It’s time to ‘change the game’ – Clarity Travel reveals travel buyer rulebook that redefines the rules for procuring business travel

12 September, 2019

"Redefine the rules of engagement and make business travel a winning way for your organisation to become more competitive, productive and profitable." The advice from travel management company (TMC) Clarity Travel seems quite obvious, but with legacy processes still in place across many organisations it may not be that simple.

The UK-headquartered company has issued a challenge to travel buyers to rethink the way travel is procured through its "change the game" campaign and it is being promoted through a fun game of snakes and ladders, where the right moves will accelerate progress, where bad decisions will set you back, and where changing the game allows all the players to win.

"The new objective for business travel is no longer simply the pursuit of the lowest fares and rates," it says, and modern business travel procurement requires players to take a more strategic view. Changing the game means looking at the bigger picture to identify how well managed travel can maximise productivity, limit risk and add real value to the business, it explains.

The campaign and game highlights that by taking a collaborative approach, and choosing players carefully, you can develop a strategy-led approach to managing travel which limits risk, boosts efficiency and adds demonstrable value to the company. These players comprise the procurement professional, the travel management company, the travel booker and the traveller themselves.

"Business Travel is a multi-player game. Each player may have different roles, but by working together they can achieve the ultimate objective of creating value for the business and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of travellers," it explains.

Key to this new rulebook is moving travel buyers away from fees alone and to take a multi-faceted approach. Looking for the lowest transaction fee may seem like an obvious quick win, especially from a procurement perspective, but it explains that to play the long-game, businesses need to shift their focus to the other side of the equation - travel spend.

It highlights the transaction fee is just the tip of the iceberg and to ultimately reduce travel spend there is a need for expert account management, well-developed supplier relationships, state-of-the art technology and intelligent data driven MI. "It's the team and technology behind the transaction fee that will ultimately improve your bottom line," the campaign explains.

To deliver a successful strategy it believes travel buyers need to always be agile ("be ever ready to adapt and embrace change"), put people before price ("to stay ahead, put your travellers first"), lean in to technology ("befriend your big brother") and be a global player ("you must be ready for any opportunity, anywhere in the world").

As per the game, Clarity Travel says from procurement through to implementation and ongoing operations, key players must work together to plan and execute a strategy that will drive a business forward and contribute to its on-going success. You can download more details about the 'change the game' campaign here.