Key takeaways from the FBTA event in Helsinki

FCM at the Finnish Business Travel Association (FBTA) event in Helsinki

This week Anne-Marjut Väänänen, FCM country manager in Finland, participated in the Finnish Business Travel Association (FBTA) event in Helsinki. Anne-Marjut held the opening speech about reporting and indicators in the travel industry.  Here some of the key takeaways. 

One size fits all is a myth and doesn't work in reality. Every company needs to focus on creating reporting of their own based on strategy and specific needs. It’s important to focus on having a reasonable number of indicators that remain the same and adding, according to needs, indicators that may vary from time to time.

Keep your data relevant and up-to-date – otherwise your decisions are penniless. Also, it is crucial to understand who you are reporting this data to, in order to create a clearly understandable form for the reader. After all, communication is key to guarantee an overall understanding within the organization. If your communication fails, no change is possible when it comes to savings and/or behaviuors.

The world is changing rapidly when it comes to new distribution capabilities (NBC), multiple booking channels and for example ancillary products. These also affect reporting and create new needs on all ends: company, air/hotel/car/rail provider, travel agency, corporate payment provider and expense management system provider.

What does your company’s future look like from a travel management reporting perspective? Take the lead! It’s much easier to control the future and give guidelines accordingly when you are the conductor, not the organization.
 

About FBTA

Founded in 1984, FBTA is an organization for business travel professionals, both buyers and suppliers, with the mission to enhance the understanding, knowledge and skills required in corporate travel and meeting management and procurement. FBTA´s aim also is to enhance the status and visibility of Travel and Meetings Management through stimulating public discussion on topical industry issues.

The ultimate goal of FBTA is to provide added value to its members through cost effective and high-quality Travel and Meetings Management . The association also works with industry and government bodies to improve the general conditions for business travel and Travel Management. FBTA has nearly 180 members of which 65% are corporate travel buyers and 35% travel suppliers. FBTA buyer members manage total travel expenditures of more than 1 billion per year. 
FBTA is partner member of GBTA Europe, the network for business travel & Meetings professionals across Europe and International Chamber of Commerce Finland.