Troubleshooting

This guide covers common issues and their solutions.

Installation Issues

Module Not Appearing in Apps List

Symptoms:

  • Cannot find “Atlas Construction” in Apps menu

  • Module doesn’t appear after clicking “Update Apps List”

Solutions:

  1. Verify module is in addons path:

    ls -la /path/to/odoo/addons/atlas_construction
    
  2. Check Odoo configuration:

    grep addons_path /etc/odoo/odoo.conf
    
  3. Restart Odoo server:

    sudo systemctl restart odoo
    
  4. Update apps list with developer mode:

    • Settings → Activate Developer Mode

    • Apps → Update Apps List

  5. Check server logs for errors:

    tail -f /var/log/odoo/odoo.log
    

Dependency Installation Fails

Error: “Could not install module: Missing dependency”

Solution:

  1. Install missing dependencies first

  2. Navigate to Apps

  3. Search for required module (project, sale, purchase, account)

  4. Install it

  5. Try installing atlas_construction again

Permissions & Security

Cannot Edit Budget Lines

Most Common Issue!

Symptoms:

  • Budget lines appear as read-only text

  • Cannot click fields to edit

  • No “+” button to add lines

  • Changes don’t save

Causes:

  1. User lacks Job Cost Manager security group

  2. Browser cache issues

  3. User viewing wrong company’s projects

Solutions:

  1. Check Security Groups (Primary solution):

    • Settings → Users & Companies → Users

    • Select the user

    • Find “Job Costing” section

    • Verify role is “Manager” (NOT “User”)

    • If wrong, change to Manager and click Save

    • User must log out and log back in

  2. Clear Browser Cache:

    • Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (or Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac)

    • Clear cached images and files

    • Close browser completely

    • Reopen and log in again

  3. Check Company Access:

    • Settings → Users & Companies → Users

    • Select user

    • Verify “Allowed Companies” includes project’s company

    • Add if missing

  4. Verify Record Rules:

    • Settings → Technical → Security → Record Rules

    • Search for “job_cost_line”

    • Check if custom rules are blocking access

Important

The most common cause is missing the Job Cost Manager security group. Always check this first! See Security & Permissions for detailed permission information.

Cannot Approve Change Orders

Symptoms:

  • “Approve” button is missing or grayed out

  • User can view but not modify change orders

Solution:

Assign Change Order Manager security group:

  • Settings → Users → Select user

  • Find “Change Orders” section

  • Change role to “Manager”

  • User logs out/in

Cannot Create Invoices from Milestones

Symptoms:

  • “Create Invoice” button missing

  • Milestone shows “Ready” but cannot bill

Solution:

Assign Billing Manager security group:

  • Settings → Users → Select user

  • Find “Progress Billing” section

  • Change role to “Manager”

Can Only See Some Projects

Symptoms:

  • User cannot see all company projects

  • Projects disappear from list

Causes:

  • User has “User” level permissions (sees only followed projects)

  • User in wrong company

Solutions:

  1. Upgrade to Manager role (see all company projects)

  2. Or add as follower to specific projects:

    • Open project form

    • Click followers icon (top right)

    • Add user

Cost Tracking Issues

Committed Cost Not Updating

Symptoms:

  • Created PO linked to job cost line

  • Committed cost shows $0

Causes:

  1. PO still in draft state

  2. PO line not linked to job cost line

  3. PO cancelled

Solutions:

  1. Confirm the PO:

    • Open purchase order

    • Click “Confirm Order” button

    • Check PO state changes to “Purchase Order”

    • Committed cost updates immediately

  2. Verify PO Line Linkage:

    • Open PO

    • Check each line has:

      • Project field filled

      • Job Cost Line field filled

    • Edit and add if missing

  3. Check PO State:

    • Only confirmed POs (state = purchase/done) affect committed cost

    • Draft and cancelled POs do not count

Actual Cost Not Matching Bills

Symptoms:

  • Posted vendor bills

  • Actual cost on budget line doesn’t update

Causes:

  • Bill line not linked to job cost line

  • Bill still in draft

  • Wrong job cost line selected

Solutions:

  1. Check Bill Line Fields:

    • Open vendor bill

    • For each line verify:

      • Project field: Select construction project

      • Job Cost Line field: Select specific budget line

    • Save bill

  2. Post the Bill:

    • Bills in draft state don’t affect actual cost

    • Click “Post” to confirm

    • Actual cost updates immediately

  3. Verify Correct Line:

    • Ensure bill linked to correct job cost line

    • Phase and category must match your intent

Warning

Just setting the Project field is NOT enough! You must also set the Job Cost Line field for costs to track properly.

Variance Calculations Wrong

Symptoms:

  • Variance doesn’t match manual calculation

  • Totals seem off

Checks:

  1. Understand the Formula:

    Variance = Budget - (Actual + Committed)
    
  2. Verify Components:

    • Budget: Is it correct?

    • Actual: Includes all posted bills?

    • Committed: Includes all confirmed POs?

  3. Remember:

    • Negative variance = over budget

    • Positive variance = under budget

Solutions:

  1. Recompute Fields:

    • Construction → Job Costing → Budget Lines

    • Find affected line

    • Action → Recompute

    • Forces recalculation

  2. Check Dependencies:

    • Are POs properly confirmed?

    • Are bills properly posted?

    • Are lines linked correctly?

Workflow Problems

Budget Template Not Applying

Symptoms:

  • “Generate Budget from Template” button missing

  • Template applies but creates no lines

  • Wrong amounts in generated lines

Solutions:

  1. Button Not Visible:

    • Button only shows when project has ZERO budget lines

    • Delete existing lines first if you want to reapply

    • Or add lines manually

  2. No Lines Created:

    • Open the template

    • Verify it has template lines defined

    • Check percentages add up properly

    • Verify phases and categories exist

  3. Wrong Amounts:

    • Template uses percentages of total budget

    • Check “Total Budget” entered in wizard

    • Verify template line percentages

    • Recalculate: (Total Budget × Percentage)

Change Orders Not Updating Budget

Symptoms:

  • Approved change order

  • Project budget not updated

Causes:

  • Change order not fully approved

  • Budget update failed (check logs)

  • Missing permissions

Solutions:

  1. Check CO State:

    • Open change order

    • Verify state is “Approved” (not just “Submitted”)

    • If stuck, check approval permissions

  2. Review Logs:

    tail -f /var/log/odoo/odoo.log | grep -i "change order"
    
    • Look for errors during budget update

    • Note any missing fields or validation failures

  3. Manual Budget Update:

    • Navigate to project Job Costing tab

    • Manually add budget lines from CO

    • Or click “Add Budget Line” for each CO line

Daily Logs Not Saving

Symptoms:

  • Daily log form closes without saving

  • Data disappears after save

Causes:

  • Required fields missing

  • Date validation failures

  • Permission issues

Solutions:

  1. Fill Required Fields:

    • Date (required)

    • Project (required)

    • Weather conditions

    • Temperature

  2. Check Date:

    • Date must be valid

    • Cannot be in future (if configured)

    • Cannot duplicate existing log (if configured)

  3. Verify Permissions:

    • User needs Daily Log User or Manager role

    • Can only edit own logs (unless Manager)

Performance Issues

Slow Project Form Loading

Symptoms:

  • Project form takes >5 seconds to load

  • Budget tab slow to display

  • Page freezes when opening

Causes:

  • Too many budget lines (>200)

  • Complex computed fields

  • Large number of POs/bills linked

Solutions:

  1. Optimize Budget Lines:

    • Consolidate similar lines

    • Archive completed projects

    • Use appropriate detail level (25-50 lines typical)

  2. Database Optimization:

    -- Reindex tables
    REINDEX TABLE atlas_job_cost_line;
    REINDEX TABLE purchase_order_line;
    REINDEX TABLE account_move_line;
    
    -- Analyze for query optimization
    ANALYZE atlas_job_cost_line;
    
  3. Server Resources:

    • Check server CPU/memory usage

    • Increase workers in odoo.conf

    • Add database connection pooling

Reports Taking Too Long

Symptoms:

  • Job cost reports timeout

  • Variance analysis won’t load

Solutions:

  1. Narrow Date Range:

    • Don’t query all historical data at once

    • Use date filters

  2. Limit Projects:

    • Run reports for specific projects

    • Don’t select “All Projects”

  3. Schedule Reports:

    • Use Odoo’s scheduled actions

    • Generate reports overnight

    • Email results

Data Issues

Duplicate Budget Lines

Symptoms:

  • Same phase/category appears twice

  • Totals counting double

Causes:

  • Manual creation after template

  • Template applied twice

  • Data import errors

Solutions:

  1. Identify Duplicates:

    • Construction → Job Costing → Budget Lines

    • Filter by project

    • Sort by phase, then category

    • Look for duplicates

  2. Merge or Delete:

    • Keep line with correct data

    • Delete duplicate

    • Or combine amounts and delete one

  3. Prevent Future:

    • Train users on proper workflow

    • Delete all lines before reapplying template

Missing Phases or Categories

Symptoms:

  • Cannot create budget line

  • Phase/Category dropdown empty

  • “Field required” error

Solutions:

  1. Create Missing Items:

    • Construction → Configuration → Phases

    • Or Construction → Configuration → Cost Categories

    • Click Create

    • Add missing item

  2. Check Company:

    • Phases/categories might be for different company

    • Create new or assign to correct company

Data Migration Issues

Symptoms:

  • Imported data not showing

  • Fields not mapping correctly

Solutions:

  1. Use Import Template:

    • Export existing line as template

    • Match column headers exactly

    • Fill in required fields

  2. Required Fields for Budget Lines:

    • Project (database ID or name)

    • Phase (database ID or name)

    • Category (database ID or name)

    • Budget Amount (number)

  3. Check Error Log:

    • Click on import error

    • Read error message carefully

    • Fix data and retry

Integration Problems

Purchase Orders Not Linking

Symptoms:

  • Cannot select job cost line in PO

  • Field not visible

Causes:

  • Purchase module customization

  • View not updated

  • Missing field

Solutions:

  1. Verify View:

    • Settings → Technical → User Interface → Views

    • Search for “purchase.order.line.form”

    • Check atlas_construction view is active

  2. Update View:

    • Apps → Atlas Construction

    • Click “Upgrade”

    • Reload page

Timesheet Integration Not Working

Symptoms:

  • Timesheet hours not updating actual cost

  • Labor costs not tracking

Solutions:

  1. Enable Integration:

    • Construction → Configuration → Settings

    • Enable “Timesheet Integration”

    • Set labor rate calculation method

  2. Configure Rates:

    • HR → Employees

    • Set employee cost rate

    • Or use company default

  3. Link Timesheets:

    • Timesheets must have:

      • Project filled

      • Optionally: Job cost line

Browser / UI Issues

Buttons Not Working

Symptoms:

  • Click buttons, nothing happens

  • Forms won’t save

Solutions:

  1. Clear Browser Cache:

    • Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Cmd+Shift+Delete Mac)

    • Clear everything

    • Close browser

    • Reopen

  2. Try Different Browser:

    • Chrome/Edge (recommended)

    • Firefox

    • Safari

  3. Disable Browser Extensions:

    • Ad blockers can interfere

    • Disable temporarily

    • Test functionality

  4. Check JavaScript Console:

    • F12 (developer tools)

    • Console tab

    • Look for errors in red

    • Screenshot and report

Form Fields Not Saving

Symptoms:

  • Type in field, value disappears

  • Cannot modify certain fields

Solutions:

  1. Check Field Readonly:

    • Some fields computed (cannot edit)

    • Some fields state-dependent

  2. Verify Not Archived:

    • Record might be archived

    • Check active filter

  3. Database Lock:

    • Another user editing same record

    • Wait or refresh

Mobile Access Issues

Symptoms:

  • Forms too wide for mobile

  • Buttons too small to click

Solutions:

  1. Use Odoo Mobile App:

    • Better mobile experience

    • Download from app store

  2. Responsive View:

    • Odoo automatically adapts

    • Rotate to landscape

    • Pinch to zoom

  3. Simplified Forms:

    • Use list views instead of forms

    • Use kanban views for better mobile UX

Getting More Help

Check Documentation

Before contacting support:

  1. Read relevant documentation sections

  2. Check this troubleshooting guide

  3. Review Security & Permissions for permission issues

  4. Consult workflow documentation

Enable Debug Mode

For better error messages:

  1. Settings → Activate Developer Mode

  2. Reproduce the issue

  3. Note any error messages or tracebacks

  4. Take screenshots

Check Server Logs

# View real-time logs
tail -f /var/log/odoo/odoo.log

# Search for errors
grep -i error /var/log/odoo/odoo.log

# Search for specific module
grep -i atlas_construction /var/log/odoo/odoo.log

Contact Support

When reporting issues, include:

  1. System Information:

    • Odoo version

    • Module version

    • Operating system

    • Browser and version

  2. Description:

    • What you were trying to do

    • What happened instead

    • Steps to reproduce

  3. Evidence:

    • Screenshots

    • Error messages

    • Server logs (relevant excerpts)

    • Database backup (if data issue)

  4. Troubleshooting Done:

    • Steps already tried

    • Results of each attempt

Community Resources

Last Updated: 2025-10-31

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