Four “strategic enablers” are allowing Siemens to transform its corporate travel program into an end-to-end powerhouse, the company’s travel leader Steven Schoen told Business Travel News.
In the in-depth interview, which followed his recent recognition as BTN’s 2017 Travel Manager of the Year, Schoen said Siemens can measure end-to-end productivity gains in years of labor saved—not hours. The German global electronics and industrial engineering giant is a BCD Travel client.
Here’s an overview of Siemens’ four strategic enablers, which are more about “wowing the traveler” than about savings, Schoen told BTN:
- Driving an ownership culture by putting employees and their first-line managers at the center of travel booking and expense decisions.
- Digitalization of a mobile-centric travel booking and expense reimbursement process on the Concur platform.
- Simplification of travel program structures and processes to boost employee productivity, satisfaction and retention.
- Transparency in who’s empowered to make travel decisions—and who’s accountable for the results.
“Things are moving quickly, and there has to be a willingness to evolve. Siemens leadership encourages ‘bold moves,’ which I’ve always promoted with my teams,” Schoen said. “Taking on big changes is challenging, but it is exciting.”
Read more about Siemens’ Steven Schoen being named BTN Travel Manager of the Year.
