In our Insider Interviews series, the world's leading ticketing experts share their visions and insights about the industry, in this interview specifically about API integrations. Oxynade founder & CEO Hans Nissens asking the questions.
The expert today is Hanns-Wolfgang Trippe. For more than 30 years, Mr. Trippe has been the DACH region's expert in the ticketing industry and Managing Director of T:B GmbH. Hanns-Wolfgang Trippe has specialised in corporate strategies, organisational solutions, process analyses, benchmarking and marketing concepts in the Ticketing Industry.
Mr. Trippe, we are pleased to welcome you in Ghent and look forward to your expert answers as well as your insights into modular solutions with a focus on API-Integration.
Mr. Nissens, the pleasure is mine. I am looking forward to the interview and to get to know Gent better before we discuss our upcoming collaboration of this year's expert forum.
Q: Mr. Trippe, you have been advising event organisers and ticket sales companies on organisational and software issues for over 30 years and invite the German-speaking ticketing community to the annual industry meeting. This year, the T:B Expert Forum Ticketm@nagement will take place on September 5 and 6 in Hanover. As one of the most critical trends in the industry, the topic " modularisation " will be discussed in lectures and workshops. What exactly does this mean?
A: The processes in ticket management have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years. As a result, conventional ticketing solutions have developed into powerful monoliths that can do everything, but not necessarily everything optimally. A modern ticketing solution, on the other hand, is based on a conglomerate of individual subcomponents contributed by independent specialists. Ticket systems will thus become more modular in the future.
Q: How can such interaction of subsystems from different suppliers be organised?
A: The functions and the corresponding data are located in the respective subsystems. The synchronisation of master and transaction data between the systems is reduced to the absolute minimum. If data or functions from cooperating subsystems are required, this is done on a case-by-case basis using API calls. A typical example would be a central customer data module that logs all use and transfer of customer data at the same time and thus guarantees the DSGVO-related requirements. There are no copies of data in different places. As a consequence, individual modules must be implemented with high availability. This consequence increases the flexibility of the user enormously. Functions can simply be added to the system by exchanging or supplementing individual modules.
Q: Are there any risks associated with this modular approach?
A: In a modular system, full functionality is only given if all subsystems function, one could be sceptical. However, a breakdown in a complete system immediately leads to a complete system failure. Modular systems, therefore, do not represent a higher risk. More important to me seems to be the increase in the requirements for internal know-how. The use of different subsystems requires the ability to keep an eye on all elements of the overall system and their functions. In the past, providers of complete systems have primarily taken on this task. The modular approach requires a more intensive qualification of the house personnel.
Q: What consequences does the development towards modularisation have for organisers?
A: This development will be accompanied by a move away from generalists towards several specialists. In the future, we will see the houses as product owners for the ticketing system, speaking the language of the top specialists among the partial solution providers. In order to achieve this, it is indispensable to increase the qualifications of the internal employees to have the knowledge available in-house. However, I assume that this does not always have to be a full position. At this point, we will also see independent service providers positioning themselves in the market. An excellent opportunity for further qualification is, for example, participation in the T:B Expert Forum in Hanover in September.
Mr. Trippe, thank you for sharing your knowledge with about one of the topics that will be in focus during the T:B Expertenforum on September 5th and 6th. We are very much looking forward to it.
Mr. Nissens, it was a real pleasure talking to you, and I am looking forward to welcoming you in Hannover and attending your Keynote-Speech on September 5th.
You can find the program here. Registrations are currently still open.
Do you wish to participate in our SaaS-Survey to prepare for the forum? It will take only a few minutes of your time, and in return, you will receive valuable insights for your specific Ticketing Business.
This interview was conducted by our Founder & CEO Hans Nissens, and edited by our Marketing Manager Lea Vanessa Stiels. Photographs courtesy of: unsplash