Most travel procurement managers are well versed in the various systems available to them in their quest to bring efficient management and reporting to their travel programmes. However, efficiently using various different systems to complete a booking is still inefficient, Jim Weighell, Corporate Manager at Sure Travel, tells SmartProcurement.
Travel management (self-booking) systems usually take priority in the systems array, with various other components such as financial reporting and traveller tracking also featuring, while new innovations are being introduced such as mobile access to travel management systems, explains Weighell.
“The problem is that hitherto, these systems have been fragmented, with IT companies selling the virtues of their individual systems in isolation to Travel Management Companies (TMCs) and corporations”. While these various components do “speak” to each other through interfaces, true integration has to date been a dream for TMCs and corporations alike.
However, Sure Corporate is about to embark on the offer of an integrated suite of systems where all the components operate together. The TMC front, mid, and back office software will function seamlessly, inclusive of self-booking systems, GDS content and website fare access. Traveller profiles, company travel policy, self-booking functionality, traveller tracking, unused ticket reconciliation, travel and financial reporting, ERP interface, and mobile access and updates will be provided from a single unified platform. The single platform concept allows for a far richer data transfer between the platform modules, resulting in better control and information flow for corporate customers, says Weighell.
The efficiency and data quality that our TMCs will provide by using the integrated platform will be a quantum leap forward. Adding this technological efficiency to the independent TMC’s ability to provide real, interactive, person to person service brings a new dynamic to our “teknowlogy” concept – Sure Corporate’s term for the fusion, or integration, of top travel technology with intuitive, experienced and customer focused travel professionals.
“Integrated technology allows these professionals to focus more time on you, the customer, rather than on the transaction itself and the manual input required for multiple systems, concludes Weighell.
For more information contact Jim Weighell on jimw@surecorporate.co.za.
