2013-present
THE QUESTION
The rail companies carry a joint subscription range. For the distribution of revenue from subscription sales, the carriers, united in the Working Group Eindbeeld Opbrengstverdeling Spoor (EOS), in 2013 were looking for a party that could determine correct distribution keys that were accepted by all parties. They have asked us to think about a fair revenue distribution.
HYPERCUBE’S WORK
In consultation with the operators, Hypercube first drew up ‘business rules’ endorsed by all parties. Based on these business rules, the first distribution agreements were then set up and implemented. We guided the process to reach consensus, looking not only at the most detailed and cleanest method, but also at an allocation method that all carriers could agree on. Furthermore, a procedure has been developed that is used for concession transfers to other operators. The correct distribution of continuous subscriptions is thus guaranteed.
Non-chipped products such as promotions from the NS Spoordeelwinkel and e-tickets are also subject to the revenue distribution. To determine the likely journey made between origin and destination station, we have developed a reference database in which key figures for all train journeys made in the Netherlands are recorded over a number of years for each origin-destination relationship. Based on matched profiles, the actual travel behavior of a group of travelers can be used in these types of situations to determine distribution keys for trips for which no check-in and check-out data are available.
RESULT AND FUTURE WORK
Since 2013, we have been working with EOS when it comes to determining the distribution keys for interoperable subscriptions. The initial list of eight subscriptions has now grown into a list of more than 50 product groups with a very diverse nature. In collaboration with Translink, Hypercube has also ensured that the current method for revenue distribution is suitable for use within the new public transport payment system.
