Front of a yellow school bus

Centralized Data Delivers Top-Notch Performance for a School Bus Company

Client Success Snapshot

Client Profile:

  • Overview: An transit company that focuses on the school transit sector
  • Industry: Transit (School Buses)
  • Team Size: 200-500
  • Annual Revenue: N/A
  • Headquarters: RI, US
  • Markets: New England, USA

The Challenge

Gerent’s client, a major transit company that provides busing services to schools in New England, realized it would need to centralize and organize its data to remain competitive. Before the company’s partnership with Gerent, it had recorded data on scattered spreadsheets, making it difficult to locate — much less leverage — important information.

Gerent's Approach

In a single week, Gerent implemented Salesforce CRM and helped the client transition to a modern data management and tracking system. Our solution architect created Salesforce objects such as accounts, contacts, users, profiles, roles, tasks, and events. We also trained the client’s team to use the new technology.

Key Outcomes

Post-implementation, the client gained visibility into its serviced regions and could generate comprehensive reports on its contracts, assets, and resources. The shift onto Salesforce also provided an enormous boost to efficiency within a very short turnaround. 


Client Success Story

We often take school buses for granted. Every morning, they pick up our kids and drop them off safely — day after day, week after week, year after year.

But what we see each morning and afternoon is just the tip of the iceberg for school bus companies. Companies that specialize in this type of transportation shoulder a variety of responsibilities, from ensuring that buses meet strict safety standards to training new drivers, managing contract obligations with school boards, managing bid processes for new contracts, and managing charter operations. 

As small bus companies expand, the amount of data they acquire on employees, school district contracts, vehicle maintenance, and equipment purchases grows exponentially. Finding essential information can be difficult, especially if the data isn’t well organized. This problem was one that Gerent’s client, a major school bus operator in the New England area, faced in 2019.


Trading Spreadsheets for Salesforce

“They kept everything on spreadsheets – all their contracts, customer information, employee data, maintenance records – and stored in different places across the organization,” Kevin Alessandro, the client’s Salesforce Account Executive, shared in an interview. 

According to Alessandro, the client had realized that it needed to centralize and organize its data to remain competitive in its marketplace. 

“They wanted a way to track the bids they submitted for contracts as well as hunt down new opportunities,” he said. “They needed a solution that centralized all their data into one readily accessible spot.” 

To accomplish these goals, Alessandro brought in Gerent and introduced the team, headed up by Project Manager Lizette Vazquez, to the bus company’s situation.

Gerent “Quick Starts” a Data Tracking and Management Solution

Gerent zeroed in on a solution: creating a modern data management and tracking system. 

“This first phase was just in their home state of Rhode Island,” Vazquez explained. “We focused on Salesforce objects like accounts, contacts, users, profiles and roles and tasks and events, which we trained them to use as well as the functionalities of Salesforce notes.”

Vazquez said the client was anxious to gain visibility into all its regions and to generate comprehensive reports.

“They wanted to be able to see who held the transportation contracts, how many buses each contractor had, if there were unions for a particular provider, that sort of thing. Eventually, they want to start opportunities in Salesforce to track their bidding process.”

Because the transit company was anxious to have a solution implemented quickly, Lizette Vazquez opted for Gerent’s Quick Start methodology. With Quick Start, a client can have a straightforward solution up and running, with staff fully trained, in five business days — and that’s exactly how this project unfolded.

A Simple and Effective Salesforce Solution

While the solution was simple, it imparted the benefits that the client needed. The future with this customer is a bright one; Kevin Alessandro says the company intends to expand its Salesforce capabilities.

“There’s a lot more they’re going to do going forward. They were very happy with Gerent,” he commented.

“I saw very positive feedback on Gerent’s work. It’s always nice to have a partner that takes the bull by the horns and executes the way Gerent has done.”

Lizette Vazquez added a final note to this success story.

“At the end of the day, the customer has a solution through which they’ll gain tremendous efficiencies.”

For Gerent, that’s what matters the most. Whether simple or complex, we provide solutions to meet and exceed client’s needs and expectations, and we offer exemplary service along the way. We’d be happy to extend the same opportunity to your organization.

Contact Gerent today to find out how we can help your business achieve its ideal future state!

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