Etihad Cargo has announced the official launch of its "Sales Cockpit," a digital sales optimisation tool that will enable the carrier to enhance customer relationships and add value to its partnerships.

In the announcement, Etihad Cargo said it partnered with Netherlands-based Rotate in May 2023 to co-develop Sales Cockpit with the aim of utilising data and machine learning to improve customer service and gain a more in-depth understanding of the carrier's partners and customers.

Using custom-built algorithms to analyse data, Sales Cockpit generates tailored and customisable recommendations on how users can strengthen customer relationships by identifying current and future opportunities.

Etihad Cargo said together with Rotate, it has completed the co-development and delivery of the first-of-its-kind tool.

The carrier will now roll out Sales Cockpit globally, providing its commercial teams with access to updated data analysis and a real-time snapshot of Etihad Cargo's business on particular routes, with individual customers and by-products.

"The successful co-development and completion of Sales Cockpit in partnership with Rotate will benefit Etihad Cargo's partners, as sales representatives and account managers are empowered by data to have more meaningful interactions with customers," said Stanislas Brun, vice president cargo at Etihad Cargo.

He noted that the tailored recommendations provided by the tool will help Etihad Cargo deliver a more efficient and seamless customer journey and boost sales, helping the carrier to develop stronger partnerships and help customers achieve their business objectives.

During the development phase, Rotate and Etihad Cargo's steering team visited ten of the carrier's global stations in 20 weeks, allowing improvements to be implemented in real-time following feedback from Etihad Cargo's teams.

Etihad Cargo said its sales representatives and commercial teams will now be using Sales Cockpit globally to gain visibility of the carrier's key accounts across its entire network.

This will enable them to benchmark regional performance and identify opportunities on a global scale to help customers meet their tonnage targets.

Brun said Etihad Cargo and Rotate's partnership has enabled the carrier to help unlock the full potential of digitalisation.

"Sales Cockpit will benefit not only Etihad Cargo and its customers but also has the potential to transform how other carriers in the wider air cargo community access the vast amounts of data available and use it to start having more meaningful and engaging conversations with their customers," Brun added.