Concur will
add location data feeds from expense receipts and card transactions to the
traveler tracking element of its Concur Messaging risk management tool in the
first quarter of 2017. In principle, this means companies will be able to track
travelers not only from pre-trip bookings but also from the spending trails
they leave during their trips.
Since 2015, Concur
Messaging has provided traveler locations based on data from five sources: global
distribution system passenger name records, direct supplier reservations
captured by Concur's TripIt itinerary tool, direct supplier reservations
captured by its TripLink open booking data-capture product, the Concur Request pre-trip
approval tool, and mobile check-ins.
Speaking to BTN at the London version of the Concur
Fusion client showcase, senior vice president for travel product strategy Doug
Anderson claimed the new data feeds would "show up within minutes" on
Concur Messaging. "We do card feeds now, but we didn't previously leverage
the location data," Anderson said. As a result, employers will be able,
for example, to track which restaurants travelers have visited and even where
they have traveled by car if they use a service like Uber.
Most traveler
tracking systems are based on GDS data and/or the GPS position of the traveler's
phone. Anderson asserted that the beefed-up Concur Messaging will be superior
to both. GDS shows only where travelers are booked rather than where they
actually are, whereas, "real-time 24-hour GPS tracking is a little creepy,"
said Anderson. "Now you can easily show location awareness without feeling
like you are being watched."
The upgraded
Concur Messaging will be introduced globally and will comply with privacy laws
in each market. "We have been getting the proper opt-ins for our clients,"
said Anderson.
Concur
Messaging, which was known as conTgo until Concur bought it in 2013, is used
primarily by many clients to send SMS messages to urge travelers to use
preferred suppliers or to assist them in crises. Anderson said the upgrade will
allow corporates to embed buttons in messages to allow travelers to request
additional help or perform other such actions.
Other Concur Updates
Anderson
added that another product, Concur Expense Assistant, which the company first
touted at its U.S. Fusion event in March, will launch "no later than
Q1 next year." The tool automatically sets up expense reports for users
based on bookings, card transactions and itineraries that arrive in the Concur
system. Initially, the reports will cover specified time periods, but Concur
expects the tool to automatically generate reports on a trip-by-trip basis later
in 2017.
Meanwhile, Concur announced at its London event
that its partnership with rail distribution provider SilverRail will start with
the ability to book December journeys in Spain and Sweden. The company also will
more rapidly update expense management rules like value-added tax and mileage-allowance
changes through cooperation with parent company SAP's globalization department,
which works closely with national tax authorities.