Travel & Entertainment Services Enhancement Project
The Travel
Office and Purchasing Services have launched a new travel and
entertainment service enhancement project that is designed to reengineer the way travel
related services are provided to Penn faculty and staff. This project is the result
of a collaborative supply management initiative that leverages the
combined resources, experience, and capabilities of both organizations.
Background
Penn has been using one travel agency, American Express Travel, for the past eight years.
Although they continue to offer a high level of service to Penn, they are only one option
and may not be able to meet all of the University's travel related business requirements.
Some Penn travelers opt out of using American Express Travel and use various on-line
booking products or other agencies with varying degrees of satisfaction and the
University does not realize the financial benefits of its considerable annual travel
related expenditures.
In response to a changing travel marketplace, we recognize the need to offer a more
robust Penn managed travel and entertainment services program. The ideal program should:
- Offer travelers a broader range of Penn authorized and managed travel choices including, but not limited to, hotels, airlines, vehicle rentals, event planning, catering services, etc.
- Provide access to on-line booking products while still receiving Penn negotiated discounts or discounts resulting from collaborative agreements with other institutions.
- Offer travelers who are traveling on federal grants and contracts the ability to book their travel through certified diversity owned agencies thus meeting federal contracting requirements.
- Provide the opportunity to utilize an assortment of travel consolidators that offer discounted fares on international carriers and are another distribution system for airline tickets.
- Include performance management criteria to ensure that Penn travelers receive the best value for his or her travel dollar.
Project Objectives
The business objective of the new Travel and Entertainment Services Enhancement project
team is to identify and implement:
- A user friendly web based travel portal can be used to access a broad range of travel related services.
- Broader travel options can be offered via the portal and utilized for greater savings opportunities for the Penn community.
- Preferred travel related suppliers can be easily promoted and selected by Penn travelers.
- Policies and procedures can be communicated to travelers as well as administrators.
- Penn travelers can continue to get the best value for their travel dollar.
It is our goal to build a best-in-class travel services program and provide the
widest array of choices that address the travel requirements of the campus community.
Key Accomplishments
Please direct all questions regarding this new travel services initiative to
Susan Storb in the Travel Office.
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