technical users.

• Modularity: Activate only the modules you need (Invoices, Email, Proposals, etc.).

• Cost-Effectiveness: Free to use with optional paid modules or hosted versions.

• Extensibility: Add-ons via the Dolistore and robust API support.

Automation capabilities are integrated across many of these modules and can be expanded further using third-party tools or custom scripting.

Automating Invoice Management with Dolibarr

Step 1: Enable the Required Modules

To begin automating invoices, activate the following modules from the setup menu:

• Invoices

• Third Parties (Clients/Suppliers)

• Products/Services

• Bank/Cash

Optional but useful:

• Orders

• Projects

• Accounting

Step 2: Use Predefined Products and Services

Instead of manually typing items on each invoice, create a library of predefined products and services. These entries include:

• Description

• Unit price

• Tax rate

• Accounting code

When creating an invoice, you can add items with one click, ensuring consistency and reducing errors.

Step 3: Use Invoice Templates

Dolibarr allows you to define invoice templates for recurring formats. You can:

• Include default header/footer text (e.g., payment terms, legal notices)

• Auto-calculate taxes and discounts

• Embed company logo and colors

Templates are especially useful when generating invoices programmatically or in bulk.

Step 4: Automate Recurring Invoices

For businesses with subscription models or regular monthly services, Dolibarr provides a recurring invoice feature:

• Define a parent invoice as a template

• Set the frequency (weekly, monthly, quarterly)

• Choose the number of repetitions or an end date

Dolibarr automatically generates and optionally sends invoices according to this schedule. This eliminates the need to recreate similar invoices repeatedly.

Step 5: Automatic Payment Reminders

Dolibarr can send automated reminders for unpaid invoices. To configure this:

• Go to Module Setup > Email Templates

• Define templates for first, second, and final reminders

• Set the delay for each reminder (e.g., 7, 14, 30 days after due date)

You can enable email tracking to see when clients open or click on the reminders.

Step 6: Use Workflows to Link Invoicing Steps

Dolibarr supports invoice workflows, such as:

• Auto-generating invoices from validated orders or proposals

• Automatically marking invoices as paid once a matching bank transaction is imported

• Creating delivery notes from invoiced orders

These steps can be configured via automation rules or cron jobs.

Automating Email Communication

Step 1: Configure SMTP Email Server

To send emails through Dolibarr reliably, set up your SMTP server:

• Use secure authentication (TLS/SSL)

• Add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to your domain DNS

• Ensure reverse DNS and hostname configuration

This setup improves deliverability and prevents your messages from landing in spam folders.

Step 2: Create Email Templates

Go to Home > Setup > Email Templates. Create templates for:

• Invoice confirmation

• Payment reminders

• Proposal submission

• Order confirmation

• Follow-up after a service

Each template can include dynamic variables like:

• {client_name}

• {invoice_ref}

• {total_ttc}

These placeholders are replaced with real values when the email is sent.

Step 3: Automate Email Triggers

Dolibarr allows you to trigger emails based on actions:

• When a proposal is validated

• When an invoice is overdue

• When a payment is recorded

• After a project status changes

Use the Events or Triggers setup to link actions with specific templates.

Step 4: Schedule Campaigns or Notifications

With the Emailings module, you can:

• Schedule email newsletters

• Filter recipients by tags or categories

• Track open rates and click-throughs

Use this to send monthly updates, new service announcements, or client-specific alerts.

Step 5: Connect with External Tools (Optional)

Use the REST API or tools like Zapier and Make.com to:

• Sync Dolibarr with Mailchimp, Sendinblue, or Gmail

• Send Slack alerts on invoice creation

• Push new invoices to Google Drive or Dropbox

These integrations can extend Dolibarr’s automation beyond what’s built-in.

Other Time-Saving Automations in Dolibarr

Workflow Automation Examples

• Auto-convert a quote into an invoice upon validation

• Notify a sales rep when a quote is accepted

• Assign a default project manager when a new project is created

Scheduled Tasks with Cron Jobs

Dolibarr supports cron jobs for:

• Daily invoice generation

• Automated backups

• Report emailing

• Stock level monitoring

Your hosting provider or server admin can help schedule these with crontab.

Triggered Events and Webhooks

Advanced users can program Dolibarr to emit events and react with:

• Custom modules

• External API calls

• Logging and analytics updates

This is particularly useful for SaaS platforms using Dolibarr in the backend.

Security Considerations for Automation

When automating processes, especially those involving email and finance, prioritize security:

• Use HTTPS and strong authentication for all Dolibarr logins

• Limit admin access only to trusted users

• Regularly back up your Dolibarr instance

• Use log files to track automated actions and detect anomalies

• Monitor your email server’s sending limits and performance

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Automation

• Start small and automate one workflow at a time

• Involve your team in identifying bottlenecks and repetitive tasks

• Use staging environments to test automation before deploying live

• Document your automation logic and rules for future reference

• Regularly review and optimize workflows based on business growth

Final Thoughts

In 2025, automation is no longer a trend—it’s a necessity. Dolibarr makes it accessible for small teams and individual professionals to achieve enterprise-grade efficiency without high costs or complexity. By leveraging automation tools built into Dolibarr, you can streamline your invoicing and email communication, improve accuracy, and free up time to focus on higher-value work.

Whether you're a freelancer tired of chasing payments or a business manager looking to improve operational flow, Dolibarr provides a solid foundation for automating what matters most. With a thoughtful approach and consistent maintenance, automation in Dolibarr can elevate your entire business process to the next level.