SAP has become the first IT vendor that has achieved IATA ONE Order Certification for Order Management with its SAP Commerce Cloud travel accelerator solution.
The e-commerce solution from SAP, now compliant with the industry standard, provides the technology to help its clients create a single view of the customer order, including all products and services purchased, their associated delivery status, any changes or amendments, and payment information.
“Air travel is built on processes and protocols that are over 50 years old,” says Matthias Goehler, head of customer experience industry solutions at SAP. “IATA’s digital transformation program will drive a much- needed change from ticket-centric to customer-centric operating systems, with the ONE Order model as the catalyst.
“The convergence of these new standards with open systems and retailing capabilities of SAP’s e-commerce solution allows airlines to digitally transform, providing more convenience for the traveler and a better service experience along the entire customer journey.”
IATA provides the only official industry certification program in support of the ONE Order standard, which is aimed at modernizing the order management process in the airline industry. It replaces the multiple and rigid booking, ticketing, delivery and accounting methods with the concept of a single customer order record.
The industry-led initiative intends to hold all data elements obtained and required for order fulfillment across the air travel cycle — such as customer data, order items, payment and billing information, fulfilment data and status. By combining this information into a single record, airlines attain a single retail and customer-focused order.
“ONE Order represents a significant simplification of airline back-office processes,” says Yanik Hoyles, director: industry distribution programs (NDC and ONE Order) at IATA. “By combining the back-office with the front-office experience of the customer, airlines will be more efficient and provide customers with a superior service proposition. Companies with ONE Order certification, like SAP, are crucial to delivering on IATA’s mission of helping airlines reduce complexity and become better retailers.”