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Published:
09/03/2010
ITM buyers call for strengthened supplier standards
Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) members are calling for greater collaboration on standards and processes between suppliers and technology providers when travel products and services are changed.
ITM UK & Ireland’s latest survey of members who buy and manage travel and meetings for their companies, representing expenditure in excess of £34bn worldwide, found that supplier product changes such as airline unbundling, while creating transparency, often had a negative impact on travel management systems.
More than 65 per cent of buyers felt that all supply sectors failed to consider the impact of any product changes on the buying community and 64 per cent said that product changes led to more programme work to find work-around or alternative solutions.
Nearly all the buyers surveyed (98 per cent) felt that airlines and global distribution service providers should work closer to ensure that systems provided true comparative fare data in the face of unbundling.
Paul Tilstone, chief executive of ITM, said: “Data capture, process flows and cost appeared as the top three buyer impacts from the continuing unbundling trend within the aviation industry. Whilst there appears to be some real potential positives from unbundling, you can’t help but think that greater consultation could result in a more positive environment for all.”
Colin Goldney, MD of ITM’s research partner, Argate, added: “There’s definitely an understanding of the reasons why airlines are changing products and services and in general the opportunity for greater transparency is being greeted positively, but without a collaborative approach there appears to be a cost and time impact on the buyer and travel management company (TMC) community which is going unnoticed by suppliers.”