2015 U.S.-Booked Air Volume: $490 million
Principal Air Suppliers: American, Delta
Principal Hotel Suppliers: Hilton, Marriott
Principal Car Rental Suppliers: Avis, Hertz
Principal Online Booking Tool: Concur Travel
Principal Card Supplier:
American Express
Principal Expense Supplier: Concur Expense
Consolidated Global TMC: American Express Global Business Travel
BTN estimates IBM’s U.S.-booked
air volume decreased by $80 million in 2015. Even so, the technology and
consulting heavyweight, with $2 billion in T&E last year, maintained its
position as the largest corporate buyer of U.S.-booked air travel.
In
2014, IBM decided it would stop operating its Global Expense Reporting Solution
as a standalone product in March 2016 and would shift its expense platform to
Concur. Also in 2014, it began a six-year contract to use the Orbitz for
Business booking tool. The next year, though, Egencia announced it would
acquire and sunset Orbitz for Business. Considering those developments, IBM
signed a global deal to combine T&E under Concur. IBM’s use of the Orbitz
for Business tool will come to a complete stop on Dec. 1, and by year-end,
Concur will roll out in 33 countries. The company will launch Concur in the
United States in January. It plans to roll out the travel tool to all 99
countries where it has offices and the expense tool to all 112 countries where
it does business by January 2018.
IBM
also will introduce an internal social network, Travel@IBM. Last year, the
travel program and the company’s research division began working on an
intelligence tool for called IBM Travel Manager to help the travel team manage
contracts, and they plans to complete development this year. In 2015 and 2016,
the company has conducted internal surveys and interviews, talked with 20
corporate peers and worked with Concur and the IBM global client group to
create a policy survey that it will use to benchmark and establish policy
parameters. The travel team also plans to work with American Express to improve
its strategic approach as it renews its card and travel agreements. IBM’s
security, HR and travel procurement teams work with American Express Global
Business Travel on duty of care. Travelers also have mobile access to
International SOS, iJet or the TMC. The travel team put its mobile strategy on
the backburner, though use of mobile devices for booking and itinerary
management has increased. IBM, with Concur and Amex GBT, will refocus on this
area in the fourth quarter.