DIN 5008 layouts in Odoo
Definition, origin and use in Odoo
31 January, 2022 by
DIN 5008 layouts in Odoo
manaTec GmbH, Sophia Grünig
 


Whether recalls of individual products or even food scandals - consumer protection has increasingly become the focus of our society in recent years. In almost all areas of our lives, standards, regulations and recommendations play a role and provide orientation.

Today's blog is also all about standards - to be more precise, about the DIN 5008 standard. What is behind this and what connection there is to Odoo needs to be clarified.

What is the DIN 5008 standard and where does it come from?

The term "standard" is also understood to mean standard, regulation, legal provision, rule, specification, condition, principle or normal case. The DIN 5008 standard provides writing and design rules for text and information processing and is thus one of the basic standards for work in the office and administration sector.

The origin of the DIN 5008 standard is older than one might think. In 1928, the "Guidelines for the Handling of Business Mail" drawn up by the Working Group for Economic Administration was published by the Reichskuratorium für Wirtschaftlichkeit in Industrie und Handwerk (nowadays known as the Rationalization and Innovation Center of German Business), which had been in existence since 1921. A few years later, in the spring of 1949, the Office Standards Committee of the German Standards Committee (now known as the German Institute for Standardization, or DIN for short) decided to adopt these guidelines as DIN 5008.

Numerous nine innovations later, the DIN 5008 standard culminates in the 126-page current edition, as of March 2020. Nowadays, innovations are in the hands of the "Text and Information Processing for Office Applications" working committee of DIN's national standards committee, the Information Technology and Applications Committee.

What is it for and what does it cover?

DIN 5008 is, so to speak, a kind of voluntary "etiquette manual" for business correspondence in the form of business letters, minutes or e-mails - i.e. only a recommendation, not a mandatory regulation. It serves as an aid to keeping written correspondence professional, appropriate, clear and legally compliant.

The 126-page DIN 5008 standard contains numerous regulations and recommendations for word processing. These concern the typographically correct use of punctuation marks, arithmetic symbols, characters for words, formulas and number divisions, abbreviations and units; the spelling of dates, times and telephone numbers; letter and e-mail layout as well as the structure of tables and the structuring of texts.

How to install DIN 5008 in Odoo?

Starting with Odoo version 14, you can install and use DIN 5008 layouts. If you decide to use DIN 5008 layouts in Odoo, the only requirement is to set or install the German localization. You have two options for this.

Either go to Settings - Accounting - Taxes - Germany:

The selection of the german localisation.
The selection of the german localisation.

Or you can install the corresponding module under Apps - Module Germany Accounting. For existing databases, the Germany Accounting module only needs to be updated. In this case, it is recommended to update the module on a duplicate of the productive database to see if it does not remove existing customizations.

Installation of the module Germany - Accounting.
Installation of the module Germany - Accounting.

How can I install or test the templates?

To test the templates, select "European A4 for DIN5008" under General Settings - Business Documents - Format. For smaller logos select Type A and for larger logos Type B. Then click on "Configure Document Layout".

Selection of a layout format.
Selection of a layout format.

In the following view one selects "DIN 5008" as layout. After that these new templates will be available in all modules.

Configuration of the document layout.
Configuration of the document layout.

What errors are currently occurring?

Unfortunately, some errors have crept in during the implementation of the DIN 5008 layouts in Odoo. For example, the logo size is not adjusted in paper format type B, so you should choose paper format type A. There is also an error in the formatting of the addressee. Correct would be: 1st line company, 2nd line contact person, 3rd line address. It can also be seen that individual translations are not complete (here: Invoice Number, Invoice Date, Page 1 of 1).

Example of a layout.
Example of a layout.

As extensive as the DIN 5008 standard may be, it is definitely very useful as an aid for business correspondence and serves as orientation. In Odoo, the DIN 5008 layouts, which are easy to create, can be used extensively - whether in customer orders, purchase orders, delivery bills, invoices or credit notes. They ensure a uniform and professional layout.

However, the implementation of the corresponding layouts in Odoo is sometimes faulty. The DIN design according to letter layout (spacing, etc.) is acceptable, but compliance with the DIN standard in terms of content is sometimes lacking. It should also be noted that one advantage of standard layouts is the functionality (e.g. invoice to credit note clearing works without problems).

In the end, however, it should be noted that the layouts form a very good basis and minor adjustments can be made at any time. If you are interested in using the DIN 5008 layouts in your Odoo or have other questions, don't hesitate and contact us now!


Sources: www.wikipedia.de, www.workingoffice.de, www.din.de

 
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