Scoping/

Great Rail Journeys

Tight
315–557 man-days
Present
1

Customer Context

Business Context

PE-owned (Vitruvian Partners), mandated to triple FIT revenue in 3-5 years. Current system (Softrip) has 7-10 day booking confirmations, "bank statement" quality quotes killing conversion. 7 US agents at 30% conversion — better docs = better conversion = growth justification. This is GRJ's 3rd platform replacement attempt in 10 years — must be the last. FIT is only 30-40% of the business; escorted tours are the majority.

Current Systems: SoftTrip (FIT booking/reservations — "significant barrier to growth"), SoftTrip (escorted tours — no desire to migrate short-term), Sage (accounting/ERP — source of truth for "closing the book"), Braintree (VBR/US payments), APEXX (GRJ/UK payments — complex, multi-acquirer), PayPal PayFlow (US legacy, sits on Braintree), Power BI / Microsoft Fabric (enterprise analytics — data extraction from Salesforce to Fabric needed, modeling workshop required, Feb 16), Lloyds banking system (supplier payments via CSV)
Revenue: FIT revenue — UK: GBP 5M (luxury rail, mainly premium rail partners). US (VBR): USD 25M. Total FIT: ~GBP 30M. Group turnover: GBP 175M total (web-sourced, requires confirmation). FIT is ~30-40% of total. Growth targets: US to USD 65M, UK to GBP 10M. Aspiration: GBP 90M total. Users: ~31 confirmed (25 US + 5-6 UK). VOLUME DATA (Feb 19): VBR 2,682 bookings/FY, GRJ 352 bookings/FY = ~3,034 combined. VBR quotes: 8,265/yr (413-1162/mo). GRJ quotes: 1,665/yr (104-235/mo). Combined ~9,930 quotes/yr. Quote-to-booking conversion: VBR 32.5%, GRJ 21.1%, combined 30.6%. ~3 amendments per booking. ~7,000 booked PAX/year (note: booked not departed — pricing recalculation needed). Implementation CAPEX: EUR 400-500k confirmed as "absolutely fine" (Feb 12). ARR/licensing is the real sign-off hurdle for Vitruvian — ~EUR 236k/year accepted.
Deal Status: Preferred vendor — GRJ taking only Kaptio to Vitruvian for approval. MSA being drafted. Contract target: end of March 2026. CEO demo/pitch with Dave completed. Steering group approved.

Timeline

Target: Contract sign: 31 March 2026 · US Market go-live: 31 August 2026 · UK Market go-live: 31 October 2026
Rationale: November 1 is the HARD cutoff — financial year starts, no SoftTrip bookings in next FY. Contract signature target: end of March 2026. CEO-driven growth urgency under PE ownership. SoftTrip 3-month notice period — Kerry says Feb 2027 exit. Peak travel: Apr–Sep, peak sales push: Sep–Oct.
Realistic: Staggered Aug/Sep 2026 for full FIT scope (US Aug, UK Sep — UK volumes much smaller per Kerry). July 2026 achievable only with stripped scope — 3 outcomes deferred, Braintree-only payments, essential documents only. See Scenario A vs B.
Kerry prefers Aug 31 as target (Feb 16). Nov 1 is the absolute hard cutoff — bookings after Nov 1 FY boundary must be in Kaptio. Tracy says "there's a bit of wriggle room" (Feb 12). Staggered US/UK approach gives buffer — UK volumes much smaller. Ian notes July is "very aggressive."

Team

sales: 31
operations: Unknown
technical: 3
management: 4

Competitive Context

Competitors: Nezasa (resolved — Kaptio selected as preferred vendor, Feb 2026)

Nezasa strong on front office, weaker on mid/back office and escorted tour path. Kaptio won on: complete system (front+mid+back office), Edge Docs/Pay quality, Salesforce CRM, and path from FIT to escorted tours. Decision made after all-day workshops with both vendors.

Assumptions

  • No data migration — fresh Kaptio org. Forward-traveling bookings (post Feb 1 2027) manually transferred
  • GRJ owns product template setup from Gold Org and signs off on templates by end of the 4-week discovery workshop period
  • MVP will be delivered with Kaptio platform capabilities and configuration options within Kaptio and Salesforce — no core product development
  • Nov 1 is hard FY booking cutoff — all bookings after FY boundary must be in Kaptio
  • Kaptio does all heavy lifting — GRJ IT team is 3-4 people with no Salesforce expertise
  • Supplier connectivity at go-live limited to GP Solutions available suppliers (Jonview, Discover Holidays)
  • Rail booking is manual/static at go-live — live rail API integration is Phase 2+ or co-investment
  • GRJ provides dedicated project resources for workshops and UAT (Kerry flagged as a need)
  • No Salesforce org exists — clean org provisioning
  • Kerry Jenkin (CIO) has authority to make scope decisions; Dave (CEO) approves Vitruvian presentation
  • Phased delivery is acceptable — not all features at go-live
  • Edge Docs is the primary document generation approach (not legacy Kaptio VF docs)
  • SoftTrip notice by October 2026, full exit by February 2027
  • Service code mapping tooling provided by Kaptio during implementation (CTO direction, Feb 12)
  • Kaptio resourcing must account for concurrent customer go-lives in March/April 2026
  • No online bookings at MVP — post go-live scope (confirmed Feb 12)
  • Escorted tour scoping explicitly excluded from this engagement
  • CAPEX (EUR 400-500k) confirmed as fine — ARR/licensing is the real Vitruvian sign-off hurdle
  • APEXX integration follows KTPay two-stage discovery + development process
  • Customizations via The Edge framework to protect core upgradeability
  • Kaptio = native Salesforce app + GCP backend; real-time sync via streaming API
  • Salesforce standard reports + dashboards sufficient for go-live. 1-2 days reporting training included in Phase 3
  • Parallel operation period: staggered go-live (US Aug, UK Sep) to Feb 2027. New bookings in Kaptio, in-flight SoftTrip bookings wind down
  • ~100k customer records assumed — no migration, fresh Kaptio org
  • Website integration is a separate project post-MVP go-live — not scoped in this engagement
  • 136 base package templates with 2-3 variants each (Moderate/Superior/Deluxe). Zero new templates per month (annual product range)
  • On-site Chicago workshops (3-4 days, Mon-Thu/Fri) for discovery. Missy Paul = local US SME
  • Kerry + Ryan own UAT and test scripts. Train the trainer with US/UK champions
  • Kerry interested in 6-month BAU retainer post go-live
  • No Salesforce admin at GRJ — requires hiring or Kaptio managed service agreement
  • US tax configuration covers city-level accommodation taxes on the cost side (supplier costs), following the Railbookers model. US consumer sales tax collection from buyers is not in scope. If VBR has a US tax nexus obligation requiring sales tax collection, this is a separate discovery item.
  • GRJ is responsible for populating the full supplier list and full product catalog to a timeline fitting the project plan. Kaptio configures a jointly agreed set of priority suppliers and core product type examples for go-live.
  • Dynamic API pricing at booking level from supplier APIs is MVP scope (not post-MVP)
  • Power BI / Fabric data extraction from Salesforce needed — modeling workshop required
  • Rail pricing: 75% fixed fare tables, 20% live, 5% imported (Feb 18)
  • VBR: 2,682 bookings/FY, GRJ: 352 bookings/FY — combined ~3,034/year. Manageable scale for go-live
  • Quote-to-booking conversion: VBR 32.5%, GRJ 21.1%, combined 30.6% — derived from monthly quotes vs bookings data. Confirms Kerry's "30%" baseline
  • PP pricing for all services except transfers (per vehicle). No child pricing (GRJ). Single supplements: GRJ adds markup to base (no standard supplement)
  • Promotions confirmed: GRJ example "£500pp off specific packages for a date range." Both brands use promotions
  • ~3 amendments per booking average (both brands). GRJ Luxury: 95% of bookings have edits. GRJ Swiss: 75%
  • Hotel rates: ~85% contracted, ~15% dynamic/on-request. No instant confirmation for any component — all manual ops processing
  • Rate maintenance: 1 seasonal update + ad hoc. Hotels "pretty static year to year." Rail routes unchanged year to year
  • GRJ product concentration: Orient Express 60% + Swiss 25% = 85% in two product lines. VBR more distributed
  • Rail real-time availability is explicitly a 2027 discussion — confirmed by Tracy Feb 19. Not in scope for 2025/2026 implementation
  • VBR peak booking months: Jan (419), Mar (274), Jun (244). GRJ peak: Jan-Feb (43 each). Go-live Aug/Sep avoids peak booking season
2

How We Work

Kaptio's implementation approach and the roles & responsibilities split.

🎯

Approach

Outcome-based phased delivery

🔍

Discovery Process

Structured discovery workshops (2-3 per week over 4 weeks) led by Kaptio implementation consultants. Each workshop focuses on a specific outcome area: foundation, product setup, pricing, channel configuration. GRJ provides subject-matter experts (Kerry, Julian, Missy) — Kaptio drives the agenda and captures all requirements. Discovery outputs: configured prototype environment, validated data model, and detailed delivery plan.

🚀

Delivery Model

Kaptio-led implementation with iterative build-validate cycles. Each phase delivers a working increment that the customer can review and test. Configuration, data loading, and integration work is done by Kaptio. UAT is structured with test scripts and guided walkthroughs. Training is hands-on in the live environment — no separate training instance. Hypercare (3 weeks post go-live) provides dedicated support channel.

📋

Governance

Bi-weekly steering committee (Kerry + Kaptio project lead) for decisions and escalation. Weekly status updates via shared dashboard. Dedicated Slack/Teams channel for day-to-day communication. Formal milestone sign-offs at phase boundaries. Change requests processed through defined scope change process — assessed for timeline and cost impact before approval.

Roles & Responsibilities

Who does what — Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed

ActivityKaptioCustomerNotes
Discovery workshopsRCKaptio leads and drives all workshops. GRJ provides SMEs (Kerry, Julian, Missy) for validation.
Platform configurationRIKaptio configures Salesforce org, business units, currencies, user setup, security.
Data model & service catalog setupRCKaptio builds catalog structure. GRJ validates package data and pricing rules.
Service code mapping (Jonview/Discover)CRGRJ maps their product codes to supplier codes. Kaptio provides tooling and guidance.
Supplier API integration (GP Solutions)RIKaptio handles all technical integration work.
Payment gateway setup (Braintree + APEXX)RCKaptio configures KTPay. GRJ provides merchant credentials and gateway access.
Edge Docs template designRAKaptio designs and builds document templates. GRJ approves branding and content.
Email template configurationRAKaptio configures email flows. GRJ approves messaging and branding.
UAT test executionCRGRJ executes test scripts in live environment. Kaptio provides scripts, guidance, and issue triage.
User trainingRAKaptio delivers hands-on training. GRJ ensures team attendance and adoption.
Salesforce reporting trainingRA1-2 days training on standard Salesforce reports and dashboards. GRJ identifies reporting champions.
Go-live cutoverRAKaptio manages cutover checklist. GRJ approves go/no-go decision.
Hypercare support (3 weeks)RCDedicated Kaptio support channel. GRJ escalates issues through defined process.
Forward-booking manual transferCRGRJ manually moves post-Feb-2027 bookings from SoftTrip to Kaptio. Kaptio provides process guidance.
Sage export format definitionCRGRJ defines required Sage flat file format in dedicated half-day workshop. Kaptio builds export reports.
Change management & adoptionCRGRJ drives internal change management. Kaptio provides materials and best practices.

Managing Changes to the Baseline

Every outcome has a baseline plan — our standard delivery pattern shaped by 19 discovery sessions and confirmed in workshops. When workshops reveal differences from our assumptions, we capture them as "deltas" — documented, classified, and tracked through to resolution. This is a transparency tool, not a billing mechanism. Most deltas are configuration changes absorbed within the implementation.

Workshop
Delta Identified
Classified
Documented
Resolved
⚙️

Configuration Delta

Variations that can be addressed through standard Kaptio configuration — different picklist values, workflow rules, field mappings, pricing rules, document layouts.

Handling: Captured as a user story with acceptance criteria. Prioritized within the current phase. Delivered by Kaptio implementation team as part of standard delivery.
Commercial: Absorbed within implementation — no additional cost. This is the most common delta type.
🔧

Customization Delta

Requirements that go beyond standard configuration — custom Apex triggers, LWC components, integration modifications, Edge framework extensions. Must be technically feasible without compromising core upgradeability.

Handling: Scoped as a mini-project: effort estimate, timeline impact assessment, technical design review. Approved by steering committee before development starts. Built via The Edge framework to protect core.
Commercial: Scoped and estimated separately. May impact timeline or cost depending on complexity. Transparent estimation shared with customer before work begins.
🔬

Product Development Delta

Requirements that need changes to the Kaptio core product — new features, API capabilities, platform enhancements that benefit multiple customers.

Handling: Escalated to Kaptio product team. Assessed against product roadmap. May be accepted as roadmap acceleration (co-investment opportunity) or deferred to future release.
Commercial: Separate engagement or co-investment. Not included in implementation scope. May be available via product roadmap alignment.

Documentation

Each delta is documented as a user story with: (1) the baseline assumption, (2) the actual requirement discovered in the workshop, (3) acceptance criteria for the change, (4) classification (config/customization/product-dev), (5) effort and timeline impact. Tracked in shared project backlog visible to both Kaptio and GRJ.

Governance

Configuration deltas: approved by Kaptio project lead (immediate). Customization deltas: approved by steering committee (Kerry + Kaptio lead) at bi-weekly meeting. Product development deltas: escalated to Kaptio product team with recommendation from steering committee.

3

What We Know

Discovery progress and unanswered questions that affect estimation confidence.

Discovery Progress

96% Complete
24
Confirmed
0
Assumed
1
Unknown
25
Total

1 Unanswered Question — Blocking Estimation Confidence

How many bookings do you process per month/year? What is the seasonal pattern?Volume context for system sizing and go-live timing
4

Two Paths Forward

Each scenario represents a different balance of scope, timeline, and risk.

Select a path to see the detailed implementation plan below.

Detailed implementation plan for the selected scenario below
Showing: Accelerated FIT Launch
5

Delivery Plan & Investment

13 outcomes across 3 phases — what we deliver, how we get there, and the effort breakdown by role.

aWhat We'll Deliver

Core Foundation

(5 included)

Product Experience

(3 included)

Channel

(3 included, 2 deferred)

Advanced

(2 included, 3 deferred)

bHow We'll Get There

Implementation Phases

3 phases

Phase 1: Foundation

4 week discovery, B2B & B2C CRM setup, organizational setup, supplier integrations, product templates setup from gold org.

2 months
2026-042026-06
B2B & B2C CRM SetupDeployment Pipeline & EnvironmentsPackages & Selling PriceSupplier ConnectivitySuppliers, Services & Contracted RatesYour Kaptio Foundation

Discovery Phases (90d), B2B & B2C CRM Setup (41d), Organizational Setup (55d), Supplier Integrations (58d) = 244d total.

Discovery Workshops(8 sessions)
Foundation
Half day
W1
Your Kaptio Foundation
Kerry Jenkin, Tad Richert, Will
Suppliers, Product & Pricing
Full day
W2
Suppliers, Services & Contracted RatesPackages & Selling Price
Julian Appleyard, Missy Paul, Finance representative
Supplier Connectivity
Half day
W3
Supplier Connectivity
Julian Appleyard, Relevant product manager
Quoting & Booking Workflow
Full day
W4
Quote Trips That ConvertConfirm Bookings, EffortlesslyOperate Bookings Day-to-Day
Missy Paul, Julian Appleyard, Senior sales agent, Kerry Jenkin
Proposals, Payments & Documents
Full day
W5
Sales Proposals That ConvertPayments That Just WorkConfirmations, Financial Summaries & Final Docs
Tad Richert, Finance representative, Missy Paul, Julian Appleyard
ERP Export (Sage)
Half day
W6
Export to ERP
Andrew, Finance team member
Deployment Pipeline & Environments
Half day
W7
Deployment Pipeline & Environments
Kerry Jenkin, Will
System Transition & Training
Half day
W8
Kerry Jenkin, Tad Richert, Julian Appleyard, Missy Paul

Phase 2: US Market

Products setup, booking flow, documentation (US branded booking confirmations and invoice documents), Braintree payment integration, ERP Export (Sage), train the trainer, UAT support, 3-week hypercare

3 months
2026-062026-09
Confirm Bookings, EffortlesslyConfirmations, Financial Summaries & Final DocsExport to ERPOperate Bookings Day-to-DayPayments That Just WorkQuote Trips That ConvertSales Proposals That Convert

Products setup (40d), Booking Flow (90d), Documentation (55d), Payment integration Braintree (15d), ERP Export Sage (25d) = 225d + 3-week hypercare (15 IC + 5 PM = 20d).

Phase 3: UK Market

Documentation (UK branded booking confirmations, invoice documents and ATOL certificate), APEXX payment integration, ERP Export (Sage), UAT support, 3-week hypercare

2 months
2026-092026-11
Confirm Bookings, EffortlesslyConfirmations, Financial Summaries & Final DocsExport to ERPOperate Bookings Day-to-DayPayments That Just WorkQuote Trips That ConvertSales Proposals That Convert

Documentation UK (10d), APEXX Payment Integration (25d), ERP Export Sage (25d) = 60d + 3-week hypercare (15 IC + 5 PM = 20d).

Can We Do This in Time?

Tight
Contract Sign
2026-03-31
Target Go-Live
2026-08-31
Working Days
105
Delivery FTE
4.5
Effective Capacity
350 man-days
Capacity vs. Estimate
350d capacity
575575d estimate
Buffer:-225 man-days
Resource Contention
3 FTE (instead of 4.5) for first 4 weeks — concurrent customer go-lives in early April 2026
Constraints
  • Aggressive timeline: 5 months from contract to go-live — low contingency for scope additions or rework
  • Stripped scope: 3 outcomes deferred to fast-follow (operations, email, passenger info)
  • Braintree only — UK payments offline or via Braintree until APEXX is ready in Phase 3
  • Essential documents only — ATOL certificates and rail vouchers deferred
  • Commission handling complexity (UK deducts at source, US pays gross) requires dual config
  • GRJ service code mapping for Jonview/Discover must happen in parallel
  • Customer must engage immediately and continuously (no review cycles)
  • 3-week hypercare per market phase (US + UK = 6 weeks total)

Project Milestones

2026
Phase 1
2 months
Phase 2
3 months
Phase 3
2 months
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
SOW 1
Phase 1 delivery contract
SOW 2
Phases 2–3 contract

cInvestment

Capacity Analysis

Tight
Contract Sign
2026-03-31
Target Go-Live
2026-08-31
Working Days
105
Delivery FTE
4.5
Effective Capacity
350 man-days
Capacity vs. Estimate
350d capacity
575575d estimate
Buffer:-225 man-days
Resource Contention
3 FTE (instead of 4.5) for first 4 weeks — concurrent customer go-lives in early April 2026
Constraints
  • Aggressive timeline: 5 months from contract to go-live — low contingency for scope additions or rework
  • Stripped scope: 3 outcomes deferred to fast-follow (operations, email, passenger info)
  • Braintree only — UK payments offline or via Braintree until APEXX is ready in Phase 3
  • Essential documents only — ATOL certificates and rail vouchers deferred
  • Commission handling complexity (UK deducts at source, US pays gross) requires dual config
  • GRJ service code mapping for Jonview/Discover must happen in parallel
  • Customer must engage immediately and continuously (no review cycles)
  • 3-week hypercare per market phase (US + UK = 6 weeks total)

Estimation Summary

Total Man-Days
315–557 man-days
Indicative Cost
€261,450–€462,310
Timeline Feasibility
Tight
Team FTE
3
Effort by Role (Delivery Roles)
Lead / Architect
43.8–77.6
man-days
Functional Consultant
129.4–227.8
man-days
Technical Consultant
90.4–160.1
man-days
Project Management (12%)
31–55 man-days
Other Overhead (8%)
21–37 man-days

8 of 13 outcomes have full data; 5 have partial data; 0 need more content. Average maturity: 76/100.

To increase confidence:
  • Document pitfalls and risks
  • Create golden config for this outcome

Phase 1: Foundation

Medium Confidence
Total: 71–133 man-days
Duration: 4.7–8.9 weeks
PM: 7–13 man-days
Overhead: 5–9 man-days
OutcomeTotalLeadFCTC
Your Kaptio Foundation×1.26
10–192.5–4.85.5–10.52–3.8
Deployment Pipeline & Environments
3–60.6–1.20.6–1.21.8–3.6
Suppliers, Services & Contracted Rates
17–302.6–4.510.2–184.3–7.5
Supplier Connectivity
7–131.1–21.8–3.34.2–7.8
Packages & Selling Price×1.1
12–221.8–3.37.2–13.23–5.5
B2B & B2C CRM Setup×1.1
10–212–4.25.5–11.62.5–5.3
Delivery Subtotal59–11110.6–2030.8–57.817.8–33.5
Project Management (12%)7–13cross-cutting
Other Overhead (8%)5–9environments, tooling
Phase Total71–133

Phase 2: US Market

Medium Confidence
Total: 122–212 man-days
Duration: 8.1–14.1 weeks
PM: 12–21 man-days
Overhead: 8–14 man-days
OutcomeTotalLeadFCTC
Quote Trips That Convert
33–545–8.118.2–29.79.9–16.2
Confirm Bookings, Effortlessly
13–232.6–4.66.5–11.53.9–6.9
Operate Bookings Day-to-Day
13–232–3.56.5–11.54.6–8
Sales Proposals That Convert
11–202.2–45.5–103.3–6
Payments That Just Work×1.1
14–252.1–3.84.2–7.57.7–13.8
Confirmations, Financial Summaries & Final Docs
14–242.1–3.67–124.9–8.4
Export to ERP
4–80.6–1.21.4–2.82–4
Delivery Subtotal102–17716.6–28.849.3–8536.3–63.3
Project Management (12%)12–21cross-cutting
Other Overhead (8%)8–14environments, tooling
Phase Total122–212

Phase 3: UK Market

Medium Confidence
Total: 122–212 man-days
Duration: 8.1–14.1 weeks
PM: 12–21 man-days
Overhead: 8–14 man-days
OutcomeTotalLeadFCTC
Quote Trips That Convert
33–545–8.118.2–29.79.9–16.2
Confirm Bookings, Effortlessly
13–232.6–4.66.5–11.53.9–6.9
Operate Bookings Day-to-Day
13–232–3.56.5–11.54.6–8
Sales Proposals That Convert
11–202.2–45.5–103.3–6
Payments That Just Work×1.1
14–252.1–3.84.2–7.57.7–13.8
Confirmations, Financial Summaries & Final Docs
14–242.1–3.67–124.9–8.4
Export to ERP
4–80.6–1.21.4–2.82–4
Delivery Subtotal102–17716.6–28.849.3–8536.3–63.3
Project Management (12%)12–21cross-cutting
Other Overhead (8%)8–14environments, tooling
Phase Total122–212
6

System Transition

The SoftTrip → Kaptio cutover model — parallel operation, not parallel booking.

Option A: Clean Break

All new bookings in Kaptio from day one. SoftTrip operates in-flight only.

!

Key Principle: No Data Migration, Clean Cutover

Fresh Kaptio org. All new bookings in Kaptio from go-live. Only forward-traveling bookings (post Feb 1 2027) manually transferred. SoftTrip fully decommissioned by February 2027.

Key Milestones

Oct 2026
Kaptio Go-Live
All NEW bookings created in Kaptio from this date. SoftTrip notice given.
Oct–Jan
Parallel Operation
New bookings in Kaptio. In-flight SoftTrip bookings continue until travel date passes.
Jan 2027
Forward Booking Transfer
Any SoftTrip booking with travel date after Feb 1 2027 manually transferred to Kaptio.
Feb 2027
SoftTrip Decommissioned
Full SoftTrip end-of-life. All operations in Kaptio.

System Activity Over Time

Pre Go-Live
Mar–Sep 2026
Go-Live
Oct 2026
Parallel Operation
Nov 2026 – Jan 2027
Full Cutover
Feb 2027
Kaptio
Implementation, UAT, training
All NEW bookings
All new + transferred bookings
All operations
SoftTrip
All bookings & operations
Operate in-flight bookings only
In-flight until travel date passes
Decommissioned
New Bookings
SoftTrip
Kaptio
Kaptio
Kaptio

Advantages

  • +Clean break — agents only create bookings in one system from go-live
  • +Shorter parallel period (~4 months)
  • +No ambiguity about which system to use for a new booking
  • +Simpler training — agents only learn Kaptio for new work

Trade-offs

  • Higher go-live risk — all new bookings immediately depend on Kaptio
  • Manual transfer of forward-traveling bookings (post Feb 2027)
  • No gradual ramp — full commitment from day one
?

Scoping Session Discussion Point

Which transition model does GRJ prefer? Option A (clean break — all new bookings in Kaptio from day one) or Option B (gradual handover — travel-date cutoff with both systems taking new bookings)? Both approaches have been proven at other operators — Kaptio has delivered both models successfully.

7

Risks & Next Steps

Known risks and open questions that need answers before finalizing.

Risks (15)

APEXX payment gateway integration scope and timeline not yet confirmed

Mitigation: All payments via Kaptio Pay. Braintree (US) is supported and proven. APEXX (UK) integration to be assessed through Kaptio Pay — no custom connectors in the proposal. If APEXX becomes a friction point, commercial to manage the conversation.

HIGH

Aug/Sep 2026 staggered go-live is tight — 130 working days from contract to US go-live. 136 templates with variants = more loading than estimated.

Mitigation: Staggered approach (US Aug, UK Sep) gives buffer — UK volumes much smaller. Nov 1 hard cutoff gives 1-2 month additional buffer. Scenario A (Jul) is stripped scope only. Scenario B (Aug/Sep staggered) is recommended. Key risk: Ian questions D-E-F still pending — could change scope estimates.

HIGH

This is GRJ's 3rd platform replacement attempt in 10 years — failure risk and executive fatigue

Mitigation: Demonstrate clear progress early. Phased delivery with visible milestones. Reference Railbookers success (migrated from SoftTrip to Kaptio).

HIGH

CRM scope creep — Kerry wants Kaptio CRM across entire group (escorted + FIT), but FIT is only 30-40% of business

Mitigation: FIT-first agreed. Groups scoped separately. Architecture discussion (Jan 8) confirmed simultaneous CRM use is "uncommon but feasible." Keep FIT launch clean and separate.

HIGH

Supplier connectivity gap — only 2 of 22 suppliers covered by GP Solutions at go-live (Hotelbeds dropped)

Mitigation: Jonview + Discover cover ~95% of volume. Set clear expectations: 2 API suppliers at go-live, rest manual. Rail: Distribution (MGB aggregator) is 2027 prospect — Nazara currently integrating.

MEDIUM

Sage/ERP integration — finance team's #1 concern. Data volume bottleneck, period locking, export format.

Mitigation: Dedicated Sage outcome with half-day workshop in Phase 1 (Andrew/CFO + finance team). Export format agreed before build. File-based at go-live — not a Kaptio replacement for ERP.

MEDIUM

Kaptio resource contention — concurrent customer go-lives end of March / early April 2026

Mitigation: Ring-fence GRJ resources. First 6 weeks may have reduced FTE availability (3 instead of 4.5). Absorbed by discovery phase.

MEDIUM

Booked vs departed PAX — pricing model needs recalculation

Mitigation: Tracy to recalculate with correct volume basis. Extra 1,000 PAX = GBP 11,250 additional cost.

MEDIUM

Quest product stability — TTC dependencies and capacity collision flagged

Mitigation: Monitor Quest roadmap. GRJ delivery benefits from TTC-funded enhancements in H1 2026.

MEDIUM

Manual forward-booking transfer — volume and effort of manually moving post-Feb-2027 bookings from SoftTrip

Mitigation: CTO directed no migration — fresh Kaptio org (Feb 12). Only forward-traveling bookings manually moved. Assess volume during Phase 1 discovery.

LOW

Customer resource capacity — GRJ expects Kaptio to do all heavy lifting with only 3-4 IT staff

Mitigation: Plan for Kaptio-led delivery. GRJ provides SMEs (Julian, Missy) for discovery and UAT but not implementation capacity. Build this into resourcing and pricing. No dedicated GRJ PM confirmed.

HIGH

No Salesforce admin at GRJ — platform administration and ongoing configuration changes have no owner

Mitigation: GRJ must either hire a Salesforce admin before go-live or contract a Kaptio managed service agreement. Kerry interested in 6-month BAU retainer (Feb 16) which partially addresses this. Needs resolution during Phase 1.

HIGH

136 base templates with 2-3 variants = 272-408 SKUs — significantly more package loading effort than estimated from the call (~68)

Mitigation: Zero new templates per month (annual product range) means no ongoing creation burden. Prioritize top-selling packages at go-live. Annual cadence simplifies maintenance planning. May need dedicated package loading sprint in Phase 2.

MEDIUM

RESOLVED (Feb 19) — Ian questions D-E-F now answered via xlsx. Volume data confirms manageable scale (2,624 VBR + 352 GRJ = ~3,000 bookings/year). Promotional complexity confirmed but scoped (£500pp off specific packages). No material scope changes.

Mitigation: Full formal response received Feb 19. Conversion rate now derived: VBR 32.5%, GRJ 21.1%, combined 30.6%. Sellable item counts now resolved (Feb 23): VBR ~1,682, GRJ ~1,227. Remaining gap: VBR booking breakdown (% edits). Not blocking. Proposal can proceed.

LOW

GRJ amendment intensity — 95% of Luxury bookings and 75% of Swiss bookings involve edits (regional flights, hotel upgrades, extra nights)

Mitigation: Amendment types are well-defined (regional flights, hotel upgrades, extra nights) and supported by Kaptio. ~3 amendments per booking average (both brands). Current SoftTrip process takes 40 min per amendment — Kaptio auto-cascading eliminates this. Train agents on amendment workflow during Phase 2 pilot.

MEDIUM

Open Questions (13)

Sorted by priority — high priority questions have the biggest impact on estimation confidence.

What is the exact APEXX integration scope and effort? Is it a 2-week or 2-month effort?

high

APEXX is UK payment gateway. NOT currently supported. Needs product/engineering assessment before UK go-live timing can be confirmed. Tad noted it is complex (multi-acquirer). KTPay two-stage discovery + dev process (Jan 8).

How many of the 136 base templates (with 2-3 variants each) need to be live at go-live?

high

136 base templates confirmed with 2-3 variants = ~272-408 SKUs. GRJ top-20 coverage now answered: Orient Express = 60%, Swiss = 25% (together 85%). VBR more distributed — top 5 products ~40% of peak month volume. Prioritization strategy: GRJ can focus on 2 product lines for 85% coverage. VBR needs broader catalog. Still need to confirm go-live minimum set and phased loading plan.

What is the GP Solutions commercial model? (connection fee + monthly fee structure)

medium

Tracy working on getting pricing. Affects total cost picture for Vitruvian.

Can Jonview activities/excursions be included in MVP scope (not just accommodation)?

medium

Ragnar to confirm. Jonview API may be accommodation-only through GP Solutions. Kaptio provides service code mapping tooling.

What is the Sage export format needed? Can Kaptio reports be formatted to match Sage flat files?

medium

Finance deep dive (Jan 29). Tomas agreed it is theoretically possible with development work. Dedicated half-day Sage workshop (ws-erp-export) created to resolve this.

Is GRJ willing to co-invest on rail integration acceleration?

medium

Rail is core to their business. Co-investment could pull rail integration forward. Distribution (MGB aggregator) is 2027 prospect.

Who exactly from GRJ will participate in discovery workshops and UAT?

medium

Feb 16 confirmed: Kerry + Ryan own UAT, Missy (US lead/SME), Jules (UK). Decision makers: Kerry/Missy/Jules. Chicago on-site workshops recommended. Still need formal availability and workshop dates.

[REMAINING GAP] VBR booking breakdown: what % are template-only vs template + minor edits?

medium

GRJ provided breakdown (Luxury: 5% no changes / 95% edits, Swiss: 25% / 75%). VBR did not provide numeric breakdown — only GRJ did. Needed for VBR amendment workflow load estimation.

Edge Docs license cost — Kerry raised question, needs commercial answer

medium

Feb 16 session. GRJ has only seen Edge Docs in videos, not live demos. Kerry asked about additional license cost for Edge Docs. Needs commercial response from Kaptio.

No Salesforce admin at GRJ — hire or Kaptio managed service?

medium

Feb 16 confirmed no Salesforce admin on staff. GRJ IT team is 3-4 people with no SF expertise. Needs resolution before go-live: hire an admin, or contract Kaptio managed service post go-live.

Confirm US booking season mirrors UK Boxing Day - mid-Feb peak?

low

Tracy confirmed UK peak booking is Boxing Day through mid-Feb (Feb 12). Assumes US follows suit. REQUIRES CONFIRMATION.

[RESOLVED] Quote-to-booking conversion rate — derived from xlsx data

low

RESOLVED Feb 19: Conversion rates derived from monthly quotes vs bookings data in xlsx. VBR: 32.5% (2,682 bookings / 8,265 quotes), GRJ: 21.1% (352 / 1,665), combined 30.6%. Confirms Kerry's "30% conversion" baseline. VBR swings 11% (Nov) to 58% (Jul). No longer a gap.

[RESOLVED] Active sellable item counts — now available from xlsx Sellable Items sheet

low

RESOLVED Feb 23: VBR ~1,682 sellable items (top categories: Sightseeing tour 340, Rail 268, Hotel 225, Transfer 225, Misc 215, Sleeper train 172). GRJ ~1,227 (top: Hotel 245, Transfer 185, Rail 183, Sleeper train 175, Excursion 174). Rate plans: VBR ~2,200, GRJ ~850. Service catalog loading effort is sized. No longer a gap.

8

Statement of Work

Draft SOW status and link to the generated document.

SOW Draft Available

Draft
Scenario
Accelerated FIT Launch
Generated
11 Mar 2026
Effort
575 man-days
Cost Range
€550,000
Open in Google DocsDiscovery & Implementation

To regenerate: "generate SOW for grj"