Short answer: Hourly billing means you pay for every hour a consultant spends, not for an agreed result. When an Odoo specialist from Dubai or any other country works on a project in Uzbekistan, the hours spent learning local rules, translating, re-explaining and travelling also land on your invoice, so the final total is unknown in advance. Deep Vision, an Odoo Gold Partner in Tashkent, starts with diagnostics and then gives a phased estimate with a clear scope and price for each phase.
An owner budgeting an Odoo implementation usually looks at one number: the consultant's hourly rate. With hourly billing, though, the real question is not the rate but the number of hours and who controls them. If the specialist or partner works from Dubai or any other country, whether Europe, Turkey, India, Russia or Kazakhstan, the time spent learning how things work in Uzbekistan, translating and travelling is added to the bill.
What is hourly billing and how does it work in an Odoo project?
Hourly billing (time and materials) is a contract model in which the client pays for the hours a consultant actually spends, not for an agreed result.
It is a common format. As a neutral market reference, take Odoo's official Success Packs: at list price for returning customers, 25 hours cost US$3,600, 50 hours US$7,000 and 100 hours US$12,500, roughly US$125–145 per hour. The page states openly that travel time for onsite work is deducted from the hours and travel expenses are billed separately (source).
The hourly model is fine when the scope is clear, such as a small change or a consultation. The problem appears when the scope is vague and the consultant is far away and still learning the local context: then hours grow unpredictably.
Why do hours keep growing with a consultant working from abroad?
A team from a different business environment can be strong professionals, but in Uzbekistan it first has to learn what a local team already knows, and under hourly billing you pay for that learning:
- local rules: 12% VAT, mandatory e-invoicing, digital product marking, the national chart of accounts;
- local documents and terms: nakladnoy (delivery note), schyot-faktura (VAT invoice), akt sverki (reconciliation statement), nasiya (sales on credit);
- translation: requirements go from Uzbek or Russian into English, and meetings with an interpreter take twice as long;
- travel: flights and hours on the road are billed too;
- waiting and follow-up calls: when an email thread does not settle a question, a new call is booked, and that is more hours;
- rework: a misunderstood requirement is configured again, and those hours are yours as well.
Nobody is cheating; that is how the model works. More hours mean more revenue for the provider, there is no built-in incentive to finish sooner, and the risk sits with the client.
How does an hourly bill inflate? An illustrative example
The calculation below is a hypothetical example for illustration only, not data from a real project or company. Assumptions: a rate of US$140 per hour (inside the public range above) and an initial estimate of 200 hours.
- Initial estimate: 200 hours × 140 = US$28,000.
- Learning local tax and document requirements: +30 hours.
- Meetings with an interpreter and re-explaining: +25 hours.
- Three trips with 8 travel hours each: +24 hours.
- Reconfiguring misunderstood requirements: +35 hours.
- Total: 314 hours × 140 = US$43,960, about 57% above the initial estimate, before flights and hotels.
A McKinsey and University of Oxford study of more than 5,400 IT projects found that large IT projects run 45% over budget on average, and each additional year of duration adds 15% to cost overruns (source). An older Panorama Consulting survey covering 2012 found that 53% of ERP projects went over budget (source). Under hourly billing, the client pays for all of that overrun.
There is one more hidden layer: tax and currency when paying a foreign company. For example, payments to a non-resident for services may carry a 20% withholding tax unless a tax treaty and a residence certificate reduce it (source). Confirm this with your accountant. For the general cost structure see Odoo ERP pricing in Uzbekistan.
What is a phased estimate and why is it safer?
A phased estimate is a budgeting method in which, after diagnostics, the project is split into phases and the scope, timeline and price of each phase are agreed in advance.
The question becomes "what will work at the end of this phase?", not "how many hours?". The benefits:
- you know the price of each phase before it starts;
- the scope of a phase is fixed in writing, and new requirements are estimated separately as change requests;
- payment is tied to results: each phase closes with a signed acceptance act;
- if the provider needs more hours within the agreed scope, that is the provider's risk;
- after seeing the result of the first phase, you decide whether to continue.
More on budget mistakes: 7 mistakes in ERP implementation.
How do you check an hourly proposal before signing?
Before you sign an hourly proposal, ask:
- Is there an hour estimate for the whole project, and which list of requirements is it based on?
- Is there a cap on hours, and who pays if it is exceeded?
- Are travel time, flights and hotels billed separately?
- Are interpreter meetings and document translation billed as hours?
- Who pays for the time spent learning Uzbek rules and practice?
- Will you get a monthly report showing how many hours went to which task?
- Does the contract include an acceptance act and result criteria?
- In which currency do you pay, and has your accountant checked the tax effect of paying a non-resident?
For other selection criteria: how to choose an Odoo partner in Uzbekistan.
How does Deep Vision budget an Odoo project?
Deep Vision is an official Odoo Gold Partner based in Tashkent. Our budgeting approach is simple: diagnostics first, then a phased estimate with a clear scope for each phase.
- No paid hours for learning the local context: our team already knows the VAT, e-invoicing and marking requirements; we have ready Odoo modules for Didox and Asl Belgisi, and Odoo 19 includes an Uzbekistan localization.
- No translation chain: we work with your staff directly in Uzbek and Russian; our team also did Odoo's Uzbek translation.
- No travel costs: our office is in Tashkent, Shahrisabz street 25, office 401.
- Track record: our odoo.com page lists 7 certified experts, 20+ client references and 89% customer retention.
- Timeline: a typical rollout takes 2–6 months, and standard Sales and Inventory often go live in 6–8 weeks.
An example of the result: a client with more than 100 employees cut yearly licence costs for scattered tools from about US$30,000 to about US$11,000 by moving to one Odoo; read the case. Service details: Odoo implementation.
To get a phased estimate, fill in a short brief.
Frequently asked questions
Is hourly billing always a bad idea?
No. For small tasks with a clear scope, such as post-launch tweaks or a consultation, it is convenient. The risk appears in a large project with an unclear scope.
Isn't a phased estimate more expensive?
Compare total project cost, not hourly rates. With a phased estimate the total is known up front; with hourly billing you learn it at the end.
What if requirements change during the project?
A new requirement becomes a written change request, is estimated separately and is done only after you approve it.
Why is diagnostics needed?
It maps processes, integrations and data volume, so each phase can be scoped and priced with confidence.
Are there tax issues when paying a foreign consultant?
There can be: payments to non-residents for services may be subject to withholding tax. Check your specific case with your accountant.
Sources
- Odoo Success Packs: official pricing
- McKinsey: Delivering large-scale IT projects on time, on budget, and on value
- Datamation: Panorama Consulting ERP survey (2013)
- PwC Tax Summaries: Uzbekistan withholding taxes
- Deep Vision on the Odoo partner directory
For diagnostics and a phased estimate, send a request or call +998 77 093 00 07.