The key areas of focus of small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is changing, according to new research by travel management company Egencia.
Saving money is still vitally important but the focus on improving or expanding travel policy, improving risk management and refining hotel and airline agreements have become less important than in previous years, the company said.
The company asked its SME clients in December 2017 about their areas of focus for 2018. The study found that 85% rated cost savings among the top three for the coming year. Our chart this week shows the percentage of SMEs ranking the three principal focus areas in their top three.
Virginie Pouget, head of global consulting at Egencia, said, "Over the past few years, we've noticed increased expectations from travel buyers within SMEs. They are looking for their TMC to bring more value to the business by helping them generate savings, manage travel spend and understand their travel patterns within the company. They now expect detailed reports, in-depth spend analysis and a positive ROI. These concerns are raised early in the sales process, long before inventory or travel policy matters."
She added, "Previously, SMEs may not have had access to the same amount of data as larger corporations because it required implementation of expensive software."