Business Case

Executive Summary

Objective: The objective of Project Here We Go! is to develop an AI Tool to automate the process of handling ad-hoc request emails from clients seeking package holidays, thereby providing them with an indicative quote in a response email.

Expected Outcome: The expected outcome is to significantly speed up the response time of the Sales Team, allowing Best Holidays to retain more business and increase sales revenue. The targeted ROI for the first year of operation is £500K.

Problem Statement

Current Challenges: The Sales Team at Best Holidays is currently too slow in responding to client requests for package holidays. This delay is causing the business to lose opportunities to competitors who can respond more quickly.

Need for Automation: Automating the process of handling ad-hoc requests will help in:

• Reducing response time
• Increasing efficiency in the sales process
• Retaining more business
• Improving client satisfaction

Proposed Solution

What is Project Here We Go!: Project Here We Go! involves developing an AI Tool that can take ad-hoc request emails from clients and supply an indicative quote in a response email. This tool will be developed using Azure AI and will be connected to Outlook.

How the AI Tool Works:

• The tool will analyze coach availability, including the size of the coach required based on the number of tourists.
• It will check for busy dates when events are on and hotels are booked.
• It will assess hotel space availability from our Hotel Allocations.
• If no booked space is available, it will use the STA Budget data for average hotel prices.

Benefits and Justification

• Increased Efficiency: Automates the initial quote process, freeing up the Sales Team to focus on finalizing deals.
• Faster Response Time: Leads to higher client satisfaction and retention.
• Competitive Edge: Helps Best Holidays stay ahead of competitors by responding quickly.
• Revenue Growth: The targeted ROI for the first year is £500K.

Risks and Mitigations

Technical Risks:

• Integration Issues: Potential difficulties in integrating the AI Tool with existing systems.
• Data Accuracy: Risk of inaccurate quotes due to incorrect data inputs.

Mitigation Strategies:

• Vendor Expertise: Using a reputable vendor experienced with Azure AI to minimize integration issues.
• Data Validation: Implementing measures to regularly update and validate data used by the AI Tool.

Estimated Costs and Resources

Initial Costs: The project will cost £100K to develop, which includes:

• Vendor fees
• Software and hardware requirements
• Integration and testing

Operational Costs: Ongoing maintenance and support costs will be factored into the operational budget.

ROI Estimation: The targeted ROI for the first year in operation is £500K.

Timeline and Milestones

Phase 1: (Weeks 1-4) Requirement gathering and initial design
Phase 2: (Weeks 5-8) Development and integration with existing systems
Phase 3: (Weeks 9-12) Testing and validation
Phase 4: (Weeks 13-16) Training, deployment, and go-live

Conclusion and Next Steps

Recommendation: Proceed with Project Here We Go! to develop the AI Tool, as it addresses the critical need for faster response times and has the potential for significant ROI.

Next Steps:

• Finalize vendor contracts
• Begin the requirement gathering phase
• Monitor the development progress closely
• Plan for a robust testing phase to ensure data accuracy

Appendices

• Vendor Proposal
• Detailed Cost Breakdown
• Integration Plan
• Risk Management Plan

Prepared by: Ad-Hoc Sales Business Case
Email: wayne.sheridan@gmail.com
Date: 02/21/2025