Core Group Sales Support and Optimisation Program

Engagement Overview

e&e were engaged as part of an aviation client’s core Group Sales support and optimisation program that is replacing and optimising the airline’s legacy manual groups quoting and booking systems with a modern, robust and automated, scalable origin and destination route, segment and market type platform using PROS Group Sales Optimisation (GSO) technology. This investment in technology is central to the airline’s group sales revenue and optimisation growth agenda, and will enable the business to deliver quicker, easier quotes and bookings for groups of 10 over 300 guests, travelling domestically or internationally, higher revenue management, better pricing, seat and fare selection options, through tighter revenue management on flights across all markets in the business.

This engagement involved the business requirements and current workflow gathering, application development, project management and execution of a Business Support Model to underpin the implementation of the PROS GSO and the roll out to internal group sales staff and external travel agents.  The implementation commenced with an identification of the minimum viable requirements, and requirements that could be rolled out in future stages, end-to-end testing of workflow logic, originating with a core group of internal and external agents, on a select multi origin, return and one-way domestic route types, then followed by rollout to all of the client’s domestic and international routes.

Scope of work

A key part of this engagement was the Business Support Model to underpin the implementation of GSO release. As part of the Business Support Model, a wide range of internal business, information management and airline and external travel agent stakeholders were engaged in order to identify key implementation milestones and related business activities (e.g. changes to airline processes, UAT, User Training, release Go-live, IT helpdesk fault resolution training and future BAU release activity training, Roll out and release.  The implementation phase ensured that all GSO users and support teams were appropriately trained in the system in a timely and effective manner.  Business procedures that were required to support end users were also delivered via this model.  Both User Acceptance Testing and Dress Rehearsals were planned and completed to meet all of the defined and agreed exit criteria.

As part of the implementation governance and go-live sign-off process, a total of 15 business stakeholders, 400 external travel agents and 15 international Sabre and PROS application specialists were engaged in order to agree to defined UAT exit criteria, delivery risks (including plans to mitigate/resolve) and any outstanding defects.  This included a full list of workarounds and plans to resolve delivered defects post go-live.

A go-live ‘Command Centre’ was designed and established to support and either resolve or workaround issues that arose both pre, during and post go-live.  A daily stand-up was facilitated, which included core support teams and any parties that were needed to resolve any current or outstanding issues, defects or queries.

Outcome

The implementation and go-live of the GSO release was very well planned, rehearsed and executed, on-time with minimal disruption to internal teams, flights and airline customers.  All workarounds and associated procedure changes were delivered with a quick turnaround in order to overcome any shortfalls or defects.  All delivered risks were clearly identified, articulated and mitigated to the satisfaction of the business and airline industry regulators.

GSO was the largest and first group sales business optimisation project ever undertaken by the client with a combined budget of over $5million.   With the client recognising a significant revenue growth and group sales team headcount optimisation at the release of the phase 1, minimum core production rollout internally and to select core external travel agents.