Kalvyai InsightBoard User Guide: Odoo 20 Dashboard Builder

Kalvyai InsightBoard (technical name ki_dashboard) is a dashboard builder for Odoo 20.0. You can use it to create KPI dashboards and interactive charts from any Odoo model you can read. The layout is drag and drop, and you do not need to write SQL.

This guide covers what the app does, who it is for, how to install and configure it, and how to use each main feature. It also lists tips, limitations and common questions.

You can buy and install the app from the store page: Kalvyai InsightBoard.

What InsightBoard is for

InsightBoard lets you build, personalize and share live dashboards inside Odoo. A dashboard is made of cards, and each card is one of the following:

• KPI tiles for single numbers you want to watch.
• Interactive charts: bar, line and pie.
• Tables for a compact list view of figures.

Cards sit on a 12-column grid that you arrange by dragging. Layouts can be personal or shared, and they are saved on the server, not in your browser.

There is also an optional AI chart assistant. You ask it for a trend, a split or a comparison, and it proposes charts. You review each proposal before anything is added to your dashboard. It can also give a short reading of an existing chart. The AI is optional. The rest of the module works without it.

Who it helps

• Business owners and managers who want one screen with the numbers they check every day, without asking a developer for a report.
• ERP admins who need to give teams dashboards and control who can view, edit or manage them.
• Developers and consultants who would rather not maintain custom SQL reports or hand-built dashboard views for each client request.

Requirements

• Odoo 20.0. No other versions are listed for this release.
• Administrator rights to install the module and assign user roles.
• For the optional AI features: an API key from a supported AI provider. [CHECK: list of supported AI providers]

Installation

Install from the store

1. Open the InsightBoard store page and complete the purchase.
2. Download the module and add it to your Odoo addons path. [CHECK: delivery method, e.g. zip download or repository access]
3. Restart the Odoo server so it detects the new module.
4. In Odoo, open Apps and update the apps list. [CHECK: confirm wording of the update apps list step in Odoo 20]
5. Search for InsightBoard and click Install.

Install from the command line (optional)

If you manage your own server, you can install the module with the standard Odoo command line once it is in your addons path:

./odoo-bin -c /etc/odoo/odoo.conf -d your_database -i ki_dashboard

Replace the config path and database name with your own values.

Setup

1. Assign user roles

InsightBoard has three roles: Dashboard Viewer, Dashboard Editor and Dashboard Manager.

1. Go to Settings → Users & Companies → Users.
2. Open the user you want to configure.
3. Give the user the Dashboard Viewer, Editor or Manager role. [CHECK: name of the section or tab where the InsightBoard role appears on the user form]
4. Save.

The exact permissions for each role are: [CHECK: what Viewer, Editor and Manager can each do, for example view only, edit own dashboards, manage shared dashboards]

Start with the smallest role a person needs and raise it later if required.

2. Connect an AI provider (optional)

Skip this step if you do not plan to use the AI chart assistant. Dashboards, KPI tiles, charts and layouts all work without it.

1. Go to InsightBoard → AI Provider Settings.
2. Paste your API key.
3. Click Load Models. This fetches the models that are currently available on your provider account.
4. Select the model you want to use. [CHECK: confirm the field name for choosing the AI model]
5. Turn on Use Advisory AI. [CHECK: confirm this is a checkbox in AI Provider Settings and what it controls]
6. Save.

If you later change provider plans, click Load Models again so the list matches what your account can use now.

Using InsightBoard

Create a dashboard

1. Open InsightBoard. [CHECK: menu path to the dashboard list]
2. Create a new dashboard. [CHECK: button label for creating a dashboard]
3. Give it a clear name, such as "Sales – weekly" or "Warehouse backlog".
4. Choose whether it is personal or shared. [CHECK: where the personal or shared option is set]

Add KPI tiles and charts manually

You can build any card yourself from an Odoo model you have read access to.

1. Open your dashboard and add a new card. [CHECK: button label for adding a card]
2. Pick the Odoo model, for example sales orders or invoices.
3. Choose the card type: KPI, bar, line, pie or table.
4. Set the measure and grouping. [CHECK: names of the fields used to configure measure, grouping, filters and date range]
5. Save the card. It appears on the grid.

Charts are interactive. [CHECK: what interaction is supported, e.g. tooltips, click-through to records, legend toggles]

Arrange the layout

Cards sit on a 12-column grid.

1. Switch to Edit layout.
2. Drag a card to a new position.
3. To swap two cards, drag one card onto the other.
4. Resize cards to use more or fewer of the 12 columns. [CHECK: confirm cards can be resized and how]
5. Leave edit mode. The layout is saved on the server, so it shows the same on any device you log in from.

Personal and shared layouts

• A personal layout is your own arrangement.
• A shared layout is available to other users.

[CHECK: which roles can create or edit shared layouts, and whether users can personalize a shared dashboard without changing it for everyone]

[CHECK: whether shared dashboards show each viewer only the records their own access rights allow]

Ask the AI to propose charts

The Propose feature suggests up to 6 items for one model. Each item can be a KPI, bar, line, pie or table.

1. Open a dashboard. [CHECK: where the AI chart assistant is opened from]
2. Choose the Odoo model you want to analyse.
3. Describe what you want to see. Good requests ask for a trend, a split or a comparison. Examples:

• "Monthly trend of confirmed sales over the last year"
• "Split of open invoices by customer"
• "Compare this quarter's purchase spend with last quarter by vendor"

4. Click Propose.
5. Review each proposed chart. Nothing is added until you approve it.
6. Add the ones you want and discard the rest. [CHECK: button labels for accepting and discarding proposals]

Treat the proposals as a starting point. Check the measure, grouping and filters on each card before you rely on it.

Ask the AI to explain a chart

The Explain feature gives a short reading of one chart. It states the uncertainty in its reading, so you can see how confident it is.

1. Open the chart you want explained. [CHECK: where the Explain action appears on a card]
2. Click Explain.
3. Read the summary and the stated uncertainty.

Use the explanation as a prompt for your own judgement, not as a final conclusion. If the uncertainty is high, look at the underlying records before acting.

Tips

• Start with one dashboard per team. A focused board with five or six cards gets used more than a crowded one.
• Name cards by the question they answer. "Overdue invoices over 30 days" is clearer than "Invoices 2".
• Use KPI tiles for numbers you check daily and charts for patterns over time.
• Use the 12-column grid deliberately. Put the most important cards at the top left, where people look first.
• Keep AI off until the basics work. Build a few dashboards by hand first so you know what good output looks like, then use Propose to speed things up.
• Assign roles carefully. Give most people the Viewer role and limit Manager to the few who own shared dashboards.
• Reload AI models after plan changes. Click Load Models in AI Provider Settings whenever your provider account changes.

Limitations

• Odoo 20.0 only. No other Odoo versions are listed for this release.
• Read access applies. You can build dashboards from Odoo models you can read. If you cannot see a model's records in Odoo, you cannot chart them.
• AI proposals are capped at 6 items per request, for one model. For a cross-model view, run separate requests or add cards manually.
• AI features need an API key from a supported provider, and usage is billed by that provider under your own account. [CHECK: confirm billing model and any usage limits or budgets inside InsightBoard]
• AI output needs review. Proposals must be approved before they are added, and explanations state their uncertainty. Neither replaces checking the data.
• [CHECK: any limits on number of dashboards, cards per dashboard, record volume or refresh frequency]

FAQ

Do I need to know SQL?

No. You build cards by choosing a model and settings inside Odoo. No SQL is required.

Does InsightBoard work without AI?

Yes. The AI chart assistant is optional. Dashboards, KPI tiles, charts, tables and layouts all work without an AI provider.

Will the AI add charts to my dashboard on its own?

No. The assistant proposes charts and you review them before anything is added.

Which chart types are available?

KPI tiles, bar charts, line charts, pie charts and tables.

Where are layouts stored?

On the server. Your layout is not tied to one browser or device.

How do I swap two cards?

Open Edit layout and drag one card onto the other.

Which AI providers are supported?

[CHECK: list of supported AI providers]

Is the data live?

The dashboards are described as live. [CHECK: refresh behaviour, e.g. on page load, manual refresh or automatic interval]

Which Odoo versions are supported?

Odoo 20.0.

Where do I buy and install it?

From the Kalvyai InsightBoard store page.

How KalvyAI can help

KalvyAI is a team of 8 developers with 5+ years of experience building and connecting Odoo, ERPNext and Shopify systems. We can install and configure InsightBoard and set up user roles. We can also design dashboards around the numbers your team actually uses.

If you want AI agents that work inside your ERP with human approvals, budgets and an audit trail, we build those too. Contact us to talk through your setup.