7.27.16
Information Builders, a leader in business intelligence (BI) and analytics, data integrity, and integration solutions, today announced that Travel and Transport has used Information Builders’ technology to launch Vantage Point, a travel management solution that enables fine-grained analysis of corporate travel programs. Data Visualization Intelligence (DVI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Travel and Transport, will manage the project.
Most corporate travel departments lack visibility into employee travel spending because they have no single source of truth for both major travel purchases and incidental expenses. Travel managers need to track major purchases, such as airfare, car rentals, and hotels, as well as incidental spending on parking, taxis, baggage, meals, internet charges, etc. Vantage Point graphically displays all aspects of corporate travel, combining travel management information, credit card data, expense data, and financial/budget information into a big data repository that reveals an entire travel program for a company. Vantage Point integrates seamlessly with most back-office and expense systems and is available in multiple languages.
“We needed integration tools for data aggregation and warehousing, integrity tools for cleansing, and data intelligence tools for mapping, reporting, analyzing, and visualizing data,” said Brian Beard, president of DVI and GM of Strategic Technology Initiatives, Travel and Transport. “We selected Information Builders because they have the most comprehensive suite of products. Their capture, integration, and integrity technologies were a perfect fit for creating our solution. We expect these tools will enable Vantage Point customers to cut their travel expenses by between 3 and 7 percent during the first few years of use.”
WebFOCUS InfoApps™ allow Vantage Point users to analyze spending in various categories. They can filter expense data by cost center and other variables to identify big spenders, as well as verify whether purchases comply with corporate travel policies. All of the data is visual and dynamic so it’s easy to understand, and color-coding reveals whether an employee, department, or cost center are above or below expectations. The system also issues alerts if predefined thresholds are exceeded, so managers can catch excessive spending before it impacts their travel budgets. By auditing costs over time, managers can calculate the financial impact of various travel decisions and determine whether employees are using preferred vendors.
“Travel and Transport is making big data a strategic part of its business by supplying visibility and transparency into corporate travel programs,” said Gerald Cohen, president and CEO of Information Builders. “The insight that customers derive will help them enforce their travel policies and negotiate better contracts with suppliers. Information Builders is proud to work with leading companies like Travel and Transit to help them leverage sophisticated BI tools to improve processes and achieve their business goals.”
