Is reporting a headache for companies?
Aurélie Duprez - It's quite complicated to get a consolidated overview. Data sources are extremely fragmented, and for many companies, you then have to multiply these sources by the number of countries involved. Secondly, they are not all at the same level. Payment solutions can extract raw data at a fairly detailed level. Travel agencies, on the other hand, have detailed data, but the reports are very formatted. I wouldn't be surprised to see them invest in upgrading their reporting solutions. As for expense claim management tools, they are not widely used, because for most customers there is one solution per country, or even per entity, with systems that are often quite old. Finally, there is also data from suppliers, particularly hoteliers, which is mainly used in negotiations.
How do you choose?
A. D. - It all depends on the objective. If the aim is to monitor traveller behaviour, particularly in the airline industry, the agency is a very good source. This will be more difficult in the hotel industry, where many bookings escape the agency. So it's best to turn to payment data or expense reports. To get an idea of the volume of expenditure, expense report management tools are the most comprehensive source, but they offer little detail. And in a negotiation exercise, it is better to turn to the agency and the suppliers themselves. You may also need to use all four sources, and we have developed the Travelspot solution, which allows you to build dashboards incorporating these different horizons, according to your needs.
Is it possible to control all the data?
A. D. - If the company controls the booking channels, puts in place a global system with clear parameters for the information to be entered by travellers, and links the card supplier to the expense account management tools, it will have a very good overview of its expenditure. And when it comes to negotiations, it's best to turn to the agency and the suppliers themselves. You may also need to use all four sources, and we have developed the Travelspot solution, which allows you to build dashboards incorporating these different horizons, according to your needs.
Is it possible to control all the data?
A. D. - If the company controls the booking channels, puts in place a global system with clear parameters for the information to be entered by travellers and links the card supplier to the expense claim management tools, it will have a very good overview of its expenditure.
