Are TMCs a thing of the past?

AS A travel buyer, I am sure I am not alone in being regularly questioned about the value we get from our Travel Management Company (TMC).

There was a time when working with a TMC was the only way. That was before the internet came around with flight and accommodation booking tools at everyone’s fingertips.

If I were to pose the same question, say in selling your house, would you consider yourself to be such an expert? You may have sold one or even two houses before, you have access to social media and internet advertising and yet still people rely mostly on real estate agents - so is there a difference in travel? Yes and no.

I get the above argument, and even subscribe to it as a leisure traveller, however TMCs have access to a lot more data and deals than your average corporate or leisure traveller, and their workforce consists of people with years of travel knowledge.

Their days are spent analysing and tracking travel spend, looking for the latest technology and negotiating deals on behalf of many, not just one client. It offers the human element which is missing from online sites and customer service.

Most companies like to know where there employees are travelling and what they are spending their money on (known as a duty of care). Working with a TMC gives you that visibility, allows you to enforce your travel policy and drive compliance in a way that allowing each person to book their own travel would not.

In addition, a lot of TMCs offer a credit account allowing you to consolidate travel and pay for it later interest free which online booking tools obviously don’t.

Yes the OBT front face is still a bit clunky and there is definitely room for improvement however I think the TMC still has a role to play in guiding corporate travellers.

"Working with a travel management company...allows you to enforce your travel policy and drive compliance in a way that allowing each person to book their own travel would not"

** Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Comments are welcome, please email corporatechatter@traveldaily.com.au.

Simone Gibbs is the Indirect Category Manager for Blackmores where she manages travel, among a range of other things. She has been working in procurement for 20 years across multiple industries.