Efficiency, innovation and stability in travel management
As travel programmes and the wider business travel industry continue to evolve and adapt, you need a travel management partner that remains stable yet innovative.
“To enhance your corporate travel programme and future proof your strategy, you’ll want to see evidence of service efficiency, technological development and additional strategic services,” said Lindsay Straub, Global Head of Sales at FCM Travel.
Here are some of the areas you should look out for in a travel management company (TMC), and how FCM Travel has made substantial strides in those areas during our past financial year running July 2024-June 2025.
Elevating travel management services
Personal, expert travel services
Exceptional travel services are the foundation to empowering successful travel programmes.
“Our clients consistently praise personal travel services, especially when there’s a complex or pressing request. Our client retention rate remain in the high 90s, a testament to our commitment to customer satisfaction and service excellence,” said Melissa Elf, Chief Operating Officer, FCM Travel.
To drive even more personal attention where our customers need it, we’re continuing to streamline operations. With the introduction of new AI-driven technology and FCM Platform’s Help Centre, our travel consultants have saved 50,000 hours, freeing them up to focus on more complex needs and leading to an increase in TTV per consultant by 13%. “Generative AI removes workplace drudgery and supercharges our teams so they can focus on higher value work and personal interaction, which is vitally important to the service we provide for our clients,” said John Morhous, Chief Experience Officer.
As companies aim to empower their colleagues even further, our services are adapting to match that. Collaborating with Shell, we've launched an accessibility travel desk that empowers travellers with diverse requirements to self-serve or receive assistance. “Communication and respect are key. We want travellers to feel they’re in a comfort bubble,” said Lauren Watkins, FCM Customer Service Delivery Leader – Europe.
Proactive account management
Your account manager is more than a firefighter; they are a strategic resource that can elevate your programme and help you achieve your goals. Account managers are the glue that bring your TMC departments together for effective onboarding, resolution, evolution, and projects.
For example, read how account manager Stephen Brook was at the centre of global travel programme consolidation. “We were one unit, which exemplified how an implementation should be approached. There was no shying away from what needed to be done,” said Stephen. Or read how even after 10 years working together, the account manager is driving efficiency and cost savings for this charity.
Feedback from our customers show a CSAT score of 4.7/5 for account management support at FCM, and 4.5/5 for Business Insights Review meetings.
Enhancing traveller experiences through technology
Integrating AI to enhance back-end efficiency
Many travel managers lean on their TMC to bring the most relevant and efficient technology into their stack. You’ll want tools that seamlessly complement and enhance the people-led support you receive from your consultants and account manager. Sometimes the technology isn’t always visible to you and your team but is still making a big impact.
For example, our ability to build technology in-house such as intelligence engine Sam, means it’s tailored specifically to the needs of our customers – from managers to arrangers and travellers. “By equipping our experts with enriched customer profiles and real-time insights, they can deliver our customers a faster, more impactful service. This is about making travel more rewarding and efficient for everyone involved,” said John Morhous.
Save time with new responsibilities
Travel managers always take on new responsibilities as programmes evolve. Your TMC should help make those new tasks less daunting to take on, especially as there are so many opportunities with AI.
Here are two ‘hats’ that travel managers have had to take on, and how technology can help ease the pain of these new tasks.
Data analyst
Being able to analysis and interpret data is an important skill for a travel programme owner, as companies look to become more strategic with budgets and suppliers.
To support our clients in this responsibility, our reporting capabilities have expanded. Clients can freely ask our reporting suite or Sam any question for an instant answer and make informed decisions based on financial, sustainability, and wellbeing metrics.
Clients with a consolidated travel and meetings programme can also now view new meetings and events dashboards in FCM Platform, so reporting is in one place. “We aim to be long-term partners for our customers, not only to aid in managing meetings, but also optimise them through strategic insights, moving clients from visibility to value creation,” said Simone Seiler, Global General Manager, FCM Meetings & Events.
Notification writer
New, and even existing, tools come with customised set-ups that take time to get organised and in effect.
To ease that set-up for users of FCM Extension, the team integrated Chat GPT to help travel managers easily write and personalise notifications and pop-ups. “The integration of ChatGPT and other large language model (LLM) technologies in FCM technology signifies a considerable advancement in our use of AI and represents a seismic shift in our communication abilities,” said Daniel Senyard, SVP, Commercial Platforms and Innovation.
Consulting services: Delivering value through expertise
Business travel consulting companies offer vital insights and expertise that elevate travel programmes. With an external perspective on the travel programme, they can provide unbiased, strategic advice for optimisation and achieving overarching goals.
Here are three ways that using a consulting firm can enhance your programme.
Change management
Change management comes up time and time again, from onboarding to introducing a new travel policy or changing technology. For example, when a U.S. subsidiary of one of our clients was reluctant to move TMC, FCM Consulting orchestrated a structured communication and change management plan was put in place to share the benefits of the global programme, and the team eventually calmed its concerns.
Value and cost control
As the focus on budgets sees no signs of slowing down, you can use intuitive dashboards and technology to automate your assessments and understand what to do next.
FCM Consulting has launched Air Contract Intelligence aka ACiQ to automate the analysis of corporate air contracts. "It really is intended to drive savings on an ongoing basis and to get away from the two, three, five-year [request for proposals] cycle,” said Jason Kramer, Global Air Practice Lead.
Headcount without hiring
Whether you sit in Travel, Procurement, Finance or another team, there’s often a squeeze on time and resources. More companies are turning to outsourced travel resources to ease that strain, sometimes on a temporary basis, others long-term. It’s a cost-effective way to get the support you need, fast.
As one Global Indirect Procurement Director said: “Our travel department was eliminated - but the need for day-to-day management and industry expertise were not. FCM Consulting has filled that gap for us, and we couldn’t be happier with the path forward and partnership.”
Looking ahead
Your travel programme deserves a TMC that matches your ambition and drive. Look for stories of efficiency, innovation and stability to help you evaluate where your programme is, and where it could be.
At FCM, everything we do is with the goal to create more seamless experiences for travel managers, arrangers and business travellers. Technology, services and everything in between; it’s built with their needs in mind.
As for growth ahead, our State of the Market survey with customers found 45% intend to increase their travel spend this financial year, a 3% increase year-on-year. The breakdown of their travel spend expectations was:
- 9% - increase 20% or more
- 36% - increase up to 20%
- 37% - similar to last financial year
- 8% - reduce
“In times of uncertainty, FCM Travel remains unwavering in our mission to empower companies to travel better,” said Lindsay. “With our steadfast commitment to service excellence, tech innovation, and consulting expertise, we are more than prepared to meet the challenges of the business travel landscape, ensuring our clients receive unparalleled value and support.”