BOX Catering is a pioneer in the Ukrainian market of ready-to-eat boxed meals. Since 2017, the company has been specializing in organizing catering for corporate clients, events, and private orders. The dishes are prepared at our own production facility in Kyiv, which makes BOX Catering is the only ready-to-eat food delivery service for events with its own facilities, staff of cooks, couriers, and transportation base. The company has more than 85 dish options that form 100+ different boxes: appetizers, desserts, hot dishes, and themed sets. Everything is prepared just before delivery using selected ingredients.
Main indicators
2 offices (Kyiv, Odesa)
About 70 employees in Kyiv
Format: box delivery and catering
Full production cycle with our own kitchen
The ToDo team worked on the automation of the Kyiv office, implementing a comprehensive ERP solution based on Odoo.
Business challenges
1. 1. Outdated accounting system
The company was using a B52 system that had lost support and maintenance.
2. Disparate data
Management accounting was kept in Google spreadsheets, which made it impossible to make prompt decisions and created risks of data loss.
3. Getting out of the toxic ecosystem
The need to refuse to use Bitrix24 as a product of the aggressor country under martial law.
4. Complexity of production processes
The client's production includes up to 10 consecutive processing steps - from raw potatoes to a ready-made box of salad - and everything is made "under the knife" for delivery, which required precise cost control at every stage.
Stages of implementation
Stage 1: Discovery (2 months)
Requirements gathering - detailed analysis of current business processes
Process modeling - creating a map of the future system
Analysis of functional gaps - determining what is in the customer's business and what is not in standard Odoo
Developing a project scoping - defining the functional framework, creating an implementation plan
Stage 2: Setting up, customizing, and testing the system
Installing and configuring modules, developing custom solutions, and testing functionality.
Stage 3: Phased launch
Test filling the system with real data, user training, and final testing on real data. An important feature was the phased implementation of the functionality - departments started working in the system one by one, which allowed the company to gradually adapt to new processes without stress.
Realized solutions
Ordering and delivery: A full cycle from receiving an order from the website through automatic transfer to production to a mobile application for drivers. The system automatically closes all production stages with one click and calculates the cost and margin of each order.
Warehouse accounting and production: An automated WMS with the construction of routes for the movement of goods, a custom inventory taking into account the specifics of food production, and a unique ability to recalculate the cost price retroactively for any period.
Management accounting:single environmentwith a full cycle of financial management, integration with PrivatBank and an automated payroll system.
Analytics and reporting: ABC-XYZ analysis, margin reports, P&L with Google integration, and management reporting for prompt decision-making.
AI sales assistant Marichka advises customers on menus, prices, and catering conditions, responding in 10-30 seconds 24/7, and places orders independently - without the involvement of a manager. The bot is trained on the company's real data: assortment, prices, and service conditions, and thanks to integration with the operating system, it always has up-to-date information. This made it possible to significantly reduce the workload of the sales department, shorten the time for processing incoming requests, and avoid losing leads during off-hours.
Many other solutions were also implemented: integrations with Viber, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, a box builder, a custom web interface to simplify staff work, and dozens of specialized reports. Work on the project is ongoing as the system is constantly evolving to meet business needs.
Key features of the solution
Unique production mechanism
To reduce the burden on users, a mechanism has been implemented that, when closing the final production order, automatically closes all previous stages, calculates the full cost and margin.
Real-time analytics
The improved Odoo analytics now provides a report that shows the cost price and sales price for each order and each product.
Custom web interface
Particular attention was paid to the interface for production - it was made similar to the old system to make it easier for kitchen staff to adapt to the new system.
Implementation results
Quantitative indicators
50% increase in the number of orders for 9 months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023
No need for additional staff - thanks to automation, there was no need to hire more operators, salespeople or accountants
Quick access to analytics - the ability to receive ABC, P&L, margin reports in various sections with one click
70% of business needs are covered by the basic Odoo functionality, the rest - by customizations
Qualitative advantages
Full cycle automation - from call to delivery without manual operations
Production control - close all stages in one click
Swiss warehouse precision - automatic routes and real-time analytics
Financial system - unified accounting for several companies
Management analytics - automatic reports for decision-making
High level of system acceptance - after the initial period of work, the BOX Catering team began to independently expand the functionality and implement new modules without involving integrators, which indicates high motivation and user satisfaction
Feedback from project participants
Irina Kushnir, CEO of BOX Catering "No matter how great the product is, it's not enough to make a business successful. You have to be operationally efficient. Thanks to ERP and CRM, we can keep our finger on the pulse: respond quickly to changes, see where bottlenecks arise, and improve processes in a timely manner. With ToDo, you get the feeling that the company is in good hands: they don't just implement the system, they think like partners who understand the business context. We chose Odoo because of its flexibility, modularity, and large scaling horizons. This is fundamental for us - we don't want to be hostage to outdated solutions that hinder our development."
Liudmyla Opanasenko, project manager on the customer's side
"The main benefit we received as managers is very quick access to information and the ability to build analytics in different sections: by category, customer, order type, etc. This allowed us to move from intuitive decisions to data-driven management. The team also breathed a sigh of relief - they no longer need to work in dozens of spreadsheets or manually compile reports. Everyone likes working in this system: it is convenient, modern, and gives a sense of control over processes. And most importantly, we understand that we can adapt it to our needs even in a year or two, when the company grows."
Alexey Bardakov, CEO of ToDo
"The success of the implementation directly depends on how much the customer and the contractor are ready to work as a team. In the case of BOX Catering, we were on the same page from the very beginning: transparent communication, a common vision of goals, and trust allowed us to move quickly and make decisions without unnecessary delays. When the client is involved and open to change, the result is not long in coming."
Technical aspects
Duration of implementation: 12 months (since January 2024 the system is in operation)
Team on the ToDo side: a group of automation experts
Support format: ongoing support and development of the system
Status meetings: every Monday to monitor progress
Why the client chose ToDo
Key selection factors:
Deep expertise - the team understood the specifics of accounting systems without additional explanations
Over 20 years of automation experience - proven industry expertise
Flexible approach - readiness to adapt to changes in the implementation process
Full support - support at all stages of the project
The principle of "we'll figure it out" - willingness to take responsibility for solving challenges
Conclusions.
The BOX Catering automation project proved that the right ERP system can dramatically transform a business. Thanks to the implementation of Odoo, the company not only solved its current problems, but also received a powerful tool for scaling and development.
Key success factors:
Clear plan and phased implementation
Active participation of the customer in the process
Experienced team of integrators
Willingness to invest in a quality solution
Appointment of a separate project manager (not the owner of the company)
This case study demonstrates that modern technology is not a cost, but a strategic investment in the company's future that quickly pays off through increased efficiency and growth opportunities.
