There are dozens of technology providers to choose from, which often makes the process of finding the right technology partner drawn-out and difficult. Solutions that answer today’s needs may not support tomorrow’s requirements. You need to feel confident that your technology partner not only has the capabilities to support your needs today but has expertise and market leadership to fuel travel innovation that places you in a position of advantage in the years ahead. In Part 3 of this series, we looked at the importance of choosing a partner that understands that one size does not fit all when it comes to corporate travel programs, offering configuration controls and flexibility to maximize policy compliance and savings. Here in Part 4, we’ll look at the importance of choosing a partner that is a customer-centric advocate with deep industry knowledge and expertise to advise on best practices to achieve your travel program goals. #4 – A trusted advisor and advocate Every travel technology partner on your short list needs to ensure the solutions they’re bringing to the table are configured to meet your unique travel program and traveler experience requirements. From migration to product implementation, each should have highly experienced, dedicated and accessible teams that can share best practices, as well as provide onsite support and online training to help you realize greater results. When assessing travel technology partners, they should completely comprehend the pressures of meeting business goals while staying on top of industry trends and changing market dynamics. They need to add value by offering insightful analysis, advice and technical expertise at every step, introducing new ideas to streamline processes and achieve cost savings. In addition, you should consider a technology partner that is customer-centric, engaged and listening through customer advisory boards, customer engagements, and industry events. And not just stopping there, but elevating the voice of the customer through all channels within their partner ecosystem to ensure your priorities and needs are considered and incorporated. For example: The Evolution of Air Distribution, a recent report from ACTE Global and American Express Global Business Travel, reveals the majority of travel managers are concerned that NDC will threaten cost control objectives (89%) and policy compliance (87%). Having the right travel technology partner to help you navigate the many complexities associated with NDC will be vital. In Conclusion Before selecting a travel technology partner, consider these four important points. Travel has never been more complex, and you want to end up with a travel technology partner that not only suits your organization but can also ensure the proven results they’re promising to deliver. A successful travel technology partnership is one where the partner you’ve selected is driven to achieve your goals and has the expertise to answer all your future travel needs. For Comparison: A Quick Look at Sabre At Sabre, you will find that we offer the proven expertise, experience and capabilities that fully addresses these four key areas: 1) We only specialize in delivering solutions focused on travel and the traveler experience. 2) When it comes to having a travel network in place that modernizes business travel, delivers value to corporations and provides the best traveler experience, a great example of this is our Beyond NDC program – where we are partnering with major TMC and Airline industry-leaders to drive the industry forward through the development, integration and testing of end-to-end capabilities to process NDC-enabled offers and orders. 3) We are deeply committed in helping you achieve all your travel program goals; it’s what drives us. With flexible integration in enterprise-wide systems and automated customization, we are equipped to meet every stakeholder’s needs through our end-to-end solutions. 4) Our dedicated teams of seasoned professionals are always there to share best practices, offer onsite support and training, as well as reveal key industry insights and trends — ensuring you are in an educated position to address your future travel needs for long-term success. In other words, we have the resources and expertise to help you navigate travel complexities like NDC, advise on next steps, plus lead the strategy that considers emerging trends that play a crucial role in defining adoption rates, frictionless travel experiences, in-policy compliance and overall travel spend. –