No matter what the volume, the air bill represents a healthy chunk of managed travel budgets. Procurement naturally focuses on developing the data, strategy, contracts and metrics to influence the spending. But what new tactics are corporations trialing? What can you do to really make an impact? As philosopher Yogi Berra once said, "This is like déjà all over again." But pay particular attention to the details in our special six-page section on air contractingfrom veteran airline reporter David Jonas. It explains the nuances of negotiating and the "new wave of sourcing" that has piqued the interest of companies like Bank of Americaand its airline partners.
In our Cover Story on Freescale Semiconductor's Julie Thomteand in the Profile of Fair Isaac's Bob Steiner, you'll read how two veteran travel managers are applying years of practice in buying travel to new areas of procurement. Travel isn't just reporting to procurement; it helped both executives expand their travel purchasing roles to new categories with responsibility for significantly more spending. Explaining their career advancements, both stressed the importance of building teams, gaining category expertise and partnering with business units--all best practices for leading procurement organizations, according to recent procurement studies. Has procurement become the new career path for travel management?
To help travel procurement executives advance, consultant Steve Reynolds penned a Perspective on how to improve vendor management. In Leading Practices, you'll read about a new emphasis on " keeping what you source." To maximize savings, procurement is learning that it must audit to ensure that rates negotiated are reflected on the bottom line.
Elsewhere in this second issue of Procurement.travel, you'll learn about new technologies in ground transportationthat may finally allow companies to better manage this space, and new ways to use self-booking tools to better manage hotel spending. In Payment, learn why companies are centralizing and globalizing their card programs, just usually not on "one card." The Outsourcing section highlights new trends in corporate outsourcing, including details of Unilever's initiatives to outsource many functions, including travel.
While some of the topics we cover may seam like déjà vu for experienced managers of travel, procurement's new demands for rigor, discipline and metrics are influential. The new breed of travel procurement executive is finding new ways to deliver value. Your reception to our first issue tells us we're on the right track as we try to chronicle these new paths. Please continue to provide us with more story ideas, profile candidates and comments.