Choosing a System 2008/09 Travel Technology Guide
When you get the supplier responses, translate them into a comparative table. You may
have to dig around in the response, read it a few times or even go back and ask for more
information. Make sure you have everything you asked for and look out for any hidden
costs.
Next stand back and see which suppliers offer most of what you need and invite them to
make a presentation. Even propose the Agenda for the presentation. A presentation
could take most of the day and you don’t want to waste the opportunity or be sidetracked
by a sales pitch. The supplier agenda won’t necessarily match yours! During the
presentation, try and get a good feel for the product. If you’re a tour operator, send the
supplier your brochure beforehand and ask them to demonstrate your product being
handled by their system. If you’re an agent, send them some typical and extreme
booking scenarios and ask to see these being processed.
After the initial presentation, score each supplier and try to get down to a short-list of two
or three, preferably no more. If in doubt, don’t shortlist. Then obtain a precise, written
quote from each short listed supplier and ask for a copy of their Service Level
Agreements. If they don’t have such a thing, ask yourself why not! This is an important
document which should describe what you can expect by way of support and future
system upgrades.
Now for the hardest bit - choosing the supplier. There may be little differentiation and it
may boil down to price. Or it may be chemistry and feeling comfortable with one rather
than another. But remember, it’s not the salesperson that will be your everyday contact.
So maybe call the Help Line or Support Desk and introduce yourself. Ask how they log
support calls, how long they typically take to fix and how many are outstanding when you
call! Listen to how they respond. Do they sound as if they care? Can you understand
them?
Finally, discuss and agree an implementation plan with the supplier. This should cover
hardware as well as software, training and acceptance testing. All quite simple, but you
would be surprised how often this gets overlooked. And a word of caution, no matter how
well you plan, something will go wrong. Anticipate this and discuss it with your supplier.
Remember, the supplier has lots of experience of implementing systems and has
probably seen it all before.
One more thing, often overlooked. How about your staff? Have you briefed them on your
plans? Did they help with the supplier selection? Can you identify internal stakeholders
who will help with the implementation and, possibly, migration from an existing system?
And how might your internal procedures have to change with the introduction of a new
system? Don’t forget training, not just on the new system, but also on new business
processes and customer support.
Hopefully the implementation will not be a disaster and you will soon be reaping the
benefits of your investment. But remember, the relationship between you and the
supplier is no different than any other and the honeymoon period is soon over. No matter
what, try to cooperate with your supplier at all times and avoid a costly divorce in the
future. Because after the divorce you’ll have to start all over again!
Finally, if you think you need outside help, don’t skimp and try to cut corners. The more
you plan and prepare the better chance of a successful implementation.
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