THE PARTICIPANTS The Debate
MARGARET BIRSE DIRECTOR, GLOBAL TRAVEL SERVICES, SERCO
corporate travellers’ personal frequent flyer memberships often play a large role in dictating the choice of airline for a given travel itinerary and, in doing so, potentially slow the evolution of a global deal for the corporate in question. Given that the travel is paid for by the corporate rather than the individual traveller, stopping the use of personal frequent flyer accounts for corporate travel is one option that could be considered or donating them to charity another possibility. At Emirates we recognise the increasing popularity of global deals and, with a worldwide network that spans over 110 destinations across six continents, believe we have a truly global offering for corporates. Emirates already has around 70 global deals
in place, and that number has grown con- siderably in the past two years. We have a rapidly-expanding team at our Dubai head- quarters whose role is to put the necessary systems and processes in place to ensure that these agreements are a success from the outset. Each global deal we have is closely monitored, with reviews fixed on a quarterly basis to give all parties involved the opportunity to feed back and ensure they are satisfied with the agreement. Going global is an increasingly viable option for corporates but, to make them a success from the outset, careful planning and clear communication on an ongoing basis between all the parties involved is vital.
Buyers need to review how the organisation
" Each global deal we have is closely monitored, with reviews fixed on a quarterly basis to give all parties involved the opportunity to feedback"
THE TMC John Lyons, American Express Business Travel Globalising a travel programme has long been believed to refer to either implementing a standard system across your international markets – using one TMC, one payment solution and one GDS and/or online booking tool – or standardising a way of working in all your territories, making colleagues follow the same rules wherever they are so that best practice is being adhered to throughout your enterprise. What we have found, however, is that globalisation isn’t necessarily defined through consolidating the number of travel partners or providers, rather it’s about making sure that you have consistency. Both options outlined above have clear advantages for control and cost savings, and large companies are increasingly looking to implement one of these either driven by consolidation and, of course, cost-saving opportunities, or the additional efficiencies of a global programme. Can it work? Yes, but globalising travel can be
one of the more complex categories of spend to centralise, so you need to assess their readiness and follow best practices to maximise success.
is structured, how it travels and establish an overview of process. They should also consider what will suit the company culture and its employees, and set out clear objectives. Our own research shows that securing executive buy-in, aligning key stakeholders in each region and devising a long-term change management programme are all critical to ensuring ‘glocal’ value is delivered. A global programme more often than not means a common travel policy, but it should not be overly prescriptive. Defining a minimum policy to apply globally and allow for local markets to apply modifications was cited as a best practice. Companies should also ensure a global management team is in place made up of cross-functional and regional roles. And data transparency is a key attribute of a global programme by providing visibility into travel spend across all regions and markets. The barriers to success can be a change in technology, whereas for others it may be changing behaviours. A common obstacle lies in the uneven way a programme works in differing regions, with service levels in individual markets possibly suffering from a global travel management strategy. Global programmers may exhibit weakness in local markets and this may require compromise from the global management team and local stakeholders. For many companies it
becomes a question of savings versus service – a continuous challenge in the travel manage- ment space as the practice has moved steadily to a procurement model. Again, we find that the most successful global
travel programmes are those where senior leadership has invested time upfront with stakeholders to mandate a change in booking behaviour. The most successful companies are those who set out with a clear vision of what they want to achieve, put the necessary resources in place to support implementation and roll-out, and partner with a TMC who can help navigate through the changes required. However, while the concept may seem simple,
the process of achieving it on a global scale is not, and there are considerable challenges to doing everything the same around the world. Cultural and language barriers are one. As a follow on to our research, we are now exploring this further by undertaking a research project to identify cultural nuances that may impact travel programme globalisation achievement. Finally, don’t expect the programme to fall into
place overnight – there is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution as every market differs in size, culture and approach, and it’s worth viewing the process as a journey that will evolve over time.
Canadian born Margaret Birse was relocated by Serco to the UK in 2002 in the role of global travel director. She has over 30 years of experience in the travel industry, primarily in senior roles within business travel management. Margaret founded the North American travel solution and was key in developing the rest of the travel and events solutions globally. She has a proven track record in offering innovative travel solutions while taking into account clients’ needs.
GLEN MINTRIM SALES MANAGER, UK & IRELAND, EMIRATES
Glen Mintrim joined Emirates in January 2007 and is responsible for driving the commercial strategy and revenue initiatives for the airline’s UK operation which now encompasses 105 flights a week from six airports. Glen is based at Emirates’ UK head office in London, and leads a 40-strong sales team based in London and other offices throughout the UK. Before joining Emirates, Glen held a variety of senior sales positions at British Airways from 2000 to 2006, culminating as a manager within global accounts.
JOHN LYONS VICE PRESIDENT & GM GLOBAL BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS (GBP), AMERICAN EXPRESS BUSINESS TRAVEL
John Lyons has over 20 years experience within American Express and has recently expanded his previous EMEA responsi- bility to head up this organisation globally. In his current role he has responsibility for leading all client relationship activities with the company's largest and most strategic global travel customers, and for directing leadership of the group's global client management team. During the past couple of years John has led expansion of the GBP organisation across key markets in EMEA, in addition to a region-wide re-organisation of Amex's client management structure.
WWW.THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM I 21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92