Solution for a travel agency

Compiling product package

The capacity of accommodation, transport and services is stored in the inventory system. There are also descriptions and pictures of facilities stored there, as well as semi-finished products purchased from partner organizations.

From individual components stored in the inventory system, the product manager combines the product package to be presented under a collective title. Both transport and accommodation is inserted in the package simply by marking the hotel or supported transport lines. The product manager does not address the availability of capacity or costs of individual components in the beginning.

Each package may be part of various catalogues, various places within the tree structure of countries and destinations and may also be classified with respect to the type or category. All relevant code lists are user-editable and so creating a new product line is a question of a minute.

Text descriptions and pictures

To facilitate the tour descriptions, the user has the use of a template defining the outline of the text. The outline consists of paragraphs in a defined sequence. There are simple WYSIWYG tools to edit the paragraphs.

The pictures related to the accommodation, destination, service or transport are stored in the central archive. The user may complete the package with pictures of the object that have been inserted in the package or they may insert new pictures directly from their disc.

Both individual paragraphs and pictures may have a flag as to where the pictures are and are not supposed to be presented, therefore internal text notes will not appear on the website and conversely, pictures that are only at a resolution for the website will not get in the catalogue.

Text descriptions and pictures may be presented:
  • in a catalogue (or when exported to DTP)
  • on websites
  • in retailers‘ terminals
  • to a call centre operator and at branches
  • and the like.

The system makes it possible to copy text descriptions and pictures recorded with each facility to the current product package where such facilities are connected to.

The system also makes it possible to create a new package by cloning an old one, including text descriptions and pictures and to make a new product only by modifying it.

Definition of price list items

A price list item is a unit for which prices are pre-calculated. Price lists are then created from the price list items and dates.

The items are divided into basic prices and surcharges, the item may have a price related to a person, unit, may be related only to some transport options or certain duration of stay. The price may vary depending on individual dates or periods or may remain invariable.

The basic price list items usually consist of a range of capacities. A common price list item „an adult in a double room“ may include two flight tickets, accommodation, insurance, transfer and many other services in some tours.

In order for the system to know what to reserve in case the user selected this item or, conversely, which price list item to use for the capacities currently being reserved, there is a diagram of relations in the system ensuring completion of all related elements, even if the user selects only some of them.

The diagram greatly simplifies work, but is by no means a black box, the user is able to select the relations very accurately and therefore keep a very good track of what is to be reserved later or included in the price.

Calculation of administrative price list

Based on knowledge of both the tour composition and price list items, the system is able to create the so-called „administrative price list“.

For each date and price list item, the pricelist making process gathers information from the inventory system. It will always trace the cost price of all components in real times and amounts of applications, the administrative costs, it will find all related surcharges as well as shopping discounts. The cost price will thereafter be set on that basis.

To ensure absolute certainty of the calculation, the user may compile the so-called „cost bill“ for any price where they are able to see what components they price for the date has been composed of.