McLean, Va.-based management and technology consulting firm BearingPoint's travel program in Europe, the Middle East and Africa has reached an average of 90 percent online adoption anchored on an ongoing change management initiative, which includes aggressive communications backed by executive-level sponsorship, interactive training, educational sessions and country-specific marketing materials.
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"Even Without A Mandate, Buyers Coax Travelers Online")EMEA manager of meeting and travel services Andreas Mutschler has led the regional initiative, which has garnered an overall 90 percent first-pass-yield rate, 100 percent adoption in some European countries and substantial savings, as BearingPoint's EMEA online transaction fees are 50 percent less than bookings made offline. Average ticket prices on top citypairs also are lower due to BearingPoint employees booking further in advance than in telephonic transactions. In the first six months of 2006, average ticket prices in the region averaged 25 percent less than before the implementation
Pushed by a 2005 directive from BearingPoint CEO Harry You, Mutschler set out on the aggressive campaign to implement the online booking program and drive adoption toward the goal. "Our CEO said he wanted 90 percent online anywhere the tool existed, but they didn't want to do it with a mandate for a variety of reasons," said Laurie Manning, BearingPoint's global meeting and travel director.
With $12 million in EMEA booked air volume, Mutschler oversaw the rollout of a customized version of Amadeus E-Travel to the 12 countries in the region. In doing so, he saw adoption rise from 22 percent in January 2006 to 72 percent in August of the same year. Mutschler's program did not stop there, as Denmark and Switzerland have reached the 100 percent adoption mark, while Germany has reached 90 percent and Austria 89 percent. "What we have learned is that we need to talk to people at points of sale, and we really put communication out in front," Manning said.
Mutschler's success lies in a multilevel communications initiative, beginning with directing new employees to watch an eight-minute interactive online education seminar. As an added incentive for participating in the training, employees receive a credit toward fulfilling corporate education requirements, which they use toward promotions and benefits, according to Mutschler. New hires receive one hour of education about the travel program during their orientation.
Instrumental in the communications program is the European senior management team, which receives continuous reports from the travel team to show adoption levels and savings, and sends e-mails to all employees encouraging the online program. "The head of Germany wanted to see an adoption report every week," Mutschler said, "and he wanted it sent out to employees every week."
BearingPoint uses its online portal to provide links to country-specific online booking tools and supplier booking sites, including those of rail suppliers SNCF and Deutsche Bahn and the Sixt car rental portal.
Travelers are frequently updated with country-specific e-mails about any changes to the program. "We make sure each country has communications, whether a weekly marketing letter with some travel information or the global BearingPoint News Now," Mutschler said. "If anything is related to travel, such as introducing a new policy or a global travel survey—which we have just launched—it will be introduced in here."