Overview

The customer is a leading UK law firm that advises on commercial, financial, regulatory and private matters. They operate from two offices: a main office in London, and another in Brussels, where the focus is on EU law. They have a strong international network, and they view these firms as their partners in delivering services to clients.

A key element of our re-bid proposal was the transition from offline bookings made through a dedicated CTM travel team to online bookings via Lightning, CTM’s proprietary booking tool. This shift would improve efficiency, empower bookers, and further enhance the value of our partnership.

The key objectives were to:

• Implement CTM proprietary technology, including Lightning and CTM Portal, without any service disruption, unnecessary costs or risks
• Streamline processes, improve efficiency and empower bookers
• Drive savings and support supplier negotiations
• Support staff safety and wellbeing without the need to work with a third-party risk management company

Challenges

For more than 30 years, this customer had completed all bookings offline, which meant the switch to an online process required careful planning by our implementation team.

Training and upskilling were identified as key priorities, to ensure all stakeholders were confident using the tool for a seamless transition.

Solutions

We began by consulting with key stakeholders from several areas of the business, including finance, to better understand how we could align with their internal processes and mitigate any potential friction the switch from offline to online could have on them. From there, we designed a comprehensive implementation plan with a specific focus on gaining initial buy-in and maintaining stakeholder engagement throughout.

Throughout implementation, we hosted a series of workshops and training sessions to introduce travellers to the new suite of tools, highlighting the functionality and ease of use, while ensuring a smooth transition to the new booking process.

We continue to conduct regular review meetings with key stakeholders to gain feedback and address any challenges travellers may encounter.

Results

Online Adoption: Previously, bookings were managed offline through a single CTM agent. The online adoption rate has risen to more than 50% within two months of CTM Lightning and Portal being implemented.

Booker Satisfaction: We have received excellent feedback from bookers, highlighting ease of booking and increased autonomy in managing travel logistics.

Simplified Traveller Tracking: Trip management tools via CTM Portal have made it easier than ever to monitor staff travel and wellbeing without the need for a third-party risk management company, by using a single, unified platform.

Enhanced Safety: CTM travel alerts notify travellers and bookers of incidents, issues and risks that could impact travel plans.

Enhanced Policy Compliance: CTM Lightning supports policy compliance by improving booking behaviour and preventing bookings that breach policy constraints.

Time Savings: The customer’s finance team recorded a significant reduction in the time spent reconciling CTM invoices and processing payments – on average 6-8 hours per month.