In the news: CWT launches new tool for travel managers, John Paul appoints CEO for Asia Pacific, Scoot and SITA extend technology agreement
Corporate Travel: CWT’s new analytics tool provides full visibility on travel spend
Insufficient data makes it difficult to calculate the total cost of a business trip. (Image credit: NAN104/iStock-Getty Images)
A survey by GBTA Foundation, sponsored by Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), found that 64% of travel managers feel they don’t have enough data to calculate the total cost of a trip. Nearly three-quarters (73%) struggle to reconcile differences in reports due to data formatting, while 58% said they spend too much time reconciling and cleaning data.
“Gathering, matching and reconciling travel and expense data is challenging and it’s often hard to get the full picture of the total cost of a trip,” said Christophe Renard, vice president, CWT Solutions Group.
To help these planners get the necessary data, the global travel management company has launched CWT Travel Consolidator, described as “an analytics tool that captures every part of an organisation’s travel and expense spend, helping travel managers make the right decisions, and saving clients’ money”.
Renard added the consolidator, apart from giving full visibility, could also help save up to 7% on travel costs.
The web-based platform combines air, hotel and ground transport transactions booked through the TMC with credit card, expense and HR data. This reveals the hidden costs of business travel and off-channel spend, enabling travel managers to identify missed savings opportunities, improve compliance and increase organisations’ negotiating power with suppliers.
Travel managers can also save time and the hassle of having to fix inaccuracies as the tool’s data algorithms consolidate, standardise and clean up the data. With all data on a single platform featuring configurable dashboards and reporting capabilities, they can manage their travel programmes more efficiently with all card, travel and expense data integrated in one place.
Additionally, integrated data also provides valuable information on spending outside official channels, such as flights and hotels booked on personal cards, and poorly understood costs like airline seat selection charges, meals, laundry and incidentals.
Apart from revealing these costs, the consolidator also attaches them to the trips and travellers who incurred them. These costs can then be cut, reported and analysed by trip, cost centre, organisational structure, route, on vs off-channel, and supplier.
People: New CEO to head luxury concierge service John Paul in APAC
John Paul expanding in Asia Pacific. (Image credit: John Paul)
Concierge and customer loyalty business John Paul that was bought by AccorHotels in November 2016 has seen rapid expansion in Asia Pacific (APAC), leading to the appointment of Andrew Quake to head the group’s organisation as APAC CEO.
The Paris-based company said the new executive recruitment highlighted its growth with the opening of a new office in Hong Kong and additional APAC staff based in Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo.
“Accor is investing heavily in John Paul by expanding its senior executive leadership team with the latest hiring of the CEO of APAC and has full confidence in the growth strategy of John Paul,” it added.
Jérôme Richard, global CEO of John Paul, commented that Quake brought with him over 20 years of experience and knowledge of the market from his years in the international lifestyle and concierge space and the payments industry
“I am confident in his ability to develop the group’s footprint in APAC, as we have aggressive plans to further expand our activity and our client base in the region.”
John Paul is currently working with clients across wealth management, premium credit card issuers, luxury automotive, luxury retail and travel companies. It recently signed a deal with Taikang, one of China’s largest insurance groups, and operates Visa’s Premium Concierge programme in over 10 countries in APAC.
Aviation: Scoot leverages SITA technology for expansion
Scoot is on expansion path. (Image credit: SITA)
Scoot, the low cost arm of Singapore Airlines, is soaring high and flying to new destinations worldwide since its merger with Tigerair a year ago, with a network of 66 destinations across 18 countries and territories.
The carrier is turning to SITA technology to have fast and seamless connections to its new routes. It has renewed its long-term communication network services with the IT and telecommunication provider, which enables it to use SITA AirportHub.
This shared infrastructure allows airlines to connect all their applications and IT systems at an airport quickly and easily – in three weeks. It also removes the complexity of dealing with local telecom providers, and adds flexibility and agility to route management.
AirportHub simplifies the way Scoot connects its central IT systems to the airports in its growing route network across Asia, Europe, Africa and America. It connects Scoot destinations worldwide to its reservation system, Departure Control Services and disaster recovery site.
• Featured image credit: wit88/iStock-GettyImages
