2016 U.S.-Booked Air Volume: $465 million
Principal Air Suppliers: American, Delta
Principal Hotel Suppliers: Hilton, Marriott
Principal Car Rental Suppliers: Avis, Hertz
Principal Online Booking Tool: Concur
Principal Card Supplier: American Express
Principal Expense Supplier: Concur
Consolidated Global TMC: Amex GBT
BTN estimates that IBM's U.S.-booked air volume decreased by
$25 million in 2016, even as the number of tickets it issued increased by 1
percent. In doing so, the technology and consulting heavyweight, with $2
billion in global T&E last year, slipped from its position as the largest
corporate buyer of U.S.-booked air travel for the first time in the 30 years
that BTN has ranked the top 100.
In 2016, IBM signed a global deal to combine T&E under
Concur. IBM's use of the Orbitz for Business tool came to a complete stop on
Dec. 1, and by year-end, IBM had rolled out Concur in 33 countries. The company
launched Concur Travel & Expense in the U.S. in May 2017. By January 2018,
it plans to roll out Concur Travel to all 99 countries where it manages travel
and Concur Expense to all 112 countries where it has offices. IBM also introduced
an internal social network, Travel@IBM. This year, the travel program and the
company's research division delivered an intelligence tool called IBM Travel
Manager to help travel teams manage contracts and traveler expenses at the
business unit level. It has rolled out to business managers internally and soon
will be used by IBM customers, as well.
In 2016, the company conducted internal surveys and
interviews, talked with corporate peers and worked with Concur and the IBM
global client group to create a policy survey that it is using to benchmark and
establish policy parameters. The company is now focusing on how to improve the
traveler experience for little or no cost. The travel team also worked with
American Express and American Express Global Business Travel to improve its
strategic approach as it renewed its card and travel agreements last year.
IBM's security, HR and travel procurement teams work with American Express GBT
on duty of care. Travelers also have mobile access to International SOS, iJet
or the TMC.
The primary focus of the travel team now is to develop and
implement a mobile program by the end of the year. Working with the same
research division resources that went into IBM Travel Manager, the travel team
plans to pilot a mobile app in the fourth quarter.