SOUTHLAKE, Texas, July 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The COVID-19
pandemic drastically changed the way in which organizations
operate, with a survey by McKinsey1 showing that
responses to COVID-19 have increased the rate of adoption of
digital technologies by several years. Working remotely became the
new normal almost overnight, and as such there was a need to
rapidly accelerate digital transformation.
One area in which businesses have had to adapt is customer
implementation. As international lockdown measures prohibited
face-to-face interactions, digital delivery capabilities became a
priority.
Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), a leading software and
technology company that powers the global travel industry,
recognized the needs of clients during this challenging time and
the necessity to innovate quickly. The Company took rapid action to
employ technology and resources to transform to digital-only
onboarding (integrating and acquainting customers with the Sabre
platform), ensuring that the delivery was quick, simple and
efficient for customers, from airlines to agencies.
Typically, implementation processes involve working hand and
hand with the customer on the data migration, holding a
comprehensive series of face-to-face meetings and training
sessions, and thereby quickly establishing a good communication and
trust between all parties, something that is critical for the
change management. Having to change to a virtual-only
implementation process almost overnight involved rapid
transformation, innovation and adaptability.
"When Sabre was thrust into the remote work environment, we did
not let our inability to physically work side-by-side with our
customers get in the way of delivering on our commitments," said
Cem Tanyel, Chief Services Officer
at Sabre Travel Solutions. "The way in which our teams at Sabre and
our customers have collaborated to pioneer complex migrations
virtually is truly impressive. Through adaptability, agility and
innovation, we have been able to deliver successful implementations
under new and challenging circumstances. We have gained valuable
insights that have and will continue to change the way in which we
operate in the years to come."
On the airline front, since the beginning of the pandemic,
multiple airlines, including ASKY, which is the first Sabre-hosted
carrier in the west and central African market, Croatia Airlines,
Gulf Air, and Vietnam Airlines, successfully migrated to Sabre
Revenue Optimizer, Sabre's leading revenue optimization solution,
via remote delivery.
Croatia Airlines migrated in August
2020. Implementation for this complex project was planned on
site for H1 2020, but when the pandemic unexpectedly stopped all
traffic, technology implementation and training had to be handled
virtually. Remote sessions leveraging virtual collaboration
tools allowed for a continuous flow of group conversations and live
interactions as well as project documentation accessible to all
team members at any time. The project teams at Sabre and Croatia
Airlines adapted to the change in circumstances, coming together
and collaborating in a constructive, transparent, and productive
way, reducing the geographical distance, and ensuring the success
of the project.
Additionally, on the airline side, Japan Airlines' migration to
Sabre Crew Manager, which helps airlines control total crew cost
while improving productivity, was also completed remotely.
On the agency side, despite the turbulent times, Sabre delivered
an on-time implementation with BIDTravel, the leading
business and leisure travel network in Southern Africa, and the cluster head of
Rennies BCD Travel, Quadrel Travel Management t/a CWT, Travel
Connections and Harvey World Travel. Sabre virtually mobilized
global teams across five different time zones to accelerate the
"go-live"; providing BIDTravel with the right technology to help it
rebuild consumer confidence to travel, while crafting
differentiated experiences.
"We had resources sitting in excess of 18 countries,
remotely across the globe, and were able to achieve a project
that typically takes between nine and 12 months in just
three months," said Herby Seedat, CIO, BIDTravel. "To operate
in a multitude of countries remotely, meet an accelerated project
delivery timeline and to achieve all of this virtually is
digital transformation at its best."
Further to this, Royal Travel, one of the leading travel
companies in the United Kingdom,
signed a multi-year agreement with Sabre in December. Royal Travel
implemented Sabre's intelligent GDS platform, Sabre Red 360,
allowing it to harness more data, content and flexibility to
differentiate its offering, manage its operations and workflow more
effectively and to help agents offer their travelers an enhanced,
more personalized experience.
Despite the challenging environment, Royal Travel's businesses
were successfully migrated to Sabre using an entirely digital
program, which included virtual scoping completed ahead of signing
the contract to increase the pipeline velocity. The delivery was
particularly complex as, in addition to a website and call center,
Royal Travel has a vast network of sub-agents who had to be
considered in the implementation process. Sabre delivered virtual
training to many of these sub-agents in their native language of
Urdu, thereby helping minimize the change management risk.
"Sabre has shown great commitment and support towards our
fast-evolving needs during this challenging time," said
Waseem Majid, Director of Royal
Travel. "The rapid implementation of Sabre's innovative solutions
and tools meant that we could respond to the new market demands and
provide personalized travel offers to each customer."
"The pandemic has permanently changed the travel ecosystem
requiring all players to evolve. Sabre is embracing this change and
using it as a catalyst to innovate and drive forward in
collaboration with our customers," added Tanyel.
About Sabre Corporation
Sabre Corporation is a leading software and technology company
that powers the global travel industry, serving a wide range of
travel companies including airlines, hoteliers, travel agencies and
other suppliers. The company provides retailing, distribution and
fulfilment solutions that help its customers operate more
efficiently, drive revenue and offer personalised traveller
experiences. Through its leading travel marketplace, Sabre connects
travel suppliers with buyers from around the globe. Sabre's
technology platform manages more than $260B worth of global travel spend annually.
Headquartered in Southlake, Texas,
USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the
world. For more information visit www.sabre.com.
SABR-F
Contacts:
Media
Kristin Hays
kristin.hays@sabre.com
Heidi Castle
heidi.castle@sabre.com
Investors
Kevin
Crissey
sabre.investorrelations@sabre.com
1 McKinsey, How COVID-19 has pushed companies
over the technology tipping point—and transformed business forever,
October 5, 2020
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SOURCE Sabre Corporation