About the client
An international transportation company, Grandbus, set out to redefine the travel experience. They envisioned launching a brand-new website to simplify direct ticket sales. With a strong commitment to passenger safety and satisfaction, they aimed to deliver a seamless and intuitive booking experience that would surpass all competitors and set a new industry standard.
Given global operations, Grandbus also needed real-time visibility across its network. A single solution had to centralize trip management, sales, subcontractor coordination, workforce data, and reporting — all while automating cumbersome paperwork.
Mapping pain points
GrandBus faced numerous operational challenges that hindered their efficiency and overall customer experience:
Human error
Manual processes and paperwork consumed time and increased the risk of human error. Managing bus routes, schedules, and ticket sales by hand often led to delays and inaccuracies, directly impacting service quality and customer satisfaction.
Overburdened personnel
Employees spent countless hours on routine tasks, resulting in longer response times and delayed decision-making.
Fragmented data silos
Critical information related to bus routes, passenger loads, and resource utilization was scattered across systems and formats. Accessing, analyzing, and utilizing this information effectively was challenging without a centralized system.
Operational visibility
Given their international presence, GrandBus required real-time visibility into their operations. Data decentralization hindered their ability to monitor performance, track progress, and maintain consistency in managing trips, sales, subcontractors, and workforce data.
Ticket sales
One of the primary objectives was developing a direct booking software for customers across Europe and Ukraine. They aimed to provide a seamless and intuitive user experience, making it simple for passengers to search for, book, and purchase tickets online.
Manual check-in
Drivers had to manually check in passengers and handle cash transactions, which opened doors to errors during busy periods. Staying in the loop with the central office about route changes or delays led to miscommunications and further disruptions in service.
MVP in 1,5 months & full-fledged product release in 5 months
Our team consisted of 9 experts: business analyst, project manager, UX designer, DevOps engineer, back-end developer, front-end developer, mobile developer, QA engineer, and QC expert. They took on this project with a clear objective: to create a comprehensive online bus ticket booking software that would streamline GrandBus' operations and provide a superior passenger experience.
An initial discovery phase spanned October to December 2022. We conducted in-depth research, competitor analysis, and stakeholder interviews, giving us an actionable background to craft a scalable solution tailored to GrandBus' specific requirements. We kicked off the development in January 2023, releasing the first Minimum Viable Product (MVP) website in March, followed by two intermittent releases, and the final release in June 2023.
Key features
Online booking platform
The company’s website allows passengers to conveniently search for, book, and purchase bus tickets online. This includes round trips, routes with transfers, and other services across Europe and Ukraine.
Centralized operations management
The admin panel is a operations hub that helps employees manage bus routes, schedules, ticket sales, loyalty programs, generate reports, and track route statuses.
Driver mobile app
The mobile application equips GrandBus drivers with tools to manage their daily operations, from viewing schedules and accessing route information to scanable QR codes for passenger check-ins and ticket tracking.
Integrated ecosystem
The solution integrates with payment gateways (Liqpay), email service providers (Mailjet), and cloud platforms (Firebase) to secure transactions and automate marketing communications.
Passenger-facing layer
The user-friendly website lets passengers search, book, and purchase bus tickets online. We ensured the website reflects the company's values and mission, at the same time boosting brand awareness and visibility across search engines.
Bus ticket details
Management layer
The admin panel helps manage bus routes, schedules, and ticket sales. GrandBus employees can easity generate financial reports and track booking performance.
Field operations layer
The mobile app for drivers streamlines passenger check-in and ticket tracking processes. It heps keeping tabs on real-time bus location and covers on-route ticket sales.
All travel information at hand
Revenue-driving digital experience
Our solution made a difference in GrandBus's operations, providing a smooth digital experience for passengers and streamlining processes for back-office and drivers. The powerful ecosystem has already brought remarkable outcomes:
80% customer satisfaction
80% of passengers provided great feedback about the simple booking process. The website has received a 4.7/5 rating on major review platforms, with 50,000+ reviews in total.
55% more online sales
Within just 6 months of launch, online sales totaled €12.8 million – a staggering 55% of GrandBus's total revenue across 12 countries.
40% faster decision-making
Centralizing data from over 2,500 routes, 7,000 employees, and 250 subcontractors into one system boosted decision-making time by 40%.
30% time-efficiency improvement
Automating over 85,000 check-ins, 210,000 ticket tracking tasks, and 95,000 manual processes per month resulted in saving €3.2 million costs.
Brand reinforcement and NPS growth
The SEO-optimized website has generated a total of 425,000 organic visitors and boosted GrandBus's Net Promoter Score by 22 points to an excellent 67.
Analyzing market gaps in hospitality
Our product discovery experts interviewed business owners to analyze their operational needs and challenges. It revealed a surprising fact: small businesses use Instagram and TikTok as their main communication and booking tools. They avoid booking management apps because of the high commissions and hard-to-navigate interfaces. Most rental owners juggle between calendars and messengers or drown themselves in paper records and spreadsheets. In this case, scaling is close to impossible.
As COAX discovered the demand for a booking app tailored to small businesses, we took on the challenge of making our own travel and hospitality software product. We wanted to empower landlords to use a free booking service made in Ukraine and help them grow.
Meeting market needs with mobile-first booking
Hosty's journey began with developing a desktop version of holiday rental booking software, but the team quickly realized the demand for mobile-first experiences. We set out to create a platform that seamlessly integrates with the social media channels users are familiar with and expands functionality for desktop users.
We rolled out an MVP to test the concept in a real-world setting, gather feedback, and iterate the SDLC. Our team wanted to make sure we deliver a product that truly resonates with its users. A Progressive Web App (PWA) allowed us to launch a free booking service on multiple platforms. PWA provides a native-like experience for both iOS and Android with a single codebase.
How the app works
- Owners place a dynamic link in their Instagram or TikTok.
- Guests make secure online payments directly in the app.
- Guests follow that link to view real-time availability and reserve their stays.
- Guests make secure online payments directly in the app.
- Owners confirm reservations and get prepayments or full payments to their bank accounts.
- Guests get notifications about their booking status via SMS or messengers.
For guests
Easy booking platform for guests shows dates available for reservation, prices, and additional services at the property. The app works as a web page that users can open via social media or a mobile browser.
For owners
The vacation rental management platform lets owners access check-in and check-out data and save guest information to a built-in CRM. Adding properties, managing reservations, and setting seasonal pricing with custom rules is effortless with Hosty. The reporting module helps owners check historical data on booking volumes and revenue, optimizing pricing strategies in line with demand.
Key features
Cross-platform mobile app
Manage bookings and access guest information on the go with a single cross-platform booking app for iOS and Android.
Reporting & analytics
Gain insights into revenue, booking volumes, and other metrics to make informed decisions and maximize profits.
Online payments
Simplify prepayments with secure online payment processing and receive money directly to your bank account.
CRM
Save guest profiles with contact details and social media links for seamless communication and support.
Dynamic booking grid
View properties, booking statuses, and customer information – all in one place.
Custom pricing rules
Create your own pricing rules to capitalize on peak seasons.
Key features
Cross-platform mobile app
Manage bookings and access guest information on the go with a single cross-platform booking app for iOS and Android.
Reporting & analytics
Gain insights into revenue, booking volumes, and other metrics to make informed decisions and maximize profits.
Online payments
Simplify prepayments with secure online payment processing and receive money directly to your bank account.
CRM
Save guest profiles with contact details and social media links for seamless communication and support.
Dynamic booking grid
View properties, booking statuses, and customer information – all in one place.
Custom pricing rules
Create your own pricing rules to capitalize on peak seasons.
Empowering small businesses with simple, hustle-free booking
We're currently testing the MVP, gathering user feedback, and actively working on more features. However, even in this initial phase, the app is already making a difference for the hospitality industry.
Hosty answers the needs of growing businesses, helping them manage a larger portfolio of properties and keep up with changing market trends. The booking platform streamlines record-keeping and CRM workflows, ultimately boosting guest satisfaction and driving loyalty.
We are happy to high-five small hospitality businesses with a free booking service. Hosty lets users manage up to 2 properties for free, empowering small businesses to save money and stay afloat during these difficult times.
Supporting economic sustainability
Since our mission is to support economic sustainability in the region, Hosty doesn’t take commissions. Unlike big booking service providers, we let rental owners keep 100% of their revenue so they can reinvest profits into the local economy.