Managing travel and expense (T&E) is a complicated business. Employees who travel frequently want to follow their own preferences, regardless of rules; and employees who travel infrequently can't remember the rules. At the University of Colorado (CU), we approached changes in this area from the perspectives of both the university and its employees: How could we deliver cost savings while improving the customer experience? Read on to discover how the University of Colorado made their staff happier while also improving cost savings with Concur. Or visit here: http://bit.ly/1Xudcdk

1. RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES
A TRANSFORMATION IN TRAVEL AND EXPENSE
Managing travel and expense (T&E) is a complicated business. Employees who travel frequently
want to follow their own preferences, regardless of rules; and employees who travel infrequently can't
remember the rules. At the University of Colorado (CU), we approached changes in this area from the
perspectives of both the university and its employees: How could we deliver cost savings while
improving the customer experience?
With four distinct campuses and an administration office, CU encompasses multiple stakeholders and
a variety of cultures, none of which is inclined toward mandated policies. We used multiple travel
agencies, which did not always provide consistent advice; and the paper-based expense
reimbursement process was slow—and exacerbated by department administrators' habit of
forwarding unallowable expenses, relying on accounting staff to say "No."
Boulder is one of four campuses where University of Colorado staff now receive expense
reimbursements much faster, thanks to an integrated, streamlined system.
To bring structure and consistency to T&E, the university completed its rollout of a new expense
system in March 2010, followed by the travel side in May 2011. We followed these steps:
o Understand the customers and the process. Our paper-based process required a manual
audit of 100 percent of expense reports, whether those reports related to simple mileage or a
complex international trip. CU employees often waited three weeks to receive reimbursement.
o Identify advances in technology and best practices. Our research prompted us to
implement Concur Travel & Expense, an automated expense management system,
eliminating the need for piles of papers and receipts that can easily get lost in campus mail. It
saves time for both travelers and accounting staff by applying per diem and mileage
reimbursement rates. We also use the system to reconcile our procurement cards, reinforcing
users' understanding of the system across multiple applications.

2. o Incorporate policies into systems. We went from using five travel agencies to one company
familiar with the new system. Travelers can book either through the company or do it
themselves online in the system: most (61 percent) prefer the latter. We also negotiated with
three airlines for university pricing, available through either booking option. On the expense
side, the system prompts users for information, such as official function and receipt, to
promote compliance with CU policies and reduce auditing.
o Provide support. CU provides general instruction and one-on-one support to employees
through 24/7 online training; onsite training; and a finance/procurement help desk. We
recently introduced a series of e-mails targeted at the 66 percent of employees who travel
infrequently (less than once a year) to provide just-in-time training. Booking a trip triggers the
first e-mail reminder about travel procedures; subsequent messages arrive five days before a
trip and on the last day of a trip.
o Establish meaningful communications. Throughout the transformation, CU surveyed
employees' reactions and gathered metrics to assess progress. Through bimonthly
newsletters and semiannual town-hall sessions, we reported back on decisions and new
directions.
o Regularly assess and refine. A T&E survey conducted every fall provides feedback for
changes and updates. Currently, we're promoting two mobile applications: Concur Mobile (to
book trips and review/approve expense reports) and TripIt Pro (to consolidate travel bookings
and trip information in one place).
Notable Numbers
Results of our T&E transformation are impressive:
 We eliminated manual review for simple expense reports (for example, mileage/parking under
$500). In FY14, almost 11,000 reports (26 percent) were auto-processed.
 The vast majority (93 percent) of CU airline tickets are booked through the system or the travel
management company.
 Savings from our new airline contracts totaled $260,000 in FY14.
 Reimbursement turnaround has plummeted from three weeks to one day, with funds deposited
into employee bank accounts via the automated clearinghouse network.
 The number of FTEs processing expense reports has decreased from 6 to 1.75, allowing us to
reallocate resources to other areas.
Most important, we've improved the overall T&E experience at CU: User satisfaction is 81 percent
positive.
SUBMITTED BY Sandy Hicks, assistant vice president and chief procurement officer, University of
Colorado.
Business Officer Magazine, Online Article – Vantage Point: 05/2015