Welcome to a new episode of the podcast Revenue Machine, the only one dedicated to Revenue Management. Today, Emmanuel Scuto interviews Romain Charié. Romain, co-founder of the consulting firm N&C, initially pursued studies in aeronautics before specializing in business-oriented data analysis. His experience at Air France allowed him to combine his two passions. Although the airline has sophisticated processes and tools, human intervention remains essential for decision-making. Excessive automation can lead to a loss of control over tools and analysis.

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One of the advantages of an RMS (Revenue Management System) is its speed and depth of analysis. However, when external factors disrupt the model (weather, strikes, security risks, etc.), the analyst must take over. For example, seasonality is never identical from one year to the next, requiring a flexible approach to analysis. At Air France, Romain compiled all documents and procedures related to optimization techniques into a White Paper, which became the bible for every revenue manager, ensuring a consistent approach to analysis.

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In the car rental sector, where stock uncertainty makes precise forecasting impossible, Romain found that grouping cars into broad categories was sufficient to achieve accurate probability assessments. His last corporate experience was within the Revenue Development team at Disneyland Paris, where the existing forecasting tool was ultimately ill-suited to the evolving booking behaviors of clients.

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Since 2014, Romain has partnered with Pascal Niffoi, with whom he worked at Air France and Disneyland Paris, to establish their consulting firm focused on optimization. They believe an analyst must always understand why a tool made a recommendation. They observed two reactions to their RMS Revbell: complete acceptance or rejection in favor of the more familiar Excel. To enhance RM analysts' skills, they offer checklists and procedures.

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As passionate professionals, Romain and Pascal also aim to explain the levers of price action in the media. Regardless of the industry, they believe that volume is a key factor in profitability, even before the pursuit of average price.

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📌 Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction to Romain

00:08:30 Early days in Revenue Management at Air France: Pricing and Fare Classes

00:19:10 Preparing for Optimization

00:22:40 The Air France Revenue Management White Paper

00:25:40 Optimization in Car Rentals (Europcar) and Flexible Inventory

00:35:20 Revenue Management in Theme Parks (Disneyland Paris)

00:50:00 Travel Costs and Contribution Calculations

01:01:00 The Analyst Must Always Understand RMS Recommendations

01:11:10 Advocating for Yield Management in the Media

01:18:00 Continuous Learning: The Art of Internal Feedback

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