It's the philosopher's stone of the modern travel manager, the grail of the responsible business traveller... At least if we are to believe the promising description by "Stay or Go. On the eve of the event IFTM Top Resa, The Treep is striking a major blow in the field of responsible mobility with the launch of this new decision-making toola platform co-developed with other companies taking part in the Business for Climate Convention. This platform is still in the test phase - it will be able to benefit from experimentation within a large public structure over the coming months - but the real launch is expected in 2024.
Through Stay or Gothe specialist in eco-responsible business travel booking, has succeeded in setting up a algorithm for each trip to measure its impact in advance. essentiality indicator. This would make it possible toidentify unnecessary business travel on the basis of objective criteria. In particular, the reason for the trip, the duration of the trip, the mode of transport, the cost of the tickets, the financial value potentially generated, the date of the last face-to-face meeting, the health and safety risks, and the degree of substitutability by videoconferencing.
organiser of meetings or corporate events
Those in charge of the project explain: "Each criterion is marked on a scale of 1 to 5 on the basis of an evaluation grid. This grid can either be derived from the organisation's own mobility data or from external documentary resources, or it can be based on a convention. In this way, the results reflect the organisation's mobility habits. For example, a trip whose costs are much higher than the average for trips made within the organisation will score poorly on this criterion. On the other hand, a trip whose greenhouse gas emissions are lower than average will score well on this criterion.." In the end, the average marks are weighted by the importance given to each criterion, and multiplied by the rate of non-substitutability by videoconferencing. This is based in particular on the remote feasibility of the various activities planned.
As a result, The Treep does not intend to have solved the equation by means of a single universal mathematical formula: the tool must adapt to the needs of its users. case by case. Those in charge of The Treep explain that the rate of non-substitutability through videoconferencing ".is obviously specific to each reason for travel or type of event, and is based on a preliminary survey of the organisation's mobility practices".
Limited carbon budget, prioritisation of travel
As its name suggests, Stay or Go ultimately delivers a verdict in the form of a percentage between the 'Stay' or 'Go' option. It is then up to the user to decide whether or not to implement this recommendation. The Treep aims to "initiate a cultural change in a sector still dominated by incumbent players, by spreading the idea of a limited carbon budget and a prioritising journeysfor both organisers and travellers." . As Laurent La Rocca, CEO of the Treep, sums up, "Tot all travel is essential, but it is essential to meet each other. Less but better is certainly a valid definition of responsible business travel. ".
Unlike opportunistic players, who are sometimes accused of "greenwashing", The Treep has the significant advantage of having opted for this sustainable positioning right from the start, at the heart of its business. Hence its legitimacy in this area. And its CEO has made no secret of the fact that it has such ambitions. At the beginning of the year, Laurent La Rocca told Voyages d'Affaires: " We are working in R&D on algorithms which, based on various essentiality criteria, would enable us to distinguish between essential and non-essential travel. For example, I have to go and see a customer to close a deal, I haven't seen him for six months, the financial stakes are very high: whatever means of transport I use, I've got to go. Then it's a matter of implementing a carbon neutralisation strategy. But there is also a lot of non-essential travel, if we have a high frequency of contacts, for example. We're working on a tool that would get everyone to agree, based on rational criteria." . (...) When asked about the details of these criteria, Laurent La Rocca explained: " There are the "classic" criteria such as duration, price and carbon footprint, but there are also the "traditional" criteria such as duration, price and carbon footprint. health and safety risksThe social aspect is also important, whether it's with customers or with teams, because when everything is done by video, the corporate culture breaks down. The date of the last face-to-face meetings is therefore also taken into account. There are certain reasons for travelling that severely limit its substitutability crisis management, a signature, on-site expertise. There are always solutions, but it's more complex than travelling. We are in the process of modelling this substitutability of travel by videoconferencing." . The Stay or Go project is finally taking shape.
