# RFM Customer Segmentation > RFM customer segmentation with scoring, automatic segments (Champions, At Risk, Lost), snapshots over time and write-back to contacts. - **What it is:** RFM customer segmentation with scoring, automatic segments (Champions, At Risk, Lost), snapshots over time and write-back to contacts. - **For:** Sales - **Odoo versions:** 16.0, 17.0, 18.0, 19.0, 20.0 - Community and Enterprise - **Runs on:** Odoo.sh or Odoo you host yourself - not Odoo Online, which accepts no third-party apps - **Price:** 89 EUR, one-time, on the Odoo Apps Store - **Technical name:** bambooforge_rfm_analysis - **Manual:** https://docs.bambooforge.dev/bambooforge_rfm_analysis/ - **Live demo:** https://demo20.bambooforge.dev/odoo/action-bambooforge_rfm_analysis.rfm_analysis_line_action - **Store page:** https://apps.odoo.com/apps/modules/20.0/bambooforge_rfm_analysis - **Manual last updated:** 2026-10-15 --- # RFM Customer Segmentation Turn raw sales history into actionable customer segments for Odoo 20. This app scores every customer on **Recency**, **Frequency** and **Monetary** value, drops them into named segments (Champions, Loyal, At Risk, Lost...), keeps a snapshot of every run so you can watch segments move over time, and writes the result back onto each contact so you can filter and target them anywhere in the CRM. This page is the complete manual. Follow it top to bottom and you can install, run your first analysis, read the results, tune the segments, automate refreshes and fix the common issues **without contacting support**. ## Overview RFM is the classic, battle-tested model for ranking a customer base by behaviour instead of guesswork: - **Recency** — how long ago the customer last bought. Recent buyers respond best to new offers. - **Frequency** — how often they buy in the period. Frequent buyers are loyal. - **Monetary** — how much they spent in the period. Big spenders deserve VIP treatment. Each customer gets a 1-5 score on every dimension (1 = worst, 5 = best). The three scores place them into a segment, which tells you *what to do next* — reward, nurture, win back or let go. The app gives you: - **RFM Analyses** — a saved run for a reference date, period and data source. Re-runnable; each keeps its own snapshot of results. - **Quintile scoring** — rank-based 1-5 scoring that adapts to your own customer base instead of fixed thresholds that only fit one company. - **Configurable segments** — a priority-ordered matrix of score ranges, fully editable, shipped with a sensible 11-segment default plus a catch-all. - **Write-back to contacts** — segment and scores stored on `res.partner` so you can group, filter and build targeted lists across Odoo. - **Pivot, graph and kanban** views of the results, grouped by segment. - **Optional weekly cron** to keep the latest analysis fresh automatically. ## Requirements - Odoo 20.0. - The **Sales** app (`sale`). Installing this app pulls it in automatically. No Enterprise modules and no external Python libraries are required. ## Installation 1. Copy `bambooforge_rfm_analysis` into your addons path. 2. Update the apps list (Apps > Update Apps List). 3. Search for **RFM** and click *Install*. A new top-level **RFM** menu appears, and an **RFM Analysis** entry is added under *Sales > Reporting*. ## Quick start 1. Open **RFM > Analyses** and click *New*. 2. Set the **Reference Date** (recency is measured backwards from here — usually today) and the **Period (days)** to look back over (365 is a good default). 3. Choose **Based On**: - *Sales Orders* — confirmed sale orders (state "Sales Order"). - *Customer Invoices* — posted customer invoices, net of credit notes. 4. Leave **Write Back to Contacts** ticked if you want the segment stored on each contact. 5. Click **Compute**. The analysis switches to *Computed*, the **Customers** stat button fills in, and the **Results** tab lists every customer with their scores and segment. ## Reading the results Open an analysis and use the **Customers** stat button, or go to **RFM > Customers** for the full analytical views: - **Pivot** — segments down the side, monetary and frequency as measures. This is your "where is my revenue concentrated" view. - **Graph** — monetary value per segment at a glance. - **Kanban** — one card per customer, grouped by segment and colour-coded. - **List** — every score in a sortable table; sort by RFM Score to find your best customers instantly. Each result row shows: - **Recency (days)** — days since the last transaction. - **Frequency** — number of transactions in the period. - **Monetary** — total value in the company currency. - **R / F / M** — the 1-5 scores. - **RFM Cell** — the three scores joined, e.g. `5-4-5`. - **RFM Score** — the sum (3 to 15); a quick single-number ranking. ## How scoring works Scores are **quintiles**: customers are ranked on each dimension and split into five equal groups. The best fifth scores 5, the worst fifth scores 1. - For **Frequency** and **Monetary**, higher values score higher. - For **Recency**, a *smaller* number of days (more recent) scores higher. Because scoring is rank-based, it adapts to your business — a "5" always means "top 20% of *your* customers", whether you sell coffee or combine harvesters. Multi-currency sales orders are converted to the company currency at the order date before being summed. Invoice-based analyses use the company-currency signed totals directly, so credit notes correctly reduce a customer's monetary value. ## Tuning your segments Go to **RFM > Configuration > Segments**. Each segment defines an inclusive range (1-5) for R, F and M. A customer is placed in the **first** segment (top to bottom by sequence) whose three ranges all contain their scores — so order matters. Drag the handle to reorder. Tips: - Keep exactly **one catch-all** segment (the *Others* segment, with *Catch-all* ticked). It matches anything the specific segments missed, guaranteeing every customer lands somewhere. - Put your most specific / highest-value segments at the top. - The score-range constraint enforces `1 <= min <= max <= 5`; you cannot save an invalid range. - Use the **Customers** stat button on a segment to jump to the contacts currently in it. ## Targeting customers from segments When **Write Back to Contacts** is on, every contact gets an **RFM** tab showing its segment, cell and scores, plus filterable fields. In any Contacts list: 1. Group by **RFM Segment** (search panel > Group By > RFM Segment). 2. Select a segment such as *At Risk* or *Champions*. 3. Act on the selection — add to a mailing list, launch an activity, export, etc. Because the data lives on `res.partner`, it is available to mailing lists, automated actions, server actions and your own reports. ## Automating refreshes A scheduled action **RFM: Recompute Latest Analysis** ships **disabled**. Enable it under *Settings > Technical > Scheduled Actions* to recompute the most recent computed analysis per company on a schedule (weekly by default). Each run moves the reference date forward to today, so contacts stay current with no manual work. ## Frequently asked questions ****A customer is missing from the results.**** Only customers with at least one qualifying transaction *inside the period* appear. Check the reference date, the period length, and the data source (orders vs invoices). Draft orders and unposted invoices are ignored. ****Scores look off for a tiny customer base.**** Quintiles need spread to be meaningful. With only a handful of customers the five buckets are coarse by definition — the model is designed for dozens or more customers. ****Can I score on something other than orders or invoices?**** Out of the box it is sales orders or customer invoices. The data-collection step is isolated in one method, making custom sources straightforward for a developer. ****Does it work with multiple companies?**** Yes. Each analysis is scoped to one company and record rules keep results separated per company. ****Will recomputing lose my history?**** Recomputing replaces the lines of *that* analysis. Keep separate analyses (e.g. one per quarter) to retain historical snapshots and compare segment movement over time. ## How we make sure it works Before every release, **15 automated checks** run against this app on Odoo 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20. Among them: - An order after the company's midnight stays out. - Odoo 20's company timezone is the company's clock. - The rolling analysis advances on the company's calendar. - Customers button opens this analysis by segment. - Lapsed big spender has a home. The complete list is in the source you receive. ## Support Questions or ideas: **support@bambooforge.dev**. ## Usage ### Running an analysis Open **RFM > Analyses** and click *New*. Fill in the run parameters: - **Reference Date** — recency is measured backwards from this date and any transaction after it is ignored. Leave it on today for a current picture. - **Period (days)** — the look-back window. Only transactions within this many days before the reference date are counted (365 by default). - **Based On** — *Sales Orders* counts confirmed orders (state "Sales Order"); *Customer Invoices* counts posted customer invoices and nets credit notes out against them. - **Write Back to Contacts** — when ticked, the resulting segment and R/F/M scores are stored on each `res.partner` for filtering and targeting. Click **Compute**. The record moves to the *Computed* state, the **Customers** count and **Total Monetary** fill in, the **Results** tab lists every scored customer, and the chatter logs how many customers were processed. Click **Compute** again at any time to refresh a run; **Reset to Draft** clears its results. At least one segment must exist (the shipped catch-all is enough) or the compute stops with an explanatory error. ### Reading the results From an analysis, use the **Customers** stat button, or open **RFM > Customers**, to reach the result views (pivot, graph, list and kanban), grouped by segment by default. Each result row carries: - **Recency (days)** — days since the customer's last transaction. - **Frequency** — number of transactions in the period. - **Monetary** — total value in the company currency. - **R / F / M** — the individual 1-5 scores (5 = best). - **RFM Cell** — the three scores joined, e.g. `5-4-5`. - **RFM Score** — the sum of R, F and M (3 to 15) for one-number ranking. Scores are quintiles: customers are ranked on each dimension and split into five equal groups, so a "5" always means the top 20% of *your* customer base. More recent buying scores higher on Recency; higher counts and higher spend score higher on Frequency and Monetary. ### Working with segments The R/F/M scores place each customer in a segment. Review the segment matrix at **RFM > Configuration > Segments** (managers only). A customer lands in the **first** segment, top to bottom by sequence, whose R, F and M ranges all contain their scores; the *Others* catch-all guarantees everyone is placed. Drag the handle to reorder priority and edit the inclusive 1-5 ranges as needed. Use a segment's **Customers** button to open the contacts currently in it. Eleven segments ship ready to use: Champions, Loyal Customers, Big Spenders, Potential Loyalists, New Customers, Promising, Needs Attention, At Risk, Can't Lose Them, Hibernating and Lost, plus the Others catch-all. ### A worked example A customer with three orders in the last month, the most recent yesterday and a high total spend is ranked in the top fifth on all three dimensions. Their scores come out as R=5, F=5, M=5, giving an RFM Cell of `5-5-5` and an RFM Score of 15. That matches the **Champions** range (R 4-5, F 4-5, M 4-5), so they are tagged Champions and, with write-back on, their contact record shows it too. ### Targeting from contacts With write-back enabled, each contact gains an **RFM** tab showing its segment, cell and scores. In any Contacts list, group by **RFM Segment**, pick a segment such as *At Risk* or *Champions*, and act on the selection — add to a mailing list, schedule an activity, export or feed an automated action. ### Automating refreshes The scheduled action **RFM: Recompute Latest Analysis** ships disabled. Enable it under *Settings > Technical > Scheduled Actions* to recompute the most recent computed analysis per company on a schedule (weekly by default); each run advances the reference date to today so contacts stay current automatically. ## Upgrading & version compatibility This build targets **Odoo 20.0**. Each Odoo major series (16.0, 17.0, 18.0, 19.0, 20.0) has its own dedicated build of this module — always install the build that matches your Odoo version. Mixing a build with a different Odoo series is not supported. ### Patch upgrades (same series, e.g. 20.0.1.0.0 → later) 1. **Back up** your database and filestore first. 2. Replace the module folder with the newer build. 3. Restart Odoo with the module updated: ``` ./odoo-bin -c your.conf -u bambooforge_rfm_analysis -d your_db ``` 4. Odoo applies any schema/data changes automatically. Your existing records and configuration are preserved. ### Cross-version migration (moving to a newer Odoo) Upgrading Odoo itself is a database migration handled by Odoo's standard upgrade tooling. When you migrate the database to the next Odoo series, install the matching build of this module for that series. Data created by this module carries over with the database migration. After any upgrade the module's scheduled actions resume on their normal cadence — no manual re-activation is required. ## Uninstallation You can remove this module at any time from **Apps → (this module) → Uninstall**, or from the command line. Uninstalling is clean and reversible by reinstalling — but note what is and is not deleted. ### What is removed - The module's own tables and every record in them (3 models, prefixed `rfm.*`) — this is the data this module created. - The menus, actions, views and reports this module installed. - Its scheduled actions (cron jobs) — they stop immediately on uninstall. ### What is preserved - Your standard Odoo data (partners, products, sales, invoices, inventory moves) is **not** deleted — this module only reads and annotates it; the underlying records stay. - Attachments and chatter messages on standard records are kept. As always, take a database backup before uninstalling in production. ## Questions people ask ****Which Odoo versions does it run on?**** Odoo 16.0, 17.0, 18.0, 19.0, 20.0, on the series you buy it for; each series is its own listing. ****Community or Enterprise?**** Both. It needs no Enterprise app. ****What does it need?**** The standard Sales app. No extra Python package. ****Where does it show up?**** Under the **RFM** menu (Customers, Analyses, Configuration). ****Does anything leave my server?**** No. It makes no call outside your Odoo server: no telemetry, no licence check, no third-party service. ****What happens if I uninstall it?**** Odoo drops the app's own tables and fields; the standard records it worked on (contacts, orders, products) stay as they are. ## Changelog ### 20.0.1.2.4 - The Customers button of an analysis opens its results as a kanban by segment too, as the Results menu does, and shows that analysis alone. ### 20.0.1.2.2 - Built for Odoo 20: record rules and access rights rewritten onto Odoo 20's single ir.access model, the screens rebuilt on Owl 3, and every icon moved to the icon set Odoo 20 ships. ### 20.0.1.0.0 Current release for Odoo 20.0. This build includes: - RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) customer segmentation with scoring, auto-segments (Champions, At Risk, Lost...), snapshots over time and write-back to contacts for targeting. Feature additions and fixes ship as new builds on the Odoo Apps store; this page and the module's `version` reflect the current published release. Always keep the build matched to your Odoo series (see *Upgrading & version compatibility*).