Creating Packages Overview
Softrip provides the ability to create different types of products including Custom Groups, Vacation Builder/Dynamic packaging, and Set Departures/Packages.
The avenue in which a product is created is often dependent on how a business operates. The below will lay out the options for creating packages/set departures.
Foreign Operations
Foreign Operator Service types are availalbe in the Services screen in product. Typically, the foreign operator service type will be associated to a DMC supplier.
.png)
Companies will want to create a Foreign Operator service and add it to their packges in product when there is a need to add costs to the DMC, reconcile payments with the DMC in the Accounting application, and report the passenger names/rooming lists to the DMC.
The contact details used to report rooming lists and passenger names can be stored under the DMC supplier. Then, users will want to setup the Product Events in the Package against the FOR service once the Package is created.
Contact Details in Suppliers
Product Events in the Package
If the above scenario is applicable, the overall steps will be followed when setting up these details in the Product application.
1 - Create the DMC as a suppler in the "Suppliers" screen in Product.
2 - Create a FOR service type associated to that DMC and create a rate period.
Example of FOR Service Type
Adding Rate Period
Note: Even if there are no "costs" held against the FOR operator, users will still need to create at least 1 rate period for the duration of the package at a $0 cost. As explained below, the prices will be added under the Departure Dates and Prices screen in Product.
3 - Create the package in product (Example: 10 Day Athens and Santorini) (Product type = Package)
4 - Add the FOR service into the Product
5 - Add a pricing profile
Note: A pricing profile will add a mark-up value to the "costs" if costs are added to the services and users select "calculate land prices." If no costs are added and users are only adding "prices" to the departure dates and prices section in product, then add a value of 1.00 in the pricing profile.
6 - Create costs, prices, and departures in the Departure Dates and Prices section
Adding Departure Dates
Adding Departure Prices
Note: In order to trigger messages/reporting to your suppliers, users will need to either associate the package to a TourID or will need to set up the communciation timing under the supplier service.
If users are associating the package to a Tour, Tour ID's can be setup under the System Settings screen in Security.
There are additional steps that users can take when creating a package.
1 - To display a detailed Daily Itinerary, users can update a day by day itinerary available in the package.
Adding Daily Itinerary
2 - To show itemized components, services, and details, build each supplier and service (hotel, transfer, optional tour) in the supplier and services screens. Then, add these services into the Product.
Note: The FOR service type should be included at all times in all packages if the package is purchased through a DMC.
3 - If the rooming list and passenger names should always be sent to the DMC, but the communication timing is different per service type, then add the DMC contact details onto the services and setup the different communication timings per service level.
Reservation flow
Contracts directly with Suppliers
If users have a direct contract with their suppliers, then each supplier and service must first be built into the supplier and services screen. Rates can also be added to these services. Once those services are added to the package, the rates can be calculated together to receive a packaged price per departure.
Review the Building Suppliers, Services, and Rates video for more information on building in each one of these screens.
The below will outline the overall workflow:
1 - Build Suppliers
2 - Build Services
3 - Build Costs/Rates
4 - Create the Package in Product by first creating the product header. View the Product Header article for more details.
5 - Add the suppliers, services, and rates to the package by selecting "Manage Product" from the right click option. Select the "plus" sign to begin adding services.
6 - Create the product events to report the rooming list and passenger names
Note: Tour must be associated to a tour ID In order to use product events, If the Product is not a part of a tour, then users will need to rely on the communication timing under the Supplier Service.
7 - Calculate the costs that are added the services
