Topaz International Works with Business Travel News 2011 Travel Manager of the Year, Michelle De Costa
We invite you to read about the Business Travel News 2011 Travel Manager of the Year,
Michelle De Costa, Global Travel Manager at Sapient.
In the article Michelle describes what she has done to improve Sapient's travel program, including working with Topaz International to audit Sapient's travel agency and on-line tool to discover where errors were occuring and how they could be improved.
September 2011 issue of Business Travel News
Benchmarking Data...is it Enough?
If you're currently receiving Topaz benchmarking data or benchmarking data from another source and have not evaluated your agency's performance through a Topaz Performance Measurement Solution we invite you to thoroughly review your agencies performance on a daily basis with a Topaz airfare audit.
While benchmarking data is a great tool to see where your company may stand within the industry, it does not help save you money on travel or help improve the mistakes your agency may be making. What if according to industry benchmarking data you were performing well, but you could be saving $20,000 a year by simply measuring the performance of your agency as they are booking your employees travel?
Our airfare audit allows agencies to queue reservations to us immediately after booking and allows domestic reservations to be reviewed within 2 hours and international reservations within 24 hours. We will look for a lower fare within the GDS' of your choice and/or internet sites of your choice. If a lower fare is found we will queue the record back to your agency and they will have the ability to re-book the lowest fare. Your travel policy is taken into account throughout this whole process.
At Topaz we recommend you not only be reviewing benchmarking data regularly but also participating in the only performance measurement tool which can give you access to your agencies errors and the opportunity to fix them immediately. We can help your agency learn how to perform at a higher level and help them save YOU money.
What if you had something this exact to present to your employees claiming they can find lower fares on the internet? What if you had something this in depth to present to your boss? There is nothing more legitimate then this process when it comes to evaluating the performance of your agency and figuring out if your travel spend is where it should be. Over half of the Fortune 500 companies rely on Topaz to evaluate their agency's performance...why shouldn't you?
If you're interested in seeing what Topaz Performance Measurement Solutions can do for your company please watch our videos or e-mail me at jillian.walsh@etopaz.com
Benchmarking Data Videos
Brad Seitz Speaking at North Carolina Business Travel Association Education Day
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011 at 10:10am, Topaz International President & CEO Brad Seitz will be speaking at the North Carolina Business Travel Association Education Day.
Brad will be presenting "Meaningful Metrics," In the competitive world of traveling for business, how we measure and deliver tangible results is more important than ever to the success of the travel manager. During the session, we will explore the solutions that your peers have developed to effectively measure their travel programs. Moderated by Brad, this lively panel discussion will focus on specific tips and ideas that you can implement into your program quickly and easily!
Register by September 21st on the North Carolina Business Travel Association website.
For more information about Brad's future presentations, please visit our website.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
"Meaningful Metrics" session sponsored by Travel & Transport
Topaz International Quarter 3 Survey-2012 Travel Industry Predictions
We want to know where you think the travel industry is headed in 2012. What are your predictions for the next year? Will the travel industry stay the same, change dramatically, vary slightly? How will your travel budget in 2012 compare to your travel budget in 2011?
Please take our five minute survey below. We appreciate your feedback and hope to use it to better our industry. We look forward to creating a community where we can all prosper.
2012 Business Travel Survey
We look forward to sharing the results with you and learning about your outlook for 2012!
Brad Seitz to Present at 2011 Society for Collegiate Travel and Expense Management Conference and Exhibition
On September 19th, 2011 Topaz International President & CEO Brad Seitz accompanied by Boston University Travel Manager, Sarah Moon, will be presenting "Does your Travel Program Measure Up?" at the 2011 Society of Collegiate Travel and Expense Management Conference and Exhibition. This engaging topic will explore the importance of travel managers measuring and delivering intangible results. The panel discussion will focus on solutions your peers have developed to effectively measure their travel programs and specific tips and ideas you can implement into your own travel program quickly and easily!
We hope you will join us at this year's event at the Biltmore Hotel in Providence, RI on Sunday, September 18th-Wednesday September 23rd.
To register please visit the SCTEM registration page.
We look forward to seeing you in Providence!
Looking for a Pricing Proposal?
Thinking about purchasing a Topaz performance measurement solution but are unsure about the details and the cost?
Simply send the following information back to me at this address and I will send you a detailed pricing proposal within 24 hours.
-Which service(s) you're interested in
-The location(s) you'd like to audit
-The average monthly number of PNR's at each location
-Classification of these PNR's ( EX: 80% domestic, 20% international)
I look forward to discussing your proposal with you and doing business together in the near future!
Youtube Channel
To check out all of the latest videos by Topaz International please visit our Youtube Channel.
We Want to Meet with you at GBTA!
We hope you are attending GBTA in Denver this year because we can't wait to see you! This year we will be located at booth #720. (located just left of the main entrance.) Please take a minute to stop by and learn about how we can help you improve your travel program. See you soon!
Topaz at GBTA-Booth #720
Corporate Travel 101:A Business Fable
Topaz International is pleased to announce the newest addition to our free e-book series, "Corporate Travel 101: A Business Fable." Written by Topaz CEO Brad Seitz, this e-book outlines many of the basic challenges you will encounter as a travel manager.
Corporate Travel 101: A Business Fable
Please feel free to give us feedback on the e-book on any of the social media sites below.
Quarter 2 "Associations" Survey Results
We have gathered the data from our quarter two survey about the travel associations you are part of. Thank you for taking the time to let us know about these associations and your experience with them. Please find the results below.
1.) Which travel associations are you currently a part of?
•GBTA (Global Business Travel Association)
•ACTE (Association of Corporate Travel Executives)
• Local chapters of GBTA
•CTDA (Corporate Travel Department Association)
• ITM (Institute for Travel and Meetings)
• ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents)
• IATA (International Air Transport Association)
• IATAN (International Airlines Travel Agent Network)
2.) How often do you meet with people in these associations via the web?
1-2 times a year.......................................................40%
3-4 times a year.......................................................20%
4-5 times a year.......................................................6.7%
5+ times a year...................................................... 33.3%
3.) How often do you meet with people in these associations in person?
1-2 times a year....................................................................20%
3-4 times a year..................................................................13.3%
4-5 times a year....................................................................20%
5+ times a year..................................................................53.3%
4.) What do you feel is the best event (Virtual or in person) that the association(s) hosts?
•Management Summit
• Annual GBTA conference
• Webinars
•Monthly luncheons on the local level that allow us to meet regularly, feel like a group and learn
•ITM Annual Conference
•Within GBTA-law firms have formed their own group-Legal Travel Forum, which meets twice a year to discuss law firm specific issues
•One day power meetings centered on timely travel programs and industry best practices.
5.) What do you hope to get out of being a member of these associations?
•Wisdom and profits
•Networking
• Competitive information
• Supplier information
• Product up-dates
• Camaraderie
• Education
• New ideas
• Time with peers
• Current trends and events in the business travel industry
• Keeping up to date with the latest technology
• Benchmarking
6.) What do you feel these associations lack?
•Respect from certain airlines
•Better connection via social media
•Online education
•Lobbying & Innovation
•Balance of buyers and suppliers
•More statistics
•White papers that are up to the moment
•Content heavy resource centers
•Leadership ability to connect with the members
•"I feel like we are members of ASTA, IATA and IATAN because it's the thing to do as travel agents. I wish they offered more for their membership."
•"GBTA is too general and too basic and the convention is too expensive."
•"I think they are "association" driven vs. member driven. The politics involved in the larger organizations can be an impediment to achieving greater success for the individual member. I also think that because they accept money from larger vendors, they take fewer risks in advocating for the buyer members. Would be nice to have a more agnostic association that actually stands up to say what is wrong in the industry even if it means alienating a vendor member."
Answers to Your Questions;Topaz FAQ
Once I decide I want to audit, how long until the audit can begin?
On average, most audits have a set up time of 4-6 weeks. This time frame can vary based upon how soon the corporation and travel management company fill out questionnaires, return questionnaires and how quickly implementation calls can be scheduled. The Topaz team will work with you to get this process done as quickly as possible and is willing to work with any time zone.
How long should we audit?
It is recommended to audit continuously. Though your audit may be inspired by a specific event, auditing your corporate travel is a responsible business practice and something that should be continued on an ongoing basis to varify the performance of your agency or booking tool.
Can you work with our travel agency outside of the US?
Yes. Topaz works with agencies all over the world.
What is the cost of a typical audit?
Cost of our audits are dependent upon how many PNR's you would like to audit, how long you'd like to audit for, and the type of PNR's. (Domestic, international, global) If you can provide this information to us we can write you a detailed proposal with information about the audit process and a breakdown of pricing within 24 hours.
What do you mean by type of PNR's?
We classify our PNR's into three categories:
•Domestic: Travel booked by agencies within the U.S. or Canada for travel within the U.S. or Canada. (Domestic travel for agencies in the US and Canada
•International: Travel outside the geographical region in which the agency is located. (International travel regardless of agency location.)
•Global: Travel booked by agencies outside the US and Canada for travel within the geographical region in which the agency is located. (Domestic and Intra Regional travel for agencies not in the US or Canada.)
What are your operating hours?
Monday to Friday 5am to 4pm Pacific time. However if requested we may be able to alter our auditing hours.
What is the audit turn-around time?
•US/Canadian domestic PNRs have a 2 hour turn-around time
•International/Global PNRs have a 24 hour turn-around time
What is a Blind Audit?
A blind audit generally follows the same process as a standard audit with two exceptions; (1) the agency is unaware of the exact audit period and (2) there is no communication of the finding with the agency. Blind audits are scheduled for an extended period of time usually six months to one year, or longer. During that period the agency sends all the PNRs to audit. The actual audit is only conducted during the months preselected by the corporate client.
A blind audit can be conducted for clients who are concerned their agency may not follow their standard operating procedures during the audit. Some simply feel it is a better way for them to get an accurate picture of how their agency is performing at any moment in time.
How Do You Feel About the Associations You're Part of?
We want to know how you feel about the travel associations you are a part of to help make our industry as productive as possible. We hope to foster valuable communication to help us all improve the travel industry everyday.
Please take our five minute survey below. We appreciate your feedback and hope to use it to better our industry. We look forward to creating a community where we can all prosper.
Topaz International Quarter 2 Survey
Which Performance Solution is Right for Your Company?
We know how you feel.
You know you need to evaluate your company's travel program but are not sure where to begin. We're here to help.
Consider the following situations to discover which Topaz International Performance Measurement Solution may be best for you.
You're concerned your Travel Management Company may not be booking the lowest airfares possible and you may be over spending=
Topaz Airfare audit
Travelers are telling you they are finding better fares on the internet then what they receive from your Travel Management company=
Topaz Internet Study
You have no idea if your hotel rates and car rental rates are being loaded into the GDS correctly or if the hotel and car rental preferred rates you negotiated all year are actually being utilized=
Topaz Hotel or Car Rental Rate Load/Preferred Property Audit
You're concerned your travelers expense reports are inaccurate and need to be reviewed for purchases out of policy=
Topaz Expense Report Validation
You are wondering what the financial impact would be to your corporation if you were to change your travel policy and you want to determine this based on real travel and not estimates =
Topaz Potential Savings Analysis
Your Travel Program is ready for a complete review and revamp=
Topaz Travel Program Audit
Whatever aspect of your travel program you need reviewed, Topaz has a solution. We are the global leader in providing performance measurement evaluations and process improvements to travel procurement professionals all over the world.
If you see a solution that seems right for you, give us a call and we'll help you improve your travel program.
How Do you Monitor and Control the Money you Spend?
Do You Know What the Top 3 Costs Typically are for Corporations?
1. Wages
2. Cost of Goods Sold
3. Travel
What do you currently do to monitor wages and cost of goods sold?
Implement intensive hiring processes, review employees work, investigate suppliers, complete extensive pricing research
What do you currently do to monitor your travel program?
............
Topaz International services are the only way to accurately and independently evaluate the performance of your travel program.
Call us today to start monitoring and controlling the third highest cost in your company.
What a Typical Topaz Audit Report Includes
During your audit with Topaz International you will receive monthly reports which outline what is happening throughout the audit. These reports will help you look at where problems may be occuring and will assist you and your agency in correcting errors for the future, making your travel program more successful. Our goal is to give you as many details as possible so you can benchmark your travel program. Please take a look below at what our monthly audit reports include. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Audit Summary Report
This report is provided for each individual agency location. The number of passenger name records (PNRs) received, audited and the agency accuracy rate are provided. The final outcome of errors (if the Topaz suggestions were accepted, refused, no response, cancelled, changed or ticketed prior to audit) is reported. In addition, Topaz reports the total dollar value of the records audited and the average cost per ticket during the audit period.
Audit Detail Report
If the agency has errors, an Audit Detail Report will follow the Audit Summary Report. This report is designed to provide specific information on which to base travel management decisions, both by the agency and the corporation. Errors are sorted based on the outcome (accepted, refused, no response, cancelled, changed or ticketed).
Agency Errors Pie Chart
This pie chart illustrates the type of errors made by the agent each month, and is frequently used for internal training and evaluation by agencies. The Topaz National Data Base pie chart is also provided, so that you can compare your agency's performance to the Topaz national averages.
Ticket Profile Pie Chart
This pie chart shows the types of fares booked (by segment) for the audit period. In addition, the Topaz National Data Base pie chart is provided for comparison purposes.
Benchmark Reports
This series of reports provides a summary of the company's airfare costs compared to the national averages for identical city pair routings and fare categories.
Report 1 summarizes your audited airfare data by fare category.
Report 2 summarizes your audited airfare data by airline.
Report 3 compares your top city pairs by fare category.
Report 4 compares your top city pairs by airline and fare category.
Objections to Using Topaz International
We hear a lot of objections to measuring the
performance of your travel program so that
it can be the best in the world. We thought
we would address some of those objections.
"It takes our agency too long to document
what you ask for and it completely disrupts
their operations." Topaz completed a study
on the average time it takes an agent to
document what we ask for and the average
time per reservation was only 2.5 seconds.
"We don't have employee complaints about
our TMC or online tool, so they must be
doing their job." Just because employees are
happy with your TMC or online tool doesn't
mean they are being offered the lowest fares.
We don't just recommend auditing because
you are having a specific problem or complaint
with your travel program. We recommend
auditing your agency as a responsible business
practice to ensure accurate and ongoing
performance measurement.
"We have a good relationship with our
agency and telling them we are auditing
them will make them mad." Your agency
should not have a problem with a company
verifying they are doing their job. Would you
not review your employees work because it
would upset them? In fact, if your agency is
doing their job they should welcome an audit
with open arms and be excited for you to
receive the results. If an agency does receive
a low score they should be happy to have
mistakes brought to their attention to
improve for the future.
"Our agency scored a 97% six months ago,
so why would we audit again anytime soon?"
Just like you continually re-evaluate your
employees and services whether they are doing
well or not, you should also be re-evaluating
your agency to make sure they are performing
at their best. As we all know, the travel industry
can change tremendously in 6 months.
"If our agency sends you more records than
we agreed upon we can't afford to pay for
them." We have no problem allowing you to set
a maximum number of PNR's for us to audit.
We will stop auditing at that point even if extra
records are sent to us by your agency.
"We use online tools." We audit those too,
and just like a traditional travel agent, tools are
not perfect.
"We have locations all over the world."
We audit locations all over the world, and have
experience auditing in over 70 countries.
We think our agency will use extra agents
during the audit and focus on our account
so we won't get a true picture of how they
perform when they are not being audited."
We offer blind audits, which is an option that
allows us to audit without the agency knowing.
"We can't afford to audit 100% of our
records." We recommend doing a statistical
sampling.
"Audit is not real time." Topaz asks for all
records to be sent to us right after booking.
We have a 2-hour turnaround time on domestic
PNR's. International/global PNR's have a
24-hour turnaround time. This is the fastest in
the industry.
So, what are you waiting for? Call or e-mail us today.
Agencies: How Can Topaz Help you and Your Clients?
*We have a 30 year reputation of great service and results, leading to a great relationship with many of your clients!
*Do you want to show your clients how well you perform on a daily basis? Do so through a Topaz audit!
*You are part of a corporation's bid....why not guarantee them a paid airfare audit within the first year of your contract?
*Your clients' employees are claiming they can find lower fares on the internet. Do an internet study and compare the fares you book to popular internet sites.
We can help you help your clients! Call us today! 503-651-4300 ext 317
The Return on Investment of working
with Topaz International
We are often asked "What is the return on investment if I were to
contract with you for your services?" We always passionately believed
in what we do, but how do you explain a ROI for a service like ours?
We are not like a piece of capital equipment or a machine that has an
output, and the expense of the machine can be offset by the product
it produces over time. How do you measure our value?
■ The easiest way we can show real value is by finding lower airfares.
And we often find lower airfares that far exceed the cost of the audit.
Therefore the return on investment in those cases is very clear.
But just like in life, these do not always happen. Sometimes we have
really good TMC's that are 100% accurate.
■ But is that really a bad thing? That peace of mind must have
some value to you and your company, and is really why you want
to work with us in the first place. If your TMC comes out of an audit
sparkling clean then "good for you!" You have independently
validated the performance of your TMC.
■ We know not everything in business services has a clear method of
determining ROI, but their value is clear. The value of having liability
insurance for a business? The value of a computer for employee's
usage and productivity?
We believe that using our services to constantly be vigilant on the
performance of your TMC will be money well spent by your company -
and it is a lot less than what you may be paying in higher airfares.
Since we opened our doors in 1978 we have estimated that the
companies in the Fortune 500 have overpaid over $2.5 billion dollars
by not using our services. Do not let that happen to you, contact us today!
Brad Seitz Speaking at NYBTA May 12th
Thursday, May 12th at 6pm, Topaz International President & CEO Brad Seitz will be speaking at the New York State Business Travel Association dinner.
"After many months of challenges for corporations all over the world, there seems to be a new normal that we have been thrust into as corporate travel buyers. Where does Social Media play a role in our normal workday? How do the challenges of distribution effect the travel manager today? What is the information flow and how can we use it better. In this lively and interactive session, Brad will look at these topics and more that effect us in corporate travel management."
Register by May 5th on the New York State Business Travel Association Website.
For more information about Brad's future presentations, please visit our website.
What Does Your Expense Report Accomplish?
How do you track employee spending?
Do your expense reports have a "miscellaneous" category on them?
Where do employees place "ancillary fees"?
How do you track employee spending on ancillary fees within a "miscellaneous" category?
What is your policy for ancillary spending?
Are "ancillary fees" clearly defined in your policy?
Do some employees think extra leg room is a covered "ancillary fee? Do they place this expense in the "miscellaneous" category?
Contact Topaz today about policy improvement and peformance measurment. Every day you delay is potentially another dollar lost...or thousands.
Watch a Topaz International Highlight Video...
Topaz wants to share our corporate travel industry knowledge with you! Are you looking for a speaker for your next event? Consider Topaz President and CEO Brad Seitz.
Known for his informative, interactive, and humorous presentations Brad encompasses all of the qualities that keep an audience entertained while allowing them to walk away with information to help improve their travel programs.
Contact us today: 503-651-4300 Ext. 317 or visit our website (Topaz International Presentations) for more information.
Preview Brad's presentation on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1l9AHiZv5o
How do you track employee expenses?
If an employee spends less than a certain dollar amount do they have to submit receipts with their expenses?
If they do not....how do you know these purchases are within policy?
What If each employee submitted one $25 expense out of policy each time they traveled?
.........Multiply this by the amount of employees traveling at your company and the amount of times each travels per month. Multiply this by 12.
How much would you lose each year?
Looking for ways to spend less
and less
and less?
And to save more
And More
And more?
Call or e-mail Topaz today
503-651-4300 Ext 317
jillian.walsh@etopaz.com
