5 tips for selecting a travel management company

There is much to consider when selecting a travel management company (TMC) to manage your travel programme; from technology solutions, service and accessibility of support teams, to speed of implementation.

Corporate Travel Management (CTM), provides 5 tips organisations should consider before selecting a Travel Management Company.

1. Technology and innovation are invaluable

When it comes to selecting or changing TMC, an important focus for many organisations will be finding market-leading technology that will not only integrate with their current systems, but also help drive their business growth plan, improving efficiency, driving cost savings and supporting duty of care.

Each organisation has its own unique needs, so it is important to ensure that the technology solutions presented are compatible with the markets in which your organisation operates and customisable for your business needs. It is also important to understand if your TMC develops their own proprietary solutions, such as online booking tools and mobile apps, or whether they utilise third-party solutions. Those that have proprietary solutions can often adapt and enhance their technology at a faster rate, in line with customer feedback.

Through our continuous feedback loops and CTM User Labs, we understand businesses are looking for a streamlined, intuitive and positive end-user experience for their travellers and bookers. At CTM, we continue to invest in and develop proprietary travel technology and work with technology solutions that offer just that, by integrating easily with existing systems.

Our solutions also provide relevant information at the user’s fingertips, such as fare forecasting, on-time performance data and dynamic reporting, allowing businesses and individuals to make more informed travel and policy decisions. Owning our technology allows for agile development, and the capability to support multiple third-party solutions. This means CTM customers benefit from our ability to develop or work with the solutions our customers are asking for now and, in the future, ensuring they are never stuck with outdated systems.

2. A travel management company should offer more than just ‘cheap’ service fees

Businesses of all sizes should be looking for greater transparency and an identifiable return on investment (ROI) when selecting a TMC. For example, what solutions and services are included in the TMC fees and what are optional add-ons that incur an additional cost?

A TMC should always understand the organisation’s overall business objectives and look to help the customer align their travel programme and policies to these.

For example, at CTM, we ask questions and consider factors such as: Is the organisation undergoing a cost-reduction? Are they seeking to expand their business into new markets? Is employee satisfaction a focus for retaining and attracting high-quality employees? This information not only helps us to assist in developing a tailored travel policy and programme, but it also demonstrates our ability to deliver the services our customers need in line with their specific objectives.

CTM also offers ongoing support through our account managers, who proactively offer strategic advice and analysis to identify opportunities in travel programmes for improved booking behaviour, cost savings and process efficiencies. This ensures CTM is delivering customers the best value for money and a demonstrable return on their travel investment.

3. Customer service is key

It is vital to select a TMC that can deliver highly personalised service, backed by intuitive technology to drive efficiency and a positive customer experience for travellers and bookers.

While offering the benefits of a global network, at CTM, we believe local teams servicing local clients provide our customers with the highest level of service and support. They understand each customer’s needs and provide personalised and timely account management, travel and booking support.

CTM’s personalised service begins at implementation. To assist this process, we offer fully tailored training sessions for each customer, either face-to-face or virtual, based on size and internal travel management processes. The service and support do not end once implementation is complete. We also offer ongoing support for our customers post ‘go-live’ through follow-up refresher training sessions in line with their requirements.

4. Sustainable travel solutions

Today’s business landscape is increasingly shaped by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities. While each organisation’s focus may differ, whether it’s environmental impact, employee wellbeing, or governance transparency, your travel management partner should align with and support these goals.

When evaluating a TMC, consider how they incorporate ESG into their services. This may include access to reporting tools that provide visibility into carbon emissions or SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) scores at the point of booking, helping your teams make informed travel decisions. Solutions like CTM’s Climate+ give customers the ability to monitor travel impact, support internal reporting, and contribute to broader organisational objectives. In addition, CTM provides wellbeing measures to offer a lens into potential traveller fatigue based on trip volume, helping organisations balance productivity with duty of care.

5. Transparency is vital

At CTM we believe you should understand exactly how your travel advisors and account managers are financially remunerated or incentivised. This will ensure their behaviours and recommendations are driven by your best interests.

CTM’s travel advisors do not work on commission-based incentives and are instead motivated to meet and exceed customer-centric service level agreements. This ensures our customers’ best interests are at the forefront of our booking solutions.

Our CTM team is also happy to provide real examples and case studies to demonstrate the range of personalised solutions we have offered and the results we have achieved.