Inventory sync speed directly impacts overselling rates and customer satisfaction. This article compares the two main approaches to syncing inventory between Odoo and e-commerce platforms.
The Problem with Stale Inventory
When inventory data is outdated, businesses face:
- Overselling: Selling items that are out of stock
- Customer cancellations: Forced to cancel orders after payment
- Marketplace penalties: Amazon and eBay penalize sellers with high cancellation rates
- Lost revenue: Conservative stock buffers reduce sellable inventory
Cron-Based Sync: The Traditional Approach
Most Odoo integrations use scheduled cron jobs that run every 15-30 minutes. During each run, the system checks for inventory changes and pushes updates to connected platforms.
Advantages:
- Simple to implement
- Lower server resource usage
- Works with firewalled Odoo instances
Disadvantages:
- 15-30 minute sync gaps create overselling risk
- Batch processing can timeout with large catalogs
- No immediate feedback on changes
Webhook-Driven Sync: Real-Time Updates
Webhook-driven sync triggers inventory updates immediately when changes occur. When a warehouse receives stock or an order is placed, webhooks push the update to all connected channels within seconds.
Advantages:
- Sub-5-second sync latency
- Event-driven architecture is more efficient
- Immediate consistency across all channels
Disadvantages:
- Requires publicly accessible webhook endpoints
- More complex error handling and retry logic
- Higher initial setup complexity
The Impact on Overselling
With a 15-minute sync window and 100 orders per hour, a business risks processing 25 orders against stale inventory data. During flash sales or peak periods, this number multiplies significantly.
Webhook-driven sync reduces this risk to near zero by updating all channels within seconds of any inventory change.
How ECOSIRE Implements Real-Time Sync
ECOSIRE connectors use a hybrid approach:
- Webhooks for real-time event processing (order placed, stock received)
- Scheduled reconciliation to catch any missed events (runs hourly)
- Retry queue for failed webhook deliveries with exponential backoff
This combination ensures both speed and reliability.
Choosing the Right Approach
Choose cron-based sync if you have low order volume and overselling is not a concern. Choose webhook-driven sync if you sell on multiple channels, have moderate-to-high order volume, or sell inventory-constrained products.
Written by
ECOSIRE Team
Building enterprise-grade digital products at ECOSIRE. Sharing insights on Odoo integrations, e-commerce automation, and AI-powered business solutions.