SubscribeFinding profit in a cost only department, improving efficiency and your relationship with your customer; these are goals being achieved in an increasing number of airports and handling companies.
Splitting a passenger from their luggage and then reunitingthem at their destination is unfortunately not a perfect science. Sometimes baggage, for one reason or another, is lost.According to IATA, airlines handle more than 1.7 billion pieces of luggage every year, one percent of which are mishandled, with each mishandled item of baggage costing the industry US$ 100.
This is where Sky Assist’s range of solutions can help. The Belgian company supplies software which integrates with existing WorldTracer systems to simplify and automate the process of reuniting a passenger with his lost baggage. This results in productivity gains for the handler and an improved service for the customer.
“We offer handling companies, airports and airlines a baggage solution based on their current needs and processes,” says Luc Trentels, founder and Managing Director of Sky Assist. “There are two main visions in our products; to simplify and automate processes in order to add productivity and top class services for passengers.”
Company background
SkyAssist was formed in 2003 to safeguard the investments and efforts of the ‘Product’ team as the remaining and relevant part of Atraxis Belgium. Although a relatively new company, the average experience of the staff is more than fifteen years, and the technology has been inherited with a long development history. “The people that joined the company have a long experience in the air transportation industry, and the products have existed for a long time. For BagAssist it is more than 10 years, but in different technological states,” says Luc Trentels.
Currently there is an office in Belgium and SkyAssist is also partnering with an offshore development company in India conducting not only product development, but also R&D. The offshore team ensures that the products remain current within their IT environment and that the company grows in the future. Constant development of BagAssist is part of company strategy, alongside an effort to safeguard its existing customers in Switzerland and Brussels, and to develop in new areas.
Paris Charles De Gaulle
The first important new customer to join SkyAssist after 2003 was Aéroports de Paris (ADP) in late 2004. Paris CDG handled 51.3 million passengers in 2004. Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Orly have been using BagAssist in their Lost and Found Departments since early summer 2005. According to Nathalie Artis, Contrôleur Administratif, Section Resources et Budget for ADP, the installation of the system was performed step by step at CDG because of the airport’s several different terminals.
“All was setup within 15 days, including an initial ‘test terminal’, but a few months preparation was required to coordinate all the concerned departments,” says Nathalie. Training was an additional consideration at this time.“We had to train about 40 agents and some of them were not familiar with Windows interface…” she says. SkyAssist provided the training required though.
This included an initial session concerning the setting of the database, where an administrator manual was provided. “We received the trainer training course with a useful hints for BagAssist manual that we used to set up our own user manual, adapted to the Aéroports de Paris environment.” She also points out that Sky Assist was available to answer any question anytime in order to help. So far Nathalie has observed improvements at CDG in the quality of the information and the ease with which it is processed,
“the agents now work in an intuitive and interactive and user friendly environment,” comments Nathalie. All updated information is entered into the database, making it easier for the agent to deal with the baggage claim process. “Passengers are provided with documents on which all the information about process and contact are printed on,” she says. “There is less risk of giving the wrong information.”
Portuguese handling
An even more recent addition to the SkyAssist User family is Portuguese handling company GroundForce. The handling company, which has over sixty years of experience in the industry, selected BagAssist and BagAutorush for use in Portuguese airports this Summer. Deployment is currently taking place, but according to Sonia Pinto, DCS Manager at GroundForce responsible for the selection of the product, the solution was found when she was looking for a way to enable agents to issue rush tags.
“Some samples from the ones issued by KLM and BA were shown, but I wondered if there was a better solution, and started looking for it.” says Sonia. “I reached the web site of SkyAssist, found the solutions interesting and much more complete than the rush tag.” The solution will soon be providing a better quality of service to GroundForce’s customers with, Sonia believes, “…less bags left behind and a better and more efficient relationship with the passenger…” The level of automation the BagAssist suite offers has made this possible. “We expect less time lost with activities that today are done manually, and the chance to find bags before they enter the WT system,” explains Sonia.
This will save the company money and also give the next station the opportunity to have an answer to the pax before he arrives “showing, again, a more professional attitude towards the client.” Still, the proof is in the practice, and it is only when the systems are fully integrated and operational that the benefits will be realised. Sonia says: “As in all implementations the worries stay until we see everything working, but I'm confident in the knowledge and experience of SkyAssist staff, and our's, so I believe it all will work ok.”
Growth in the future
The burgeoning client list is testament to the company’s market position and open style of business. An example of this is the User Conference. Prospective clients are invited to attend in order to mix with existing customers. Also a number of agreements enables visits to be organised to departments at airports already using the software.“We don’t even have to be there,” says Luc. “We open up the operations of some of our existing customers because I believe that is the best way to show that implementation was done correctly and on time – that new versions are delivered as promised and that support is duly received.” It is this approach to developing good relationships, combined with a good company reputation that Luc hopes will help him export BagAssist further. “I would like to expand in regions other than Europe where the natural growth is coming from right now,” he says.
Language and culture barriers may necessitate the enlisting of a distribution agent in the Asia region, whereas the potential in the US market may mean localisation of the software. Luc says: “US companies are a little reluctant to be working fully with WorldTracer today, so we are thinking of making an internal tracing module or tool within their station with a set of simple matching rules.” Eighty per cent of the lost baggage is found within the first 24 hours; an internal tool will decrease the number of tracing bags US companies would have to pay WorldTracer for.
SkyAssist also attended the SITA WorldTracer meeting in Miami this year, official recognition that the BagAssist product is working on top of the WorldTracer application. “This is important not only for the users,” says Luc. “But even more for new prospects, assuring them that no application shortage can be expected.”
The productivity benefits of the technology are proven. What remains is a strategic decision about the services delivered to your customers in the future, says Luc. “We can see from the markets that the service mentality is evolving, and that the standard that we are offering to the airlines and passengers is the standard that people are growing accustomed to.” Although you can work without it, as a service-provider, can your passengers live without it?
Product Range:
SkyAssist currently offers the following products as part of the BagAssist suite:
- BagAssist; a web-based, thin client modular product which automates the primary baggage tracing process (suitable for use in the Lost & Found department).
- BagAutorush; a web-based, thin client automated decision support product which helps maximise the timely loading or rushing of misrouted baggage (suitable for Baggage Control department). Additionally, the company offers:
- PaxClaims; a web-based thin-client modular product to handle and automate the passenger and baggage complaints or comments(suitable for a Customer Relation department).
- Web development; the company is able to provide bespoke web application solutions for clients.
