WO2016041016A1

WO2016041016A1 - Travel rostering tool, system and method

Info

Publication number: WO2016041016A1
Application number: PCT/AU2015/050557
Authority: WO
Inventors: Garry Robert Back; Vaughan Gerard De Vos
Original assignee: Inx Software Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2014-09-17
Filing date: 2015-09-17
Publication date: 2016-03-24
Also published as: AU2014101398B4; CA2961265A1; AU2023202149A1; AU2021202529A1; AU2014101398A4; AU2015318829A1

Abstract

A data management tool, method and system for rostering travel for a number of individuals. The tool provides access to a record of profiles for the number of individuals, access to a travel booking provider and a roster plan compiler arranged to create a roster plan including details from the record of profiles of the individuals to travel, travel departure and arrival locations for each individual, travel mode availability details, and date and time of travel; and the compiler provides the created roster plan to the booking provider to book required travel for the individuals consistent with the roster plan. The tool may also synchronise the profile data of each individual traveller held by a travel booking engine with workforce details maintained in workforce records to ensure consistency of records.

Description

TRAVEL ROSTERING TOOL, SYSTEM AND METHOD

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001 ] The present invention relates to rostering of travel for individuals.

[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to rostering of travel so that a travelling workforce is managed to meet organisational priorities.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0003] Managing the complexity of a large workforce commuting by aircraft to distant worksites/work accommodation is a challenging and time consuming operation, particularly when such operations are often spread across several days and using different flights from several locations.

[0004] Disruptive events add to this complexity. Significant events, such as cyclones, fires, worksite/installation shutdowns or other disruptions produce rapid changes to required manpower on site and flight requirements, putting enormous strain on flight administrators and travel management companies and the booking systems they use.

[0005] Furthermore, often any workforce management rostering/destination worksite management systems have a disconnect with the travel management systems used by travel management companies for booking, ticketing and billing for workforce travel.

[0006] A problem occurs where flight administrators, of necessity, have to create a workforce roster of people required for travel in a future period ahead of when the people are needed on site, then match those people with flight availability from various flights, taking into account departure and arrival locations, type of flight (e.g. scheduled or chartered flights) and flight times, to correspond with the worksite shift roster requirements.

[0007] It is known that there already exist interfaces to travel booking systems in order to book flights online and to update traveller profiles.

[0008] For example, international (PCT) patent publication number WO

2013/187778 in the name of Mercatus Ltd describes a method for semi-automatic booking of travel and accommodation for travellers from any origin travelling to any destination with any number of flights and varying itineraries. A bulk file of traveller requirements is matched to current flight availability.

[0009] Such a booking system compiles a plan of who requires travel, where and when that travel is required, but it doesn't know available capacity and booking policy. It needs to know when flights are required but not available, or bookings requested but no longer required.

[0010] It has been realised that what is preferred is a systematic means or methodology of creating a roster of flights required in the future without prior knowledge of flight availability and schedule.

[001 1 ] With the aforementioned problem(s) in view, it has been found desirable to create a system or methodology configured to manage the process of prioritising flight bookings so that the travelling workforce is booked to meet organisational priorities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] With the aforementioned in mind, an aspect of the present invention provides a method of rostering travel for a number of individuals, including: creating a roster plan of required travel for the number of individuals, the roster plan including: a period of time covered by the roster plan; profile data for each individual; required travel departure and arrival locations for each individual details of travel mode availability within the period of time covered by the roster plan matching travel requirements of the individual(s) to travel; and providing travel booking requirements to a booking provider using the roster plan.

[0013] A further aspect of the present invention provides a travel rostering system for a number of individuals, the system including: access to a record of profiles for the number of individuals; access to a travel booking provider; a roster plan compiler arranged to create a roster plan including details from the record of profiles of the individuals to travel, travel departure and arrival locations for each individual, travel mode availability details, and date and time of travel; and the compiler providing the created roster plan to the booking provider to book required travel for the individuals consistent with the roster plan. [0014] A further aspect of the present invention provides a data management tool functionally linking a workforce logistics management system and a travel booking system for use in rostering travel for workforce personnel in a work roster travel pattern, the data management tool:

compiles a roster plan of required travel in a travel administration system for each workforce personnel traveller, the roster plan including: a period of time covered by the roster plan; profile data for each said workforce personnel traveller; required travel departure and arrival date(s) and locations for each said workforce personnel traveller; workforce personnel traveller flight requirements; and provides workforce personnel traveller travel booking requirements to a booking provider based on the compiled roster plan; and when confirmation of booking of the traveller travel booking requirements are returned by the booking provider to the data management tool, the data management tool provides the booking confirmations to the workforce logistics management system, and the data management tool synchronises changes to traveller personal data stored in records in the workforce logistics management system with the personal profile details of the respective traveller stored in the travel booking system by automatically updating with the changes the personal profile details of the respective traveller that are stored in the travel booking system.

[0015] Preferably, a work status code may be assigned to each day in the period, whereby, the work status code(s) that require a travel booking may nominate one or more of a time of day travel is required for an individual, the travel departure location for the individual and a work site destination of the individual.

[0016] The profile data of each individual may be synchronised between a travel booking engine and workforce details maintained in workforce records to ensure consistency of records between the two. The workforce records are preferably a master version of common information exchanged between the travel booking engine and the workforce records.

[0017] Profile data of an individual preferably includes one or more of a traveller/individual(s) ID, traveller/individual(s) name, roster ID, flight preferences, frequent flyer ID(s), passport number and expiry, booking priority and default cost code.

[0018] Preferably the traveller personal data includes one or more of a traveller ID, traveller name, roster ID, flight preferences, frequent flyer ID(s), passport number and expiry, booking priority and default cost code.

[0019] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the tool functionally distinguishing between charter flights and scheduled flights and prioritising travel for the workforce personnel traveller(s) on a charter flight ahead of a scheduled flight.

[0020] The data management tool may preferably include, enable or provide updates the travel administration system with flight changes for one or more of the workforce personnel travellers, the roster plan is updated the flight changes and workforce personnel affected by the flight changes are notified by the data management tool of the flight changes affecting their travel.

[0021 ] The data management tool may be utilised to provide one or more notifications by SMS text, email or telephone call each said traveler affected by changes, such as the flight changes.

[0022] The roster plan compiler may incorporate details of the travel mode, being a charter flight, commercial flight or scheduled flight.

[0023] Preferably the roster plan compiler may be utilized to distinguish between charter flights, commercial flights and scheduled flights, and preferably prioritises travel for an individual on a charter flight or commercial flight ahead of a scheduled flight.

[0024] The roster plan compiler may be provided to enact cancellation of a booking on a scheduled flight for an individual if a charter or commercial flight is found to be available and fits within the roster plan for that individual.

[0025] If charter or commercial flights are to be used for travel, the compiler may create a schedule of charter and/or actual or placeholder commercial flights by rolling a standing weekly flight schedule forward within a roster plan period.

[0026] If the schedule includes charter flights, the booking system may preferably unbook previous charter bookings in the roster plan period for that individual, then book the individual onto the required charter flights, preferably doing so for a number of said individuals until available capacity is reached on the charter flight.

[0027] If the schedule includes actual commercial flights or placeholder commercial flights, the system may preferably display or provide a list of flights required to meet the travel requirements of the roster plan, to allow release of all or selected flights for booking.

[0028] The methodology or system of at least one form of the present invention provides booking from within the workforce management system with flight details constantly maintained for changes within the workforce system or the airline booking system.

[0029] A precursor to the booking is the preference that the traveller details held by the booking engine are synchronised with the workforce details maintained by the workforce logistics system, typically where the workforce logistics system is the master version of common information.

[0030] The methodology of the present invention preferably includes creating a roster for a future period and releasing a set of required flights via a real-time data connection to a booking engine which would choose appropriate flights, make the bookings and return booking details to the workforce logistics system. Details are maintained by advising any change to the booking, including rescheduling or cancellation.

[0031 ] Advantageously, one or more forms of the present invention provides a methodology for creating, maintaining and synchronising traveller profile information, and creating the rostered flights data for an organisation running fly- in fly-out operations, communication of flights required to a booking engine, retrieving booking information and routing that information back to the originating system.

[0032] It has been realized in at least one embodiment of the present invention that what is required is a seamless integration/connection between workforce logistics systems and commercial travel booking engines. [0033] A yet further aspect of the present invention provides functional interfacing between a workforce logistics management system and a travel booking system, the workforce logistics system handling work and travel rostering of personnel within a workforce, the travel booking system maintaining a personal profile record of each person to travel and handling booking of travel for the personnel, wherein the workforce logistics management system provides a travel roster for each of a number of personnel, and the interface communicates at least one travel request to the travel booking system based on the travel roster for each of the number of personnel.

[0034] The interface may receive from the travel booking system travel confirmations that travel is booked for each person, and communicate the confirmations to the workforce logistics management system.

[0035] Preferably, the interface may communicate updated personal profile data from the workforce logistics management system to the travel booking system to update the personal profile records.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] One or more embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the accompanying Figure(s), in which:

[0037] Figure 1 shows a flow chart relating to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 2 shows a general arrangement of functional components in a travel rostering system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 3 shows a flow chart relating to a further embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0040] Figure 1 depicts a flow chart of a system employed by a data management tool embodiment of the present invention.

[0041 ] A request is received 10 by the system to arrange travel for a number of individuals. Travel is typically between a home port, such as the nearest allowed airport to the individual, and a worksite or accommodation site associated with work.

[0042] A compiler determines 12 or is provided with a period of time over which a roster plan for scheduling travel for the individuals.

[0043] The roster plan includes creating 14 a work status code for each day within the period of time covered by the roster plan.

[0044] A personal profile for each individual to be rostered into the plan is checked and data obtained 16.

[0045] Details of available flights within the roster plan period are obtained 18, including flight times, flight departure and arrival locations matching with the individual's flight departure and arrival locations.

[0046] The type of flight is identified: charter or commercial. Commercial flights can include actual scheduled flights that have a flight code applied by the operating airline, or can be a placeholder flight. A placeholder flight is not a specific flight (with a flight code), rather, a placeholder flight can have a general range of potential flight times (am, pm) on a particular day from a particular departure port to a particular destination port. Charter flights may be given priority. [0047] Flight details are matched to the travelling individual 20.

[0048] When the roster plan is complete, a booking order is forwarded 22 to the booking agent to book the flights.

[0049] Confirmations are returned 24 to the system/administrator originating the roster plan and booking order.

[0050] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, profile details of each member of the workforce are created and maintained within the system.

[0051 ] For the avoidance of doubt, the term 'workforce' is deemed within this specification to mean not only employees but also contractors and visitors scheduled to travel to attend a worksite destination.

[0052] The profile for each individual contains all of the data required by a flight booking system, such as an individual's identification (traveller ID), individual's/traveller's name, roster identification (roster ID), individual's/traveller's flight preferences, individual's/traveller frequent flyer identification (frequent flyer ID - usually the individual's/traveller's own frequent flyer reward program reference/membership number), individual's/traveller's passport number and expiry date, booking priority, and default cost code for accounting purposes.

[0053] Any changes made to an individual's profile within the system are preferably sent via a secured link to the booking engine profile update interface. Receipt of a change is acknowledged back to the system, and includes the date/time last synchronised.

[0054] On request by a travel administrator, the system will run a roster build process to create a roster plan for the required period in the future. [0055] A work status code is assigned by the tool or operator using the tool to each day in the period. Work status codes that require a travel booking will nominate: a) the time of day travel is required, b) the home 'port' (airport) of the individual will nominate the departure point, and c) the work site of the individual will nominate the destination.

[0056] If commercial or charter flights are used to service workforce logistics, by rolling a standing weekly flight schedule forward for the roster build period, the roster build will also be used to create: a) a schedule of charter and/or b) actual or placeholder commercial flights

[0057] If the schedule includes charter flights, the system will: a) unbook all previous charter bookings in the period for that traveller; then b) book the individual onto the required charter flights until the charter flight capacity is reached.

[0001 ] If the schedule includes actual commercial flights or placeholder commercial flights, the system will display a list of flights required to meet the travel requirements of the roster so that the workforce travel administrator can release all or selected flights for booking. [0058] If commercial booking exist that are no longer required they will be displayed to the travel administrator for manual cancellation.

[0059] Released flight requests are sent via a secured link to the booking engine including one or more of traveller's/individual's ID, departure port ID, destination port ID, preferred travel time, travel booking time slot length in hours, preference for early or late flight in slot, booking priority, cost code and optional preferred flight.

[0060] The booking engine will attempt to book a preferred flight. If specified otherwise, the booking engine will use the individual's details, booking slot and preferences to find the first available seat within policy and make the booking.

[0061 ] Booking and cancellation details are sent to the travel management company for billing and back to the system to update the travel details to confirm the transaction.

[0062] Subsequent changes to the booking will be sent via the secured link to the system to ensure the details are always synchronised.

[0063] The system can highlight flights required but not able to be booked to the workforce travel administrator so alternate arrangements can be made.

[0064] Beneficially, the present invention requires no travel agent intervention where travel capacity is available within a reasonable time of the required travel.

[0065] Travel administrators can define the priority between workforce travellers so that organisational priorities are incorporated into booking decisions.

[0066] Traveller profiles can be maintained and can be synchronised with the travel booking engine. [0067] Bookings, when made, updated or cancelled, can be communicated automatically back to the workforce travel administrator via the workforce management system.

[0068] The methodology or system of one or more forms of the present invention preferably calculates and maintains future flight requirements for the workforce and tracks met and unmet requirements.

[0069] It will be appreciated that the method or system of the present invention avoids the need for travel agent intervention where travel capacity is available within a reasonable time of the required travel.

[0070] Travel administrators are enabled to define the priority between travelling workforce individuals so that organisational priorities are incorporated into booking decisions.

[0071 ] Bookings when made, updated or cancelled can be communicated automatically back to the workforce travel administrator via a workforce management system.

[0072] The method or system provides for calculation and maintenance of future flight requirements for the workforce and tracks met and unmet

requirements.

[0073] A general arrangement of functional elements of an embodiment of the present invention is shown in figure 2.

[0074] A data management tool 102 provides a functional interface between a workforce logistics management system 104 and a travel booking system 106. [0075] It will be appreciated that the data management tool creates an integrated personnel travel rostering and booking system by functionally linking together the workforce logistics management system and the travel booking system.

[0076] Changes to personal data stored in records in the workforce logistics management system automatically update the personal profile details of a traveller that are stored in the booking system. Such integration overcomes the problem of incorrect data remaining in the booking system when personal data is updated in the workforce logistics management system.

[0077] A further benefit of such an integrated system is that changes to flights after booking are conveyed to the workforce logistics management system so that the travel roster (and if necessary, the work roster) for the affected individual traveller(s) are updated.

[0078] Thus, the data management tool 102 provides a two way interface with the booking system, sending booking requests from the workforce logistics management system to the booking system, and also receiving any booking confirmations and/or changes to requested or actual bookings and providing the workforce logistics management system with the updated data in order to update travel/roster records.

[0079] Any changes to personal data held in the workforce logistics

management system are efficiently conveyed to the booking system for updating personal profile information held in the booking system.

[0080] A further embodiment of the present invention is represented in the flow chart of Figure 3.

[0081 ] Within a travel rostering and booking system 200, a travel and personnel records data management tool 202 interfaces between a workforce logistics management system 204 (e.g. of an employer) and a travel booking system 206.

[0082] The data management tool 202 coordinates 208 updating 210 of traveller personal profile data held within traveller profile records 212. If a new traveller personal profile is to be created or if data in a current traveller personal profile is to be updated, the data management tool 202 interfaces between the updating 214 of personnel records 216 within the workforce logistics management system 204 and the traveller profile records 212 and ensures that personal profile data is consistent between the two systems.

[0083] When changes are made to personnel data records 216, the data management tool 202 ensures that such changes are mirrored in the traveller profile records so that future travel bookings reflect the correct personal data for a traveller.

[0084] A roster 218 of personnel travel requirements is created based on work roster requirements and personnel availability. The roster 218 identifies particular personnel to be travelling, and from their personal profiles held in personnel records 216 also includes travel information, such as travel departure point (home port) and destination (work port).

[0085] Travel requirements created by the roster are matched with availability of modes of transport allowed by the system. For example, travel by aircraft for each of the travellers can be selected from chartered or scheduled (standing) flights.

[0086] Placeholder flights can be established, which typically do not have specific flight times or flight numbers associated with them; rather, general flight times within a range of preferred times are put into the system in order to flag that a flight booking is required and subsequently a particular flight can be assigned to a traveller on a placeholder flight once flight type and availability is established. [0087] Once the roster and travel requirements 220 are established, the personnel records data management tool 202 sends a travel booking request 222 for a number of travellers to the travel booking system 206.

[0088] The travel booking request identifies each traveller by a unique personal identification code. Each code is matched 224 to the traveller's personal profile held in the traveller profile records 212 and with the required travel timing, destination and departure ports for each traveller e.g. flight details.

[0089] Travel is then booked 226 and booking confirmations 228 are returned to the personnel records data management tool 202 which forwards 230 the booking confirmations to the workforce logistics management system 204.

[0090] The workforce logistics management system 204 receives the booking confirmations and updates 232 travel data for each travel booked to travel. The updates are recorded for each traveller in the personnel data records 216.

[0091 ] Flights booked via the data management tool 202 interfacing with the travel booking system 206 are recorded in a global distribution system (GDS) 234, the GDS being a common user system for booking flights with airlines.

[0092] If changes to flights, such as availability or timing of flights, occur after the booking request is submitted from the personnel records data management tool 202 to the travel booking system 206 and thence to the GDS 234, details 236 of such flight changes are provided to the travel booking system from the GDS. D

[0093] Details of flight changes can originate from the airlines who then update flight details (such as delays to scheduled flying times, points of departure or arrival, type of aircraft etc.).

[0002] The changes to bookings are extracted 238 and provided to the data management tool 202, which then provides 240 the booking changes to update 242 the roster details held in the personnel data records 216 for each affected traveller. Each traveller can then be notified of the flight changes, such as by SMS text, email or telephone call.

[0094] It will be appreciated that the data management tool synchronizes personnel personal records and travel bookings between the personnel data records and rostering maintained in-house by the employer/contractor and the booking agency that holds personal travel profile data and actually books the flights.

[0095] Such systems are normally stand-alone, and any change of personal data in the employer's/contractor's records or in the personal profile data held by the booking agency does not get updated by the other. Thus, records can often be inaccurate between these entities/information holders.

[0003] Where specific flight details are known, such as a flight number associated with a commercial or charter flight, that specific flight can be booked for the traveller in their roster. This is typically used where known travel departure and arrival points and times are available.

[0096] Where non-specific travel times are only available, such as a specific day and only morning (AM) or afternoon/evening (PM) and the departure and arrival destinations, a generic flight time can be put as a placeholder flight for a particular traveller. Thus, a range of potential flying times can be scheduled, and when a particular flight becomes available or is identified for that traveller, that specific flight can be booked. This arrangement provides flexibility and allows flight prioritisation for some travellers over others.

[0097] For example, travellers who do not need to know much in advance which exact flight they will be travelling on, a placeholder flight can provide a general range of expected flying times e.g. AM on a particular day, or PM on a return flight. Once the actual flight is known and booked, the traveller receives confirmation.

[0098] Placeholder flights can be for single or multiple leg bookings. For example, a placeholder flight may encompass a single journey direct from one departure port straight to an arrival port.

[0099] A multiple leg journey may encompass a change of flights in travelling from a departure port via an intermediate port to arrive at the final destination port.

[00100] Alternatively, a multiple leg journey may include the outward travel from the 'home' (or 'point of origin') departure port to the final work destination and then the return journey from the work destination to the home departure location. Preferably multiple leg return journeys are booked

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1 . A data management tool functionally linking a workforce logistics management system and a travel booking system for use in rostering travel for workforce personnel in a work roster travel pattern, the data management tool: compiles a roster plan of required travel in a travel administration system for each workforce personnel traveller, the roster plan including: a period of time covered by the roster plan; profile data for each said workforce personnel traveller; required travel departure and arrival date(s) and locations for each said workforce personnel traveller; workforce personnel traveller flight requirements; and provides workforce personnel traveller travel booking requirements to a booking provider based on the compiled roster plan; and when confirmation of booking of the traveller travel booking requirements are returned by the booking provider to the data management tool, the data management tool provides the booking confirmations to the workforce logistics management system, and the data management tool synchronises changes to traveller personal data stored in records in the workforce logistics management system with the personal profile details of the respective traveller stored in the travel booking system by

automatically updating with the changes the personal profile details of the respective traveller that are stored in the travel booking system.

2. The data management tool of claim 1 , wherein the traveller personal data includes one or more of a traveller ID, traveller name, roster ID, flight preferences, frequent flyer ID(s), passport number and expiry, booking priority and default cost code.

3. The data management tool of claim 1 or 2, the tool functionally

distinguishing between charter flights and scheduled flights and prioritising travel for the workforce personnel traveller(s) on a charter flight ahead of a scheduled flight.

4. The data management tool according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the data management tool updates the travel administration system with flight changes for one or more of the workforce personnel travellers, the roster plan is updated the flight changes and workforce personnel affected by the flight changes are notified by the data management tool of the flight changes affecting their travel.

5. The data management tool of claim 4, the data management tool notifying by SMS text, email or telephone call each said traveller affected by the flight changes of the flight changes.

6. A method of rostering travel for a number of individuals, including: creating a roster plan of required travel for the number of individuals, the roster plan including: a period of time covered by the roster plan; profile data for each individual; required travel departure and arrival locations for each individual; details of travel mode availability within the period of time covered by the roster plan matching travel requirements of the individual(s) to travel; and providing travel booking requirements to a booking provider using the roster plan.

7. The method of claim 6, including assigning a work status code to each day in the period.

8. The method of claim 7, whereby the work status code(s) that require a travel booking will nominate: a time of day travel is required for an individual, the travel departure location for the individual, and a work site destination of the individual.

9. The method of claim 6, further including synchronising the profile data of each individual traveller held by a travel booking engine with workforce details maintained in workforce records to ensure consistency of records.

10. The method of claim 9, whereby the workforce records are a master version of common information exchanged between the travel booking engine and the workforce records.

1 1 . The method of claim 6, wherein the profile data includes one or more of a traveller ID, traveller name, roster ID, flight preferences, frequent flyer ID(s), passport number and expiry, booking priority and default cost code.

12. A travel rostering system for a number of individuals, the system including: access to a record of profiles for the number of individuals; access to a travel booking provider; a roster plan compiler arranged to create a roster plan including details from the record of profiles of the individuals to travel, travel departure and arrival locations for each individual, travel mode availability details, and date and time of travel; and the compiler providing the created roster plan to the booking provider to book required travel for the individuals consistent with the roster plan.

13. The booking system of claim 12, including the roster plan compiler incorporating details of the travel mode being a charter flight, commercial flight or scheduled flight.

14. The booking system of claim 13, wherein the roster plan compiler distinguishes between charter flights, commercial flights and scheduled flights, and prioritises travel for an individual on a charter flight or commercial flight ahead of a scheduled flight.

15. The booking system of claim 14, wherein the roster plan compiler will enact cancellation of a booking on a scheduled flight for an individual if a charter or commercial flight is found to be available and fits within the roster plan for that individual.

16. The booking system of claim 14, wherein, if charter or commercial flights are to be used for travel, the compiler creates a schedule of charter and/or actual or placeholder commercial flights by rolling a standing weekly flight schedule forward within a roster plan period.

17. The booking system of any one of claims 15 or 16, wherein, if the schedule includes charter flights, the booking system unbooks previous charter bookings in the roster plan period for that individual, then books the individual onto the required charter flights until capacity is reached on the charter flights.

18. The booking system of any one of claims 15, 16 or 17, wherein, if the schedule includes actual commercial flights or placeholder commercial flights, the system displays a list of flights required to meet the travel requirements of the roster plan to allow release of all or selected flights for booking.