Business Travel Executive, February 2019

PHAT DATA 28Business Travel Executive FEBRUARY 2019 When it comes to buyer supplier relationships is it really all about the data Phat Data focuses on the strategy and deliverables of data within the managed travel program One of the items that is often identified when building out a data strategy is the fact that buyers and suppliers rarely have numbers that match This apparent discrepancy can cause serious issues when it comes to negotiating supplier discounts and contracts Often if procurement people are involved they have a hard time understanding the why behind how the numbers can be so different When there is doubt in the numbers that spills over into doubt about the overall relationship Lets explore how buyer and supplier can come together to have symbiotic relationships based on not just the numbers but an overall partnership Building out a harmonious partnership is not the easiest thing to do and it can be fraught with challenges However most of these challenges can be overcome when thought through thoroughly I dare you to spell that fast three times Probably one of the most difficult conversations to have is the one with procurement folks trying to convince them that preferred vendors are more than just negotiated deals We would all agree that the discounts and deals are very important to the managed travel program however we have to communicate with our procurement teams to help them understand the overall value proposition of the preferred supplier relationships This is critical because of the personal nature of travel and how without understanding of these relationships gaining compliance can be difficult if not downright impossible If we dont balance the needs of the travelers aligned within policy even the best of discounts dont drive travelers towards one supplier over the other Travel buyers need to ensure that they have done their homework and have picked the right Phat Data Taking Information into Action Part of a continuing series Next month Getting Back to Wisdom Supplier Side Economics By Jennifer Steinke When there is doubt in the numbers that spills over into doubt about the overall relationship