Carryyerbag case study
Bags is a new business venture, aimed at serving walkers and cyclists, using the Auk’s network of pathways and cycle routes. The intention is to provide an Integrated service, allowing customers to book accommodation stops along their route, and guaranteeing that their luggage will be transported between stops – being collected after they leave one night’s stay, and delivered to their next stop before pm. Carriageways will coordinate existing accommodation and transport providers, and not provide either service directly.
Holiday makers should be allowed to browse routes, before beginning to book a holiday. See http://www. Nationally. Co. UK/ for information on the types of walk to be catered for, and http://www.
Austrian. Org. UK/ NC/map/themed-routes for some great cycle routes. Flexibility is the key requirement for holiday makers. Many people will be constrained by a time period first (typically one or two weeks), and may wish to undertake one of the longer routes over several vacations. There are no fixed routes rates of travel – each customer should be able to choose a daily distance, and select from a variety of properties
Nothing certain distances.
Some customers may choose a town or landmark that they Knish to stop at, or may select a specific start or end point. Carriageways sees the ability to respond to as many different constraints as possible, to be a key selling point for their service. Depending on the amount of time between the booking and the planned trip, some of the more popular accommodation may be fully booked. Again, flexibility is the key requirement. Nearby alternatives will usually be a good option, but some customers who may be planning a ‘5-star’ holiday (or the cheapest possible holiday! May prefer a more radical change of current bookings. Final confirmation must be made at some stage, but some mechanism for ‘provisional’ bookings could be provided, in order to allow an entire trip to be planned before any one part is confirmed.
Hotels and hostels will expect final bookings to be paid for, subject to some stated cancellation policy. The policy should be proposed as part of this exercise. Accommodation businesses will not be working exclusively, or even primarily, for Carriageways. They will continue to take reservations from customers not using our service.
It is the case, however, that even on the more popular trails, there is an over-supply of accommodation, and our service is expected to provide a significant increase in occupancy rates for participating hotels.
This will be a major factor in encouraging hotels etc. To participate in the scheme. Accommodation businesses will provide Carriageways with information regarding their current bookings, so that customers of Carriageways will be able to check required room availability while they are using our service. Carriageways will need to provide a mechanism for participating hotels to update availability, as reservations are made.
Precise details of this mechanism are not yet planned, but must be convenient and simple to use. It is envisaged that any ‘provisional’ bookings will be managed by Carriageways, until such time as the customer confirms.
In the mean time, participating hotels may continue to take reservations from other customers, and our customers should be made aware to this. As Witt the accommodation, the transportation of luggage will be physically done by existing taxi, or other delivery, companies. Carriageways will provide the management of the operations, and will need to provide a simple means for customers to label their luggage at the hotel.
An efficient system is required that does not require customers to complete their travel details at each stop, and guarantees that their luggage will be delivered to the right place at the right time. Transportation companies will be paid per trip (defined in advance, and related to the distance involved) and for a maximum number of bags per trip (to a maximum stated size and weight) per mile.
It is in Carriageways interest to ensure that the most effective allocation of luggage to trips. Transportation companies will agree in advance as to which trips they are prepared to work on, and may be reserved for trips up to a week in advance.
Once reserved, they will operate their normal taxi’ service – making their own arrangements as to which driver to allocate to each particular Journey. It is planned for several firms to operate overlapping services, so that there should be no problem with making a booking, as long as enough notice is given. Carriageways is totally dependent on other companies in order to operate.
It is vital that information systems are in pace to allow proper monitoring of and reaction to events at these companies. It is also vita for our long-term success, that we are able to plan using historical data.
