The Business Travel Magazine Aug/Sept 2019

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PAYMENTS & EXPENSES direct consumption and this disaggregated economy,” says Ian Ferguson, who runs the Solutions Consulting Group at Business Travel Direct. AirPlus’ Spelman adds: “Don’t assume that it’s the bigger brands moving ahead. Only last week I talked to a very big brand that still issues cash advances and leaves it up to the individual to sort out what is personal expenses and what is not.” Another challenge is the silos corporates create that must be broken down to connect all the pieces together. “Rather than log into different sites, take all the sources, such as direct bookings, expenses invoices, TMC bookings, Uber and Starbucks expenses, into one silo,” says Brian Tarble, Vice President of Global Product Management, Concur Data & Analytics at SAP. Over the last two years the company has re-designed its data platform to integrate all the data sources and systems and to selfpopulate it all into an expense report. Mobile lag Mobile payments are also lagging behind in the corporate world. The next big step here is to store a corporate card in a digital wallet in a smartphone from which to make payments, “but the technology isn’t quite there yet,” says Airplus’ Spelman. “I can go to my banking app and do it in the leisure space but not in the business space. We will see it in the latter end of next year,” he says, adding that it will transform the way corporate cards are used. It’s the ideal application for small expenses but not big-ticket items like airfares. Moreover, the move away from centralised bookings and towards travellers booking their own travel will drive growth in mobile payments in the long run. Corporates can wave goodbye to the manual inputting of travel and expense data and lengthy approval times and say hello to a sleeker, automated travel and expenses process” Blockchain hype Much has been said about the spectre of blockchain and at SAP Concur’s annual Fusion conference one session flagged up the five forces that will change the face of corporate travel. Two of these were virtual pay and blockchain (the others were NDC, global tax laws and AI). Blockchain is a way of securely transferring money via intermediary banks to a payment wallet in about four seconds rather than the traditional two to three days. “It’s all fully encrypted – it’s like a big database,” explains Martin Biermann, Chief Product Officer of HRS. It would see an end to the high-profile account hacking, experienced by Yahoo in three billion accounts, for example. “It’s plug and play without doing anything,” he says. The downside is that blockchain is focussed on crypto currencies currently so, for now, the jury is out on what impact, if any, it will have on instant payments in corporate travel. “We haven’t figured out yet how blockchain will be used in travel,” says Barclaycard’s Parpou. “I put a big question mark around it as it needs to solve a problem and, in travel, collaboration isn’t an issue so I don’t see a primary need for it in our business,” she says. Other emerging technologies will have an impact too. Machine learning – a form of AI – will provide self-writing, self-checking expenses in the future says BCD's report. With hotels and airlines demanding upfront payment, the ecosystem will have to evolve and fast. AirPlus’ Spelman believes payment will become a condition of booking. “It will be a case of, ‘if you want full NDC content this is how you pay’,“ he says. Corporates can wave goodbye to the manual inputting of travel and expense data and lengthy approval times and say hello to a sleeker, automated travel and expenses process with greater efficiency of process, tighter control over spend, improved compliance and visibility of spend. It’s an exciting prospect if they choose to embrace it. 46 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
Autumn Sparkle PA & EA Networking Evening brought to you by The Business Travel Conference Wednesday 16th October Native Manchester Join us for an evening of hospitality and networking at this new property from Native. The innovative aparthotel and independent Cultureplex social hub includes the Bistrotheque restaurant, a mini cinema, bar, coffee counter and flexible events and workspaces along with independent fitness space from BLOK. Set in Manchester’s historic Northern Quarter and close to Manchester Piccadilly Station, PAs and EAs can enjoy the full Native experience, seeing the facilities first hand whilst enjoying complimentary drinks, delicious food and the chance to win some fabulous prizes on the evening courtesy of event sponsors. PAs & EAs can apply for a free place via thebusinesstravelconference.com Suppliers can contact Kirsty.hicks@bmpublishing.co.uk regarding sponsorship opportunities An event for buyers and arrangers of business travel and meetings thebusinesstravelconference.com IN ASSOCIATION WITH
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Page 8 and 9: ARRIVALS EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT..
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Page 26 and 27: awards meet the winner Colin Harvey
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Page 38 and 39: TECHNOLOGY [ Delays and disruption
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Page 44 and 45: Visa, everywhere your corporate Vis
Page 48 and 49: TALKING TRAVEL Living legend SIR TR
Page 50 and 51: Upcoming destination, Iguazu Discov
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The Business Travel Magazine Aug/Sept 2019

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