Travel Manager Takes Tech Lead With Web-Based T&E
<B>Travel Manager Takes Tech Lead With Web-Based T&E</B>
By Cheryl Rosen
More than three years after her search for an affordable, Web-based expense reporting system began, Ann Schimelfenyg's odyssey is almost over. Strong Capital Management, the investment firm for which she serves as travel manager and business analyst, on Nov. 1 mandated the use of the new Web version of Gelco ExpenseLink by its 300 most frequent travelers.
In the course of the bumpy road to that mandate, Schimelfenyg researched suppliers, skirted Y2K issues, rewrote policy and set up new business rules for auditing. But the effort clearly was worth her time and energy. Early results show a return on investment of 35 percent, 70 percent of the users are happy with the system and Schimelfenyg has been promoted.
She acknowledged that her lead role in choosing T&E technology is not one customarily filled by a travel manager. But after 10 years in the corporate finance department, and four as travel manager, she had the trust of the CFO. "If the travel manager is part of a different group, like human resources, decisions would probably be more of a partnership," she said.
Schimelfenyg began looking at T&E tools about three years ago, but initially was put off by the prices. In 1998, she did a formal bid, narrowing her choice to three finalists: Gelco, Concur and Captura. She opted for Gelco in part because it offered a fully outsourced Web-based service that included the auditing and imaging of receipts. She beta tested the new system with 20 travelers in June 1999, went live on Sept. 1 and mandated it on Nov. 1 to the company's 300 most frequent travelers.
Other process changes also have been made. Where the company used to audit all expense reports, it now reviews just 10 percent, plus a random sample once per quarter. And the reimbursement process now pushes through payment without waiting for all the receipts. "Some companies are concerned about paying people before they hand in the paperwork, but in our environment it's not an issue," she said. "If you're hiring the right people, you shouldn't have to be concerned.