Most firms are not integrating corporate self-booking tools with other systems despite some apparent advantages, largely because of challenges related to senior management support, information technology resources and the incompatibility of legacy systems, according to a new research paper from Amadeus, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives and Cranfield University.
"Single sign-on" with company intranet pages and traveler profile synchronization with human resources databases are more common types integration for corporate self-booking tools than connections with expense or meeting management systems, the survey of 168 corporate travel and procurement managers found.
Nearly half of the respondents, all members of ACTE, reported using single sign-on (also called "silent log-in" by the study's authors), with 15 percent saying such integration was in development.
"Linking the self-booking tool electronically to the HR database enables the traveler to log onto the company's intranet and be automatically connected to the booking tool," according to the authors. "Only one log-on is required, enabling the user to book his or her travel without having to enter into a separate system."
Sixty-six percent of those surveyed considered such integration to be a minor or moderate investment, perhaps explaining its relative popularity.
Synchronizing booking tools with HR databases also helps improve the accuracy of reservations data, the paper indicated, because "people regularly leave the company, get promoted, move their residence, and change their names, which can affect their travel plans if the information isn't up to date. Having to store profile information at multiple locations increases the likelihood of errors and inconsistencies and also creates more work in keeping it updated. When the HR database and the booking tool are integrated, the information can be synchronized on a regular basis to ensure accuracy."
Tending to support safety- and security-related traveler monitoring, such HR integration is in place at 32 percent of companies polled, with another 14 percent beginning the process. HR integration is considered more expensive than single sign-on, with 28 percent of respondents calling it a "substantial IT project/investment."
Although the paper asserted that technology integration generally improves compliance and data quality, reduces inefficiencies and transaction costs, and streamlines the traveler experience--among other benefits--the survey determined that self booking tools are generally not linked with industry software addressing two key areas: expense and meeting management.
Just under 9 percent of all respondents--more than half of whom were based in North America--integrate booking tools with expense systems. Such integration was more common for the 29 percent of respondents based in Europe, with 21 percent of them linking booking and expense tools. Overall, 13 percent of respondents said they were beginning the booking-expense integration process.
Fully 50 percent of respondents said such integration requires a substantial IT investment.
The paper indicated that Unileverhad reduced the cost of processing an expense claim to $18 from $48 by implementing a so-called "end-to-end" system.
About 14 percent of North American respondents connect booking tools with meeting/event management systems, but none of the European respondents do. This would appear to be the least understood of possible integration projects, as 38 percent of respondents said they did not know what level of investment would be required--nearly double the percentage who were unaware of investment requirements for single sign-on, HR or expense integrations. Among those who did know, respondents were basically split on whether meeting system integration would require a substantial, moderate or minor investment.
Larger companies were generally more likely to integrate booking tools with other systems than smaller ones, according to the survey, which concluded in July.