| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 29/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 30 |
| Copyright: Other |
Bowen and Yorks Travel Group
Intranet service allows after hours shopping
Report by TANYAJEFFERIES
MIDLANDS-based miniple Bowen and Yorks Travel Group intends to introduce a late-night shopping service for customers, following the creation of a private company Intranet.The new system, which was developed with the help of network supplier X-TANT, will allow reservations staff to provide an after-hours service from their own homes.
Group Information Technology manager John Bloor said: “We have a number of staff who left to have children and can’t come back yet but they want to carry on working.
“This will be a means by which they can work if they want.”
Bloor claimed the Intranet would revolutionise communications across the 40-strong agency chain, whose staff previously operated on Sony viewdata terminals that were not connected up to each other. “Both our employees and customers will see immediate benefits, thanks to increased speed of transactions, communications and administration,” he said.
Plans for a bookable Web site for Bowen and Yorks is also underway. And X-TANT is developing new products such as digital brochures and multimedia presentations of resorts for the company to use in the future.
Meanwhile, X-TANT has created a real-time on-line booking system for agents on car park operator BCP’s Web site.
The site now allows agents to get quotes and receive booking references immediately after they make transactions. Confirmation is then sent out by e-mail and post.
BCP marketing director Eric Campus said: “E-commerce is of vital strategic importance to BCP. We need an integrated Web bookings solution for when agents are ready to book this way.”