The customer success story of  Movanbus 

Movanbus is a transportation company that provides mobility solutions through a modern fleet of buses and minibusses. Its main focus is on regular routes, both for schools and corporations, ensuring the daily transportation of students and employees. Additionally, it collaborates with public administrations in managing urban and suburban routes. Complementing its services, Movanbus also offers occasional passenger transportation,
providing customized services for special events such as weddings, excursions, and transfers to tourist destinations, adapting to each client's specific needs.

Movanbus, a rapidly expanding transportation company, has seen significant growth in recent years, largely due to the acquisition of other companies in the same sector. While this rapid expansion has increased its presence and operational capacity, it has also introduced challenges in efficiently managing its operations. Integrating new business units, each with its structure and methods, has created inconsistencies in internal processes, complicating information flow and coordination across departments.

Before beginning its digital transformation, Movanbus relied on several independent software systems that were not interconnected. This lack of integration led to duplicated efforts, as many tasks had to be manually completed across different platforms, increasing the risk of errors and inconsistencies. For instance, route planning, fleet management, driver  assignment, and trip tracking were all managed separately, making it difficult to access unified data and get a complete overview of the business. Additionally, financial and administrative records were kept on separate systems, leading to poor coordination between teams and a higher administrative workload.

Fleet control and maintenance were handled in a traditional way, with spreadsheets and manual records used to track inspections, insurance, and repairs. The lack of digitalization and automation in preventive maintenance often resulted in unexpected vehicle downtime, affecting both punctuality and service quality. Communication between drivers, coordinators, and administrative staff was slow, relying on phone calls or emails, which caused delays in resolving incidents and coordinating daily operations.

Although Movanbus had a professional and experienced workforce, there was notable resistance to technological change. Many employees, accustomed to traditional methods, were hesitant to adopt new digital tools, fearing these would complicate their tasks. This cultural resistance slowed down the implementation of new processes and the optimization of existing ones.

As demand for its services grew and the fleet expanded, Movanbus began facing serious operational and management efficiency issues. The lack of process automation and a centralized system to unify information became a bottleneck, hindering sustainable growth. The use of disconnected systems not only created inefficiencies and errors but also limited the company’s ability to get an accurate, real-time view of its performance.

Recognizing these challenges, Movanbus saw the urgent need to modernize its technological infrastructure and optimize its business processes. Digitalization and automation were identified as key solutions to support its continued growth and establish a solid foundation for future expansion. A unified platform was crucial to integrate all aspects of the operation—from route planning and fleet management to financial administration—enabling data-driven decision-making and boosting efficiency across the organization.

Movanbus is navigating several key challenges in its digital transformation, particularly with the rollout of Odoo version 17 as an all-in-one solution for managing its operations. One of the most urgent tasks was modernizing its digital presence, beginning with a complete redesign of the website. The company needed a modern site that aligned with its corporate image and provided an optimized user experience. This included creating effective landing pages, redesigning the interface to be more intuitive and visually appealing, and adding features that allowed users to easily access services—from regular routes to personalized event transfers.

Another critical challenge was implementing the accounting modules and ensuring the Spanish localization of Odoo. Movanbus had to adapt its accounting system to comply with Spanish tax regulations, such as tax management and the Immediate Supply of Information (SII). This required configuring the system correctly and conducting intensive training to
ensure users could confidently and efficiently work with the new tool.

A major hurdle was managing the availability of its vehicle fleet to capitalize on new business opportunities. Before Odoo's implementation and customization, checking the availability of buses and minibusses for additional routes or personalized services was a manual, time-consuming process that relied on multiple systems and spreadsheets. This approach was inefficient, it increased the risk of errors and led to delays in responding
to customer requests.

To address the issue of vehicle availability, an automated inquiry system was developed, integrating several Odoo modules: CRM, Fleet, and Sales. The main objective was to provide the sales and administration teams with a centralized tool to check vehicle availability in real-time, without needing multiple inquiries or coordination with various departments.

This system involved creating a sophisticated algorithm that analyzed several variables to determine fleet availability. First, it checked whether the vehicle was operational—confirming it wasn’t undergoing maintenance or dealing with technical issues. It then verified the vehicle’s capacity, ensuring the right type of vehicle was assigned based on the number of passengers, such as a minibus for smaller groups or a larger bus for bigger events.

In addition, the system considered existing bookings for regular routes, such as school or corporate transport, which occur daily. These commitments meant some vehicles were unavailable at certain times, potentially impacting their use for new services. Functions were developed to assess availability at a specific time and the capacity to meet additional demands. This included planning round trips to prevent logistical conflicts. 

A crucial aspect of this customization was the integration with the sales module. It allowed the system to cross-reference data from personalized service contracts and regular routes, ensuring availability reflected existing commitments and new business opportunities. As a result, sales teams could instantly check whether a vehicle was available for a new opportunity, with access to all key details such as the vehicle type, capacity, maintenance status, and current itinerary.

The outcome of this development was a significant improvement in Movanbus' operational efficiency and ability to respond to new demands. Sales teams can now quickly and proactively manage business opportunities, offering clients immediate information on fleet availability, resulting in improved service and increased customer satisfaction. Additionally, by streamlining the inquiry process and reducing internal communications, Movanbus has minimized errors in vehicle planning and allocation, optimizing fleet usage and boosting the profitability of each operational unit.