Etihad Cargo, Rotate to develop sales optimisation solutions

Etihad Cargo has partnered with Rotate to co-develop a sales optimisation tool that will identify sales initiatives to support the carrier’s global commercial teams and sales representatives.

A first-of-its-kind tool, Sales Cockpit will analyse data and, using sophisticated custom-built algorithms, will automatically generate recommendations on how the carrier can strengthen customer relationships, including current business and future opportunities.

The carrier is collaborating with Rotate, a Netherlands-based data-driven strategy consultancy with proven cargo expertise, to improve customer service through the enhanced use of data and machine learning. The carrier’s customers will benefit from the carrier’s representatives gaining a more in-depth understanding of their products, routes and requirements.

Etihad Cargo teams and customers to benefit

The tool will 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.

Martin Drew, SVP – Global Sales & 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 EtihadCargo‘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.”

Ryan Keyrouse, MD at 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.”

Etihad Cargo and Rotate have started the development of Sales Cockpit, which is expected to launch within six months.

Following the trials and launch, Sales Cockpit will be available to purchase by other cargo carriers, enabling the wider cargo community to benefit from the sales optimisation tool.