Taxi 4x35 completes digital upgrade
An outdated cab ride management system at TAXA 4×35 inhibited digital development possibilities.
With the help of many different Globeteam consultants, TAXA 4×35 has changed its software and hardware in approximately 1,000 cabs, implemented a new cab ride management system and upgraded the underlying IT infrastructure.
In the future, TAXA 4×35 will be able to deliver a world-class, digital customer experience. They can make modern tools and equipment available to the cab drivers. And they have created a digital business model that is geared to hold its own in a strongly competitive taxi market.
Danish TAXA 4×35 undergoes a digital transformation and enhances their competitiveness
With an upgrade of equipment, software and digital infrastructure, TAXA 4×35 has left behind its previous platform and is now ready to utilise the opportunities presented by a more digital business model.
The Danish taxi industry is growing rapidly. The liberalisation of the market, innovative software services and foreign investors have forced taxi companies to think in new ways and start a process of digital transformation. TAXA 4×35 is a prime example of this trend. The largest Danish taxi company owned by its cab drivers; they have carried out a change of all software and hardware in approximately 1,000 cabs, in record time. They have also implemented a brand-new cab ride management system and upgraded the underlying IT infrastructure, all under the project headline “Nye Tider” (New Times
“Our previous cab ride management system was more than 10 years old,” Gert Frost, CEO of TAXA 4×35, starts. “At the time, our business model was centred around people phoning the call centre to book a trip. Today, a cab ride management system has to be able to support customers ordering cabs via an app or other internet-based channels. Our old solution couldn’t deliver that, which is one of the many reasons we needed a digital upgrade.”
Happier customers and higher turnover
Gert Frost explains that the objective of the “Nye Tider” project has been twofold.
“The new cab ride management system is based on advanced mapping technology and real-time data about roadworks and congestion, among other things. It can also receive geo-coordinates, so that when a customer books a cab through our app, the driver can see the exact location of that customer. All of which will make us more efficient on the roads and give the customers a better experience in the cab,” Gert Frost says.
“In addition to all of that, this project has been about achieving the highest possible turnover for cab drivers. We have also been able to make a back-end service unit available, so that performance assessments can be carried out on the drivers, reward systems can be put in place, and much more.”
Many of Globeteam’s skillsets came into play
During the “Nye Tider” project, TAXA 4×35 has received business sparring and technical assistance from several Globeteam consultants; for example, experts within IT architecture, IT infrastructure, IT development and project management. The consultants have assisted with everything from the initial screening of the market for a supplier of a new cab ride management system, through POC compliance to setup and implementation of the overall solution.
“One of our project managers from Globeteam identified which components we needed in the project at what time. For example, they brought in one of the consultants on the team who knew about Flex driving, which we could not support previously. Thanks to their expertise we are now able to support it and have won several tenders on it. We have also had consultants on the team, who helped us with the roll-out of a completely new learning platform and the setup of a replication server in Azure, so that we can prototype develop almost in real time,” Gert Frost says.
“The fact that one single consultancy, Globeteam, were able to bring such an array of skillsets into play on the project has been of great value to us. They managed to carry out a complete overhaul of our entire digital infrastructure, both in the cars and in our data centre, in less than 10 months, all in the midst of a global pandemic. And they did all this within budget. That is a really good job and very satisfying.”
The fact that one single consultancy, Globeteam, were able to bring such an array of skillsets into play on the project has been of great value to us. They managed to carry out a complete overhaul of our entire digital infrastructure, both in the cars and in our data centre, in less than 10 months, all in the midst of a global pandemic. And they did all this within budget. That is a really good job and very satisfying.”
A new learning platform on the fly
The roll-out of a new digital learning platform for TAXA 4×35 was an idea that arose during the project. Drivers used to have to physically meet for training days, which often involved taking time out of their working day to travel to the other end of the country. However, the new system is far more flexible; they can sit in their cars and follow visual e-learning courses, showing them how to use the cab ride management system.
“It was actually our project manager at Globeteam who came up with this idea and pointed us in the direction of the right supplier of a digital learning platform. Apart from using it for training videos for our new cab ride management system, we also expect to be able to push out new service concepts via the platform in the future. The clever thing is that the infrastructure is now in place, and the entire fleet has a tablet installed, so it is ready and waiting for us to roll out as and when we need it, to every cab. Because every time a driver has to travel to physically attend training it means lost turnover for that cab driver,” Gert Frost says.
Ready for growth and development
One of the results of the modernisation of TAXA 4×35’s infrastructure has been that a large part of the company’s systems has been moved to the cloud. TAXA 4×35 also had a replication server installed in Azure, so the company’s own IT developers can easily and quickly test new concepts.
“With all the development that the taxi industry is undergoing, it is essential for us to be able to experiment with data before we put a new service into operation. It is not in production yet, but we are looking at how to combine different data sources in order to find out where there will be customers in need of a cab. This functionality will really come into its own when there are concerts or other large events. There is potential for huge additional turnover in harnessing that knowledge,” Gert Frost says and finishes by saying:
“We are only just getting started with our new cab ride management system and all the business opportunities that go with it. But the important thing is that when the world starts going back to normal, we will be in a far better position, because we can deliver the digital experience that our customers and cab drivers expect.”
Can I help?
Do you want to hear more about how Globeteam can help you with a similar solution? Please feel free to contact me at +45 2362 6962 or jvn@globeteam.com