Capita Travel and Events has launched a series of Smarter working workshops and is providing a set of tools and data insight to help its clients optimise their travel programmes.
The TMC says it is using its expertise and technology to work alongside clients to address traveller wellbeing and to realise cost savings.
During the first workshop, Capita invited clients with travel programmes in varying levels of maturity and who required insight into the “next generation” of savings while balancing employee wellbeing.
Hosted by Jonti Dalal-Small, head of behavioural science, the workshops focus on the practical application of Smarter working into the everyday trip environment. Capita said its approach helps with wider organisational objectives of productivity, connectivity, health, wellbeing and reduced attrition.
Dalal-Small commented: “Many of our customers have done as much as they can in their procurement roles. They want something new from their travel programme that realises value while not compromising on cost savings. Our customers ultimately want to make smarter decisions – and they want their travellers to travel smarter – and these workshops demonstrate our value-added consultancy and allow us to co-design this approach together.”
The workshops also cover the impact of booking models and nudging, providing new ways to shape travel policies by keeping cost efficiencies and different personality types in mind, according to Capita.
Kay Gabor, head of travel, expenses, benefits and fleet at Compass Group UK & Ireland, who participated in one of the workshops, said: “We are in a position where we have a well-managed and mature UK programme but have continuous objectives to keep costs low, so we need something that balances the two and works together. We’re looking to adopt some of Capita’s Smarter working recommendations as a way of increasing the value of our travel programme.
“Following the Smarter working workshop, we’re intending to work more closely with our account manager to explore possibilities of reducing our cost base across rail bookings, using smart communications as the method of engagement. Together, we intend to analyse booking and travel behaviours to enable us to set measurable outcomes and take a smarter approach going forwards.”
Alex Singleton, director of customer partnerships at Capita Travel and Events, added: “It’s all about partnership and thinking about what we do day-to-day differently. We want these workshops to give an indication of how opportunities might work in the real world.
“With high compliance and tight policies, it’s now about the next generation of savings and influencing the choices people make. Our journey has not been overnight; we are now in a position to bring better data insight and build technology with this intelligence in mind.
“One of the biggest successes was the bespoke maturity matrix, which was produced by our customer programme optimisation team to identify areas of improvement and key opportunities. In fact, the team will use these alongside the empathy mapping in their account management sessions...”
Earlier this year, Capita teamed up with its supplier partners to create a wellbeing proposition.
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