CASE STUDY
Finding the secret to a seamless Trans-Tasman transition
Key Highlights
19% Savings to date of total travel spend
Seamless Implementation Process
AI Online Booking Tool = Time Saving Benefits
Taking on two countries in a single bound? Our superstar customer did it
For over 40 years, our customer has provided market-leading construction and engineering solutions in Australia. The company operates across the infrastructure, renewables and resources sectors, with offices in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.
Five years ago, they made the call to expand operations into the land of the long white cloud, Aotearoa.
Our customer has been a long-standing client of FCM Perth in Australia, who has helped manage the company’s travel portfolio since 2010. In 2019 they made the call to transition their New Zealand travel management to FCM New Zealand (obviously putting aside any lingering feelings from the under arm bowling incident of 1981).
The Challenges:
With the rapid increase of staff travelling between Australia and New Zealand, our customer and FCM Perth recognised the need for local travel management services on the ground in New Zealand. It was calculated that domestic travel within New Zealand was costing an extra 15% by booking airfares through the FCM Australia client portal.
There was also the issue of a five-hour time difference, which meant our customer always had to utilise FCM Perth’s after-hours service – which was not ideal for time-sensitive emergency travel or amendments.
Our customer also wanted to improve their travel programme in several ways, including lowering the cost of domestic air travel, currency benefits, access to local reporting and tools, negotiating deals with local loyalty programmes, as well as having travel consultants in the same time zone.
It was a lot to take on, but luckily New Zealand was ready and rearing to go.
The Solution:
Our customer was assigned an FCM New Zealand Change and Implementation Manager as well as an Account Manager. Using FCM’s global blueprint, a standardised process used to onboard new clients, the travel management company was able to smoothly transition our customer across the ditch, ensuring they experienced the same level of service, reporting, and access to technology, as they had in Australia.
This included a thorough review of their travel policy and requirements, and where the company could benefit from significant cost savings.
Results:
Kaching!
Since implementation in June 2019, our customer’s savings to date with FCM New Zealand equals 19% of their total travel spend – a significant amount in a very short period.
Our customer has integrated FCM’s new AI online booking tool Savi, and is already seeing considerable time-saving benefits. Previously, they had to create two itineraries per person, one for flights and one for accommodation and car hire, because of the way their projects are set up. Now Savi consolidates this information which is a massive time saver for the business.
They’re also taking advantage of a more personal relationship with Air New Zealand, giving them access to flight options and discounts they never had before, and a New Zealand-based hotel programme and car rental agreement.
What our customer thinks
“Implementation was seamless! We worked with our FCM Account Manager, and our Change and Implementation Manager who were both amazing. It was fantastic being able to work closely with them to tailor the new system, so it met our needs. They were patient, listened to what we needed, and we were able to hit the ground running once implementation was complete.”
“Their customer service is above and beyond, especially in stressful situations. Our international and domestic travel has increased at an astronomical rate, and that will continue as we tender for more work in New Zealand, so the focus will be on cost-saving initiatives we can implement moving forward.”