Key results
- 30+ minutes saved per price adjustment
- $200 per hour saved in technical support fees from previous platform
- Automated 3 distinct global commission tiers
- Automated complex Tax
- Saved time with rapid multi-language proposal generation
Overview and background
Socompa Adventure Travel operates as a bespoke Destination Management Company specialising in custom itineraries across the Argentine Northwest and the Puna region. Founded in 2004 by Fabrizio Ghilardi, the company uses a dual-continent operational model to deliver the best possible experience. The physical tours execute in Salta, Argentina and Fabrizio spearheads the European sales strategy from Italy. Driven by word-of-mouth referrals and strategic roadshows, the company has built deep partnerships with travel agents lasting over twenty years. To support their growth and better manage agency relationships, they realised they needed to transform their operations and tech stack.
"We recognised that modernising our tech stack was imperative for scaling our European B2B partnerships. After deep research and working closely with the Tourwriter team we felt confident the system would have a big, positive impact on our daily operations."
To manage this logistical network, the company relies on a dedicated operations team in Salta. Florencia Morales, Administration Coordinator at Socompa, manages supplier relations, and regional accounts work. Emiliano Agustín Depino, Head of Operations and Logistics, applies deep analytical rigour to trip planning and fleet management.
Despite their highly qualified team, the company hit an operational ceiling caused by their legacy software, Tourplan. The system lacked the mechanical flexibility required to process custom itineraries. You can read more about the differences between these systems in our Tourplan vs Tourwriter comparison article. If a travel designer needed to change a single supplier price, they could not override the rate at the itinerary level. They had to rebuild the entire pricing structure from scratch, a task taking up to thirty minutes per adjustment.
To maintain daily productivity, the staff completely abandoned the primary platform. They calculated complex margins and varying agency commissions in offline Excel spreadsheets. Simultaneously, they relied entirely on Microsoft Word to format the client-facing documents. This fragmented approach destroyed their data integrity. The offline files rarely matched the central system, leaving the team with an unreliable database.
"Our legacy system created severe operational bottlenecks. Transitioning to a centralised, automated platform was essential to eliminate manual Excel calculations and restore absolute integrity to our pricing database."
Florencia Morales, Administration Coordinator, Socompa Adventure Travel
The right way to transform your business + tech stack
To eliminate these manual workflows and scale their business-to-business operations, Fabrizio initiated a software transition. He collaborated with the implementation team to establish a focussed, one-week software trial. During this sprint, the operations team provided raw data to build two specific test itineraries. This approach allowed Emiliano and Florencia to evaluate Tourwriter using real-world scenarios without disrupting their daily operations. You can learn more about the first steps of your implementation here.
Emiliano immediately took charge of testing the pricing logistics. Operating in Argentina requires strict adherence to variable national tax laws. He needed to verify that the software could process distinct tax brackets automatically, separating accommodation taxes from transportation taxes within the same custom itinerary. Tourwriter passed the technical test, allowing the operations staff to configure distinct tax profiles at the supplier level. Emiliano also investigated the visual outputs required for their on-the-ground staff traversing the Puna region—such as the NOA & Puna Experience—validating the system's ability to pull interactive Google Maps links that update live when driver details change.
"Navigating Argentina’s complex split-taxation regulations requires absolute precision. Automating the separation of distinct Value Added Tax brackets directly at the supplier level has fundamentally streamlined our financial compliance."
Emiliano Agustín Depino, Head of Operations and Logistics, Socompa Adventure Travel
Meanwhile, Florencia utilised the migration as an opportunity to overhaul their historical data. By moving away from fragmented spreadsheets, she centralised their library of geographic directions and resources. To solve their commission calculating issues, she configured specific pricing option codes representing different agency markups. Designers now simply select the target margin from a dropdown menu, forcing the system to calculate the final price instantly. For their diverse client base across Italy, Brazil, and English-speaking regions, the team utilises the multi-language description fields to generate localised proposals rapidly. This is a key strategy for tailor-made tour operators looking to grow.
"Managing dynamic commission models across our global agency network used to require hours of manual recalculation. Now, configuring specific pricing codes allows us to generate accurate, localised proposals instantly."
Florencia Morales, Administration Coordinator, Socompa Adventure Travel
The impact of the transformation
The operational overhaul delivered immediate financial relief and structural clarity. Under their previous software contract, the company suffered under a legacy pricing model, paying two hundred dollars per hour for basic technical support requests. Transitioning to Tourwriter eliminated these maintenance fees, allowing Fabrizio to redirect capital towards core business development and Italian agent roadshows. You can see more feedback on our Tourwriter reviews page.
Results
- 30+ minutes saved per price adjustment by replacing manual legacy software rebuilds with instantaneous inline editing.
- $200 per hour saved by eliminating the technical support fees required to maintain their legacy platform.
- Automated 3 distinct global commission tiers (10%, 15%, and 20%)into easily selectable pricing codes for business-to-business partners.
- Automated complex Argentine Value Added Tax brackets (21% for accommodation and 10.5% for transport) for regional compliance.
- Rapid proposal generation across 3 distinct linguistic markets (Italy, Brazil, and English-speaking regions) through multi-language description fields.
The software migration also clarified internal department boundaries. The sales team now operates with complete autonomy. Because the centralised itinerary database produces highly accurate pricing, the accounting department no longer requires manual data exports from the sales team. The accounts team utilises their own local software exclusively, preventing system overlaps and reducing administrative friction. For more on this, watch our accounting integration webinar.
The improved presentation standards generated positive reactions from their customer base immediately. Travellers specifically praised the clear chronological outlines, proving that the automated outputs outperformed their previous manual Word documents. This operational upgrade directly reflects in their public feedback, where clients on TripAdvisor frequently highlight the quality of their travel documentation.
"The response from our partners has been outstanding. Providing a structured, highly visual chronological outline elevates our brand presentation and significantly enhances the initial client experience."
Florencia Morales, Administration Coordinator, Socompa Adventure Travel
To handle complex guide dispatching, the operations team now exports hidden itinerary items into Word to generate operative sheets, ensuring local guides receive comprehensive daily schedules. This efficiency is why we are driven by a desire to be more efficient. Moving forward, the team plans to implement Zoho Analytics to track individual designer inquiry conversion rates, securing their position as a scalable operator in the Argentine market.
You can stay updated with the company via the Socompa Instagram and LinkedIn profiles.
"Field operations demand flawless logistics. By generating comprehensive operative sheets that incorporate hidden internal routing data, we ensure our local guides execute every itinerary with absolute precision."
Emiliano Agustín Depino, Head of Operations and Logistics, Socompa Adventure Travel
What immediate financial savings resulted from replacing the legacy software?
The company successfully eliminated ongoing technical maintenance costs. Under their previous software contract, they paid two hundred dollars per hour for basic support requests. The new platform removed this financial burden, freeing up capital to invest back into destination management.
How did the platform alter the dynamic between sales and accounting departments?
The sales team now operates with complete autonomy. The accounts department utilises separate local software to manage their specific financial tasks. Because the centralised itinerary database remains highly accurate, the accounting staff no longer extracts or corrects data exports from the sales team.
How did travellers respond to the newly formatted digital travel documents?
Client feedback highlighted significant improvements in document readability. Travellers specifically praised the clear chronological outline generated by the system. Providing a clean, structured overview of complex travel arrangements elevated the professional presentation of the company and improved the overall initial customer experience.
How does the company generate detailed operative sheets for their local guides?
The operations team exports a structured itinerary summary that includes hidden service items not visible to the client. They download this comprehensive data set into Microsoft Word, allowing them to finalise specific briefing notes and payment instructions before printing the physical daily schedule for the guide.
How does custom branding support long-term business-to-business agency growth?
The platform allows the team to store multiple agency profiles. When generating a proposal for a European partner, the designer simply selects the specific agency. The system automatically applies the correct corporate logo and brand colours to the final itinerary document.
Ready to streamline your workflows?
To discuss how Tourwriter can replace your disconnected spreadsheets, support multi-language proposals, and eliminate excessive software support fees, schedule a demo or contact our sales team.
