Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency…it’s a simple precept for a business model but it’s driving a remarkable story of growth and success at Redfern Travel.
The Bradford-based TMC, which partners with Evolvi for rail ticketing and fulfilment, is in the midst of a business development programme that is bucking recessionary trends and winning client after client as a result of its grasp of the competitive advantage provided by technology.
For Redfern, it’s about light touch and innovation. Light touch in so far as corporate travel booking through Redfern is almost exclusively completed remotely and online…and innovation to manipulate technology to drive easy interaction and huge cost savings for clients.
It’s a long way from the freight company that was Redfern when it was launched in 1937. Various developments led to the establishment of Redfern Travel in the 1960s, when the company operated as a traditional agency. All that started to change in 1999 with the arrival of current MD Ian Wotton, who saw the potential to harness technology to turn Redfern into one of the country’s leading TMCs.
Even so, it was the government’s wide ranging review of public sector procurement in 2003 that really alerted the techno-savvy business to the opportunities for massive growth that online booking and distribution could deliver for the company.
“The OGC ‘Buying Solutions’ initiative opened up massive opportunities for Redfern and we set about ensuring that we won a place on the approved supplier list,” says Commercial Manager Mark Bowers.
The company was up against significant competition from some of the biggest names in international corporate travel – but Redfern’s size and its technologically-driven business model made it extremely agile and hugely cost-competitive.
Mark acknowledges that they had a big task in registering on the government’s radar but they invested in an extremely impressive bid process and an extremely detailed tender document that would position them well.
“It was always going to be price sensitive – but we knew that the system we were developing would enable us to reduce the cost to the customer but obviously we needed partners with the same mindset. Evolvi became a key element in the process because they had made rail booking just about as automated as it could be. Evolvi’s capabilities at the front-end allowed us to concentrate on developing the back-office technology to enable an integrated and fully automated end-to-end solution.”
Redfern’s business model was simple – to move the front end booking activity associated with travel companies to the client by using an online platform.
“We were in effect changing the way that clients communicated travel requests to us – rather than picking up the phone, everything would be done online and booking confirmations would be automated,” says Mark.
Evolvi also provided Redfern with the data that would support value-adding services for clients, such as integrated travel policy compliance, cost-centre allocation, wide ranging management reports, and of course easy access to best available rail fares. Ticket fulfilment was also shifted to desk-top solutions or ticket-on-departure (TOD).
Needless-to-say, Redfern was successful in its bid to government and now has numerous public departments and local authorities on its books, including the Environment Agency and BIS.
Says Mark: “From the outset we recognised that for our online approach to be successful it also had to be value-adding from a client perspective, and not just financially advantageous.
“So we have developed sophisticated automated processes and reports that underpin quality control and integrate seamlessly with client systems. Access to a huge range of data is easy and much appreciated by clients, whether it’s transaction reconciliation, policy exceptions or CO2 comparison reports.”
The overall result, according to Redfern, is a streamlined process that has cut individual transaction costs for some clients from around £40 to a matter of pence. Fifty percent transaction cost reduction is commonplace, according to Mark.
Mark acknowledges that Redfern relies heavily on Evolvi to provide the support it requires in rail booking and ticketing.
“We have a very good relationship with Evolvi – they work very closely with us on implementing any changes we require, they share our enthusiasm for innovation and we work well on achieving common goals. Our business wouldn’t be as effective as it is if we didn’t have our partnership with Evolvi.
“We’re now looking at our next generation offering, which will be even smarter and offer unique levels of functionality….so watch this space.”
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