Mulesoft Case Studies Big Bus drives digital strategy with APIs

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	Big Bus drives digital strategy with APIs Mulesoft

Big Bus drives digital strategy with APIs

Mulesoft

Technology Category	Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management
Applicable Industries	Transportation
Applicable Functions	Sales & Marketing
Services	System Integration
Challenge	Big Bus, the world’s largest owner-operator of hop-on hop-off open-top sightseeing tours, was facing a decline in traditional “on-street” sales using paper vouchers and a growing market demand for online sales options. The company needed to transform its sales strategy and customer experience. However, it lacked a unified integration strategy to support all these channels. Data was locked in monolithic legacy systems, and the company had to establish disparate, inefficient point-to-point connections with each new partner that was added to their ecosystem. This slowed and even prevented new partner onboarding. Big Bus needed a new technology to effectively and efficiently integrate internal sales systems with digital channels and partners. Read More
About Customer	Big Bus is the world’s largest owner-operator of hop-on hop-off open-top sightseeing tours. The company operates a global fleet of 400 buses in 19 cities, serving 5 million tourists every year. However, the company was facing an ongoing decline in traditional “on-street” sales using paper vouchers, and market demand for online sales options. To keep up with the digital demands, Big Bus had to dramatically transform its sales strategy and the customer experience. The company saw opportunities for new sales channels including web and mobile app access, as well as an extensive partner network. Read More
Solution	Big Bus deployed MuleSoft so the IT team could develop APIs to enable sales across various digital channels, connect with a global network of partners, and deliver a seamless customer experience. The first API built with MuleSoft was a booking API that allows more than 1,000 partners across 27 countries - such as travel agents and online travel websites - to search Big Bus products, check availability, make and cancel reservations, and generate digital tickets. Utilizing the APIs built in MuleSoft, it takes partners only two weeks to connect to the Big Bus booking system. Rather than spending valuable time establishing point-to-point connections, the Big Bus IT team can focus on innovation, and improving the customer experience. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management

Applicable Industries

Transportation

Applicable Functions

Sales & Marketing

Services

System Integration

Challenge

Big Bus, the world’s largest owner-operator of hop-on hop-off open-top sightseeing tours, was facing a decline in traditional “on-street” sales using paper vouchers and a growing market demand for online sales options. The company needed to transform its sales strategy and customer experience. However, it lacked a unified integration strategy to support all these channels. Data was locked in monolithic legacy systems, and the company had to establish disparate, inefficient point-to-point connections with each new partner that was added to their ecosystem. This slowed and even prevented new partner onboarding. Big Bus needed a new technology to effectively and efficiently integrate internal sales systems with digital channels and partners.

About Customer

Big Bus is the world’s largest owner-operator of hop-on hop-off open-top sightseeing tours. The company operates a global fleet of 400 buses in 19 cities, serving 5 million tourists every year. However, the company was facing an ongoing decline in traditional “on-street” sales using paper vouchers, and market demand for online sales options. To keep up with the digital demands, Big Bus had to dramatically transform its sales strategy and the customer experience. The company saw opportunities for new sales channels including web and mobile app access, as well as an extensive partner network.

Solution

Big Bus deployed MuleSoft so the IT team could develop APIs to enable sales across various digital channels, connect with a global network of partners, and deliver a seamless customer experience. The first API built with MuleSoft was a booking API that allows more than 1,000 partners across 27 countries - such as travel agents and online travel websites - to search Big Bus products, check availability, make and cancel reservations, and generate digital tickets. Utilizing the APIs built in MuleSoft, it takes partners only two weeks to connect to the Big Bus booking system. Rather than spending valuable time establishing point-to-point connections, the Big Bus IT team can focus on innovation, and improving the customer experience.

Impact #1	Big Bus IT operations is very lean. But this small team of eight people can deliver the results of a much larger team, by reusing APIs to rapidly develop new functionality and deliver it to market.
Impact #2	The company has achieved 30-50% reuse for bespoke integrations.
Impact #3	What started as an opportunity to connect with partners via APIs has produced assets that Big Bus can reuse across its own direct channels.

Impact #1

Big Bus IT operations is very lean. But this small team of eight people can deliver the results of a much larger team, by reusing APIs to rapidly develop new functionality and deliver it to market.

Impact #2

The company has achieved 30-50% reuse for bespoke integrations.

Impact #3

What started as an opportunity to connect with partners via APIs has produced assets that Big Bus can reuse across its own direct channels.

Benefit #1	50% Reuse for bespoke integrations
Benefit #2	26% Increase in trade revenue YOY
Benefit #3	2 week new partner onboarding

Benefit #1

50% Reuse for bespoke integrations

Benefit #2

26% Increase in trade revenue YOY

Benefit #3

2 week new partner onboarding

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Overview

Big Bus drives digital strategy with APIs

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit