Simet
Digital transformation project for SIMET SpA, Italy's national bus transportation leader (now FS-BusItalia). Delivered a complete booking platform, customer self-service portal, and operational tools across 7 months. The modernized digital presence supported the company's subsequent acquisition by Ferrovie dello Stato, Italy's state railway group.
SIMET Bus: Digital Transformation for National Transportation Leader
Executive Summary
Complete frontend redesign and development for SIMET SpA, one of Italy’s premier long-distance bus companies, later acquired by FS-BusItalia (Ferrovie dello Stato Group).
Client Profile
| Company | SIMET SpA (now FS-BusItalia) |
| Industry | Long-distance Bus Transportation |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Headquarters | Rossano, Calabria, Italy |
| Fleet Size | 120+ buses |
| Annual Distance | 6 million km |
| Destinations | 250+ across Italy and Europe |
SIMET operates as a key player in Italian intercity transportation, specializing in routes connecting Southern Italy (Calabria, Basilicata) with major cities across the country including Rome, Milan, Turin, Bologna, and Florence.
Project Scope
Deliverables
| Category | Quantity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Web Templates | 25+ | Complete portal interface |
| Email Templates | 5 | Transactional communications |
| Ticket Templates | 4 | Printable travel documents |
| Build System | 1 | Automated development pipeline |
Business Challenge
SIMET sought to modernize their digital customer experience to:
- Increase online conversions with an intuitive booking interface
- Reduce customer support load through self-service features
- Strengthen brand positioning with premium visual design
- Improve mobile engagement with responsive, mobile-first approach
- Streamline operations with integrated email and ticket systems
Solution Delivered
Digital Booking Platform
A complete end-to-end booking experience:
- Smart Search — Intelligent route finder with autocomplete
- Seat Selection — Interactive bus map for seat preferences
- Secure Checkout — Payment integration ready (Gestpay/Banca Sella)
- Instant Confirmation — Automated email with printable tickets
Customer Self-Service Portal
Comprehensive user account features:
- Travel History — Past bookings and upcoming trips
- Ticket Management — Reprint, modify, or cancel bookings
- Loyalty Program — Carta Miglia points tracking
- Profile Management — Personal data and preferences
Operational Tools
Backend-ready templates for:
- Transactional Emails — Registration, receipts, notifications
- Printable Tickets — A6 format with QR code integration
- Content Management — News, blog, and promotional pages
Key Features
For Customers
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| One-click booking | Reduced purchase friction |
| Visual seat selection | Enhanced travel experience |
| Mobile-responsive design | Book anywhere, anytime |
| User onboarding tour | Intuitive first-time experience |
| Multi-language support | Italian/English ready |
For Business
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Modular codebase | Easy maintenance and updates |
| Performance optimization | Faster page loads, better SEO |
| Email automation ready | Reduced manual communications |
| Print-ready tickets | Operational efficiency |
| Analytics-ready | User behavior tracking enabled |
Pages & Sections Delivered
Customer Journey
- Homepage with promotional highlights
- Destination discovery and offers
- Availability search results
- Trip summary and passenger details
- Interactive seat selection
- Payment processing
- Booking confirmation
Informational
- Company profile (About, Fleet, Certifications)
- FAQ and Help Center
- News and Blog
- Press releases
- Career opportunities
- Contact and support
User Account
- Login and registration
- Social authentication (Facebook, Google)
- Personal dashboard
- Travel history
- Loyalty program (Carta Miglia)
Legal & Compliance
- Privacy policy
- Terms and conditions
- Transport regulations
- Cookie consent (GDPR)
Technical Approach
Modern, Maintainable Architecture
- Component-based design for reusability
- Mobile-first responsive layouts
- Optimized performance with critical CSS and image compression
- Cross-browser compatibility including legacy support
- Accessibility considerations with semantic HTML
Quality Assurance
- Tested across major browsers and devices
- Optimized loading times
- Print-ready ticket validation
- Email client compatibility verified
Business Impact
Immediate Benefits
- Professional digital presence matching brand positioning
- Complete booking flow from search to confirmation
- Reduced development time for backend integration
- Consistent brand experience across all touchpoints
Long-term Value
- Scalable foundation for future enhancements
- Maintainable codebase reducing technical debt
- Documentation enabling team onboarding
- Modern standards ensuring longevity
Project Timeline
| Phase | Duration | Deliverables |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery & Setup | 2 weeks | Architecture, build system |
| Core Templates | 8 weeks | Homepage, booking flow, account |
| Content Pages | 4 weeks | Info pages, news, company |
| Email & Tickets | 3 weeks | Transactional templates |
| Refinement | 6 weeks | Client reviews, iterations |
| Finalization | 2 weeks | Documentation, handoff |
Conclusion
This engagement delivered a complete, production-ready frontend system that positioned SIMET for digital success. The modern, responsive design elevated the brand experience while the robust architecture ensured operational efficiency and future scalability.
The quality of this digital foundation likely contributed to SIMET’s attractiveness as an acquisition target, with the company becoming part of FS-BusItalia (Ferrovie dello Stato) shortly after project completion.
Project Type: Frontend Development
Industry: Transportation
Duration: 7 months
Deliverables: 25+ web templates, 5 email templates, printable ticket system