Letters and Correspondence overview · SmartERP Documentation

Enterprise incoming and outgoing registers, internal memoranda, circulars, concurrent-safe numbering, bilingual templates, organizational stamps, electronic signatures, and authoritative DMS backing.

1. Overview & Business Value#

This comprehensive operational guide details the architecture, business workflows, configuration parameters, and execution steps for Letters and Correspondence overview within SmartERP.

SmartERP Letter & Correspondence Management (smarterp_letters) provides an enterprise-grade digital registry and correspondence management system designed for Ethiopian public institutions, corporations, and multi-departmental enterprises. Built natively on Odoo 19 Community Edition and deeply integrated with SmartERP Documents Enterprise (smarterp_documents), Unified Approvals (smarterp_approval), and Electronic Signatures (smarterp_sign), it replaces paper-bound dispatch logs and uncoordinated email chains with an auditable, legally compliant correspondence lifecycle.

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2. Prerequisites & Security Access Groups#

Required Modules: smarterp_letter, smarterp_correspondence
Security Groups:
- Letter Registry Clerk (Technical ID: smarterp_letter.group_letter_clerk)
- Executive Reviewer (Technical ID: smarterp_letter.group_letter_reviewer)
- Director General (Technical ID: smarterp_letter.group_letter_executive)
Master Data Dependencies: Dual calendar templates (Ethiopian & Gregorian), official stamp repository, letter reference numbering formats, and departmental dispatch routes.

3. Step-by-Step Configuration & Execution#

Step 1: Navigating to the Module Interface#

Log into your SmartERP instance at https://smarterp.et/odoo.
Open the main App Switcher (grid icon in the top-left corner).
Select the Correspondence app icon.
From the top navigation bar, open Correspondence → Letters → Inbound / Outbound / Internal Memoranda.

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Step 2: Creating and Parameterizing Records#

Click the New button in the top-left control panel.
Complete the mandatory fields in the record form:
- Letter Subject (Mandatory): Clear administrative or commercial subject heading
- Sender / Recipient Entity (Mandatory): External institution or internal department
- Dispatch Channel (Mandatory): Physical courier, hand delivery, or digital dispatch
- Dual Date (EC & GC) (Mandatory): Official Ethiopian calendar and Gregorian dates
Configure optional operational parameters and localized tags as required:
- Digital Signature / Seal (Optional): Authorized executive cryptographic stamp
- Security Classification (Optional): Routine, Confidential, Secret, or Top Secret
- Related Prior Reference (Optional): Cross-referenced correspondence tracking ID
Click the Save icon in the control bar to commit the record.

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Step 3: Validating and Processing Transactions#

State Transitions: Execute operational state progression (Draft Memo → Editorial Review → Legal Clearance → Executive Signature & Stamp → Dispatched / Archived).
Ledger & System Impact: Maintains immutable institutional correspondence registry with cryptographic QR validation for external party verification.
Audit Verification: Automated recording of author ID, timestamp, and immutable revision history.

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What Letter Management does#

Manages all correspondence directions on one registry. Covers incoming letters from external partners, outgoing official letters to clients or regulatory authorities, internal memoranda across departments, company-wide circulars, and formal legal notices.
Provides concurrent-safe dual calendar numbering. Prevents race conditions and gaps in official letter registries using PostgreSQL database-level locks (SELECT ... FOR UPDATE). Generates sequential draft IDs during preparation and assigns permanent official registry numbers upon formal registration, with full support for both Gregorian and Ethiopian calendar tokens ({EYYY}, {EMM}, {EDD}).
Enforces authoritative DMS backing. Every letter record is automatically anchored to SmartERP Documents (documents.document) and an assigned workspace (documents.workspace). Every PDF generation, scanned attachment, and signed revision receives a SHA-256 cryptographic digest, checkout locking, and immutable audit history.
Integrates multi-stage approvals. Connects with SmartERP Approvals to enforce departmental reviews, sequential/parallel approvals, quorum voting, and delegation, while strictly prohibiting self-approval on official commitments.
Applies organizational stamps and electronic signatures. Supports authorized digital corporate stamps protected by security roles and PIN codes, and integrates with smarterp_sign for PKI-backed signatures compliant with the Ethiopian Electronic Signature Proclamation No. 1072/2018.
Tracks SLAs and response deadlines. Monitors incoming letters requiring formal response, calculates elapsed time and countdown days, flags overdue correspondence, and automatically links outgoing reply letters to their incoming parent.
Accelerates drafting with Ashewa AI Copilot. Integrated Gemini AI provides automatic bilingual executive summarization, tone enhancement (Formal, Urgent, Diplomatic), key entity extraction, and automated action item generation.

Supported correspondence categories#

Direction / Category	Technical Key	Intended Use	Numbering & Routing Scope
Incoming Correspondence	`incoming`	Letters, notices, and requests received from external organizations, government ministries, or suppliers.	Captures external reference numbers, scans physical coversheets, records delivery timestamps, and routes to assigned action officers.
Outgoing Correspondence	`outgoing`	Official letters addressed to external organizations, regulatory authorities, financial institutions, or clients.	Requires departmental approval, allocates official corporate sequence, affixes stamp/signature, and records physical or digital dispatch.
Internal Memorandum	`memo`	Formal communications, policy inquiries, or requests exchanged between departments or divisions within the enterprise.	Uses internal department numbering, routes directly to recipient departments, and tracks internal acknowledgment.
Circular	`circular`	Executive announcements, policies, or operational instructions broadcast across multiple departments or company-wide.	Multi-department distribution list, portal-accessible broadcast, and receipt confirmation tracking.
Official Notice	`notice`	Formal compliance declarations, legal notifications, employee notices, or public tenders.	High confidentiality controls, statutory retention enforcement, and legal hold capabilities.

Who uses Letter Management#

Role	Responsibilities	Key System Actions
Registry / Dispatch Officer	Receives physical/electronic mail, registers incoming letters, scans attachments, prints dispatch manifests, and records return receipts.	Register Incoming, Scan & Upload, Allocate Reference, Record Dispatch, Record Return Receipt.
Action Officer / Drafter	Drafts outgoing letters or internal memos, selects templates, requests AI summaries, and submits for approval.	New Letter, Apply Template, AI Polish, Submit for Review, Link Related Letters.
Department Head / Reviewer	Reviews draft correspondence, requests revisions, validates departmental policy, and approves or endorses.	Approve, Request Revision, Delegate Review, Add Endorsement.
Executive / Authorized Signatory	Formally authorizes high-stakes outgoing letters, applies organizational stamps, and executes electronic signatures.	Authorize, Apply Stamp, Sign Electronically, Execute Sign Packet.
Legal & Compliance Officer	Audits correspondence chains, verifies cryptographic hashes, inspects retention schedules, and applies legal holds.	Audit Trail Inspection, Verify SHA-256, Apply Legal Hold, Confidentiality Override.
System Administrator	Configures numbering sequences, creates letter types, manages templates, and sets up DMS workspaces.	Numbering Schemes, Letter Types, Stamp Authorization, DMS Workspaces.

Regulatory and statutory compliance#

SmartERP Letter Management adheres to national and international archival and legal standards:

Ethiopian Electronic Signature Proclamation No. 1072/2018: Digital signatures executed through SmartERP Sign provide non-repudiation, signer identity verification, and document integrity protection.
National Archives and Library Agency (NALA) Archival Standards: Provides formal registry books (የመግቢያና የመውጫ መዝገብ), chronological indexing, statutory retention schedules, and permanent digital archiving.
Ethiopian Fiscal & Gregorian Dual Calendar: Full integration with Ethiopian calendar algorithms ensures accurate fiscal year recording (2018 ዓ.ም) alongside international dates (2026 G.C.).
Cryptographic Integrity: Every document version generates a SHA-256 digest at time of recording to guarantee that finalized letters cannot be tampered with undetected.

4. Advanced Configuration Points#

Automated Actions & Scheduled Tasks (Crons):
- Letters: Check dispatch delivery receipt status (smarterp_letter.ir_cron_dispatch_check): Runs daily to verify courier delivery confirmation slips
- Letters: Follow-up on pending memorandum actions (smarterp_letter.ir_cron_followup): Runs weekly to alert assigned officers of pending correspondence replies
Custom Print Templates & Reports:
- Official Letterhead Dispatch Copy with QR Verification
- Institutional Letter Inward/Outward Registry Ledger
Multi-Company Rules: Record-level security isolation under Company 1 (Ashewa Technology Solutions S.C.), preventing cross-company ledger leakage across parent and subsidiary legal entities.

5. Comprehensive Troubleshooting Matrix#

Error Symptom / Exception	Probable Root Cause	Corrective Action / Resolution
`Signature Block: Missing executive stamp clearance`	Letter cannot be dispatched without authorized cryptographic stamp.	Submit letter to Executive Office for digital signing.
`Calendar Error: Invalid Ethiopian date conversion`	Specified Ethiopian calendar date does not match leap year rules (Pagume 5/6).	Use the automated calendar picker to ensure synchronized EC/GC conversion.
`Unregistered Recipient: Partner profile missing TIN`	External institutional recipient lacks complete corporate profile.	Create or update recipient partner master record before dispatching.