Etihad Cargo, Rotate partner; co-creates tool to boost customer service

Etihad Cargo, Etihad Airways' cargo and logistics subsidiary, has collaborated with Rotate to co-create a sales optimisation tool that will discover sales ideas to assist the carrier's worldwide commercial teams and sales professionals to add value to client relationships.

The first-of-its-kind tool, Sales Cockpit, will analyse data and give recommendations on how Etihad Cargo can develop client relationships, including an overview of existing business and future potential, using advanced custom-built algorithms.

Etihad Cargo's development of the Sales Cockpit is the next stage in its digitisation journey, which seeks to improve the customer experience. Rotate, a Netherlands-based data-driven strategy consulting firm with established cargo experience, is cooperating with the airline to improve customer service through the improved use of data and machine learning.

Martin Drew, Senior Vice President – Global Sales & Cargo, Etihad Cargo said, “Digitalisation is already revolutionising the air cargo sector. Etihad Cargo will use Sales Cockpit to further improve customer service and strengthen partnerships, enabling more meaningful interactions with customers and a more tailored approach to meeting customer requirements. Sales Cockpit will effectively put all the information Etihad Cargo's sales representatives would need to develop stronger customer partnerships in the palms of their hands, providing actionable, algorithm-generated suggestions and initiatives based on customer-focused data. This depth of understanding into the carrier's customers is critical to achieving Etihad Cargo's vision of being the air cargo partner of choice.”

Etihad Cargo's customers will benefit from the carrier's representatives gaining a more in-depth understanding of their products, routes and requirements. Using the tailored sales initiatives Sales Cockpit proactively provides, Etihad Cargo will build stronger relationships with the carrier's partners and customers, sharing insights and suggestions to help Etihad Cargo's customers achieve their cargo business objectives.

Ryan Keyrouse, Managing Director, Rotate said, "Partnering with Etihad Cargo to build the Sales Cockpit will give us unique access to an innovative team to validate the solution and maximise adoption. We are working as one team to unlock the full potential of digitalisation and enable Etihad's sales teams to have more engaging discussions with their customers."

Sales Cockpit will also make the customer journey more efficient and seamless, reducing information overload by using machine learning to provide each representative with customised sales initiatives. The digital solutions will effectively match recommendations to boost sales and strengthen customer relationships with the representative who will find them most useful. Based on the representatives' responses to the automatically generated suggestions, recorded actions and results, Sales Cockpit's algorithms will adapt to each individual, enabling it to make more customised and targeted future recommendations.

Etihad Cargo's commercial teams will also have access to updated data analysis that will provide a real-time snapshot of the carrier's business on particular routes, with individual customers and by product, so representatives can offer tailored solutions to each customer. The sales initiatives automatically recommended by Sales Cockpit will provide the information and tools required to capture new business and develop existing partnerships. Sales Cockpit users will also have visibility of the carrier's business with key accounts across Etihad Cargo's entire network, enabling them to benchmark regional performance against other regions, further helping them to identify additional opportunities on a global scale to help customers achieve their tonnage targets.

Etihad Cargo will further professionalise client relations via the clever use of technology with the launch of Sales Cockpit. Etihad Cargo and Rotate have begun work on Sales Cockpit, which is scheduled to be available in six months. Following the testing and launch, additional cargo carriers will be able to acquire Sales Cockpit, allowing the whole cargo community to profit from the sales optimisation tool.