Circulis

From R&D Concept to Nationwide Commercial Rollout, Powered by Odoo

Circulis is a forward-thinking green technology company on a mission to build a cleaner, more sustainable future. By designing and deploying innovative Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs), they are revolutionizing how recyclable containers are collected. After four years of intensive R&D, Circulis was ready to move from concept to commercialisation, but faced a significant operational roadblock: they had no integrated system to manage their complex, multi-faceted business model.

The Challenge: A Complex Business with No Central System

Transitioning from R&D to a full-scale commercial operation revealed major gaps in their infrastructure. The team was relying on a combination of Xero and spreadsheets to manage what was quickly becoming a highly complex international supply chain and a local service network.

Their core challenges included:

• Fragmented Operations: With no central system, every step—from purchasing machines in China to managing service contracts with Australian shopping centres and schools—was handled in a silo.
• Lack of Visibility: They had no way to track the entire lifecycle of their machines, from procurement and landed costs to assembly, distribution, maintenance, and asset depreciation.
• Manual Processes: A heavy reliance on spreadsheets created a high risk of data errors, wasted time on double-entry, and offered no scalability for their planned growth.
• Complex Service Management: Their model required robust fleet management, field service scheduling for maintenance, and detailed tracking of user recycling activity across numerous sites.

Circulis needed a single source of truth—a powerful, unified platform that could manage their entire business, from international purchasing to local field service, all in one place.

The Solution: An End-to-End Business Platform Built by Auboros

Understanding the unique complexity and scale of Circulis's vision, Auboros proposed and implemented a comprehensive Odoo solution. The goal was to build a robust, scalable foundation that would not just solve their immediate challenges but support their long-term growth.

The implementation was rolled out progressively, starting with the most critical functions to ensure a smooth transition. Auboros deployed an extensive suite of Odoo 17 apps to create a fully integrated business management system:

• Supply Chain & Operations: Purchase, Inventory, Manufacturing, and Accounting modules were configured to manage the entire process of importing machines. This gave Circulis full visibility into landed costs, including freight and duties, while the MRP, Maintenance, and Quality modules ensured every machine was assembled and maintained to the highest standard.
• Distribution & Service Delivery: The Fleet, Field Service, and Project modules provided the tools to manage machine distribution, on-site installations, and contract rollouts. The Helpdesk module created a streamlined process for managing customer support and service inquiries.
• Commercial & Financial Management: CRM, Sales, Invoicing, and Accounting modules were integrated to manage everything from new leads and contracts with sites to automatically generating invoices for third parties based on sales data collected directly from the machines. The Rental and Subscriptions modules were used to manage lease agreements and track assets effectively.
• Administration & Documentation: The Documents, E-Sign, and Timesheet modules were implemented to digitise paperwork, streamline contract signing, and accurately track project time.

The Results: A Seamless, Scalable Operation

By partnering with Auboros, Circulis transformed its operations from a collection of manual spreadsheets into a single, automated, and intelligent platform.

• Complete Visibility: Circulis now has a 360-degree view of their entire business in real-time—from inventory levels of spare parts to the maintenance schedule of a specific machine in the field.
• End-to-End Automation: The integrated Odoo system eliminated manual data entry, reducing errors and freeing up the team to focus on strategic growth. Processes like invoicing based on machine data are now fully automated.
• A Scalable Foundation for Growth: With a robust Odoo infrastructure, Circulis has the confidence to scale its operations, sign new contracts, and expand its network of RVMs across the country without being limited by technology.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: With all their data in one place, from user recycling habits in the CRM to operational costs in the Accounting module, the Circulis team can now make smarter, faster business decisions.

"Moving from R&D to full commercialisation was a massive step. We had the vision, but we lacked the operational backbone. Auboros didn't just implement a piece of software; they built the integrated system our entire business now runs on. With Odoo, we have full control over our supply chain, service delivery, and financials in one place. We couldn't have made this transition so successfully without them."

— Carl Cunanan, Circulis Pty Ltd

At a Glance