Andy Monshaw, Ticketer Group CEO, recently caught up with the folks over at Routeone to discuss our evolution in becoming not just an ETM supplier.
You can read the full feature below.
Change can be exciting and lead to greater things. But let’s face it, change can also bring grumblings of “things just aren’t how they used to be”, and a reluctance to have an open mind. It won’t surprise you to know that Ticketer actively encourages their team to be brave, to innovate and to embrace change. And that’s why they have evolved what used to be a neat piece of kit mainly used for ticketing and transformed it into something much, much more.
This thought from Andy Monshaw, Group CEO at Ticketer Group, sums up the sentiment: ”In the same way today’s mobiles have evolved to solve pain points for customers (solving issues many customers didn’t even know they had), Ticketer has worked hard to do the same.
Determined not to be just an Electronic Ticket Machine supplier, Ticketer introduced cloud-based ticketing which gives real-time visibility and control of all the services on operators’ networks which they never experienced previously. It has enabled operators to transform their fleet management, provide passengers with better travel information, and drive operational efficiencies. Ticketer continues to strive to ensure all operators have access to full functionality regardless of size and to reduce disparate systems and unnecessary duplication.
The big question…
Have you ever met Ticketer’s Founder, John Clarfelt? That’s where the magic started, by bringing a cloud-based back-office and software-based Electronic Ticket Machines into the UK market. Before Ticketer Electronic Ticket Machines, it was a bit like technology before smart phones existed – everything an operator had was disparate and separate. Much like having a phone to make calls, a Walkman to listen to music, a camera to take photos… nothing was integrated. By starting to look at the operators’ pain points, the traditional Electronic Ticket Machine (ETM) has evolved and opened up a world of possibilities, introducing lots of features and functions where operators have previously installed separate equipment and multiple technologies. That’s simply not the case anymore.
More than just an Electronic Ticket Machine Supplier
So, why does that matter? While ETMs are essential, they unlock a number of additional benefits for operators:
Minimising on-bus hardware reducing cost and complexity
a. You don’t need multiple driver consoles
b. You don’t need a separate driver messaging system
c. You can use your existing hardware for vehicle checks
d. You can use the ETM GPS for vehicle tracking.- It doesn’t matter what size you are. We can bring the benefit of any features to all our customers big or small.
- By joining things up, you get greater insight and performance than having them disparate. For example, you only need to load your timetables into one system.
All our machines have GPS and comms, so there’s a host of other functionality that operators have access to. From operators being able to keep in contact with their drivers, completing their driver walkaround checks, monitor their schedules, through to tracking buses. Or from giving buses Traffic Light Priority, alerts for low bridges to meeting their BODS (Bus Open Data Service) obligations and much more! This readily available innovative technology opens up a world of opportunities for operators to gain operational efficiencies and make the passenger experience even better than it is today.
The future is already here
Just like the continued releases of mobile phone technology, the Ticketer innovations also keep coming. Here’s what Andy told us about the latest Ticketer developments:
1. Getting the most from data
67% of Ticketer operators say they have unmanageable amount of data – that’s a lot of untapped potential! We’re unlocking the value of this raw data with the new Ticketer Insights Hub. Operators can get a full overview of their services, from driver performance and revenue to passenger boarding points and vehicle occupancy and more. Operators will be able to visualise their data in graphs, charts, heat maps, to get the clearest view of all their data. Improvements to the Portal will make data simpler to access, quicker to analyse, to turn into helpful insights with ease.
2. Connecting the dots
There have been huge leaps in on-bus technology in recent years, but an increasing issue is the overlap between the disparate systems that can be found on the average bus. Ticketer’s ‘Connected Bus’ concept provides an ecosystem for different on-bus technologies to share and re-use data amongst different systems. More than just a concept, this ecosystem revolves around Ticketer’s vehicle communication gateway: the Ticketer Smart Gateway. A single platform that provides a comprehensive view and shared communications channel for all the onboard systems as well as more precise GPS tracking. This rich data set enables operators to better manage their fleets. It utilises a standard for interoperability which makes inter-connection and integration of on-bus systems possible, resulting in less hardware required. It also introduces the ability to monitor systems remotely with no need for multiple sim cards.
3. 70% faster boarding
TOTO – Tap-On/Tap-Off – allows passengers to travel on buses as much as they please while ensuring they never pay more than the daily or weekly cap. With the Ticketer Tap Off Reader, they never need to worry about what ticket to buy, or if they have change. With 70% faster boarding, operators now have more information than ever about people’s travel habits and their demands for services; data that will aid the company’s future decision-making.
