By Alex Leid
Background and Inspiration
1. Can you share a bit about your background in technology and software development?
Since my early years, I’ve been captivated by computers, technology, and mathematics. When I stepped foot into Stellenbosch University to pursue a BComm degree, specializing in actuarial science, I thought I had found my calling. However, as I delved deeper into programming and the problem-solving it entails, a new world opened up before me. The allure of coding and the challenges it presented quickly became a passion. It wasn’t long before I made the decision to pivot my major to computer science. Instantly, it felt as though I had finally found my element.
2. What inspired you to join Activitar, and how does your background influence your approach to leading technology initiatives within the company?
Back in 2015, during my undergraduate days, I discovered Activitar and crossed paths with Pierre. My performance caught their eye, and they offered me a chance to dive into some part-time work while I continued to finish my degree. It was a whirlwind of bouncing between studies and hands-on experience at Activitar, a rhythm that continued until I finally held my Computer Science Masters degree in my hands.
For me, it was crucial to strike a balance between theoretical studies and real-world implementation, and Activitar provided the perfect playground for that. While I aimed to master the intricacies of computer science theory, being immersed in practical work kept me grounded. I’ve always believed that scientific rigor, coupled with hands-on implementation, forms the foundation of success in any venture. The beauty of those skills are easily transferable, whether it’s in the technical realms or beyond, into the heart of any business.
Vision and Values
3. How do you perceive the role of technology in supporting and enhancing the tourism industry?
In the world of tours and activities, many businesses struggle daily due to manual processes and limited distribution channels. To truly unlock their market potential, digitization is key. That’s where Activitar steps in. We offer one of the most comprehensive business automation platforms in this sector, streamlining hundreds of functions and connecting vital booking sources.
Activitar consistently pushes forward, driving business processes online, and automating them. This not only boosts efficiency but also revolutionizes how activity companies and attractions sell their inventory.
At Activitar, our core challenge lies in accurately modeling and capturing the diverse ways that activity companies operate. We tackle our tasks with perseverance - a trait ingrained in our company culture.
Looking ahead, our goal is to maintain our position as leaders in activity automation. Our clients trust us to streamline their operations, and with that trust comes the responsibility to anticipate and embrace changes and opportunities in technology.
4. How do you communicate and reinforce the core values of Activitar within your team, and how do these values guide decision-making and innovation?
Activitar’s product development has always been informed by the needs of our industry. We practice being good at listening to feedback from clients. We even take serious note of feedback from prospective clients. I always make sure to understand the subject area of the tours and activities domain and our client’s specific problem well, before we design the solution. Our whole team therefore also uses this approach. Each feature is understood as a little application that solves an industry problem.
A lot of times clients will come to us with product suggestions and feature requests that are very useful, but also highly specific to their needs. It’s always good to first step back and really try to understand their issue and come up with a holistic solution so that you can then potentially solve a lot of other people’s problems too.
Challenges and Growth
5. What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve encountered and how have you worked with your team to overcome them?
Our challenge is hiring more software engineers to implement all the innovations we are planning to deliver to the customers. We believe there is a golden number of engineers on a project. Too few heads is a challenge but too many slow you down. I believe we will reach the golden number soon.
As Product Director I balance time spent on responding to customer feedback with adding strategic innovations that will move our clients business forward the most. I draw on my technical skill to ensure we deliver feasible solutions that are efficient and can be implemented speedily.
6. With the increased importance of sustainability, how do you see technology playing a role in promoting responsible and eco-friendly travel experiences, and what initiatives is Activitar undertaking in this regard?
Having an online and digital system means relying less on paper and physical forms like indemnity documents. With Activitar’s automated resource assignment, our customers can easily determine which staff members need to be on-site for operations each day, promoting efficient resource use. It also allows staff members to work from home more frequently, therefore Activitar not only streamlines operations but also reduces the carbon footprint.
I’m delighted to note that many of our clients actively participate in local conservation projects, making a positive impact on their communities and environment. Activitar’s role in automating and growing their businesses contributes to providing them with the time and resources to engage in such meaningful initiatives. It’s fulfilling to see our technology empower our customers to make a difference.
7. How do you foster a culture of continuous learning and professional growth within your team, particularly in the rapidly evolving landscape?
We believe in providing our staff with exposure to various areas within the business and increasing responsibilities as a means of professional growth. Personally, I’ve always found fulfillment in engaging with tasks beyond coding and now enjoy being involved in different aspects of the business.
Our emphasis lies in developing our system consultants to be adept problem solvers, capable of devising solutions independently with minimal reliance on engineers for assistance. This approach enables us to maintain a lean and agile development team.
Leadership and Team Dynamics
8. As a leader within Activitar, how do you empower your team members to take ownership of their projects and contribute to the company’s success?
I prioritize granting ownership to team members throughout the entire process of building a new feature in our system. They actively participate in design discussions, client meetings, internal reviews, testing, and the eventual rollout of the feature. This approach has enabled us to cultivate strong engineers who can work independently with confidence.
Our product development team recognizes the invaluable insights that system consultants, who interact with our customers daily, bring to the table. Therefore, we frequently involve them in the design and development process, rotating them in to contribute their expertise. While this may add some extra time to development, the end result is a superior product and a more well-rounded team. Developers gain insights into the practical application of the system in the field and understand customer needs, while system consultants gain valuable knowledge about the development process and system logic.
Adaptability and Innovation
9. How do you ensure that Activitar remains agile and adaptable to changes in market trends, customer preferences, and technological advancements?
Agility is a factor of the extensibility of a system. At Activitar, we prioritize modularity and extensibility in our software decisions. This, coupled with a team capable of functioning independently, enables us to swiftly develop new features, seizing opportunities for innovation and promptly meeting our customers’ needs.
Our focus remains on shaping the Activitar system to stay at the forefront of the future we envision for the tours and activity industry. Whether making small incremental changes or strategic leaps, we are dedicated to advancing steadily towards the prosperous future that we are helping to shape for the industry.
Future Outlook and Personal Connection
10. In your view, what are the most exciting opportunities for technological innovation within the tourism industry in the next decade, and how is Activitar positioning itself to capitalize on these opportunities?
Activitar is at the forefront of automation in the activity industry and is well positioned to make use of data analysis and artificial intelligence to guide and improve your business. We own a deep data lake based on millions of bookings that we will be able to exploit to express trends and provide decision support to our customers through regular intelligence reports as well as real time tactical advice.
The data relating to current and historical market trends and consumer behavior as well as the key operations data allows us to aid our customers in optimizing pricing, marketing, staffing and distribution.
Activitar will be responding to these opportunities and revenue forecasting tools are already in beta with one of our customers. This is just the beginning.
Beyond this Activitar is focused on always connecting to more pools of demand thereby maximizing distribution for our customers. One example is our upcoming integration with the Shoretime system that has been adopted by Norwegian Cruise Lines and the tour operators that they work with. This system is set to be adopted by many cruise operations and will access the massive buying block represented by cruise passengers. See article: Brenock Technology and Shoretime Announce Integration and Deal with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to Enhance Excursion Management
Automation of all tasks in our customer’s operations along with continuous improvement of existing features and optimization of the UI and UX in the system is always ongoing.
11. On a personal level, what aspect of your work at Activitar brings you the most satisfaction or fulfillment, and how does this connection drive your dedication to the company’s mission and goals?
I believe we have an exceptional team, and I genuinely enjoy the camaraderie with my colleagues. Over the years, they’ve become good friends. This bond makes it easy to wake up each morning and eagerly contribute to the company’s success, knowing we’re all in it together.