FUNKE Media Group selects BCD Travel to modernize its corporate travel program
Information, entertainment and services – that’s what FUNKE offers its readers. The media company focuses on three main areas: Regional media; Women’s magazines and TV guides; and digital services. More than 1,500 journalists and 4,500 media makers across six states work for FUNKE Mediengruppe.
Download Success Story EN Download Success Story DEChallenge
In January 2021, FUNKE Mediengruppe started a search for an innovative and future-oriented travel management company (TMC) to help modernize their travel management program.
Approach
After a competitive bid process with several TMCs, the publishing company selected BCD as their new global business travel partner for its digital and innovative solutions and services.
Results
BCD implemented:
- Cytric, a powerful online booking tool
- Virtual Payment Automation to centralize payment for hotel bookings
- DecisionSource® for analytics and security
Challenge
Over the last ten years, FUNKE used a leisure travel agency for its business travel. When Lena Wieland joined FUNKE in 2020 as their travel manager, she started a tender in search for an agency who specialized in business travel to help modernize their travel management program and support their strategic direction. Lena also wanted to offer their travel arranger and travelers a state-of-the-art online booking tool for a user-friendly digital experience.
Approach
After a competitive bid process with several TMCs, FUNKE selected BCD as their new business travel partner. This choice allows FUNKE to benefit from digital and innovative tools that drive savings, data insights and traveler satisfaction & engagement, together with 24/7 support.
Results
BCD implemented Cytric, a powerful online booking tool. This allowed for a user-friendly digital booking experience, while significantly reducing travel costs.
The team implemented Virtual Payment Automation (VPA), which makes it easier for FUNKE to centrally pay for hotel bookings. By automatically generating a new virtual card number for each transaction, the risk of fraud is greatly reduced. When it’s time to reconcile, all charges on the virtual card account are automatically matched to bookings, saving time and resources.
FUNKE is also using DecisionSource, BCD’s proprietary business intelligence platform. This provides them with proactive notifications and actionable insights into traveler behavior, program compliance and supplier negotiations. It also provides access to real-time traveler and risk data so they can make smart decisions to keep their travelers safe.
Cytric benefits
FOR COMPANIES
Choosing the wrong fares and ignoring travel guidelines drives up the cost of business travel. With Cytric, correct bookings are guaranteed, and travel costs drop dramatically. Through the integration of a wide range of sales and booking channels and maximum price transparency, savings can be as high as 12% on direct travel costs, and even higher on indirect travel costs through self-service and consistent process and data integration.
FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS
Wasting time while booking travel is a thing of the past. With Cytric, travelers can book flights, hotels, train journeys and hire cars easily and quickly in a single web-based system – also available on mobile devices. Travelers can see all quotes at a glance, regardless of where they’re from: a global distribution system, airline, low-cost carrier, hotel portal or other channel. They can compare availability and prices from different providers, see if a quote is in line with their company’s travel policy and directly book the cheapest offer.
BCD’s offering provides a modern digital experienceand is exactly what we need to further drive our digital transformation. Together, we’re the perfect team.”
Lena Wieland
Travel Manager at FUNKE Mediengruppe
Lena has an open mind for a fresh and new approach to travel management. It’s a pleasure to work with her. We look forward to deepening our partnership with FUNKE to meet their needs now and in the future.”
Alexander Albert
Managing Director at BCD Travel Germany