Upgrade Branding and Booking solutions

Engagement Overview

An aviation client’s contractual alignment with another airline resulted in a major project to upgrade branding and booking solutions via the client’s eCommerce department and the upgrade and changes to booking engines, including Internet, mobile, agent and corporate portals and included changes to current reporting and additional reporting requirements on all websites and portals. This investment in technology will enable the business to deliver product alignment and reporting across both companies, resulting in higher revenue management, better pricing, routing, fare, seat and meal selections for all customers travelling on the Trans Tasman route.

This engagement involved the review and upgrade of all websites and portals, review of all back end data requirements between two key partner airlines to ensure that guests on either carrier and the carrier knew exactly what they were entitled to, review and updating of current reporting requirements, updates to training material and processes for customer facing and back of house teams. Engaging with external vendors to ensure that the data changes would not impact current bookings and ticketing. The implementation commenced with an identification of the data, reporting and business intelligence requirements, information technology, architecture, and security build requirements and then followed by build and rollout. Combining eCommerce, business and information technology architecture streams in the one project.

Scope of work                                                    

As part of the project, a wide range of internal business, information management, website design and infrastructure stakeholders were engaged in order to identify key implementation milestones and related business activities.  The implementation phase ensured that all users and support teams were appropriately trained in the system, and in the business intelligence applications in a timely and effective manner.  Business procedures, including those 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 30 business stakeholders, 10 on-shore and offshore information technology 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 solution was very well planned, rehearsed and executed, on-time with minimal disruption to the client. 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.

This solution enabled the airline to increase revenue in the specific route, and offered customers a wider range of options. Revenue increased by $800K in the first 6 months post go live.