By Brett Driscoll
There are three prime purposes of the ProMaster Travel Planning Module (TPM):
1. To provide a simple point and click method of composing a Travel Plan for approval; most travel planning tools focus on the Three Big A’s of travel – Airlines, Accommodation and Automobile hire. The ProMaster TPM links not only the Three Big A’s but also Allowances and Additional costs (Out Of Pocket expenses).
2. Create an estimate / budget of all costs associated with a Journey; each item of Travel is supported by template data and default references that provide a basic cost estimate. These items can be automated on selection, and others allow estimates to be entered.
3. Simplify the reconciliation process of Travel expenses;
Utilising ProMaster’s underlying Workflow and multiple transactions and expense type capabilities, each item of the Plan can be linked to one or many transactions – card and expense claims – and automatically coded for posting to the General Ledger.
If actual expenses do not exceed the approved estimate, they do not need to be approved again.
Typically a Travel Plan moves through the following stages:
• Travel Plan creation by the Traveller (or assigned delegate)
• Forward the Plan for Approval to the Supervisor
• (Optional) Forward for Booking by a Travel Administrator
• Returned to the Traveller for Reconciliation with Transactions and Expenses;
• Archived for reporting and analysis.
The standard Workflow allows for Supervisor Approval and Travel Administrator Booking to be set on or off, for each individual traveller.
Other Workflow stages that may be included are:
International Approvals by a higher delegated officer.
• Automated Private Remittance generation for repayment of the personal portion of the trip.
• Automated Email Booking requests to Travel suppliers
Other Features:
Some unique features of the Travel Plan:
• Automated Cost Allocation by travel category.
• Ability to auto-reconcile Travel items using a data feed such as a Travel Management Company Corporate Card account (requires enhanced data.
• Integration of various cost-centre or project-based approval models.
• Email reservations such as company car pools.
• Alerts for aged bookings, overdue approvals and confirmations.
Where to next?
Travel Agent Integration
An area of interest is to integrate the Travel Planning module with a Travel Company where on-line booking tools are not engaged.
This would provide a Travel Agent with a secure login to Travel Booking requests, allow them to add notes for quotations and options, with the Traveller being able to select the option and the agent confirm the booking with real values.
The Travel Agent login would be to a separate website that connects to the ProMaster system, and isolates them from all other features.
Interactive Emails:
As part of this process, email alerts will contain an encrypted URL link that will automatically login the targeted user to the specific travel plan. Simplifies the login process and provides fro controlled access.
Likewise Approvers will be sent emails with details of the booking and choices as live links. They will be able to select the link which will trigger a response such as approving a Travel Plan.
GDS Integration:
The last frontier is real-time integration with Travel Management Company’s GDS systems. This means a travel request can be converted into an online booking with the resulting details fed back to ProMaster and update the Travel Plan with real-time, actual booking data.
Summary:
Inlogik will continue to work with its clients and Travel companies to provide the most relevant integrated travel planning solution linked to an Expense Management platform.