Case Study
Phoenix Nest LLC
How we automated our own firewood delivery and excavation business—and why that matters for yours.
The Business
Phoenix Nest LLC is a firewood delivery and excavation business based in Greenup, Kentucky, serving customers within a 60-mile radius of Ashland. What started as a side operation has grown into a serious business with a dedicated crew and ambitious scaling goals.
This isn't a tech company. It's a hands-on, physical business—tree felling, wood splitting, deliveries, excavation work. The kind of operation where things get dirty and logistics matter.
The Challenge
Growth was the problem—the good kind, but still a problem. At 200% year-over-year growth, manual processes were breaking down:
- Orders coming in through Facebook Marketplace, phone calls, and word of mouth—no single system
- Delivery scheduling done by memory and paper notes
- No visibility into production capacity vs. incoming demand
- Team coordination via text messages and shouted conversations
- Commission tracking for crew members done manually
- Delivery cost calculations (distance-based pricing) eating up time on every quote
The business was growing faster than the systems could handle. Something had to change before growth became a liability.
The Solution
We built a comprehensive Odoo-based system tailored to how the business actually operates:
Unified Order Management
All orders flow into one system regardless of source. Facebook Marketplace integration captures leads automatically. Phone orders get entered once and tracked through delivery.
Automated Delivery Pricing
Custom module calculates delivery costs based on distance from base. No more manual lookups or inconsistent quotes. Enter the address, get the price.
Production Tracking
Real-time visibility into pallets produced, inventory levels, and production pace. Know exactly where you stand against targets without counting stacks.
Commission-Based Workflows
Crew members know what they've earned in real-time. Production commissions calculated automatically. No end-of-week spreadsheet scrambles.
Scheduling & Coordination
Deliveries scheduled with route optimization in mind. Team assignments clear and accessible. Everyone knows what's happening today and what's coming tomorrow.
The Results
Weekly admin work that used to take hours now happens automatically
Nothing falls through the cracks when everything's in one system
Systems ready for 55 pallets/week without adding admin overhead
Clear expectations, transparent commissions, no confusion
Why This Matters for You
Phoenix Nest isn't a demo project or a theoretical case study. It's a real business with real money on the line—my money. Every system we built had to work reliably, day after day, in the field.
When I recommend a solution for your business, it's not based on what I read in a whitepaper. It's based on what I've tested, broken, fixed, and refined in my own operation.
That's the GreybeardSystems difference: we build the same systems we run ourselves.
Ready to Automate Your Operations?
Let's talk about your business challenges. If automation can help, I'll tell you how. If it can't, I'll tell you that too.
Schedule a Discovery CallCase Study
Phoenix Nest LLC
How we automated our own firewood delivery and excavation business—and why that matters for yours.
The Business
Phoenix Nest LLC is a firewood delivery and excavation business based in Greenup, Kentucky, serving customers within a 60-mile radius of Ashland. What started as a side operation has grown into a serious business with a dedicated crew and ambitious scaling goals.
This isn't a tech company. It's a hands-on, physical business—tree felling, wood splitting, deliveries, excavation work. The kind of operation where things get dirty and logistics matter.
The Challenge
Growth was the problem—the good kind, but still a problem. At 200% year-over-year growth, manual processes were breaking down:
- Orders coming in through Facebook Marketplace, phone calls, and word of mouth—no single system
- Delivery scheduling done by memory and paper notes
- No visibility into production capacity vs. incoming demand
- Team coordination via text messages and shouted conversations
- Commission tracking for crew members done manually
- Delivery cost calculations (distance-based pricing) eating up time on every quote
The business was growing faster than the systems could handle. Something had to change before growth became a liability.
The Solution
We built a comprehensive Odoo-based system tailored to how the business actually operates:
Unified Order Management
All orders flow into one system regardless of source. Facebook Marketplace integration captures leads automatically. Phone orders get entered once and tracked through delivery.
Automated Delivery Pricing
Custom module calculates delivery costs based on distance from base. No more manual lookups or inconsistent quotes. Enter the address, get the price.
Production Tracking
Real-time visibility into pallets produced, inventory levels, and production pace. Know exactly where you stand against targets without counting stacks.
Commission-Based Workflows
Crew members know what they've earned in real-time. Production commissions calculated automatically. No end-of-week spreadsheet scrambles.
Scheduling & Coordination
Deliveries scheduled with route optimization in mind. Team assignments clear and accessible. Everyone knows what's happening today and what's coming tomorrow.
The Results
Weekly admin work that used to take hours now happens automatically
Nothing falls through the cracks when everything's in one system
Systems ready for 55 pallets/week without adding admin overhead
Clear expectations, transparent commissions, no confusion
Why This Matters for You
Phoenix Nest isn't a demo project or a theoretical case study. It's a real business with real money on the line—my money. Every system we built had to work reliably, day after day, in the field.
When I recommend a solution for your business, it's not based on what I read in a whitepaper. It's based on what I've tested, broken, fixed, and refined in my own operation.
That's the GreybeardSystems difference: we build the same systems we run ourselves.
Ready to Automate Your Operations?
Let's talk about your business challenges. If automation can help, I'll tell you how. If it can't, I'll tell you that too.
Schedule a Discovery Call