The outlook of the global travel industry is changing, and data is helping to shape it. At Infare, data is playing a crucial role in how we support our customers to reach their goals and stay competitive. No one understands this better than this month’s Infare Insider Simonas Stonys. In his role as a Data Analyst & Product Owner, he assists departments throughout Infare maximise value for our customers through data analytics. An avid board game player and history buff, Simonas is a firm believer in innovation and using analytics to drive data-driven decision making. We recently spoke with Simonas to learn more about his role at Infare, his passion for mathematics, and how analytics empowers insight.

Simonas, what is your role at Infare?

I am part of the internal analytics team at Infare. The focus of our team is on the data we collect and the processes we use. From there, we conduct research and create data models to boost internal efficiency within Infare. To this end, we’re making visual dashboards to help our colleagues track and analyse their day-to-day activities.

As a product owner and a data analyst, I am responsible for not only collecting and reviewing our internal data but also working directly with our stakeholders on determining our focus and goals with regards to our airline customers, particularly Revenue Management. Infare is a data-driven company, and we are always looking for new and useful ways to configure the vast amount of information we capture daily.

What inspired you to join Infare?

I have always had a passion for mathematics and how it can explain complex concepts in simple words and terms. After I graduated from University, I began working as an analyst in the banking industry. Being a data analyst allowed me to use my skills in mathematics to look at data in new ways to drive the decision-making process. I’m also someone who loves automate processes and is always searching for more efficient and effective means of delivering information.

With the banking industry being so highly regulated, I was very restricted on how I could explore the data. Often, the processes I needed to follow were set up many years ago and did not allow for improvement. While Infare is still also highly structured when it comes to data protection, the company offers more flexibility and room for innovation. Infare has a rich history of adapting to changing times, developing new products and providing insight into the global travel industry. These expectations are exciting to me and allow me to challenge myself and grow continually. And this all benefits our customers in the end.

To me, data analytics is more than just delivering information on time – it is delivering the right data to the right people at the right time, to make effective data-driven decisions.

Data continues to play a significant role in the travel industry, especially for airlines. Why do you think that is, and what is the future of data?

The travel industry is one of the biggest producers of data, and the insights that can be gained are far-reaching. For revenue management, data plays an influential role within airlines. For example, it would be very challenging to stay competitive in such a dynamic industry without having access to robust and accurate benchmarking airfare data to make business decisions.

Now more than ever, the global travel industry is embracing the power of data and using it to transform their processes. The amount of accessible data is growing every day, leading to advanced pricing intelligence, increased personalisation, and enhanced customer experiences.

We see this growth for ourselves here at Infare. Each day, we are collecting billions of airfares on behalf of our customers and providing actionable insight. Internally, my team is looking at how we are providing this information to our customers, the trends we may be seeing and how we can improve the process. We are creating solutions and reports that touch every part of our organisation, allowing us to become more efficient and trusted advisors to our customers.

You have been with Infare for four years. What accomplishments are you most proud of during with your time with us?

I am immensely proud that I started my career with Infare as a member of the Data Extraction team. Data extraction is a core business of Infare, and its importance to our customers should not be underestimated. This experience has guided me in my move into internal analytics. I have been able to establish many processes and reports that have become an essential part of Infare’s business culture. Every day, we are getting more requests to develop new dashboards and reports that help the Infare team better serve our customers. As a data-focused company, we must be using our data just as well as our customers are using theirs – and I believe we are.

What is next for you and Infare?

Personally, I am looking forward to developing more reporting tools for all Infare departments which in turn will benefit our airline customers, particularly the RM departments. I think our team is just scratching the surface on the ways we can provide value throughout the company and subsequently for our customers.

We are also looking to develop more advanced analytics that will help us provide additional insights to our customers. As a customer-centric organisation, Infare is always looking for ways to bring enhanced value to our customers. By examining the way our customers are using our airfare data and BI solutions, for example, Account Managers can develop a true partnership with an airline.

In the end, what makes Infare so special is that we are using data the same way our airline customers are – to make better business decisions.