Airline Core Systems Solutions Improving processes. Reducing costs. Retaining customers. BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION. REAL CUSTOMER RETURNS. IMAGINE IT. Imagine it Done c Consulting. c Systems Integration. c Outsourcing. c Infrastructure. c Server Technology.
You need reservations and departure control systems that help you reduce costs, effectively manage your operation as well as enable you to profit from exemplary selling and servicing of your customers. Think of Unisys Airline Core Systems Solutions (AirCore) as a customercentric, profit management system, ensuring value to your customers and value to your bottom line. How can an airline deliver differentiating customerfocused services without heavy spending? 2
PEOPLE. Unisys can help. Unisys is the architect of 3D Visible Enterprise, a new way of seeing the inner workings of an organization that makes predicting the outcome of change a matter of analysis rather than guesswork. The Unisys AirCore suite of solutions is a complete re-think of airline reservations and departure control applications that helps you achieve a 3D Visible Enterprise. The 3D Blueprint design is first and foremost customer-centric focused on the passenger s buying and servicing needs. Unlike predecessor legacy systems, AirCore comprises a set of robust, modular, customercentric solutions that empower you to treat customers like people, not numbers or PNRs. AirCore is based on our unique 3D Blueprint for Passenger Services. AirCore has been designed and developed by an experienced and professional staff who have a deep understanding of the airline business and a sincere dedication to helping airlines succeed. From the earliest days of automation in the airline industry through today, we have a 50-year long and rich history of delivering business-critical cost-effective solutions to our airline clients. And now, advanced technology along with our fresh look at RES and DCS means we offer you a major leap forward in achieving business objectives that were previously out of reach. AirCore facilitates a shift from a product or transactional orientation to one of optimal economic return from streamlined operations and successful customer relationships. AirCore is modular, open and web-based, making it truly platform independent. Legacy systems lead to legacy thinking... Because airlines operate a lot of legacy systems, they tend to all look in the same direction to solve problems, and they don t tend to think in new ways. That hinders their ability to differentiate. Perry Flint, editor of Air Transport World 3
The benefits of differentiation are meaningful and measurable. But you won t find them in a PNR. The PNR customer information model is a key barrier between you and your customers. AirCore employs a comprehensive customer database to direct sales and service functions. Not just a PNR repository, or a frequent flyer tracking system, but a true, customer-centric operational database that captures and uses critical data about your customer and services all systems that have impact on that customer. PROCESSES. Imagine the possibilities: Deliver consolidated relevant information to the employees and passengers who need it. Use real time automated decision-making. Follow each customer s trip to track and proactively correct incidents that might have a negative impact. Quietly sway customers to choose your airline, even when the best schedule or fare is not available. Enrich the interaction between your airline and customers to strengthen the relationship. Speed your staff through processes that are not meaningful to the customer nor add value to the airline. The AirCore Operational Customer Database represents the heart of this fresh new environment for RES and DCS, allowing you to create value for your customers, your staff, your stakeholders and your bottom line. AirCore allows you to empower front-line staff with information about customer interests and preferences. Keep employees all along the value chain informed of customer value (not just frequent flyer status) so they can deliver service based on true customer value. Reach CRM objectives through programs and services that meet individual customer needs. Airline web sites have been somewhat successful in promoting the brand, but they haven t been successful in promoting products or services Travelers are often in need of a greater range of options than is being provided by individual airline web sites. Michael Feldman, IATA 4
Save your valued customers time and reduce your costs. To make the Internet work for you, AirCore allows your customers to perform all their travel needs via your website. You can provide a host of services that let customers know you re thinking about them, including: Access to all accounts, including the ability to simply apply unused tickets, upgrades and points to their booking to preclude the need for multiple telephone calls. A calendar display that identifies upcoming trips for single viewing and handling of their travel plans, rather than separate PNR-by-PNR processes. Recognition of customer preferences, such as automatic selection of preferred airports or airports to avoid when displaying availability of flights. Automatically pre-filling customer information and using favorite itineraries to speed the booking process. Recognition of associations such as friends, family or colleagues who automatically link itineraries for common segment services, such as seating, clearing all from waitlists, and more. Use a customer s preferred communication method for important any time, anywhere notifications. For example, Use email to notify me if there is a flight delay more than six hours before departure. SERVICES. Make a value judgment. To retain customers, you first need to understand their true value not just their frequent flyer status and then automatically use that value to make profitable sales and service decisions. Keep in mind that in some cases, those decisions can turn consistently unprofitable customers away to make room for consistently profitable ones. Unisys uses customer value as one of the key criteria for AirCore functions. Customer value is defined by the airlines, stored in the AirCore Operational Customer Database and used by other AirCore modules along with other key customer information. Unisys AirCore modules have been designed to leverage customer value. Here are just a few of the of AirCore modules with some examples of how they leverage customer value: AirCore SPACE uses (according to airline rules) customer value for on-the-spot overrides of closed inventory for high-value customer availability and waitlist requests. Or, you can direct low-value customers away from high load factor flights. AirCore SPACE also provides stateof-the-art inventory control features and a flexible design to significantly improve the effectiveness of your revenue management system now and in the future. AirCore SEATS recognizes customer value (and customer preference) in seat allocation, assignment, and reseating processes. It also greatly reduces the time your staff spend creating/modifying seat maps and the entire seat management process. 5
AirCore DEPART accesses the Operational Customer Database enabling the customer s value, with whom they re traveling, preferences by type of aircraft, length of trip, and other important factors, to be taken into account when performing business processes like seat assignment, grading, ordering special meals and other services. Check-in and gate agents see customer value and memos for any special handling. Customers with mobile communication devices no longer need to wait at the baggage carousel only to find their bag was not on their flight. Now you can proactively notify them when their bag will arrive and provide an option to choose a delivery location. AirCore DEPART, of course, incorporates security requirements, is trusted-traveler ready and is focused on speeding up check-in and boarding processes both those that are customer-facing and those that take place behind the scenes. AirCore REACT recognizes customer value when reaccommodating passengers. Now your most profitable customers receive the best alternatives for their trip requirements and preferences, and your staff s reaccommodation tasks are greatly reduced through a series of automated plan suggestions and system updates. To improve your service product, customer value and preferences are used to determine appropriate recovery actions from irregular operations. Knowing about an individual customer s excessive disservice experiences allows you to be proactive (and cost-effective) in preventing their defection. Plug. Play. Relax. AirCore is a powerful business tool for airlines and alliances. AirCore speeds your staff through tasks that were previously laborious and timeconsuming so they can focus on actions that truly add value to your airline and your customers. The solution also uses rules and parameters throughout which means that adding a new partner, a new distribution channel or new business rules to your day-to-day airline/alliance operation can be performed by business analysts rather than requiring a full-blown IT development project. AirCore s architectural design is open, modular and uses Object technology, advanced tools and enterprise-strength, mission-critical Open systems to provide the ultimate in system flexibility and independent vendor choice. Unlike your current systems, where time-to-market is seriously curtailed and new ideas compromised, you now have the flexibility to continually and rapidly create new business opportunities. That s because AirCore is designed to provide: Built-in e-commerce. AirCore is an Internet engine. Have an idea? Put it on the web right away without duplicate costs or time-consuming development. Plug-and-play adaptability. This means freedom and speed to integrate new business systems. Information exchange (internal and external). Highly advanced flow of information means no more islands of conflicting data to sort through. And critical new information means you are in a position to make far better decisions. Removal of barriers to business change. AirCore was designed to be inherently flexible in an era of unprecedented change. It will support the needs of your airline for many years to come. 6
Why Unisys. As the architect of 3D Visible Enterprise, as well as the 3D Blueprinting process that takes you there, Unisys offers a more comprehensive vision and more predictability in terms of results. Unisys is collaborative and easy to work with. These are the reasons for our successful, long-standing partnerships with many of the world s leading companies. Today, at Unisys we are a new company known for our global reach, for our comprehensive portfolio of end-to-end services and for our clear, consistent focus on cost and operational improvements. Learn how AirCore can benefit your business. Contact your Unisys representative or visit us on the web at http://www.unisys.com/transportation 7
Learn how AirCore can benefit your business. Visit us on the web at http://www.unisys.com/transportation 2004 Unisys Corporation All rights reserved. Unisys is a registered trademark of Unisys Corporation. All other brands and products registered herein are acknowledged to be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Printed in U S America 6 /04 *41362674-200* 4136 2674-200