Rental Workflow Implementation-Case Study
This case study explains how we helped a rental business fix their daily operational problems, including delays in delivery, confusion in kit components, late invoicing, and messy return tracking. We redesigned their entire rental process in Odoo so their workflow became smooth, accurate and fast.
Project Overview
This project was for a company that runs a large rental operation. They rent out scaffolding, construction components, and kit-based materials. Their team already had a basic beta software, but nothing worked end-to-end. Every department had its own way of doing things, and operations were constantly getting stuck between sales, warehouse, planning, and accounts.
They asked us for one thing:
“Make the entire rental workflow run smoothly from lead to closure.”
This turned into one of the most detailed functional projects I’ve handled.
What Was Going Wrong
When we first looked at their process, it was functioning, but heavily manual and error-prone.
A few real issues:
Delivery challans were created late or with wrong components
Kit products were inconsistent; half the time items were missing
No automation for transporter assignment or e-way bill preparation
Customers received material, but branches updated the system late
Rental invoicing was completely dependent on manual updates
Return requests, damaged material, missing components — all tracked on paper
No clarity on who did what and when
Warehouse teams worked differently in each region
Planning team had no real-time tracking
Stock depletion was happening at the wrong time
Capital purchases and inter-branch movements had no common structure
Managers had to intervene daily just to keep the workflow alive
In short, operations were happening because of people, not processes.
What We Did:
We didn’t try to “force-fit” Odoo first.
We sat down with each team to understand how they actually worked.
1. CRM & Opportunity Flow
We mapped the entire lead → opportunity → conversion cycle.
Sales wanted something simple.
So we kept the CRM clean, and made sure once a deal was confirmed, it flowed straight into an actionable rental order.
2. Rental Order → Component Planning
This was the most complex area.
Kit products contain multiple parts.
Not every kit was available in the same warehouse.
Planning had to add/remove components based on availability.
So we redesigned:
Delivery creation logic
Component substitution rules
Inter-warehouse planning
Future fulfillment dates for unavailable items
Automatic and manual allocation options
This gave planners real control.
3. Dispatch & Warehouse Execution
This was chaotic earlier, with manual errors everywhere.
What we built:
A clear picking workflow
Quality check recording
Packing logic
Transporter assignment with auto-filled details
Auto-prepared e-way bill form
Status color coding (Green, Orange, Red) based on delivery date
Timestamp logging for every action
Warehouse staff finally had a single process to follow.
4. Customer Receipt & Digital Acknowledgement
Previously, acknowledgement came back on paper after 1–3 days.
We built an update flow where the branch team uploaded the signed challan, and filled receipt details in the system immediately.
This triggered the next phase automatically.
5. Rental Invoicing Automation
This was the backbone of the business.
Invoicing needed to start the moment customer officially received material.
We structured:
Start of rental billing
Monthly invoice cycle
Auto-continuation until returns were 100% complete
Stop-invoicing logic with timestamp and user tracking
Pending material value estimation (one-click check)
Accounts finally got predictable invoicing.
6. Return Management
Returns were the biggest mess because items came back in parts.
We created a controlled return workflow:
Return request approval by Sales/AR
Return challan creation for all components
Scheduling pickup in multiples of kit quantities
Warehouse verification of OK / Missing / Damaged / Excess
Automatic rental continuation for pending items
Every return became traceable.
7. Damage / Loss Handling
Earlier the customer blamed warehouse, and warehouse blamed customer.
No documented proof existed.
Now we built:
Damage recording
Excess items recording
Missing quantity calculation
Component-wise price visibility
Automatic invoice generation only for missing/damaged items
This removed arguments and stabilized cash recovery.
8. Transport Management
Transport invoices were being processed manually.
We mapped:
Transport challan upload
Multi-challan bill creation
Bill verification
Final booking and payment
Manager-level approvals
This connected operations with accounts smoothly.
9. Inter-Branch Transfers & Damage Sales Orders
We introduced approval-based internal transfers so no wrong movement happened between regions.
Also built a simplified damage sale order flow for items needing disposal or write-off.
10. Inventory Controls
We established stock audit approval workflow from task creation → verification → final posting.
This gave visibility and control at every step.
The Final Outcome
After Implementation, Here’s What Changed:
✔ Delivery delays reduced because color-coded statuses kept planners alert
✔ Stock depletion became accurate and traceable
✔ Transport and billing workflows became predictable
✔ Rental invoices were generated on time every month
✔ Lost/damaged item billing improved significantly
✔ No more paper-based tracking
✔ Every action had timestamp + user record
✔ Warehouse and planning teams stopped arguing
✔ Region heads finally got visibility without daily calls
✔ Customer disputes reduced because data and acknowledgements were clean
Most importantly, the company experienced process reliability for the first time.
The project didn’t just automate the rental cycle—it eliminated ambiguity, brought discipline, and made operations scalable.