Business Travel Executive, February 2019

Business Travel Executive FEBRUARY 2019 25 us to operate more efficiently than ever Horowitz says This in turn has supported a focus on both price and quality Additionally the use of GPS coordinates helps pinpoint the whereabouts of clientele and employees which ensuring their safety while on the road The near future looks even better says Liz Carisone CEO of GroundLink Shes optimistic that recently launched next gen GPS satellites may substantially improve navigation and tracking benefitting ground transportation providers and their clients GPS will have improved location accuracy and work faster with less loss of signal in high density areas she says Of course issues of cybersecurity and privacy will continue to be concerns that well need to address The different ways providers approach their solutions bring challenges as well as pluses according to Jens Wohltorf CEO and co founder of Blacklane Innovation in ground transportation technology has come from the new players he says However pure platforms cannot provide duty of care or stand behind the quality of their drivers On the other hand he notes legacy providers such as taxis and nationwide limousine companies have failed to make booking easier or bring down prices through technology improvements Newer entrants let travelers book rides easily and save money says Wohltorf adding that his company has combined new innovations ease of use and lower rates This means corporate travel managers can offer chauffeured rides for airport transfers events and intercity trips to a wider group of employees When booking rides employees will receive instant confirmation and cost certainty with guaranteed rates Technology improvements have also helped providers carve out their own distinctive niches within the industry Thats the case for Sixt a mobility company based out of Europe From short to long term rentals MyDriver and car sharing technology has allowed us to grow and offer mobility catered to our customers needs says Sixt USA COO Daniel Florence Technology continues to make life easier for all concerned says Gyre Renwick VP of Lyft Business With his companys services end users can simply download the app and request a ride while travel agents can request and track rides through an online portal Billing can be seamlessly synced to a personal or corporate credit card or direct billed to the employer All receipts are automatically sent to the e mail attached to the account and ride history can be accessed through the app or portal The end result is that employers are able to increase the value of a solution their employees are already using Travel managers are able to see real time reporting on ride data and costs and travelers can easily get reimbursed through various expense integrations Renwick says Companies can then understand ways their employees get around and invest in strategic growth In serving global travelers ground transportation companies need technology that is both intuitive and innovative Wohltorf says That means travelers executive assistants and travel managers can book change and cancel rides in only a few steps via app website or phone he says During the booking process it means zero pop up windows inputting locations as you do on Google Maps and the fewest steps to book your ride Greater Demands As technology continues to advance the expectations of travel managers are also evolving according to Carisone She says travel managers are becoming more analytical demanding tighter integrations that provide more accurate reporting and business intelligence Simplifying employee onboarding offering data and user management and enhancing reporting tools on a large employee base within a ground vendors suite are now necessary she says Customizing specific data for each traveler and travel program that passes through our system is going to be key in meeting the travel managers objectives Indeed those providers who excel in this area will understandably have the greatest appeal Carisone adds Companies that can offer more customization more options more integra