Cognizant and Whitbread have expanded their digital transformation partnership to enhance customer experiences in the UK and Germany. This collaboration will see Cognizant support Whitbread with product design, management, and engineering as the hospitality company continues its digital growth strategy.
The renewed partnership will focus on realizing Whitbread’s vision for an elevated customer experience. This follows a major modernization effort where Cognizant helped replace Whitbread’s legacy property management system. As part of this transformation, Cognizant reimagined Premier Inn’s e-commerce site and key digital elements, such as its business booker and integration services, migrating operations of over 900 hotels while ensuring continuous service to customers.
Thanks to the upgraded technology stack and API-driven architecture delivered by Cognizant, new features can be rapidly developed and integrated into Premier Inn’s digital channels, including a refreshed mobile customer experience. The comprehensive digital transformation covers all customer journey aspects, from pre-booking to post-stay, aiming to increase direct bookings and unlock new monetization opportunities.
This partnership supports Whitbread’s strategic priorities to innovate in core UK markets and strengthen its digital proposition in Germany. To accelerate new digital offerings, Cognizant will leverage its AI-assisted software development capabilities and innovation lab to rapidly test and refine new technology prototypes.
“Cognizant has been a long-standing trusted digital partner for us. We are pleased to expand our partnership beyond engineering and delivery services to encompass the full spectrum of digital transformation,” says Harish Rajani, Whitbread’s Director of Change Delivery and Engineering. “Cognizant’s thought leadership and cost-efficient nearshore-offshore delivery model perfectly complements Whitbread’s ‘budget and brilliant’ proposition.”
“We are proud to continue our close work with one of the UK’s most trusted and ambitious brands,” says Rohit Gupta, Managing Director UK&I at Cognizant. “Our collaboration to date has reimagined significant parts of Whitbread’s hotel operations, and we look forward to creating an attractive digital experience for their customers, driving bookings and growth across the internationally expanding Premier Inn property portfolio.”
This expanded relationship between Cognizant and Whitbread is set to revolutionize digital customer experiences, positioning Whitbread as a leader in the hospitality industry’s digital transformation.
