Dolibarr ERP/CRM is a robust open-source platform that provides a wide array of features to help small and medium-sized businesses manage operations such as CRM, billing, accounting, inventory, HR, and more. One of Dolibarr’s major strengths is its modular and flexible design, which makes it ideal for customization. By tailoring Dolibarr to fit your unique business needs, you can dramatically improve your internal workflows, save time, and increase efficiency.

In this in-depth article, we’ll explore 10 powerful tips to customize Dolibarr for better business processes. Whether you’re new to Dolibarr or a seasoned user looking to optimize your ERP, these strategies will help you unlock the full potential of the platform.

1. Activate Only the Modules You Need

Dolibarr comes with dozens of built-in modules, ranging from CRM and invoicing to inventory and POS. However, activating all of them can lead to unnecessary clutter and confusion.

By enabling only the modules relevant to your operations, you simplify the interface and reduce noise for your users. This improves navigation, user training, and system performance.

To manage modules:

• Go to the setup menu

• Select “Modules/Applications”

• Enable only the functionalities you plan to use

Revisiting this setting periodically ensures your Dolibarr remains aligned with your evolving business needs.

2. Customize Menus and Dashboards

User experience is critical for adoption. Customizing menus and dashboards allows you to tailor the layout for each user role.

Dolibarr allows administrators to:

• Reorder or hide menu items

• Set up custom dashboards with key performance indicators (KPIs)

• Assign permissions to hide sensitive data or unused sections

This can streamline your employee workflows by surfacing only the most relevant data and actions.

For dashboard customization, consider using widgets to display:

• Sales pipeline progress

• Outstanding invoices

• Stock alerts

• Daily tasks or calendar events

3. Use Custom Fields to Track Specific Data

Every business has its own data requirements. Dolibarr supports the addition of custom fields (also known as extra fields) to track unique business information that doesn’t exist by default in the system.

You can add custom fields to:

• Third-party contacts

• Products and services

• Invoices, orders, and proposals

• Projects and tasks

For example, a service business might track service zones, technical lead, or SLA expiration dates. Retailers might want to add supplier-specific barcode fields.

These fields can be text, numbers, dates, checkboxes, or dropdowns, and can be made mandatory or searchable.

4. Modify PDF Templates for Documents

Your quotes, invoices, purchase orders, and other documents are often shared with clients and vendors. A professional, branded template reinforces your company identity.

Dolibarr lets you create and modify PDF templates using:

• The built-in PDF template editor

• Custom PHP templates (for advanced users)

You can add your logo, adjust colors, insert terms and conditions, or localize fields to fit your language and formatting standards.

If you use multiple brands, you can also create different templates and assign them per customer or project.

5. Automate Tasks with Triggers and Workflows

Dolibarr includes a system of triggers and hooks that allow actions to be executed automatically when certain events occur.

Example automations include:

• Sending an email when a proposal is validated

• Creating a follow-up task after an invoice is generated

• Automatically updating stock levels upon order fulfillment

You can define your own triggers using:

• Dolibarr’s built-in tools

• External automation platforms like Zapier or Make (with API support)

Streamlining repetitive processes reduces manual errors and saves valuable time.

6. Adjust User Permissions and Roles

Different employees need access to different data and tools. Fine-tuning user permissions ensures each person sees and interacts only with what’s relevant to their job.

Dolibarr allows for:

• Role-based access control (RBAC)

• Custom user groups

• Module-level and object-level permissions

For example:

• Sales reps can be restricted from viewing supplier purchase prices

• Accountants can be granted full access to billing modules

• Warehouse staff can manage stock but not see customer financials

Security and clarity both benefit from well-structured roles.

7. Extend Functionality with Modules and Plugins

One of Dolibarr’s best features is its extensibility. If you need more than what the core modules provide, you can explore or develop additional modules.

Options include:

• Official Dolistore marketplace (hundreds of plugins)

• Community-developed modules from GitHub

• In-house or third-party custom development

Popular modules cover areas like:

• Advanced accounting

• Time tracking

• Multi-company management

• Document versioning

• E-commerce connectors

Always test new modules in a staging environment before deploying to production.

8. Connect Dolibarr to External Applications via API

Dolibarr includes a powerful REST API that allows for integration with third-party tools. This is useful for:

• Syncing data with e-commerce platforms

• Automating CRM updates from form submissions

• Exporting reports to data visualization tools

You can develop custom integrations using languages like PHP, Python, or JavaScript. Tools like Postman help test the API endpoints.

Some commonly integrated platforms include:

• WooCommerce

• Shopify

• Google Workspace

• Microsoft Power BI

• Slack or Discord for notifications

These integrations eliminate silos and create a more connected information ecosystem.

9. Configure Scheduled Jobs and CRON Tasks

If you need tasks to run on a regular schedule—such as sending reminders, synchronizing databases, or generating reports—you can configure CRON jobs in Dolibarr.

Common use cases include:

• Sending overdue invoice notifications nightly

• Automatically closing tasks after inactivity

• Syncing product catalog daily with e-commerce site

CRON jobs require access to the server or hosting panel, so coordination with your system administrator or hosting provider may be necessary.

Properly timed jobs reduce admin overhead and keep your system up-to-date.

10. Brand the User Interface with Themes and Logos

Although functional, Dolibarr’s default look may not reflect your company’s style. You can personalize the UI with your branding elements to improve user familiarity and promote internal consistency.

Customization options include:

• Uploading your company logo

• Changing the color scheme or menu style

• Adding a company tagline to the login page

Advanced users can create their own themes using CSS and HTML. There are also ready-made themes available in the Dolistore marketplace.

Personalization can improve employee engagement and create a more cohesive digital work environment.

Final Thoughts

Dolibarr is a powerful and flexible tool—but only when tailored correctly to your operations. By applying the 10 tips above, you’ll not only make the system more intuitive for your team, but also automate workflows, enhance collaboration, and drive overall business performance.

Customization doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Start with the basics—menu tweaks, fields, and permissions—and gradually expand into deeper automation and API integration as your needs grow.

Whether you're a small startup or a growing mid-sized enterprise, optimizing Dolibarr ensures your ERP/CRM solution evolves with you, keeping your business agile and efficient for years to come.