Spotlight

Travel with time

Travel companies bemoan the fact that all is not well in the back-office. What the travel companies really need is a software to keep their accounting in order, as also their destinations. By Anupama Sushil

About two years ago, two foreign players UK-based TRAMS and an Australian travel accounting software company entered India to promote their solutions for the travel industry. But they soon realised that the market was too large for them to understand it completely, which meant that their solutions would not meet expectations.

The travel industry is no stranger to customised software solutions. But it looks like the solution providers do not agree. Little wonder why travel companies are complaining that existing software is just not enough to meet their needs.

The accounting needs of travel businessmen are highly demanding in terms of the complexity of the transactions conducted and other hassles. The boom in the travel industry demands that solutions are offered faster than the problems arise. This raises the need for special software such as travel accounting solutions. Just like those used by banks, travel accounting software can help the company know its business strengths, weaknesses, trends, financial standing and profitability, this after discounting the biggest advantage - that of decision making - as the software has data stored for future analysis.

Self help

For an industry as big as travel, it is surprising that there are very few solution providers who are competent and willing to provide just what businesses want. While the reservation technologies are always talked about, there is a continued 'misplaced' focus on them and the reason solution providers prefer to stay in the background.

Ashwini Sondhi, CEO of travel accounting software developer Sakshyam Services based out of Delhi, laments the dearth of back-office software in this industry. "We need to fill this lacuna, as it is such software that enables travel companies to fulfil their customers' demands. A travel management company is as good as the travel accounting solutions it operates."

Having worked to produce INTRAM (Integrated Travel Management) software for 15 years and a specialised all-encompassing Enterprise Resource Planning and Customer Relationship Management (ERP/CRM) solution for the travel trade, Sondhi wonders at the step-motherly treatment meted out to this sector.

However, just like the IT trade itself, the travel industry too has its share of organised and unorganised players. While the organised players are willing to grow through periodic buying and upgrades of software to boost their business, the concern is mainly for the smaller and unorganised players that have sprung up in large numbers and are usually hesitant to invest in the right tools. Even for the solution providers, catering to large travel businesses is not enough to help spread the word; they are now convincing smaller companies about its long-term benefits to convert them into buyers. It is the lack of information that is a challenge.

In the future

According to Sondhi, INTRAM covers 75 per cent of the total organised market in the country and is striving to get better. The company will soon be launching a web-hosted SOA (service-oriented architecture) so as to make the software available online. The web-based model is expected to help achieve centralisation of data thus facilitating real time analysis.

Keeping in mind the Indian mindset, it will also offer users the option of choosing particular processes instead of selling the entire package. This will help the travel companies minimise costs. The software is expected to be launched in the next six months.

The application will also help to stay connected with GDSs Amadeus and Galileo. Sakshyam has an exclusive technology alliance with Amadeus. This will bring both the companies on par and allow intimate technology sharing. For the moment, solution providers need to get their act together and come up with solutions that are mutually beneficial.