http://www.softwaresherpa.com/case-study-eurostar-improves-operational-efficiency-maintenance-and-on-time-performance-with-business-objects/

1. 138
Eurostar
“Eurostar’s objective is to build both business and leisure traffic on the London/Paris
and London/Brussels travel routes. Business intelligence solutions from Business
Objects have helped improve operational efficiency, maintenance, and on-time
performance. These improvements will both enhance customer service and enable
Eurostar to work towards further maximizing capacity.”
Shreya Patel, Head of Business Data Management, Eurostar
Easy Access to Reliable Data
Eurostar believes that providing an excellent
customer experience is fundamental to the
company retaining its position as the primary
high-speed rail service route for business
and leisure customers between London
and Paris/Brussels.
In 2007, the company will benefit from the
opening of the new St. Pancras International
station in London, extending the high-speed
link. To maximize this new service and help
understand its market better, Eurostar
requires a cross-organizational information
management platform that combines
departmental information to attain key
business information in an easy-to-access and
reliable manner. This insight into train
punctuality, maintenance, and customer
experience will enable the company to
maximize operational efficiency and deliver
excellent customer service.
Patel explains, “A single, consolidated
information platform will enable improvements in
both business efficiency and the customer
experience.”
BI Enhances Operational
Performance
Eurostar is using business intelligence (BI)
technology to attain insight into operational
performance from a range of data sources.
The company uses BusinessObjects Web
Intelligence to provide staff with the ability to
query, report, and analyze information stored
in various business applications. Users can
monitor components that impact customer
satisfaction—such as data on customer
complaints, train maintenance, punctuality, as
well as information on finance, procurement,
and IT performance.
To share key information quickly with a larger
number of users, Eurostar uses
BusinessObjects Broadcast Agent Scheduler to
CHALLENGE
1 To optimize
operational
performance
1 To achieve a single
view of the
customer
experience
SOLUTION
1 BusinessObjects
Web Intelligence,
BusinessObjects
Broadcast Agent,
and
BusinessObjects
Scheduler to deliver
web-based reports
and analysis
BENEFITS
1 Improved
information
relevance and
timeliness
1 Improved on-time
performance
through automated
reporting
1 Enhanced customer
service
OPTIMIZATION OF PASSENGER AND FREIGHT TRANSPORTATION
United Kingdom

2. 139SERVICES
automatically distribute reports via multiple media
including the web and email distribution. Blueprint
Management Systems has worked closely with
Eurostar to architect these BI solutions.
“Eurostar’s objective is to use Business Objects BI
solutions to deliver accurate and consistent
information across the business,” says Patel.
Increased Market Share Via
Excellent Customer Service
Eurostar now has the ability to track, understand,
and manage key business drivers for customer
satisfaction, including train punctuality and
customer service. Staff receive daily automated
reports that update them on the status of train
maintenance and alert them to delays. More timely
and improved access to information is enabling the
company to respond faster to customer complaints
and manage the refund process more efficiently.
The BI solution is also providing greater financial
insight. Spend analysis per cost-center supports
analysis of the impact of ticket sales on
revenue/yield. Eurostar is also undertaking
analysis of its procurement processes—combining
vendor response history, lead time, and contract
monitoring with volume and business value.
Eurostar has already improved operational
efficiency, leveraging enhanced information to
respond faster to customer complaints.
Looking forward, the company plans to combine
information on service performance—including
staff levels and punctuality—with customer
feedback to gain a comprehensive understanding
of customer behavior and the overall customer
experience.
The company is also planning to extend its BI
infrastructure through the use of BusinessObjects
Data Integrator to consolidate information from
disparate data sources across the company. This
tool will help Eurostar attain a complete view of its
customers and give management with access to
critical information to drive improved performance
and higher capital returns.
Improved customer insight will play a key role in
determining the ways of managing customer care
and relationships when the new high-speed link is
opened in 2007.
Excellent customer service is fundamental to
Eurostar’s success. Business Objects solutions are
a key factor in providing us with a comprehensive
view of our operational performance. As a result,
we can drive customer satisfaction and loyalty for
tomorrow.
About Eurostar
1 Activity:
High-speed rail service
1 Sales figures:
£214 million
1 Staff:
1,500
1 Date founded:
1994
Eurostar is a fast rail service directly linking the UK to France and Belgium via the
Channel Tunnel. Eurostar runs up to 14 services to Paris and nine to Brussels daily.
The company has a 57% share of the London/Brussels route and a 65% share of the
London/Paris route.
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