Democratising Travel Technology

Democratising Travel Technology

42 per cent of travel managers said that TMC technology was a “top pain point” for them, with only 38 per cent saying technology was a strength of their primary TMC.[1]

An interview with Rob Cope – Chief Technology Officer, TakeTwo Travel Solutions

The problem with existing TMC technology platforms – especially those wedded to the GDS – is that they hinder rather than accelerate a seamless TMC service delivery.

Market disruptors that have crashed into the travel management sector in recent years, are grabbing more market share from the Mega TMCs. By simplifying booking processes they have revolutionised travel tech, yet traditional TMCs are still saying and doing the same things.

The Pain Points
One of the biggest frustrations for travel managers is the friction caused when a TMC lacks a robust solution for non-GDS content. Travel managers don’t care how or where that content comes from, providing they can access the best content through whatever booking channel they choose.

Another pain point is TMC technology that cannot accommodate the finer elements of sustainability and risk management in updated travel policies. TMCs have not yet found a way of harmonising and making these disparate elements work within a travel programme. They are treated in isolation, instead of being brought together in a way that creates a frictionless experience.

A Different Approach
Agents spend 70% of their time processing a transaction, which is way too long in today’s world.[2] Take Two’s focus is to address this issue by removing unnecessary manual interventions in order to streamline our service delivery, providing a seamless single workflow for our frontline staff.

As a new disruptor in the market, we are not welded to the GDS or other legacy systems. We have the agility to create a powerful, best-in-class, consumer-standard booking experience that meets the needs of modern-day travel managers, travellers and agents.

Lessons for TMCs
Corporate travel technology is 15 years behind other sectors because it relies on antiquated GDS technology which prevents TMCs doing a lot of things that are now critically important to travel managers.

Amazon’s e-commerce platform is really intelligent in how it recommends, the options it presents and how data is used. Yet the part of Amazon that gets neglected is how the supply chain is managed. TakeTwo are bridging that disconnect by ensuring the supply chain is frictionless.

As TMCs, we must be more intelligent in terms of how transactions are handled and at how the breadth of the booking journey can be leveraged. GDS technology does not allow TMCs to innovate, so TakeTwo is trying to move beyond that by looking at the travel landscape and taking a modular approach that can be adapted to each customer’s needs and problems.

Service is not just about the interaction between agent and client. It’s about how services are wrapped around the transaction, irrespective of source. We need to change the mindset and the language.

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[1] https://www.businesstravelnewseurope.com/Management/Technology-becomes-top-priority-when-choosing-TMC

[2] https://www.mytaketwo.co.uk/technology