Nigel Turner director of programme management and business development UK and Ireland at Carlson Wagonlit Travel talks to Tom Newcombe about CSR, important trends for buyers in 2014 and innovation in the world of managed travel.
With confidence in business travel spend and the economy in general on the rise do you think TMCs will also see the benefit of this over the next year / 18months?
There are great opportunities for TMC’s who are able to deliver innovative solutions for their customers to help them drive savings, improve service delivery and manage risk. Buyers have become increasingly more sophisticated in identifying value for money. As the economy improves, they will still prioritise cost, so for TMCs it’s about showcasing what added value and other benefits there are including our services, solutions and products designed to help companies manage their travel spend and programmes more efficiently.
What more do TMCs need to do to ensure they remain an important player in the world of managed travel?
As always, deliver value but to also recognise the changing landscape as consumerisation develops within business travel. Increasingly the traveller is also the booker and is expecting on-the-move solutions for planning, booking and mid-trip support.
A lot of reports state businesses will increase their travel spend in 2014 so do you think controlling travel spend will still be high on the agenda for buyers?
Very much so as companies recognise that smarter travel procurement can deliver a higher return on investment for each business trip. We’ve just helped one large company save nearly £3.5m by helping them design a leaner travel programme. CWT’s 2014 Travel Management Priorities report reveals that cost will remain high on buyer’s agendas, but that in the UK promoting the travel programme to travellers was now the top concern. Other priorities such as traveller wellbeing are also on the increase, as issues such as travel stress are increasingly prioritised and we are helping clients identify and tackle these issues head on.
What innovative ways can buyers use to generate savings?
Gamification can drive additional savings within organisations by making best practice behaviour visible, transparent and competitive. This also helps travel managers keep their travellers compliant with their programme. Being able to view the entire cost of a trip before booking is also highly useful to buyers - we now offer booking solution that delivers complete, bookable itineraries and predicts related expenses, which helps people see the real cost of their trip, and work out if it will deliver the ROI needed.
Do you think buyers need to do more to reinforce CSR policies and can TMCs play a role in this?
Yes, CSR programmes can also drive savings and reduce risk, and TMC’s can help their customers with management, communication and reporting capabilities. CSR is becoming an increasingly important business factor– CWT understands this, and we try and work with businesses that also follow responsible business best practice throughout our supply chain.