Abstract for: Identifying key factors for the commercial success of an integrated journey planning and ticketing smartphone application

A ‘one-stop-shop’ mobile phone travel application that integrates journey planning, booking, payment and real-time traffic information is being developed and tested in the Smarter Travel Solution (STS) project for West Yorkshire, UK. The aim is to support a shift away from private car travel by providing users with accurate information and easy payment methods for sustainable modes. This paper presents the development of a systems dynamics model that simulates the market penetration of such an app with the aim to identify the key factors that influence diffusion, use and commercial success. The core of the model is a Bass diffusion model that has been extended by factors that influence adoption, retention and usage of the travel app as well as functionality to allow inactive users to re-engage and to calculate return on investment. Our simulation results indicate that a high quality journey planner at release as well as a reward system are crucial to keep users engaged with the app and to achieve a positive return on investment. Results show that it is crucial to gain a deeper understanding of how functionality and quality of the app will influence user satisfaction and consequently adoption, retention and use of the app.