Case Study: Strategic Change Management & Strong Travel Program Roll Out

Background: Collegiate Travel Planners, a leading provider of travel management services specializing in higher education, partnered with a prestigious Division 1 (D1) university to overhaul its travel program in the winter of 2024. The university, with a large faculty, staff, and student population, sought to streamline its travel processes, improve cost efficiency, and enhance traveler experiences.

The Challenge

The university faced several challenges with its existing travel program, including decentralized travel program with no legacy travel management company, fragmented booking processes, inconsistent policy adherence, and limited visibility into travel spend. Additionally, there was a need to standardize travel policies and procedures across various departments and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

The Solution

CTP implemented a comprehensive solution to address the university’s travel management needs:

• Rapid Implementation: CTP leveraged its expertise and resources to implement the new travel program in a timeframe of 56 days. This involved customizing the travel booking platform, integrating with the university’s systems, and training staff on the new processes.
• Training and Adoption: Recognizing the importance of user adoption, CTP has developed a comprehensive Rollout Toolkit for our customers; including a go-to-market proposal, communication strategy, training plan, and survey approach. CTP and the university worked diligently on customizing their rollout to fit the unique culture and needs. CTP conducted a series of five training sessions, reaching a total of 1,000+ travelers, including faculty, staff, and administrators. These sessions covered topics such as booking procedures, policy compliance, and best practices for maximizing cost savings.
• Mandated Travel Program: During implementation, senior leadership within the university saw the hard dollar benefit and value of CTP’s centralized travel program. To ensure consistency and compliance, the university mandated the use of the new travel program for all official university travel. This mandate was communicated clearly to all stakeholders, and support resources were provided to facilitate the transition.
• Policy Standardization: During implementation, CTP worked with the university on travel policy assessment and auditing, as the last review of their travel and expense policy occurred in 2017. CTP collaborated closely with university stakeholders to develop standardized travel policies and procedures tailored to the university’s specific needs. These policies were designed to streamline booking processes, maximize cost savings, and ensure traveler safety and security.
• High Adoption Rate: Thanks to the comprehensive training and support provided by CTP, the new travel program achieved a remarkably high adoption rate among university travelers – prior to mandating. Organically, CTP achieved an 87% travel program adoption rate. Faculty, staff, and administrators embraced the new system, resulting in improved compliance, efficiency, and transparency.

The Results

The implementation of the new travel program yielded significant benefits for the university:

• Streamlined Processes: The university’s travel booking processes were streamlined and standardized, leading to greater efficiency and productivity.
• Cost Savings: The university realized substantial cost savings through improved policy compliance, negotiated discounts, and optimized booking practices.
• Enhanced Visibility: The university gained greater visibility into travel spend, allowing for better budget management and decision-making.
• Improved Compliance: Mandating the use of the new travel program ensured greater policy compliance and reduced the risk of unauthorized travel bookings.
• Enhanced Traveler Experience: Travelers benefited from a user-friendly booking platform, access to 24/7 support, and improved communication and support resources.

Overall, the partnership between CTP and the university resulted in a successful transformation of the university’s travel program, positioning it for continued success in the future.