Case Study
Bus Operator on the South Coast of England
Background
The client, a bus operator situated on the picturesque south coast of England, first partnered with arrangeMY in 2019. Prior to this collaboration, they operated an unmanaged travel programme where all bookings were made independently and claimed back through expense reports. This method not only consumed valuable resources within their Finance Team, but it also left the client without real oversight of travel bookings or the location of their travellers at any given time.
From the outset of our partnership, the client aimed to transition all travellers from expense claims to the arrangeMY Trip booking tool for domestic and point-to-point itineraries, with our customer service team assisting with more complex bookings. They were also keen to leverage the Management Information (MI) data now available to enhance travel policy compliance and improve booking behaviour.
Smooth Implementation
To ensure a seamless implementation process, we appointed a dedicated Implementation Manager who took charge of tailoring the process to the client’s unique requirements. From outlining key milestones to clearly communicating needs at every stage, we kept the project on track.
Recognising that introducing a new service and processes can be challenging, especially when employees are accustomed to a certain way of doing things, we focused on winning over their employees through tailored communication, training, and implementation. This approach fostered long-term loyalty and ensured that staff felt no need to book elsewhere.
During the onboarding phase, we collaborated with the client to create communications aimed at introducing the service to their 60+ employees and securing end-user buy-in. We offered to deliver educational and training programmes, including on-site travel clinics at their Dorset office, remote training sessions, a bespoke video, a welcome pack, and a user guide. However, due to the user-friendly nature of our arrangeMY Trip booking tool, they concluded that remote training initiatives, along with the welcome pack and user guide, would be sufficient.
We also suggested that the client establish a small focus group of 5-10 regular bookers to actively use our live booking tool and services for one to two weeks during implementation. Feedback from this group helped us refine any final configuration or training requirements before the service was rolled out to the wider organisation.
Our thorough and proven implementation methodology enabled the client to effectively plan and allocate resources well in advance, ensuring efficient progress throughout the project. As a result of the ease of use, employees quickly began booking online, achieving an impressive online adoption rate of 94% within the first six months.
Successes
- Embedded Employee Expenses Policy: We implemented a system that enforces the client’s travel policy through configured rules and workflows. This led to 100% travel policy compliance from day one.
- Pre-Trip Approval Process: A pre-trip approval process was introduced for rail and hotel bookings, requiring any out-of-policy requests to be approved by line managers before finalisation.
- Consolidated Invoice Billback Service: This service allows the client to analyse spend across various booking types, including accommodation, flights, rail, and events. Consequently, it has eliminated the expense process, saving time and reducing costs associated with claims, processing, and payments.
- Central Access to Travel Choices: The client now has central access to a wide variety of hotel, conference room, and travel options in one solution, including major and budget hotel chains, all major airlines, low-cost carriers, and train operating companies. This has saved both time and money compared to previous methods of searching multiple sites and suppliers.
- Exclusive Discounts: The client benefits from exclusive discounts and advantages through our strategic partnerships and industry affiliations, leveraging our membership with the Advantage Travel Partnership and Focus Travel Partnership to secure unparalleled rates and content.
- Rail Split Ticketing Options: As one of the few agencies offering rail split ticketing options that can save up to 90% on selected routes, we optimise cost savings without compromising on quality or convenience.
- High Online Adoption Rates: The client consistently maintains high online adoption rates, achieving 94% in 2023 and 82% year to date.
- 24/7 Emergency Visibility: Our system enables the client to identify where staff are staying and how they are travelling 24/7, supported by an in-house crisis management team.
Client Testimonial
“Julie was a star – super quick at dealing with my requests! I wish I was this efficient. Really prompt and helpful assistance; I couldn’t have asked for more.”
“Very helpful!”
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