During the buzz of an exhibition like the Business Travel Show it's all too easy to get wrapped up in new innovations and product launches from suppliers, even though sometimes the day-to-day operations of your partnerships aren't working the way you want them to.
What is it that you, the travel manager, are looking to achieve in your policy and get from suppliers?
That's a question that buyers are thinking about more. We often think personalisation lends itself to making sure that your travellers are happy, but it can also be applied to the supplier-buyer relationship. The TMCs recognise that they need to add value but buyers need to make sure that what they are offering is really what they want. When it comes to negotiations and the rates are secured, seek other areas to drive value or savings from.
We are hearing more cases where buyers are taking control.
Take Paraxel's Benjamin Park, who has flipped airline negotiations to focus on his own policy. Instead of holding individual airline meetings, Benjamin gathers his data, talks to his travellers and presents the business's policy and programme in front of all his airline account managers in one room. The account managers can only ask questions and get the answers in front of each other so it's equal among them.
For years the suppliers have been setting the agenda and areas of innovation. Is it time for the buyers to speak up?