Situation
In 2015, a financial institution was using a Travel Management Company (TMC) that provided travel management services using an online support solution. Given their global reach, they needed to optimize their travel program beyond just online support.
Understanding the need for expansion, they came up with the following travel program objectives:
- Deliver standard and consistent global processes
- Create methodology and framework to sustain cost savings
- Consolidate spend to improve vendor negotiations
With our expertise and globalization capabilities, we—American Express Global Business Travel (GBT)—designed a strategic vision that had global and regional scope with discipline—giving the financial institution exactly what they were looking for to optimize their travel program.
Solution
We first conducted a business review to determine how we could implement the travel program into their business operations in Asia Pacific, North American, and Latin American countries.
Through a series of global solution design workshops, we began to generate ideas and solutions on how to meet the financial institutions’ unique business needs. We did this by bringing in a team comprised of technology, operations, financial services, and implementation subject matter experts to develop the customized solution at global, regional, and local levels.
With significant collaboration, we implemented a stable and consistent platform for service delivery and a framework for continuous optimization including both online and offline platforms.
“Strong stakeholder commitment to the governance process was a crucial part of the implementation,” said their American Express GBT Client Manager. “Their input was invaluable. We discussed project timelines as well as identified risks necessary for mitigation strategies—all of which we couldn’t have done solely on our own.”
Results
The financial institution had some undeniable positive outcomes.
- Launched one, consistent global travel program in 6 months¹
- Technologically optimized process efficiently to drive estimated savings between $3M and $7M¹
- Dedicated client management team of three focused on business planning and service delivery
¹ Source: American Express Global Business Travel Reporting
- INDUSTRY: Finance
- TRAVEL SPEND: $63M USD
- TRAVELERS: 4,000+
CHALLENGE
- Online presence only
- Lack of streamlined global, regional, and local travel program
- Minimal oversight capabilities to drive cost savings
SOLUTION
- Implemented online and offline programming
- Integrated one, consolidated travel program with various levels of control
- Established their travel program to continually improve cost savings
- Launched one, consistent global travel program in 6¹ months
- Technologically optimized process efficiently to drive estimated savings between $3M and $7M
- Three dedicated resources focused on business planning and service delivery