Location/Region: Fayetteville, AR
Industry: Drone and robotic solutions
Apps implemented: Sales and customer management (CRM, Helpdesk, Subscriptions, Email Marketing), to operations and finance (Inventory, Purchase, Accounting, Expenses, Repairs, Manufacturing, Rental), and people and growth (Employees, Project, Events, Data Cleaning, Website).
Software
Replaced: QuickBooks, Shopify, Stitch Labs, ShipStation and Zendesk
Number of users: 40
Hosting type: Odoo.sh
Imagine your child is home alone and suddenly smells smoke. Within seconds, a drone could be dispatched to the house, providing firefighters with live video before they even arrive. These life-saving moments are what drive Unmanned Vehicle Technologies (UVT), North America’s leading drone and robotics integrator for public safety and enterprise organizations. UVT equips public safety agencies and enterprise organizations alike with end-to-end solutions, including docked drones, remote flight operations, and counter-UAS expertise. To deliver that kind of reliability, UVT turned to Odoo as the unified system that helps them streamline operations, eliminate silos, and stay focused on supporting customers 24/7.
With a growing footprint across 12 states and more than 40 team members, UVT has come a long way since its founding in 2014. Chris Fink started the company out of his spare bedroom in Orlando, Florida, at a time when drones were still a novelty, often mistaken for military equipment, and the industry lacked formal dealers. An IT professional and lifelong “super nerd,” Chris began on the service side: driving to construction sites with his own drone, taking photos, and sending them by email.
As technology evolved, so did the company. Leveraging Chris’s background in IT and public safety, UVT transitioned into selling and supporting drones. What started with a Shopify store and boxes of drones in his apartment quickly grew into a leading value-added reseller with offices in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Flint, Michigan. Today, UVT is recognized as an industry leader in delivering end-to-end mission-critical drone and robotics solutions nationwide, backed by an Always On team dedicated to serving their customers whenever and wherever they need.
"What separates us from our competitors is our dedication to the customer. We are a customer-first organization, whether that means overnighting equipment for an emergency or taking calls at 3:00 a.m. to keep customers' missions moving forward. We are there for them when no one else is."
The Roadblocks Before Odooo
In the early years, UVT relied on a patchwork of systems: QuickBooks handled basic invoicing but lacked inventory and serial number tracking. Shopify powered the online store, but couldn't manage costs or customer lifecycle data. Stitch Labs was added for inventory management, but it was siloed and eventually shut down after being acquired by Square. The team also used ShipStation for shipping and Zendesk for customer support.
This fragmented stack meant data was scattered across systems. Connectors often broke, forcing manual work and delays in answering customers. As Chris recalls:
"Pretty soon, you’ve built a software stack costing over $100,000 a year, with systems that barely integrate. Meanwhile, I’m on the phone with a customer trying to provide answers, and I’m digging through five platforms to figure out what they bought."
How Odoo Transformed UVT’s Operations
Chris discovered Odoo in 2020 while frantically searching Google after Stitch Labs announced its sunset. At the time, he evaluated NetSuite, SAP, Salesforce, and HubSpot. But Odoo stood out immediately.
"The minute I saw Odoo and the way the apps were laid out, I knew this was it. With Odoo, I could see the total picture of the business. Salesforce was going to be a significant investment, plus I’d need a third-party to set it up. HubSpot looked good but when I added up all of the add-ons and modules I would need to get a full ERP experience, it was cost-prohibitive. Odoo gave me scalability and visibility from day one.”
UVT implemented Odoo in October 2020, going live in January 2021, and has been expanding its use ever since. The platform became their single source of truth, replacing a fragmented, failure-prone stack with a connected ecosystem of apps. Today, UVT relies on Odoo across every area of the business, from Sales and customer management (CRM, Helpdesk, Subscriptions, Email Marketing), to operations and finance (Inventory, Purchase, Accounting, Expenses, Repairs, Manufacturing, Rental), and people and growth (Employees, Project, Events, Data Cleaning, Website).
CRM + Sales: The sales team has a full view of every customer lifecycle: leads, deals, invoices, and notes, in one place. No more hunting across five systems.
Inventory & Purchase: Serial number tracking, landed costs, and supplier integration give complete visibility into equipment. “Shopify didn’t do serial numbers. With Odoo, I can see exactly what drone shipped, when, and to whom,” Chris explained.
Accounting: By integrating with sales and inventory, Odoo provides accurate financials without manual reconciliation.
Helpdesk: Every support ticket is tied to the customer record, enabling fast, informed responses, even in urgent 3 a.m. calls from the field.
Recruitment & Employees: Odoo simplified hiring and expense management before UVT moved payroll to a separate HRIS.
Data Cleaning: A newer tool for UVT, this app helps maintain clean records across the growing database. The result has been a drastic reduction in time spent searching for data, a unified view of operations, and the ability to support customers with speed and accuracy.
Website & Marketing: The company’s website runs fully on Odoo, while Adam, the Marketing Manager, is building email campaigns directly inside the system.
"The ability to leverage a connected ecosystem that connects all the dots makes my job way easier when building marketing campaigns."
"With Odoo, I go into one contact and see the entire lifecycle, leads, sales, invoices, bills, tickets, meetings, and notes. The total picture of the business, in one place, is priceless."
What’s Coming Up for UVT
Looking forward, UVT plans to continue expanding its geographic footprint and deepening its role as a trusted end-to-end drone and robotics integration partner for commercial security, logistics, automotive, AEC, first responders, and more. With docked drones and remote operations becoming operational across industries, the opportunities for faster response, safer inspections, and stronger security, are greater than ever.
As technology evolves, UVT is committed to staying ahead of the curve, ensuring their customers always have the best hardware, software, and support available. With Odoo at the core, they are confident in scaling sustainably without losing their
Always On, customer-first DNA.
Unmanned Vehicle Technologies’ story is a powerful reminder of how integrated systems like Odoo can transform businesses that rely on speed, accuracy, and trust. If your organization is struggling with siloed tools, broken connectors, or scattered data, consider what UVT achieved: one platform, full visibility, and scalable growth. Whether in drones, robotics, or any other industry, Odoo helps businesses move faster, serve better, and see the whole picture.
