CASE STUDY
Empowering global consolidation
A cohesive unit from day dot
This large international company goods organisation’s onboarding with FCM Travel is a tale of true collaboration and team empowerment, through clear communication and well-defined scope.
With 80+ countries to go live over a six-month period, the team moved efficiently with solutions to consolidate and globalise the client’s travel programme.
“We were one unit, which exemplified how an implementation should be approached. There was no shying away from what needed to be done, and what was required from the team.”
- Stephen Brook, Account Manager
Standardisation around the world
Like many companies that go through large-scale growth, the company’s travel programme was fragmented around the world. From which tool to use, to how to pay; global consolidation was needed to bring everyone on the same page.
With an overall vision to put safety front and centre, and to save money, the global sourcing manager wanted to launch a partnership that would move FCM to strategic partner status. Initially, this meant:
- Consolidating and including countries that hadn’t been part of a global programme before.
- Standardising how to pay for travel.
- Requirement for global reporting access.
- Rolling out Concur online booking tool globally.
A blended approach
With an ambitious programme, it was decided to introduce Outsourced Travel Resources (OTR) into the team. Organised by FCM Consulting, there are now either regional travel managers or data analysts in the consumer goods company’s six core regions. Their specialist skills, from Concur knowledge to communication skills, means each person brings an expertise that makes the team a whole.
FCM’s Solution Design team dove into the business requirements through workshops and extensive information gathering across 19 incumbent suppliers. This resulted in a robust blueprint for onboarding, enabling clear communication and an understanding of challenges from the outset.
To support the consolidation, the following tech was implemented:
FCM Platform
Available to use in all markets as the go-to place for bookings, changes, reporting and more.
Concur Travel
Rolled out over 50 countries, built into the FCM Platform experience.
FCM Extension
Policy-related messages were introduced, driving travellers back to the policy and programme.
Always finding a way to overcome challenges
The travel programme had three areas where consolidation raised specific challenges. The agility and unit of a team leant itself to finding swift solutions.
Payments – With the globalisation of the card programme, it was intended there would be business travel account and corporate cards rolled out in most locations. While there were initial delays with sending cards and set-up, the team now have a standardised way to pay and invoice.
Business requirements changing – When you are part of an organisation split into smaller companies or regions, the needs shift as the implementation moves forward. It was decided that individual countries can opt in or out of the travel programme. But once they’re in, there is global visibility, tools and consistency, mapped down to regional needs that are factored in.
Supporting change – One of the company’s subsidiaries had a long-standing partnership with a travel company for its executive and VIPs. Moving to a global programme was significant for this group, requiring the expertise of FCM Consulting to support with additional communications and change management. Read more on that in this case study.
Results
Working as one unit, the team were flexible to adapt, adjusting strategies and timelines where needed.
The client’s non-mandatory culture meant they had realistic expectations for compliance. By openly addressing concerns and fostering an open dialogue, more colleagues understood value of the new travel programme.
- Globally consistent and reliable service solution
- Maximum possible global TMC consolidation of markets across all regions
- HR feed implementation
- Visibility, meaningful valuable reporting
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