From pen and paper to a fully automated business - how we built Volucris a custom AI app

The brief: Volucris is a specialist gun dog training business with an exceptional reputation built on years of expertise. But behind the scenes, everything was manual - bookings managed by phone, availability tracked on paper, invoices created by hand, and client communication handled message by message. As demand grew, the admin was becoming unsustainable. They needed a system that could run the business as professionally as they run their training.

Foxy was brought in to design and build a custom app from scratch - not just a booking tool, but a complete business management platform for both the trainer and their clients.

The insight: Off-the-shelf booking tools solve one problem at a time. A calendar here, an invoicing tool there, a messaging app somewhere else. For a solo trainer managing a growing client base, that patchwork creates more admin, not less. The opportunity was to build one platform that handled everything - bookings, client management, invoicing, availability, communications, and events - designed specifically for how a dog training business actually works.

What we did: We designed and built a mobile-first web application purpose-built for Volucris, covering the full client journey and the full business operation.

For clients: a seamless onboarding flow, personalised dashboard, interactive calendar with real-time availability, a 4-step booking system, full pet profile management (vaccination tracking, behavioural notes, medical history), event sign-ups, invoice management with payment integration, and push notifications for reminders and updates. Clients can install the app to their phone's home screen for a native experience.

For the trainer: a dedicated admin panel with business overview dashboard (revenue tracking, growth charts, CSV exports), booking management with conflict detection and rescheduling, availability controls including extra weekend/evening slots, full client and pet database, invoicing with payment status tracking, news and event publishing with capacity management, and service configuration.

The app was built mobile-first with real-time capabilities, automated 24-hour booking reminders, role-based security, email-verified sign-ups, and a guided tutorial for first-time users.

The results

→ Complete business digitisation - bookings, invoicing, availability, client management, and communications consolidated into one custom platform

→ Manual admin eliminated - no more phone bookings, paper diaries, or hand-written invoices

→ Client experience transformed - from phone calls to a polished self-service booking app with pet profiles, payment tracking, and real-time notifications

→ Scalable infrastructure - the business can now grow without the admin growing with it

→ Built and launched from scratch - full custom app, not a template or off-the-shelf workaround