CTM technology highlights 2019

CTM is committed to providing customers with solutions that better serve their travel needs. To demonstrate this commitment, we are continually developing and enhancing our own suite of leading travel technology.

In a 12-month period, the CTM tech team launched a range of features and enhancements to our travel technology. The highlights of developments to our online and mobile booking tools, that directly benefit clients are detailed below.

Building our own proprietary technology allows us to fully control our development roadmap. Using continual feedback loops and CTM User Labs coupled with an agile approach to technology development, we can respond quickly to user and market demand, within an everchanging technology landscape; developing technology and enhancements to existing features that our users have asked for.

CTM User Labs

Through feedback loops and CTM User Labs, we gain invaluable insights from the people who use our products, allowing us to deliver enhancements to our technology that directly benefit the user when they need it. User Labs typically consist of a mix of one-on-one interviews, face-to-face contextual enquiry – our UX team sit with the customer and do a ‘follow me’ style monitoring, analytics – data-driven discussions, customer surveys and user testing.

Agile Development

At CTM our Sydney-based technology teams operate on a development ‘sprint’ every two weeks. The focus of each sprint is based on captured feedback and emerging trends within the industry or our client base that demand attention. This iteration approach allows us to continually improve the solution. Our sprints are made up of approximately 50% features/improvements, with the remaining 50% covering innovation (testing new ideas), support & maintenance and system performance.

See the highlights of upgrades to our online and mobile booking tools CTM have produced, as a result of user feedback and agile development, over just 12 months:

Lightning

Traveller comfort and convenience

Lightning enhancements to display to users rich content for flights, providing greater visibility of inclusions such as Wi-Fi, entertainment and meal type, as well as operating aircraft type e.g. A330 vs 737.

New Distribution Capability

CTM is the first Travel Management Company to enable our pilot clients access to live content from the Qantas Distribution Platform. This delivers greater and more relevant choices for customers.

Fully customisable approval controls

Approval rules based on active or passive, point of origin or destination, booking lead time, only if out-of-policy, single tier and multi-tier, reallocate approver – all configurable to the traveller’s policy rules.

Multipax Booking Capability

Book up to nine passengers from various departments, cost centres, payment types and/or approvers.

Mine Spec live content now available (convenience)

Enabling mine-spec vehicles to be booked through Lightning.  Users can now search and book live content within the online tool.

Accommodation allotments and campsite – live content now available (convenience) 

Via the CTM Allotment tool, content can now be booked via the Lightning online system in conjunction with the rest of your itinerary.

Preview seats prior to purchase

Seats can now be viewed prior to booking, then selected post-booking via our manage booking page, includes free and paid options – all configurable.

CTM Mobile

We have also made a few significant improvements to the usability of CTM Mobile, including:

Calendar connect

Sync your CTM Mobile trip feed direct to your device calendar, never miss a meeting or trip as all events are displayed in one place.
1. Traveller arrangers can now see your trip based on a shared calendar – informed decisions about changes to schedules based on the whole picture.
2. Events (meetings, conferences) sitting side by side with travel elements

Rich Content Display

CTM Mobile now displays rich content to users for flights, providing greater visibility of inclusions such as Wi-Fi, entertainment and meal type.

Now on Android

CTM Mobile was released for Android phones with booking and concierge functionalities, after customer feedback indicating many clients use an Android device

Hotel Tagging

CTM Mobile now includes hotel tagging such as preferred/recent etc. This contributes to the driving of preferred hotel programs to maximise benefits to clients and travellers