Overview

The main objective was to implement a more user-friendly, reliable, and efficient online booking process to help overcome the issues they were facing with their current manual process.

The key objectives were to:

• Direct expenditure through a single channel
• Provide a simple user friendly online booking solution
• Analyse management information systems (MIS) to encourage smarter buying decisions
• Provide 24/7 support and traveller tracking.

Challenge

The challenge presented to Corporate Travel Management (CTM) was to increase online booking adoption, optimise booking behaviour, and demonstate how beneficial the new partnership would be in providing efficiencies.

Solution

We employed a number of initiatives including:

• Links on their internal intranet homepage to CTM and travel policy
• Clear communication to all staff regarding the change in service and policy
• Training sessions onsite
• Booker engagement workshops
• Drop in sessions held at their office with the CTM team to answer queries
• CTM floor walkers go-live day to smooth any teething issues.

CTM continue to work in partnership with the customer, continually introducing new initiatives to demonstate our investment and commitment, including:

• Suggested reducing the travel and subsistence limits on hotel rates and applying key city limits where higher spend is required
• Hotel RFP revision – included consolidation opportunties and special dinner, bed and breakfast rates negotiated at key locations
• Suggested using carnet rail tickets which offer a 10% saving with East Midland Trains on key route Leicester to/from London
• Introduction of hotel aggregators in Lightning such as Booking.com and Expedia
• Introduction of a jointly agreed partnership plan with targeted objectives
• Behavioural savings report from Account Management, providing analysis on further savings that could be achieved
• Free additional ticket printer installed on-site to combat rising ticket on departure costs
• Online hotel amendments – reducing amendment fees
• Targeted communications via a quarterly newsletter – keeping all travellers and bookers up to date with changes in policy, offers, system improvements (or any associated down time)
• Increased use of CTM preferred hotels:
  • Newmarket –  15% to 29%
  • London – 22% to 42%
  • Leicester – 11% to 45% (new Leicester office opening).

Results

• Online adoption increased by almost 64% to 93.9% within the first 12 months. With the introduction of online hotel amendments, online adoption currently sits at 96%
• Identified £7,000 per annum of potential saings by behavioural managment information analysis
• In full year 2019, CTM provided savings of £355,877.