2015 U.S.-Booked Air Volume: $125 million
Consolidated
U.S. TMC: BCD Travel
BTN estimates that Siemens spent $125 million on airline tickets at the
U.S. point of sale in 2015, down from $146 million in 2014. Regionalization efforts
to align travel processes, policies, providers and tools in the Americas
continue. After consolidating aspects of its travel management program in North
America, Siemens’ focus has broadened across the Americas with initiatives to
consolidate strategy, tools, travel providers, policies and reporting. Last
year, the company expanded its meetings management program, introducing a new
global meetings technology platform. This year, the company intends to
centralize meetings data and make it more robust by integrating Siemens’
Cvent-powered mobile app with its partner CRM company. The company also is
working to optimize use of the app’s polling, communications and gamification
features.
A major focus of
Siemens’ travel management program in 2015 was completing an endeavor begun the
year before called Shake It Up, which included a comprehensive review and
update of all processes, reporting and communications to ensure relevance, ease
and transparency to travelers, stakeholders and management. Seeking to balance
service and savings, Shake It Up has resulted in changes to traveler
engagement, communications and education via new tools, policies and internal
social media engagement. It has refreshed traveler scorecards and standardized
internal business review formats for a consistent approach with management of
Siemens’ diverse businesses.
Siemens achieved 95
percent online booking rates after the company reengineered its airline
ticket-exchange program two years ago. That nearly eliminated ticket spoilage,
bolstered savings and reduced agent touches. In addition, the company last year
put processes in place to support the selection of the company’s preferred
hotels and to ensure that the hotels are honoring the contracted rates.
The company’s two largest
travel markets are its home base in Germany and the United States.
Internationally, the company contracts with airline joint ventures, including
Air France/KLM/Delta and Star Alliance airlines. Even so, the company,
especially outside the United States, has made use of airfare spot buying by
way of a lowest-logical airfare policy, especially on short- and medium-haul
travel. Siemens’ growth in emerging markets has prompted new airline
relationships, including Emirates, Turkish Airlines and Air China.