The Hero: APOPO's Mission to Save Lives
In the heart of Siem Reap, Cambodia, APOPO (The Anti-Personnel Mine Removal Product Development) fights a battle that extends far beyond their mine detection work. This remarkable humanitarian organization trains rats to detect landmines and educates visitors about the ongoing dangers of unexploded ordnance. But their life-saving mission was being held back by something unexpected: their technology.
The Problem: When Technology Becomes the Enemy
APOPO faced a challenge that many mission-driven organizations know all too well - their systems were working against them, not for them.
The External Problem: Their visitor center operations were trapped in a web of technical complications:
- WordPress Performance Issues: Their website was bogged down with multiple plugins and automation integrations, making it painfully slow to load and nearly impossible to update safely
- Geographic Hosting Mismatch: The website was hosted in Europe while most visitors browsed from Cambodia, creating frustrating delays for local users trying to book tours
- Manual Double-Entry Nightmare: Walk-in bookings had to be manually entered into Google Calendar to prevent online double-bookings, creating constant risk of scheduling conflicts
- Disconnected Financial Systems: POS sales were printed out and manually imported into QuickBooks, a time-consuming process prone to errors
- Limited Payment Options: No support for modern payment methods that Cambodian and international visitors expect
- Fragmented Operations: Critical business functions lived in isolated systems that couldn't communicate with each other
The Internal Problem: As Sambath, their Visitor Center Manager, explained: "The old system was offline, need to sit in front of that machine to do anything. Now they can use it from anywhere." Staff felt frustrated and limited by technology that should have been empowering their mission.
The Philosophical Problem: An organization dedicated to removing barriers to human safety shouldn't have their own operations blocked by technological barriers.
The Guide: Innolabs Understands Mission-Critical Operations
We understood APOPO's unique position. With over 50 successful Odoo implementations across Cambodia, we've seen how the right technology can amplify humanitarian impact. We knew that for organizations like APOPO, technology isn't just about efficiency - it's about enabling mission success.
Our expertise in Cambodia-specific solutions, from Acleda Bank integrations to localized invoicing in Khmer, made us the ideal partner to guide APOPO's transformation.
The Plan: Discover → Design → Deploy
Discover Phase (August 2024)
We conducted comprehensive discovery sessions to understand APOPO's unique operational needs:
- Visitor center booking and merchandise sales
- Donation processing with multiple payment method support
- Financial management with local banking requirements
- Staff workflow optimization across multiple locations
- Website performance and hosting optimization for local users
- Modern payment solutions for diverse visitor demographics
Design Phase (September-October 2024)
Our team designed a unified Odoo solution that would replace their fragmented systems:
- Point of Sale system for visitor operations (replacing manual QuickBooks imports)
- Integrated booking system (eliminating manual Google Calendar updates)
- Local hosting optimization for Cambodia-based users
- Comprehensive payment integration with Acleda Bank support
- Localized invoicing system supporting Khmer language
- Streamlined website without plugin bloat
Deploy Phase (November 2024-Present)
We implemented the solution in phases, ensuring minimal disruption to APOPO's critical operations:
- Odoo POS system deployment with advanced payment capabilities
- Website migration and hosting optimization
- Staff training and change management
- Scope Expansion: When APOPO's accounting and admin team saw the potential of the unified system, we expanded the project to include:
- Accounting module with Acleda Bank reconciliation
- Purchase management for operational efficiency
- Advanced payment processing capabilities
- Ongoing support and optimization
The Success: Mission Amplified
The transformation speaks for itself through the voices of APOPO's team:
Tom, Marketing Director, shared the impact:
" Odoo makes it easier to show visitors how they train rats to detect landmines, and visitor numbers went up by 60% compared to previous year. All the functions that staff used to do on different platforms are now much simpler and user friendly. Staff do less repetitive work that's prone to errors. It saves staff time, receptionists can leave earlier. "
Sambath MEAS, the Visitor Center Manager, highlighted the operational transformation (Khmer language):
"Odoo integrates many functions into one place: book tickets, sell merchandise, connect to banks for payment. This makes it a lot easier for staff and also for tax reports."
Measurable Results:
- 60% increase in visitor numbers year-over-year
- 50% user growth (from 8 to 12 users) as operations expanded
- Eliminated manual double-entry: No more printing POS sales for QuickBooks import
- Zero booking conflicts: Automated synchronization between walk-in and online bookings
- Faster website performance: Local hosting and streamlined architecture
- Enhanced payment options: Supporting diverse visitor payment preferences
- Improved staff efficiency with earlier departure times
- Enhanced mobility - staff can work from anywhere, not tied to specific machines
Technical Achievements:
- Replaced WordPress plugin chaos with streamlined Odoo website
- Migrated hosting from Europe to Cambodia for optimal local performance
- Custom Acleda Bank Integration: Developed by Innolabs for seamless payment processing
- Localized Invoicing: Khmer language support for local compliance and accessibility
- Advanced POS Payment Solutions: Credit card terminal integration, online payments, QR code payments, and tap-to-pay functionality
- Mobile Payment Apps: Custom-developed payment applications for modern transaction methods
- Automated bank reconciliation processes
- Unified booking system eliminating manual Google Calendar updates
- Direct POS-to-accounting integration (no more manual imports)
- Streamlined donation processing with multiple payment method support
- Mobile-accessible system for field operations
- Unified reporting for tax compliance and operational insights
- Real-time inventory management for merchandise sales
Innovation Spotlight: Cambodia-First Payment Solutions
One of the standout achievements of APOPO's transformation was the implementation of Innolabs' proprietary payment solutions, developed specifically for the Cambodian market:
- Acleda Bank Integration: Custom-built connectivity ensuring reliable, secure transactions
- Multi-Modal Payment Support: Credit cards, online payments, QR codes, and contactless tap-to-pay
- Localized Interface: Khmer language invoicing for local staff and compliance
- Mobile-First Design: Payment apps optimized for Cambodia's mobile-centric economy
These innovations ensure that APOPO can serve their diverse visitor base - from local Cambodian students to international tourists - with payment methods that feel familiar and secure.
The Ripple Effect: Organization-Wide Transformation
The success of APOPO's Cambodia operations didn't go unnoticed. Based on the dramatic improvements in efficiency and visitor growth, APOPO's head office in Europe decided to implement Odoo across all their international branches.
This expansion demonstrates the scalability and effectiveness of the solution - what started as a local visitor center optimization has become a global organizational transformation.
Experience APOPO's Transformation Yourself
Want to see the results of this transformation in action? The very systems we built for APOPO are now serving visitors and supporters worldwide:
🎁 Support Their Mission: If you'd like to contribute to APOPO's life-saving work, you can donate securely via credit card through their Odoo-powered donation system.
🎯 Visit the Visitor Center: Planning a trip to Siem Reap? Experience their educational programs firsthand and book your visit through their streamlined Odoo booking platform.
Both platforms showcase the seamless integration, local payment processing, and user-friendly design that contributed to their 60% visitor growth - all built entirely in Odoo.
The Transformation: Technology Serving Mission
APOPO's journey from technological chaos to operational excellence demonstrates what's possible when the right technology partner understands your mission. Their 60% visitor growth isn't just a number - it represents 60% more people educated about landmine dangers, 60% more support for their life-saving work.
The elimination of manual processes, plugin-heavy websites, and disconnected systems freed their staff to focus on what matters most: their humanitarian mission.
Watch the full interview of our founder Jeff about this project on Odoo's live webinars series and listen to the client's testimony.
What This Means for Your Organization
If you're leading a humanitarian organization, NGO, or mission-driven enterprise struggling with:
- Slow, plugin-heavy WordPress websites
- Manual data entry between systems
- Geographic hosting mismatches
- Limited payment method support
- Disconnected booking and payment systems
- Time-consuming financial reconciliation
You're not alone. The challenges APOPO faced are common across the sector. But as APOPO's success shows, the right technology partner can turn your tech chaos into mission success.
Ready to Transform Your Operations?
Get Your Custom Plan: Schedule a discovery session to explore how Odoo could transform your operations. Book Your Free Consultation
Start Your Journey: Ready to turn your tech chaos into mission success? Contact our team today
At Innolabs, we believe technology should amplify your mission, not complicate it. Our Cambodia-specific expertise in Odoo implementation, combined with our proprietary payment solutions and localization capabilities, has helped over 50 organizations transform their operations. Let us help you turn your tech chaos into mission success.
Turn Your Tech Chaos Into Mission Success - Contact Innolabs today.