How to prove managed travel’s value to your business

Proving managed travel’s value is becoming increasingly essential. Why? Cost management remains the number one priority for those who manage corporate travel programmes, according to the Global Business Travel Association’s Travel Outlook report at the end of last year. Plus, our own recent poll asked what respondents believed the main pressure on travel budgets would be in the next 12 months and 68% cited increasing costs.

And, with most travel teams now reporting to procurement or finance departments, as shown in a recent Business Travel News Europe survey, the challenge is on to prove how a managed corporate travel programme can effectively support company goals and deliver return on investment.

How can a travel management company (TMC) demonstrate how a managed travel programme can contribute to an organisation’s overall success?

Streamlines savings and adds value       

• Your TMC can streamline processes and leverage data to optimise cost savings and deliver programme efficiency. Experienced business travel consultants adopt a holistic approach to travel requirements. For example, they are trained to understand the fares and rates of the business travel landscape. And they can provide alternative travel methods that tally with any cost-saving goals the business has.
  
  
• Corporate travel comes with its own complexities. Fortunately, travel managers, bookers and travellers can talk to experienced consultants at Reed & Mackay. They effectively manage complex changes; you won’t be put through to a call centre.
  
  
• Understanding the specific travel needs of your organisation’s sector – whether that’s law, media or Energy & Marine – means a TMC can offer specialist sector fares. Encouragingly, these can be more flexible with changes and preferences for rearranged flights than traditional air fares.     
   
• A managed travel programme with a TMC will also have access to fares via NDC. Therefore, this will offer a broader range of price options and the richest content. This, again, can lead to better value for your organisation’s travel programme. A TMC finds the lowest logical fare, one that provides flexibility. Plus the ancillaries needed that help travellers stay compliant within their organisation’s travel policy.    
  
  
• From a hotel perspective, a TMC secures preferred rates, VIP benefits and unique offerings at key business travel destinations.      
  
  
• Working with a TMC on both corporate travel and event management means by bringing these two strands of the business together, you have entire spend visibility in one report. Furthermore, if your TMC negotiated hotel rates for business travel with preferred suppliers, a better day delegate rate for meetings at the same property is also likely. With Navan as our parent company, Reed & Mackay has strong buying power, particularly with combined business travel and event spend.

 

Can help lead to better employee performance

• As well as it being the right and responsible thing to do for employee wellbeing, there is a strong business case for supporting your teams’ wellbeing when they travel for work. Travel managers can review with TMCs where wellbeing and mental health support can be woven into travel policies. Together, they can play an integral part in helping companies’ travellers maintain good mental health.
    
• Furthermore, 24/7/365 access to an Incident Management Unit also reiterates the importance your organisation places on traveller safety. This further enhances duty of care to employees.     

 

Delivers access to partnerships to better support your travellers

• Working with a TMC that puts high-value partnerships at the centre of its business, along with customer service, means your travel programme will always be aligned to industry advancements. These can be around elements such as sustainable travel and accessible travel. Ultimately, they aim to deliver both personalised travel experiences for your travellers, which, in turn, deliver for your business.    
   
• With a partnership range across transport content, hotels and event management, Reed & Mackay is committed to delivering the best travel experiences for clients and their travellers. Whether its partnerships with airlines such as British Airways and other major airlines, inclusions on prestigious hotel programmes such as the Marriott International STARS Celestial Club, being named as 2024’s Cvent’s Excellence Partner of the Year or having access to actionable data insights on sustainable travel, clients are able to compare, choose and select the choices that work best for them.

 

Encourages compliance with travel programmes

• Managed travel programmes allow companies to set control costs, access preferred airlines and hotels and approval processes. And they give travellers the tools to book within set parameters. Reed & Mackay’s booking tools ensure all options employees can see are compliant with policy. These tools deliver comprehensive reporting tailored to suit each business and provides total visibility of a travel budget.