BEGINNER'S GUIDE GAMIFICATION
A beginner’s guide to... Gamification
If you’re struggling to keep your travellers in line, gamifi cation could be the answer. Linda Fox explains what it’s all about
WHAT IS IT? Gamification is using elements
from games such as competition and points scoring to help foster engagement in a product or service and, as in the case with business travel, encourage a particular type of behaviour.
HOW PREVALENT IS IT? It has been slower to gain
adoption than early predictions such as a Gartner report. In 2011 it highlighted it as a major trend and estimated 70 per cent of Global 2000 companies would have some sort of gamification app by 2014. However, a number of large travel management companies, notably American Express Business Travel and Carlson Wagonlit Travel have introduced gamification products and services in the past 18 months. In early 2014 American Express GBT said it was working with Badgeville, a gamification specialist for businesses, to help encourage travel policy compliance and reward travellers for smarter buying habits. CWT, meanwhile, launched gamification
as part of its CWT to Go mobile app last July. The thinking behind the service is to help travellers understand how their buying decisions impact travel policies and the companies they work for.
WHAT ARE THE PROS? For travellers, gamification is
a fun way to earn points and badges – which can lead to gift vouchers, financial
“The benefit for travel managers comes from better adherence to travel policy and encouragement of smarter buying”
rewards or any kind of incentive – for things they might be doing anyway such as booking travel in policy and filing their expenses. They can pit themselves against colleagues to see who is making the best buying decisions. It could also be a good way to help familiarise them with travel policy and booking and expense management processes. The benefit for travel managers comes
from better adherence to travel policy, the encouragement of smarter buying
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR GAMIFICATION?
It's hard to say where this might go but there are a number of areas where it could be effective. Expense management and getting travellers to use a particular system or file expenses by a specific date is one such area. Another could be in using points and badges to encourage travellers to supply feedback on hotels and local areas for other colleagues.
and therefore, hopefully, savings. Use of gamification should also lead to better data on buying habits which could lead to better negotiating power with suppliers.
AND WHAT ARE THE CONS? It would be wrong to assume
it's for everyone. Some employees might really take to it while others might hate the idea so travel managers need to be aware that it is fully explained to get buy in from all concerned. Companies also need to decide what to
reward and make it really clear so they are not encouraging behaviour that is already expected but focusing on improving in a particular area. It has to be easy to use and integrated with existing systems or it won't be adopted.
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE 63
Another example might be in certain suppliers fostering loyalty through the use of gamification. Hotel chains including Starwood and IHG have already trialled concepts as have a number of airlines including Air Canada.
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