Case Study: How One Client Increased Productivity by 30% Using Our Dolibarr Modules

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. About the Client: Industry, Size, and Challenges

3. Why Dolibarr Was Chosen as the ERP Base

4. Initial Limitations of Vanilla Dolibarr

5. Identifying the Key Bottlenecks

6. Our Diagnostic Process and Custom Recommendations

7. The Modules That Made the Difference

8. Implementation Roadmap

9. Quantifying the Productivity Gain

10. Specific Workflow Transformations

11. Employee and Stakeholder Feedback

12. Long-Term Benefits and Strategic Impact

13. Lessons Learned from the Project

14. Final Thoughts

1. Introduction

Modern businesses rely on ERP systems not just to manage internal processes but to gain a competitive edge. However, the true ROI of an ERP solution depends on how well it's tailored to the real-world needs of the organization.

In this case study, we explore how a mid-sized company in the logistics and distribution sector achieved a 30% increase in productivity within just five months of adopting a tailored solution built on Dolibarr ERP—enhanced with our certified modules.

We’ll dive into the background of the client, their pain points, the modules we deployed, and the measurable results that followed. This is not a theoretical success story—this is a real transformation powered by Dolibarr and made possible by targeted extensions from our store.

2. About the Client: Industry, Size, and Challenges

The client, whom we’ll refer to as TransLogix, is a growing logistics and distribution company based in Casablanca, Morocco. With a workforce of approximately 45 employees and a fleet of 20 delivery vehicles, the company services over 300 B2B customers across the country.

Key Characteristics:

• Sector: Transportation & Logistics

• Locations: 1 warehouse, 2 satellite hubs

• Daily Transactions: ~150 deliveries, 200+ invoices/month

• Pre-existing systems: Manual Excel sheets, separate CRM tool, and a legacy POS system

Primary Challenges:

• Lack of integration across departments

• Manual billing errors

• No real-time stock visibility

• Delayed invoicing due to paperwork backlog

• Inconsistent customer follow-up on unpaid invoices

TransLogix needed an ERP system that could unify their workflows, reduce time wasted on repetitive tasks, and increase operational transparency.

3. Why Dolibarr Was Chosen as the ERP Base

After evaluating multiple ERP options, including proprietary systems and other open-source alternatives (like Odoo and ERPNext), TransLogix chose Dolibarr ERP & CRM for several reasons:

• Low initial investment (open-source license)

• Active development and support community

• Modular architecture suitable for phased deployment

• Available ecosystem of business-specific extensions

• Easy integration with local accounting standards (e.g., PCG Maroc)

However, out-of-the-box Dolibarr was not enough. The client required features that were not included in the core system—and this is where our store came into play.

4. Initial Limitations of Vanilla Dolibarr

Dolibarr in its base form offered useful CRM, invoicing, and product modules. But TransLogix quickly discovered that it lacked the industry-specific capabilities they needed:

• No delivery slip digital signature support

• Inadequate stock movement visibility across multiple locations

• Inflexible PDF templates for transport-specific documents

• Manual reconciliation between delivery and invoicing

• Limited automation in client payment follow-up

The company initially tried customizing core modules but faced version upgrade conflicts and lacked internal PHP skills to maintain changes.

5. Identifying the Key Bottlenecks

Through our initial audit and workshop sessions with stakeholders from operations, accounting, and customer service, we identified five critical productivity blocks:

1. Delivery confirmation was fully paper-based, delaying invoice issuance

2. CRM and invoicing were disconnected, leading to missed follow-ups

3. Stock entries were delayed by up to 48 hours, affecting reorders

4. Duplicate data entry across dispatch, sales, and accounting

5. Reports required manual consolidation, consuming hours each week

These inefficiencies added up to an estimated 15–20 lost work hours per week, spread across departments.

Our objective was clear: deploy modules to eliminate manual steps, reduce errors, and create a centralized, real-time operating environment.

6. Our Diagnostic Process and Custom Recommendations

We conducted a structured analysis phase that included:

• Workflow mapping of delivery, invoicing, and stock control

• Role-based user interviews

• Review of current ERP setup and installed modules

• Assessment of internal IT capabilities and infrastructure

From this process, we delivered a customized deployment plan focused on:

• Enhancing delivery-to-invoice automation

• Improving inventory visibility

• Streamlining CRM processes

• Automating follow-ups and notifications

• Reducing manual reporting through dashboard modules

7. The Modules That Made the Difference

To achieve the transformation, we deployed a combination of six certified modules from our store, carefully chosen for their integration and relevance to logistics workflows.

7.1 Digital Delivery Confirmation Module

• Added the ability for delivery agents to capture client signatures via tablet or mobile

• Linked delivery slip status directly to invoicing

• Eliminated delays due to paper loss or misfiling

7.2 Multi-Warehouse Stock Manager

• Gave warehouse and hub managers real-time stock levels by location

• Allowed for internal transfers with digital tracking

• Improved order preparation accuracy

7.3 Advanced CRM Enhancer

• Added automated follow-up reminders

• Connected CRM with invoicing module to track unpaid clients

• Included email templates in French and Arabic for different customer segments

7.4 Smart Invoicing Workflow Engine

• Automatically generated invoices upon delivery confirmation

• Enabled grouped invoices for recurring clients

• Reduced billing cycle from 5 days to same-day

7.5 Arabic/French PDF Template Pack

• Standardized all generated documents with bilingual branding

• Met legal requirements for Moroccan tax documentation

• Allowed faster adoption across field and admin staff

7.6 Real-Time KPI Dashboard

• Visualized delivery success rate, invoice delay, and stock movement

• Integrated into admin homepage

• Used by managers for weekly performance reviews

Each of these modules was selected based on fit, stability, and maintainability, ensuring compatibility with Dolibarr 17.x (later upgraded to 20.x).

8. Implementation Roadmap

We structured the deployment into three progressive phases to minimize disruption and allow users to adapt:

Phase 1: Infrastructure and Core Module Setup (Weeks 1–2)

• Installed Dolibarr (v17.0) on a secure VPS with daily backups

• Activated base modules: Invoicing, Stock, Third Parties, Projects

• Installed and configured the first batch of certified modules: CRM Enhancer and PDF Template Pack

• Conducted basic training for admin staff and team leaders

Phase 2: Operational Extensions (Weeks 3–6)

• Deployed Digital Delivery Confirmation and Smart Invoicing Workflow

• Introduced tablets to delivery agents for on-site signature capture

• Linked delivery confirmation to automated invoice generation

• Adjusted invoice templates for bilingual display

Phase 3: Analytics and Optimization (Weeks 7–10)

• Implemented KPI Dashboard and Multi-Warehouse Module

• Customized views for managers and team leads

• Created weekly performance review routines using dashboard data

• Initiated phase-out of legacy Excel-based trackers

Throughout the implementation, our support team held weekly feedback calls, made real-time adjustments, and documented every configuration for internal use.

9. Quantifying the Productivity Gain

After 3 months of live usage, TransLogix conducted an internal review and compared pre-implementation metrics to the new Dolibarr-based system.

Here are the measurable improvements:

Productivity rose by 30% based on a blended metric combining invoice volume processed per employee, time saved per operation, and reduction in task duplication.

10. Specific Workflow Transformations

Let’s take a closer look at three specific processes that were transformed:

10.1 Delivery to Invoice Workflow

Before:

• Paper delivery slip returned to office

• Manually reviewed and scanned

• Manually entered into invoice module

• Printed and mailed

After:

• Signature captured digitally at delivery

• Status auto-updated in Dolibarr

• Invoice generated instantly and emailed to client

Result: Faster cash flow and drastically reduced paperwork.

10.2 Customer Follow-Up

Before:

• Sales team manually scanned Excel sheet of unpaid invoices

• Follow-up emails written by hand, often skipped

• No unified view of client history

After:

• CRM automatically generates reminders

• Email templates pre-configured in Dolibarr

• Sales team views all interactions and overdue amounts in one place

Result: Consistent follow-up, improved client retention.

10.3 Stock Management

Before:

• Stock manually updated weekly

• No real-time insight into regional hub inventory

• Frequent order delays due to stockouts

After:

• Warehouse and hub inventory synced in real time

• Internal transfer requests visible and tracked

• Alerts triggered when critical items fall below minimum threshold

Result: Smoother operations and better service levels.

11. Employee and Stakeholder Feedback

Adoption success relies heavily on user acceptance. Here's how different teams responded:

Operations Team:

“We no longer waste mornings sorting through paper delivery notes. Everything’s in the system and traceable.”

Finance Department:

“Billing is now almost automatic. We close our invoicing in hours, not days.”

IT Manager:

“The modules were easier to maintain than expected. We haven’t had a single compatibility issue.”

General Manager:

“We have real visibility into our KPIs. This has allowed us to scale confidently.”

The training period was short—less than one week—thanks to the user-friendly nature of both Dolibarr and our module interfaces.

12. Long-Term Benefits and Strategic Impact

Beyond the short-term gains, the project created several long-term strategic advantages:

• Scalability: The company can now expand to additional warehouses without manual data migration or process redesign.

• Client Satisfaction: Faster billing and clearer communications improved customer trust.

• Audit Readiness: Digital trails and consistent formatting make compliance audits easier.

• Business Intelligence: Real-time dashboards allow better planning and resource allocation.

• Reduced Vendor Lock-In: Unlike closed systems, Dolibarr + our modules are open and modifiable.

TransLogix is now planning to introduce mobile inventory updates and a self-service portal for key clients using additional modules from our store.

13. Lessons Learned from the Project

This case offers valuable insights into how ERP customization should be approached:

• Start with the business process, not the software.
  Technology should adapt to your workflow—not the other way around.

• Modularity matters.
  A phased approach using certified modules reduces risk and increases adoption.

• Avoid over-customization.
  Use well-supported modules from trusted sources to reduce maintenance burden.

• Documentation is essential.
  Every step, configuration, and change was documented for sustainability.

• **Non-technical teams can adopt ERP quickly—**if the tools are designed with them in mind.

14. Final Thoughts

This case study proves what many organizations are just beginning to understand:
Open-source ERP is not only viable—it can be a game-changer when extended correctly.

Dolibarr provided the foundation. But it was our store’s targeted, certified modules that allowed TransLogix to move beyond manual bottlenecks and unlock 30% higher productivity.

The future of ERP is not in bloated, overpriced platforms. It’s in modular, business-focused solutions that deliver measurable outcomes—fast.

If you're running Dolibarr and still managing manual workarounds, this case is your invitation:
Smart extensions make all the difference.