A procurement specialist has explained how a specialised sourcing process for preferred suppliers has improved the efficacy of budgets for travel spending.
Connie Cirillo Freeman, vice president of Management Alternatives, a business travel consulting firm in Connecticut, told the global meeting for management at Pfizer in New York that the key to success was bringing meeting planning, travel and procurement together, purchasing.com reports.
While she said that the convergence of the three disciplines had not yet been achieved, purchasing was heavily involved in spend.
An educational session at the conference looking into best practice in travel procurement concluded that purchasing had a "growing influence over travel spend", which is the second largest expense for many companies.
Meanwhile, Barclaycard Business published its findings of its 11th annual travel survey, revealing that business travel was not slowing down in the face of stretched travel budgets and environmental concerns.
Business Travel Update website reported that 78 per cent of respondents to the poll had travelled the same amount or more during 2006, while 79 per cent think travel benefits their business.
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