Better customer experience thanks to 3-in-1 reservation system

“We were impressed by the collaboration with bbv the first time around. It was therefore a logical step to use bbv’s services again.”

David Küng, CFO, Pilatus-Bahnen AG

Digitalised processes, real-time information and a modern architecture: The group reservation system developed by bbv provides Pilatus-Bahnen AG with an innovative software solution that allows them to plan group tours easily and efficiently.

The railway company built on the success of this project to also offer individual guests the opportunity to make reservations for travelling on the cogwheel railway. Thanks to the new reservation system, passengers on the “Golden Round Trip”, in particular, who visit the Pilatus on a tour by boat, cogwheel railway, aerial cableway and gondola, should be able to enjoy an uninterrupted journey to Lucerne’s local mountain without long waiting times.

Three solutions in one

When developing the new system, Pilatus-Bahnen AG and bbv followed the same recipe that was already used to develop the group reservation system: the needs and requirements of all stakeholders were defined in an initial workshop. bbv then developed the new reservation system for individual trips in close cooperation with the Pilatus product owner.

A solution including a total of three components was developed in fortnightly sprints:

• The teams developed a public, intuitive reservation system, which is linked directly to the timetable for the cogwheel railway and also shows the arrival and departure times of trains and boats at the valley station in Alpnachstad. Guests can therefore plan and book their trip to the Pilatus by cogwheel railway online for a reservation fee. The user interface is responsive and the tool can be used on both desktop and mobile devices.
• The new solution is integrated fully into the overall reservation system. Pilatus-Bahnen AG can view and therefore also coordinate the number of seats available daily for individual passengers and for travel groups.
• When passengers make a reservation, they receive a QR code via e-mail. To control and manage the flow of passengers, these QR codes are scanned on site by Pilatus-Bahn AG employees using an app developed by bbv.

Simpler planning, happier customers

It took just five months for bbv to develop a reservation system for individual passengers that is customised to the needs of Pilatus-Bahnen AG. The new system offers numerous advantages both for the railway company and for its customers.

This new reservation option will significantly improve passenger flow at the cogwheel railway’s mountain and valley stations, resulting in shorter waiting times and a more pleasant visitor experience.

In addition, integration into the overall reservation system allows flexible planning of resources: thanks to a dashboard, railway employees can control and monitor the distribution of individual and group reservations. Bottlenecks in journeys on the cogwheel railway can thus be predicted and planned more efficiently. The solution also improves utilisation of the existing seating capacity.

Thanks to the successful implementation of the individual reservation system, Pilatus-Bahnen AG is ensuring that it can continue to offer visitors a unique visit to the Pilatus in the future.

Project insights

• User & customer experience: The two reservation systems developed by bbv are user friendly in design and seamlessly integrated. They are easy to use and offer an impressive user & customer experience.

• Partnership Thanks to its long-standing collaboration with Pilatus-Bahnen AG, bbv knows the needs of the customer and the industry. Pilatus-Bahnen AG therefore relied on bbv’s support once more following the first successful project.

• Individual solution Pilatus-Bahnen AG has a customised, fully integrated reservation solution at its disposal. The new system was developed within a period of five months at the bbv site in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Our services in the project