AUTOMATED TRAVEL
“For bookings where the agent is essentially pressing a button for the customer, that can be easily automated which will bring down costs”
The highs and lows of
travel automation
HIGH AUTOMATION • Domestic trip
• Low-value travel • Simple itineraries • Low duty-of-care
• Lower risk destinations • Low-touch service
• Lower-level executive • Good tech support
LOW AUTOMATION • Long-haul trip
• High-value travel
• Complex itineraries • High duty-of-care
• Higher risk destinations • High-touch service • C-suite traveller • Poor tech support
Q&A
BBT asked Antoine Boatwright, chief information officer at Hillgate Travel, about trip automation
Have we reached a tipping point where total trip automation is possible? The degree of automation is increasing tremendously but it is not yet total. At most one can say for certain regions and types of transactions and travel patterns, they are fully automatable. However, certain parts of the travel chain are not available via API, ie, hotel check-ins or check-outs. There’s also no overarching body to standardise communication protocols across all travel categories.
78 BBT March/April 2018
Why is this greater reliance on tech tools happening now? There’s a perception that many user cases are simple and do not require assistance. There’s also a perceived feeling of greater empowerment to get things done versus having to deal with people who might stand in the way. There’s also a corporate and procurement push to lower costs by making everything move online ie, it’s being mandated.
Finally, as a travel manager it’s worth considering where automated processes work and where they don’t (see panel, left). In some cases getting executive travellers to manage their own bookings using tech tools can be a very inefficient process. Knowing when to step in is crucial. “A business owner needs to examine the negative impact on productivity when trav- ellers undertake to resolve the management of itinerary changes themselves,” explains Adrian Parkes, CEO of GTMC, which repre- sents travel managers. “Time spent sourcing flight times and tickets is time away from the job at hand. That can have a detrimental impact on the overall value of a trip.” As more technology is integrated into the
travel experience, managers increasingly need to pay attention to the experiences automated services offer and question whether they live up to expectations and deliver good services. “After all, travel managers are responsi-
ble for employee satisfaction and safety. If expectations are not met, the wear and tear of travelling can reduce productivity, lead to burn-out and waste resources,” says Christophe Tcheng, vice-president of core products at American Express Global Business Travel.
“Travel managers should gather traveller
feedback and deliver an experience that’s in line with needs and wants. Employees drive a business forward, which should make them a number one priority.”
THE HUMAN TOUCH There is a lot of talk about customer-cen- tricity in this new data and tech-driven era, and this is likely to be a big focus in the future – putting the traveller at the centre of this automated era will be essential. However, we definitely shouldn’t forget the role of people in managed travel. “We deal with humanitarian workers
that are often bound for dangerous or far- flung locations,” says Matt Truin, operations director at Diversity Travel. “Typically they carry out high-risk work. In these scenarios the human touch is simply irreplaceable. “Whenever one of our travellers finds themselves in a challenging, unpredicta- ble or threatening situation, we can offer informed guidance on their next steps. We believe it is vital to retain such services in an increasingly ‘human-less’ business travel landscape,” he adds. It is good to know the machines aren’t completely replacing us.
What are the issues and problems with total trip automation? The reality, as many technologists are acknowledging now, is that the best outcomes are achieved when one can get the best out of man and machine. There needs to be a refining of what this actually means because the devil is in the execution.
How will this evolve in 2018 and beyond? What are the opportunities? It will not be down to a single player, be they technology provider or TMC; the suppliers of various industries need to come together to move towards standards, similar to NDC, in areas, such as hotels, to lower the cost of digital enablement for all concerned.
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
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