Transition from PSS to OOSD (08/24)

August, 2024

From PSS to OOSD: a Strategic Shift for Aviation

For decades, the Passenger Service System (PSS) has been the backbone of airline IT. But as retailing practices expand, a new framework is emerging: OOSD (Offer, Order, Settle, Deliver).

At KIVECA, we see that this transition has already begun — yet it progresses unevenly and brings significant risks.

• Large airlines are cautiously pioneering, focusing on Offer or Order Management. Their biggest challenge: integrating the critical add-ons they’ve built around PSS (advanced CRMs, dynamic pricing engines, disruption tools, ancillary platforms).

• Smaller airlines delay core transformation but actively expand their “PSS+” peripheries. This boosts digital capacity, but also increases technical debt.

• Vendors are moving forward, but none yet provide a complete OOSD suite covering the entire retailing lifecycle.

The risk is clear: without a shared vision, OOSD may add complexity instead of reducing it.

How to secure the transition?

We believe success relies on three key levers:

Anticipate and document: airlines must clearly map current and future use cases to define a realistic target.

Broaden and strengthen: vendors must go beyond Offer/Order blocks to cover the full retailing lifecycle with event- and rule-driven approaches.

Structure and industrialize: consultants must deliver repeatable methodologies, standardize practices, and reduce project risks.

More than a replacement — a strategic lever

OOSD should not be seen as a mere replacement of PSS, but as a strategic lever to reinvent airline retailing end-to-end.Only then can the industry transform a fragmented, costly ecosystem into an agile, coherent, and value-creating foundation.

Read our full white paper: Transition from PSS to OOSD