The great debate on efficiency
Will automation make account management obsolete?
This latest instalment of our exclusive Th!nk Series, explores the question – ‘can automation replace account management?’ This thought-provoking FCM series looks at issues shaping and disrupting the corporate travel industry, to examine alternative solutions and to challenge the status quo.
The continuing advances in automation and Artificial Intelligence, raise the question – can, and will, automation replace the need for account management? There’s no doubt that automation can streamline many processes and tasks, so FCM Travel recently assembled an authoritative panel to discuss the topic. The team included Scott Reddie, Chief Business Officer FCM Asia; Jo Lloyd, Global Head of Account Management & Consulting FCM and Daniel Senyard, CEO & Founder of Shep.
In the session, the panel dived into the dynamic realm of account management within contemporary corporate travel programs, dissecting the ever-expanding influence of automation. This article distills the essence of our discussion, yet we invite you to join the full conversation by tuning into the on-demand video.
What is the role of account management?
Put simply, role of account management is to help a corporate travel customer to optimise their program by getting deep into their ecosystem and understanding their business. This can involve a range of tasks including business planning, reporting, program reviews, issue resolution, supplier contract negotiations, relationship building and understanding the unique goals and priorities of customers.
Can automation replace account management?
The panel agreed that in some cases, and industries, automation can achieve some tasks more efficiently and faster. In a world where we have so much information at our disposal, tech tools can find and filter a wide range of information a lot faster than one person can – or even a team of people. So when an issue or problem is time critical, this speed can be important.
There are also industries with straightforward offerings that suit automation. E-commerce is a perfect example, where you can order an item, pay for it, track your order and have it delivered – all without the need to interact with a person. While in the tech space, the rise of subscription services is another effective self-service model. This gives the customer control and the freedom to open and cancel a service without talking to a person. So these types of sectors are successfully accelerating the move away from account management.
However, the human touch offered by account management comes to the fore in a range of situations where automation cannot deliver. Examples include whole program cost control, contract negotiations, overseeing policy compliance, implementing regulatory changes, complex risk management and emergency response, data optimisation and interpretation, technology integration and employee training.
Is automation changing corporate travel management?
In a world with more data and more self-service, FCM is unwavering in its commitment to focussing on the human face of account management. The irreplaceable intersection of in-depth industry knowledge and extensive experience, is where account management adds tangible value to support the strategic success of a customer’s program.
The panel acknowledged that not every customer needs the strategic support of account management. Customers that want reporting data and accessibility can get that through tailored FCM tech solutions that deliver the efficiencies of automation. However, if they want an industry expert to interpret that data, to make it relevant to their program and to use it to identify program opportunities, they need a good account manager with strategic insights. In fact, the ideal travel management program from FCM’s point of view is one that supports customers through best practice use of automation, along with the specialist skills of experienced account managers.
With so much information and data available to customers today, they can get ‘analysis paralysis’. But a good account manager can help them focus on what is most important and useful to their unique program. As Scott Reddie explained, “we have 100 per cent adoption of account management amongst our customers, but not 100 per cent adoption of technology. So that tells us that it is important to give customers a choice and options.”
Adding value now and into the future
Asked to look five years into the future, the panel envisioned more automation in some areas, but not those where FCM can add value. It will also depend on customers’ openness to the adoption of tech, which is an area where account management can help. At FCM account management also encompasses change management, which means taking customers on a journey and engaging with stakeholders about the new tech tools that can support them.
For example, while AI has been around for decades, its progress in just the past six months has been expediential. FCM sees the role of tech as being a bit like a co-pilot, which is there to help improve and support the account management role. The corporate travel industry is in a constant state of change, so the FCM team can always see a need to help customers navigate change and understand how it will impact their travel program.
As Daniel Senyard explained – ‘there’s an abundance of intelligence, tech and AI tools available, but intellect is in short supply.’ Only humans have the emotional intelligence necessary to navigate complex problems, to see beyond the obvious, to pick up on nuance and to interpret information to help make better decisions.
The key is to leverage tech to automate certain processes, to free up account managers to add greater value elsewhere in a business travel program. Ultimately, good strategy is needed to solve deep problems and that’s where FCM can provide consulting support and subject matter expertise, because it is people who find the insights in data. So while corporate travel solutions can be tech based or people based, FCM believes that the best scenario is a blend of both.
Ready to learn more about how FCM can deliver tech solutions and strategic account management to enhance your travel program?
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