Personalisation, social responsibility ramp up for reservation systems

Hogia: new customers

Elsewhere, Hogia Ferry Systems has signed with three new customers in the past 12 months – Orkney Ferries in Scotland, Lakeway Link in Sweden and AG EMS in Germany – for its BOOKIT reservation system. It is also tightening its collaboration with Irish Ferris by integrating their freight business into BOOKIT. “This is a huge project we have been working on for a year now and we are planning for go live this autumn,” comments Hogia customer service manager and sales executive Maria Åkersten. 

“Regarding new developments and products, we constantly improve BOOKIT. With every new customer and every new release, new functionality is added. With the projects we are running now, there are two main areas we have been focusing on: freight for Irish Ferries and Lakeway Link, and ticketing for AG EMS and Orkney Ferries. The latter will also be of utmost importance for at least three of the ferry operator prospects we are working on. “

Freight has always been a part of BOOKIT core functionality, as many customers offer a lifeline service to island communities and freight is required. However, when Hogia signed with Bluebridge StraitNZ in 2022, it was the “starting point”, says Ms Åkersten, for Hogia to focus even more on freight and further enhance its offering.

“With the additions we are doing for Irish Ferries Freight and for Lakeway Link, being a 100% roro company, we can definitely say BOOKIT is very capable on the freight side,” she comments. 

She says, “We focus on ferry companies where most bookings are made and paid in advance of travel, and where the ferries have capacity restraints. However, many of our customers do have show-and-go customers, so it is necessary to have a strong offering when it comes to taking bookings, ie issuing tickets at time of departure using a handheld or a self-service ticket kiosk. This is also an area we are currently focusing on.” 

Apart from customer-driven developments, the company is also working on internal projects, including rewriting the finance module in BOOKIT. It will take another year before it is finalised. Hogia has also been working on moving from SOAP to REST method for the BOOKIT API and it estimates it will be another couple of years before everything is moved over. 

Ms Åkersten comments, “Our API is probably the most extensive in the market so it’s a huge BOOKIT project. Our customers are using the BOOKIT API for different purposes, most commonly their web booking site but also to develop their own self-service kiosks, integrations, apps etc. As our approach to the API is “buy it once and use it as much as you want without any extra cost”, we encourage our customers to develop their business. The more they use it, the better.”

Hogia is also moving to .NET8, which should hopefully be completed later this year. Looking ahead to trends, Ms Åkersten comments that AI is typically on the agenda. It has appointed an AI lead and is constantly being updated on relevant AI opportunities. Hogia uses GitHub Copilot as its ’AI pair programmer’ on one of tests it is doing in this field.

E-Dea: hyper-personalisation

Meanwhile, E-Dea chief commercial officer Marco Pavoncelli says the key developments shaping the future of ferry travel are mainly focusing on hyper-personalisation through data analytics, user experience enhancement and new-generation loyalty management tools. 

He explains, “Multiple studies indicate a rapid decline in revenue from traditional loyalty programmes, prompting businesses to explore alternative strategies such as subscription models and personalised, integrated reward systems. This trend is not limited to the ferry industry; similar patterns are evident across other travel sectors, including airlines, cruise lines, and lodging. Subscription models are gaining popularity as a modern approach to loyalty, encouraging recurring use.” 

In response to this shift, E-DEA has recently launched enhanced and redesigned capabilities of its software products for subscriptions and customer profile management. “Ferry companies can now easily implement subscription-based pricing, allowing customers to pay a monthly or annual fee for unlimited or discounted access to services and purchase ticket bundles at special rates. This approach fosters loyalty and ensures a steady revenue stream,” says Mr Pavoncelli.

Mr Pavoncelli underlines that enhancing the user experience and user interface of ferry booking systems is “crucial to overcoming the complexity that often characterises this process”. Unlike airline, hotel or cruise bookings, ferry bookings frequently involve multiple variables, such as vehicle types, passenger accommodation categories, and complex multi-leg itineraries. 

To create a technologically advanced and user-friendly experience, in 2024, E-Dea deployed a completely revised user interface of its flagship software products, its eBooking ferry reservation system and eBoarding for check-in and port automation, implementing guided flows that break down the process into simple, manageable steps with clear instructions and progress indicators, incorporating several cutting-edge technologies.

E-Dea’s R&D division is continuously implementing new data-driven solutions to enable hyper-personalisation and behavioural pricing, tailoring every aspect of the booking and travel experience to individual passenger preferences. 

“By employing sophisticated data analytics and machine learning, the operators can craft highly individualised travel suggestions, personalised promotional offers, upsell opportunities, and flexible management options for bookings,” says Mr Pavoncelli.

He adds, “Additionally, AI offers great opportunities in terms of anomaly detection and fraud prevention. It can detect unusual booking patterns that may indicate fraudulent activity, enhance transaction security by verifying user identities as well as using predictive models to detect and prevent fraudulent activities in real time.

Moreover, sentiment analysis enables ferry operators to analyse the opinions expressed by passengers in various forms of feedback. AI can analyse user feedback and sentiment from reviews and social media to identify areas for improvement and personalise future interactions. Positive feedback might trigger discount rewards, while negative feedback could prompt personalised apologies or compensations.”

In 2024, E-Dea released R5, the fifth generation of its software platform that includes a major upgrade of eBooking and eBoarding. 

It is running several projects this year to bring the value of this new software generation to its existing customer base, represented by some of the largest ferry companies in EU.

Since Q2 2024, all new E-Dea contracts are based on delivery of R5 software, including two new projects in pipeline for port automation. Mr Pavoncelli says these initiatives aim to deliver a proven solution and a streamlined workflow for managing the boarding process of passengers, vehicles and freight by integrating advanced automation tools such as self-service kiosks, gate kiosks, OCR cameras, mobile handheld devices and passenger turnstiles.

Recompany: cruisePAL

MariApps Marine Solutions, Rescompany and OnboarD Software recently launched cruisePAL, a suite of web-based, cloud-ready solutions offering modern functionalities to the cruise industry for better operational efficiency and enhanced customer service. The companies say they aim to “revolutionise the cruise industry” with cruisePAL.

One of the cruisePAL solutions is cruisePAL SMS/POS, which helps users to manage onboard hotel operations, starting from managing reservations, checking in guests, and handling daily business until guest check out.

cruisePAL POS manages the work of bars, restaurants, boutiques, casinos, SPAs, and concessioner outlets. It provides immediate sales visibility, supports complex discounts and fees, and allows crew members to easily switch between outlets. The accompanying POS Management module facilitates inventory deductions, product management, and sales reporting. It allows for centralised setup and synchronised data between onboard and onshore systems. The historical data analysis ensures optimal inventory management and guest satisfaction.

Another cruisePAL SMS module is cruisePAL Inventory. This is tailored to improve cruise lines’ material flow, from sourcing to procurement across various stock items, ranging from food and beverage to uniforms and onboard boutiques. cruisePAL Inventory handles everything with precision, providing real-time updates from POS.

Additionally, cruisePAL Inventory goes beyond basic inventory management, offering advanced demand planning and forecasting by utilising historical data for insights based on factors such as region and age group. 

cruisePAL Central Supply Chain management synchronises data between shore and ship, providing ease of use for product creation, pricing adjustments and inventory documentation, securing smooth operations.

MariApps Marine Solutions, Rescompany and OnboarD Software add, “Cruise lines can transform their purchasing process with innovative cruisePAL Procurement. By automatically converting order requests into multiple strategically sourced purchase orders based on competitive bids, the system guarantees the best value for spend, streamlines the procurement cycle, and empowers cruise lines to focus on growth rather than manual processes.

Rescompany chief executive Peter Winqvist sums up, “Any cruise line can grow its business with confidence using cruisePAL scalable solutions. With cruisePAL flexible deployment options and scalable architecture, it can easily expand the operations and accommodate future growth without disruption.”

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