CASE STUDY

One of the most recognised travel brands in the UK, P&O Ferries carries ten million passengers and two million freight units a year on a fleet of 20 ships. The company operates more than 30,000 sailings a year, on eight major routes between Britain, France, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Holland and Belgium.
Carus has established a longstanding relationship with P&O Ferries over 27 years and has become a key trusted partner in the development of a point-of-sale (POS) system that overcomes the many challenges of operating at sea. The shipping environment can be difficult in terms of connectivity and constant vibration and movement means that terminals must be extremely robust.
P&O Ferries currently has nearly 350 tills operating the Carus system in bars, restaurants and in retail outlets across 14 passenger ships. P&O Ferries prides itself on its excellent customer service, which is a key reason why people choose to travel by sea. Delivering market-leading customer service is dependent on making sure bars and shops are fully stocked and able to meet the needs of passengers around the clock.
Carus is currently working on a number of enhancements to the system that will improve customer experience. This includes developing contactless and pay-at-table options, and a personal shopper service, which will enable passengers to buy retail products from the comfort of their seat.

“CARUS HAS HELPED DEVELOP A BESPOKE SOLUTION FOR P&O FERRIES THAT USES A NETWORK OF WIRELESS AND SATELLITE LINKS TO CONNECT OUR POS UNITS TO A CENTRAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM. THIS ENSURES THAT ALL STOCK REQUIREMENTS ARE COMMUNICATED EFFECTIVELY AND NO SHIP LEAVES PORT WITHOUT A FULL COMPLEMENT OF FOOD, DRINKS AND RETAIL PRODUCTS – ENSURING WE CAN DELIVER THE SERVICE OUR CUSTOMERS DEMAND.”
CHRIS COOK, CIO AT P&O FERRIES