Egencia launches online travel assessment tool

February 13, 2009 | Online Travel

With the assistance of a proprietary analytics tool, available online, Egencia - Expedias business travel arm - will help both existing and non-Egencia clients diagnose the health of their travel program and prescribe a regimen to help weather the recession.

Egencia today announces the worldwide implementation of a free program diagnostic for business travel optimization and spend management. With the assistance of a proprietary analytics tool, available online, Egencia will help both existing and non-Egencia clients diagnose the health of their travel program and prescribe a regimen to help weather the recession. In conjunction with the analysis of an Egencia consultant, the tool will assess travel program components like online adoption, travel policy compliance and supplier partnerships. In the last year alone, Egencia has helped companies realize millions of dollars in cost savings.

“The need to more tightly monitor and control business travel expenses will persist, and in many cases become more critical, in light of the economic climate,” said Rob Greyber, Senior Vice President of North America, Egencia. “As a leading corporate travel management organization, Egencia is compelled to aid the worldwide business community to travel smarter and with greater efficiency through the use of our proprietary assessment tools.”

The complimentary analysis offers a meaningful way to quickly evaluate a business’ spend and management practices. With this holistic approach, Egencia is able to help companies find new opportunities for travel cost savings. By examining a number of key program metrics, the assessment delivers an in-depth recommendation with specific, actionable ways to improve their travel program.

“Egencia’s free assessments will help companies tackle the three levels of cost savings: TMC fees, travel policy and supplier pricing,” said Pam Keenan Fritz, Egencia VP of APAC and Global Partnerships. “These levers are relevant in all markets; from the United States to India; from Australia to Germany and beyond.”

In addition to this free service, Egencia offers several management tools and online solutions to their clients to optimize business travel programs, such as:

—Real-time global reporting and business intelligence: Global consolidated reporting allows travel managers to monitor travel program performance at detailed levels in real time. All trips are tracked, whether booked by a travel consultant or self-booked, enabling travel managers to have total control and oversight of the travel program. The reporting tool, DataMinder, triggers email notifications when travel management thresholds have been reached, giving the travel manager the ability to react instantly to unwanted traveler behaviors.

—Integrated travel policy both offline and online: All travel policies are managed consistently from the travel consultants on the phone to the products being displayed when travelers self-book. A change to a travel policy to incorporate a new supply partnership or more stringent trip approval is easily made and automatically synchronized—enhancing the ability to enforce travel policy.

—Compliance tools: Egencia provides travel managers with policy control tools to identify preferred suppliers, require pre-trip approval and provide active traveler reports for a complete view of upcoming trips. Our robust policy tools also steer travelers to in policy options, identifying and proactively encouraging program-compliant choices. Each of these tools delivers a powerful solution, designed to maximize employee compliance and savings.

—Supply Inventory and Flight Price Guarantee: Egencia works directly with supply partners daily to ensure customers have a broad range of travel options including unique discounts, deals and services. To this aim, the Egencia Preferred Program now includes thousands of hotels with flexibility, amenities and additional savings secured with the business travelers’ needs in mind. This focus is backed by the Egencia Promise, a pledge to deliver outstanding value and savings coupled with exceptional service, not only during the booking process, but throughout our customers’ trips. As part of the Promise, the Egencia Flight Price Guarantee ensures U.S. businesses are getting the best price in air travel.

Related Link: Engencia’s Diagnostic Survey