/ BSTK Grandbus

Bus ticket booking platform

Travel

Services:

Product discovery

Product design

Web Development

Mobile app development

Third-party integration

The team

9 cross-functional experts

Technologies

Node.js

NestJS

PostgreSQL

AWS

React.js

ReactNative

NextJS

Redux

Integrations

Liqpay

MailJet

Firebase

Timeline: Started October 2022, ongoing

Website: grandbus.com.ua

We’re currently working on a comprehensive web and mobile solution for an ambitious international bus operator aiming to stand out from the competition. The solution makes life easier for all the client’s passengers, drivers, and operators by streamlining business processes and providing a superior passenger experience.

The client

GrandBus is an international bus services operator. Their commitment to passenger safety, reliability, and customer satisfaction ensures that every journey on their premium buses is comfortable and enjoyable.

GrandBus approached us with a specific need — to develop efficient bus ticket booking software allowing passengers to purchase tickets online more easily than from any other major operator and help employees manage bus routes efficiently.

Their goals for this project were to:

be able to sell bus tickets online in Europe and Ukraine directly
increase brand awareness by building a bespoke website
be able to manage trips, online sales, subcontractors, buses, and drivers, generating reports in one place
have a fast-operating system matching their existing business processes, with full automation of the paperwork
have a mobile app for drivers to automate the process of passenger check-in, tracking tickets/passengers, real-time location of a bus along its route, and selling tickets

The client wanted to open ticket sales for the first trip by mid-March 2023, so we got down to work immediately.

Since the client had limited time, we had to focus on essential functionality. As a result, we settled for an integrated online bus ticket booking software solution comprising four components:

A website for passengers to find and buy tickets (this also acts as an SEO-optimized landing page)
An admin panel for website support and bus route management
A mobile app for drivers to manage their routes

In January 2023, we began developing the bus ticket reservation software product. Because of the project’s broad scope, the first phase focuses on the first three project components.

Why the client chose us

The client was looking for a team that was fully dedicated to the proposed solution and capable of thoroughly elaborating on all the details throughout the bus ticket booking mobile app development process. In particular, they choose us because we:

Have experience in travel, logistics, and similar showcases
Provide comprehensive technical guidance and support as partners rather than just subcontractors (our assistance extends beyond the agreed scope whenever it’s necessary)
Have a local office and local representatives
Commit to delivering within a limited budget and timeframes
Commit to preparing an MVP in 1.5 months
Refine the scope as necessary to reach the initial goals within the client’s budget

The Team

For this bus ticket booking software development project, we assembled a team of 9 specialists. It included a business analyst, project manager, UX designer, DevOps engineer, back-end developer, front-end developer, mobile developer, QA engineer, and quality control engineer. This combined expertise provided all the skills required to meet the client’s needs from A to Z.

The Process

The project began with the discovery phase in October 2022. This phase involved researching the client’s main competitors to establish benchmarks, visiting the client’s office regularly to better understand their needs, and interviewing the people involved in the processes we wanted to improve. Basically, we stayed in contact with the customer throughout the process to find approaches that would work best in this particular case.
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Despite the client's feasible business idea, they lacked a clear understanding of the technical implementation. However, our approach is to take the lead in handling the technical aspects for our clients. With GrandBus, we stepped in to fill the knowledge gaps, advising them on the right payment system, guiding them on generating performance reports, helping them make informed decisions on system configuration and more.
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After the discovery phase, we prepared a proposal and signed a fixed-price contract for web development. In January 2023, the project delivery began, with the first MVP being released in March. That was followed by two intermittent releases and then the final release in June 2023.
As soon as the client approved the MVP, we took charge of the website support and maintenance and signed a fixed-price contract for the next part of the project — the passenger app.

Our Approach, Methodologies, and Tools

Website

Using the website, passengers can:

/ Features

Search for and purchase

Search for and purchase bus tickets (both for round trips and routes, including transfers)

Additional options

Use additional options such as seat selection, extra luggage, and more

Purchase baggage-only tickets

Track journey progress

Track journey progress on a map in real-time (enabled by a combination of GPS trackers and SSE)

Manage trips

View and manage their trips through a personal account

Admin panel

In the admin panel, GrandBus employees can:

/ Features

Manage bus routes

Create and manage bus routes and details such as the number of tickets available, ticket prices, bus type, and route status

Manage route schedules

Manage route schedules by assigning new operators to routes or new buses and drivers to existing operators

Generate a report

Generate a report for each completed route showing the total number of passengers, the number of transit passengers, payments, and total ticket income

Manage the number of loyalty points

Manage the number of loyalty points to be awarded to passengers on each section of the route

Mobile app for drivers

With our mobile app, GrandBus drivers can:

/ Features

View work schedule

View their work schedule

Update the status

Update the status of a route to "Boarding Started" or "Departed."

Access route information

Access information about all stops along a route, along with the total number of passengers on the bus and the expected number of people boarding and disembarking at each stop

Scan QR codes

Scan QR codes to validate passenger tickets. Once a QR code is scanned, the passenger is automatically marked as boarded.

Sell tickets

Sell tickets by themselves

Project challenges

There were numerous tasks that needed to be completed within a tight timeframe, while user feedback generated additional requests. We had to elaborate on these ideas on the fly. This way, balancing the project scope and managing client expectations was crucial to ensure a successful outcome. What’s more, certain features required immediate attention based on test reports.
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During the first phase of the project, we also had to handle additional tasks such as creating content for the landing page and implementing basic SEO practices to ensure a seamless browsing experience and maximize customer attraction and retention. We provided assistance in legal and financial matters as well.
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This bus ticket booking software development project involved collaboration with multiple stakeholders.

Results

To date, the website, including the admin panel, has been deployed successfully, and the driver app is in the final stages of development. The client now has a unique online bus booking software solution that meets their business goals and fits seamlessly into their processes.
GrandBus reports that the website has already proven to be a highly efficient ticket sales channel. They have received positive comments from passengers who appreciate the easy and convenient online booking process.
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Once the driver app, admin panel and website final version are released (scheduled for July 2023), we will proceed to the next project phase: bus ticket booking app development.

Client feedback

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We liked the COAX team’s deep-diving approach and attention to detail.

Their incremental approach with feedback loops allowed us to see results from the early stages and ensured we stayed on the right track. But most importantly, we felt that they genuinely cared about our project. Doing their best to make it as perfect as possible, they were always there for us, on-site rather than online.

Mykola Bronitskyy

Co-founder, GrandBus

See the project

Why partner with COAX?

Flexibility & adaptability
Our team understands the importance of flexibility in the construction industry, which is why we work around your schedule to provide services at a time that's convenient for you.
Skilled and dedicated team
The COAX team consists of pioneering industry experts and experienced professionals who meet high proficiency standards. We stick to our ethos and are dedicated to delivering high-quality solutions that can lead the future of digital solutions.
Ongoing support
We're committed to providing excellent support throughout the entire project lifecycle. That's why we don't just focus on our technical specialists but also pay close attention to the professional skills of our project managers to ensure seamless cooperation.
Security and confidentiality
At COAX Software, we take data privacy and security very seriously. We sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and guarantee to keep all project information safe and establish trust.
Growth-focused approach
In the construction industry, businesses need to constantly adapt and grow. That's why we don't just develop custom software solutions, we implement cutting-edge tools that help your business and technology scale for long-term success.
Agile methodology
At COAX Software, we value transparency and efficiency. That's why we follow a truly agile approach when providing IT services for construction companies. We aim to remain flexible and responsive to your needs at all times to ensure project success.