The National Limousine Association (NLA) announced in July the launch of new Ground Reservation Industry Standards (GRES). These standards, which formalize common and frequently used language as official terminology, were developed to improve and optimize communication for operators and industry software providers on both an internal and external basis.
“These standards have been in development for several years, and we are thrilled that they are finally a reality,” stated Robert Alexander, NLA President. “This collaborative and consequential initiative undoubtedly enhances and benefits intra- and inter-company communications and introduces more efficiency and understanding, as evidenced by the support from our industry software vendors and providers. Our next goal with the GRES is to educate the industry on the importance of everyone speaking the same language – regardless of geographic location or company size.”
Developed by the NLA Technology and Social Media Committee, the GRES standardizes terminology that the industry uses every day, but has never been formalized, to improve communication and understanding between chauffeured transportation operators and software providers. The standardized terminology, which pertains to vehicle types and trip status (such as pre- and post-trip), will also enable a seamless integration between reservation software vendors. From an internal perspective, communication between operators’ staff will be simultaneously reduced and optimized, eliminating any miscommunications or language barriers and making things more efficient. Externally, with regard to their global affiliates, operators will not need to enact any changes, as their reservation software will be able to automatically transmit a reservation to any software vendor using the same language.
“The goal of creating and implementing the GRES is to align with how the airline, hotel, and rental car industries have operated for decades. When you book a standard king room at a hotel, you know exactly what you are getting,” said Jay Erlich, Co-Chair of the NLA Technology and Social Media Committee. “Now, when you request anything from a luxury sedan to a motorcoach, all parties will have the same understanding and expectation of what vehicle will be dispatched.”
“It is our hope that all global operators will be able to streamline and simplify communication between affiliates when farming in and farming out,” noted Ken Carter, Co-Chair of the NLA Technology and Social Media Committee. “We all need to be doing more with less, and this is one of the best ways to make that a reality.”
To date, five software vendors have already pledged their support of the NLA’s standards and will be integrating them into their platforms, including: FASTTRAK; GRiDD/GNet; GroundWidgets/SantaCruz; Limo Anywhere; and Livery Coach.
Source: PR Newswire
