Selected work

Real business. Real challenges. Custom solutions.

Every project starts with understanding the business, not the technology. This is how that approach became practical, intuitive software for Abel Tasman Guides.

Kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand — Project: Abel Tasman Guides

The challenge

Abel Tasman Guides (ATG) is a New Zealand travel company specialising in guided and independent walking and kayaking tours through Abel Tasman National Park.

For years, the company searched for an off-the-shelf booking system that matched the way it operated. Every package either offered unnecessary features or lacked the flexibility it needed.

The business relied on monthly Excel spreadsheets to manage bookings, travel packages, accommodation, guests, transport, catering and dietary requirements. As the business grew, so did the limitations: conflicts and accidental data loss, difficult historical searches, no reliable audit trail, and hours of manual reporting.

The answer wasn’t better spreadsheets—it was software designed around the business.

The solution

I designed and built a completely custom business management system tailored to the way ATG operates.

Built on Microsoft’s Power Platform and Dataverse, it provides a secure, centralised source of information for every trip, guest and operational task. Staff now work with a single system that automates repetitive administration, improves data accuracy and delivers information instantly to staff, accommodation providers, transport operators and caterers.

Anonymised group trips screen from the Abel Tasman Guides system

Key features

One system for the complete operational workflow.

Trips

Select packages
Generate multi-day itineraries
Specify guest, transport and accommodation details
Track progress and payments

Guests

Manage bookings and contact details
Record age and nationality
Capture medical and dietary requirements
Show important warnings

Transport

Pick-ups and drop-offs
Shuttles, kayaks and water taxis
Operators, timing and driver schedules
Bag and passenger movements

Accommodation

Lodges, camping, glamping and B&Bs
Room allocation
Pricing notes
Catering reports

Reporting

Operational reports and driver schedules
Catering lists and flexible filters
Excel output
Stored reports for audit and reprint

Administration

Maintain lookup lists
Manage users
Review basic audit information
Extend the system as needs change

Inside the system

Complex operations made clear.

Trips

Package selection, multi-day itineraries, daily logistics, guest lists and payment progress all stay connected.

Guests

Booking, contact, dietary and medical information is available where staff need it, with clear warnings for important requirements.

Transport

Pick-ups, drop-offs, operators, times, passengers and baggage are coordinated through one schedule.

Accommodation

Room allocations, stay details, pricing notes and catering requirements sit alongside the trip they belong to.

Reporting

Live operational data becomes useful reports for staff, drivers, accommodation providers and caterers.

Booking schedule

Two complementary schedule views support the management of owned B&Bs and connect each booking directly to its group trip.

Automation, reporting and search

The system doesn’t just store information—it works for the business.

Intelligent automation

Selecting a travel package automatically creates the itinerary, trip dates, guest records, accommodation schedules, transport requirements and default activities. Staff avoid repetitive entry while retaining the flexibility to make changes.

Powerful searching

Staff can search hundreds of trips, guests and bookings in seconds—whether they need a particular traveller, upcoming departures or everyone with a specific dietary requirement.

Operational reporting

Reports are generated from live data. Accommodation and catering teams receive accurate, up-to-date guest and dietary information without anyone manually compiling another spreadsheet.

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