FLAG CARRIER Philippine Airlines, Inc. (PAL) has tapped global technology company Rimini Street, Inc. to boost its digital transformation.
“The airline made a strategic decision to move to Rimini Street to help it address the challenges faced by the commercial aviation sector as a result of the global pandemic,” Rimini Street said in a statement on Wednesday.
Rimini Street provides third-party maintenance support for multinational software companies SAP and Oracle.
By working with Rimini Street, “the airline was able to accelerate key digital innovation projects that support the growth of its business including modernizing its cargo system, integrating its mobile and remote capabilities for more efficiencies and launching its passenger analytics for improving its ‘Know Your Customer’ program,” the software company said.
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic emphasizes the critical role of technology in strengthening the internal capabilities of the airline companies like PAL.
“One of the initiatives embarked on to navigate the pandemic-induced crisis was to streamline its portfolio of applications to better optimize its technology investments,” Rimini Street said.
“This prompted the exploration of third-party support which led the company to Rimini Street for a comprehensive support solution for its mission-critical Oracle software portfolio, which is used for the airline’s finance and administration, procurement and human resources functions,” it added.
The flag carrier, which is majority owned by billionaire Lucio C. Tan, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States. It aims to “emerge as a leaner and better-capitalized airline.”
“We needed a partner to help us optimize our resources — including time, money and IT personnel — and drive collaboration and efficiency across the company in a more cost-effective manner. Rimini Street was that proven partner of choice,” PAL said.
“The significant… cost savings we realized, enabled us to focus our efforts and resources on our business transformation efforts,” the flag carrier added. — Arjay L. Balinbin