Global travel management company FCM has announced a new tech platform and a new brand identity in response to a rapidly evolving business travel landscape.
“With the global pandemic causing a seismic shift in the business travel industry, FCM has made it a priority to address customers’ pain points and their travel programmes by investing in new technology, rapid implementation, enhanced account management and sustainable and secure travel,” it said in a statement.
FCM is developing a proprietary technology that directly targets customers’ pain points with current and legacy corporate travel technology. It said the in-house platform is an omnichannel offering that is being developed following extensive research globally among customers to understand the different concerns of their bookers, travellers and managers. Findings of this research revealed customers need an all-encompassing platform that is consistent across all markets, but also fully flexible with a positive user experience and simple user interface.
FCM’s global chief technology officer Adrian Lopez said the vision for the platform is based on addressing six key pillars: a globally consistent booking experience; always available travel assistance; traveller safety and wellbeing support; sustainability; AI powered reporting and savings, and flexible integration capabilities.
“The development of FCM Platform’s core experience is already well advanced, including a new proprietary online booking solution planned for key markets and integration of AI enhanced chatbot tool Sam as the digital ‘avatar’, providing live chat and real-time assistance across all of the platform’s channels,” said Lopez.
Customers in several regions will be participate in the testing of the FCM Platform and its powered-up features like AI powered reporting, allowing a search experience similar to that of Google for actionability of data, prior to the first phase of onboarding later this year.
“We are very excited to unveil FCM’s new brand and also to reveal that 2021 will be a landmark year with the launch of our ground-breaking proprietary technology platform,” said Marcus Eklund, global managing director, FCM.
