As an Australia-based engineering company, corporate travel is a requirement for us to be more productive, lessen downtime, and simplify operations in the mining industry.
All West Engineering offers fixed and mobile maintenance, equipment and labour hire and specialist line boring.
We also offer custom engineering and manufacture services. Our team had the mobility to check and resolve site issues, find improvement opportunities, and deliver cost-effective solutions safely and quickly. We are based throughout the Pilbara, and Queensland with Workshops in Newman and Perth.
With our diverse site portfolio and instant engineering and maintenance solutions our team require continuous travel support as we manage short-term and long-term projects for our clients, often involving coordination of flights for multiple people across multiple states.
Role of Corporate Travel for All West Engineering
High volume business travel plays an important role in the smooth operations of our privately owned company. Corporate travel can be very challenging with delays on the phone for support, longer wait time when processing bookings, and site crashes during peak periods. Efficient team travel is imperative for us to provide immediate engineering and maintenance services to our clients in the mining industry no matter where they are located.
We recognised a need for a more efficient executive travel management and a strategic approach to travel procedures. This lead us to search for a business travel platform that could improve our day to day operations of our travel program, booking and scheduling flights, negotiations with vendors, implementation of travel safety policies, and travel expense management.
After exploring a few different options, we had success with the corporate travel management services of Locomote.
Locomote helped us gain full control and visibility of our team travel programs and minimise our reliance on conventional bookings through first-rate customer service.
"We are very impressed with the increased efficiencies this platform has provided our business." - David Hildreth, HR & Safety Compliance Manager
Corporate Travel Challenges and Solutions
Our team at All West Engineering faced a variety of issues when trying to manage our corporate travel program. We needed a streamlined system that provided better visibility and management of bookings while integrating with our existing systems.
Challenges
- Time-consuming Process: It used to be time-consuming for us to book flights for the team. We realised that we needed a more efficient travel processes.
- Growing Travel Expenses: We wanted to reduce our overall travel expenses. We understood that it would be difficult for us to curb our increasing booking costs unless we could partner with a dedicated travel company and rely on their resources and experience.
- Lack of Expert Input: Our team lacked the support we needed for business travel. We realised that our travel planning was hampered by a lack of expert advice from professionals in the industry.
- Potential Adjustment Process: We were worried about the adjustment period after switching to a new platform. There was a lot of concern about how moving to a new provider would affect the usability of our system.
- Lack of Visibility: We used to send and receive emails back and forth with our provider just to get updates about our bookings. Our team also used to rely on one or two admins to relay the booking data to everyone else.
- Poor Customer Service: Our corporate travel program was plagued by poor customer service that negatively impacted our ability to be productive. We experienced delays and long wait times when trying to reach support and also dealt with website crashes during peak periods.
Solutions With Locomote
- Efficient Process: Locomote helped us consolidate our travel efforts and save time. The Locomote platform makes it convenient for us to do travel-related tasks, allowing our team to manage customisable workflows for separate travel policies.
- Reduced Travel Expenses: The Locomote program enables us to monitor and report on travel activities and payments, giving us the chance to verify that travel expenses are being handled properly. It makes it easy to communicate with team members so they can share their travel quotes before they create bookings.
- Expert Guidance: Locomote provides expert guidance because their team is knowledgeable about the ins and outs of executive travel planning. The insights and information that the Locomote platform gathers enable us to make informed travel plans.
- Smooth Adjustment Process: Our transition worries were laid to rest as we experienced first-hand how the Locomote platform smoothly integrated with our existing platform.
- Full Visibility: We are now regularly updated on the status of our travel program because Locomote gives us full visibility of our bookings. We can view, track, and manage all of our corporate trips in real-time, and finally have the option to assign multiple admin users in a centralised system.
- Excellent Customer Service: The reliable support service of Locomote and its user-friendly, convenient booking system for flights and accommodations allow us to handle all our travel-related tasks quickly and smoothly.
How Locomote Helped All West Engineering
Locomote’s centralised flight and accommodation platform streamlines all of our team travel processes. We are able to organise and track all of our company travel activities in one place, eliminating the need for multiple programs, apps, and websites to book or cancel flights.
Integration was a major concern for us, but the Locomote platform works seamlessly with our existing platform. As a result, we no longer need to build a new system from the ground up. The learning curve for our team was minimal because of how well Locomote works with our existing system.
Locomote offers customer support that is readily accessible to our team members. The responsive support team guarantees to return our calls within the same day, and they do their best to resolve our technical issues as soon as possible to minimise work interruptions and delays.
Overall, All West Engineering is highly satisfied with Locomote because our team’s experience is enhanced by the easy-to-use platform and superior customer service. Locomote is now our main source of automated, innovative travel management solutions. We rely on the Locomote team to provide us with a wide range of flight, hotel, and ground transport options.
“I strive on business improvement initiatives, streamlining processes, building and maintaining customer relationships and promoting people and culture, with a strong focus on mental health and well-being in the workplace.” - David Hildreth, HR & Safety Compliance Manager
As a mining engineering company in Australia, All West Engineering has benefited from the unique platform of Locomote which makes it simple for our business team to book flights, connect with colleagues, and manage approvals.
Locomote serves as a powerful tool that enables our company’s leaders and staff members to handle the different aspects of executive travel from beginning to end. Its outstanding services are especially valuable now that the pandemic has made business travel even more challenging.
You and your business team can also experience the dynamic combination of executive travel technology and services of this corporate travel company. Contact Locomote now to level up your team travel program.
