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Novo
Nordisk: Experiences with Skygate’s solutions
Background
Novo Nordisk is a focused healthcare company. With the
broadest diabetes product portfolio in the industry, including
the most advanced products within the area of insulin delivery
systems, Novo Nordisk is a world leader in diabetes care.
Novo Nordisk has production facilities in seven countries,
affiliates or offices in 68 countries and around 18,000
employees (2003).
Novo Nordisk Servicepartner A/S has been a SkyGate user since
the development of the first version of the system in the
early 90s. Along with Travel Managers from Haldor Topsøe A/S
and IKEA, Travel Manager Jens Liltorp from Novo Nordisk
participated in a SkyGate development group and thus had a
great deal of influence on the first SkyGate version.
Development based on customers’ needs
“Customers’ needs have thus been point of departure from
the start - a development that has continued up till today”,
says Jens Liltorp and continues, “I see flexibility and
swift adaptability as one of SkyGate’s major strengths. In
my experience, no matter which reporting formats a system is
equipped with, market and organizational conditions create a
“here and now” need for other reports. This can be crucial
for i.e. a successful implementation of a revised travel
policy – and thus for an improved bottom line.”
"Today, we use a SkyGate 4 solution – supplemented with
a number of SkyGate solutions developed especially for Novo
Nordisk Servicepartner A/S.
Among these are:
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A
special module for managing conference and boarding
reservations.
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A
transaction-based module for internal invoicing of travel
expenses.
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Automated
profile updating from HR-systems
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Invoice
import from AVIS car rental, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, TQ3
Travel Solutions
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Matching
of SkyGate data with Diners Club travel account data
In
addition, we are users of the Farefinder product that was
implemented in our Travel Department before the summer.
According to our travel policy the traveller should always be
offered the cheapest price possible. This is not
unproblematic, because the travel agent must check both the
reservation system and a number of cut-price agencies’
homepages in order to make a comparison and choose the best
option at a given price. The Farefinder makes this task
considerably simpler and guarantees that we always take the
lowest price into consideration in our assessment of the best
solution for our clients.
What does Novo gain by using SkyGate?
First and foremost we have a platform that provides a general
overview of turnover and transactions – regardless of
supplier, method of payment or reservation type.
This is important for several reasons:
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Knowing
your turnover is the basis for making deals with suppliers
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Determination,
management and follow-up on travel policy
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Employee
safety – fast localization of - and contact with -
employees in situations of crisis (terror, catastrophes of
nature, accidents etc.)
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Trustworthy
and adequate reports on all levels to decision-makers.
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A
common platform creates internal flexibility – employees
in the Travel Department can easily deal with tasks that
they did not initiate themselves
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Overview
means that target areas can be identified earlier – for
instance the need to set up or change agreements with
suppliers, potential cost-saving areas and so forth
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Pro-activity
– changed visa requirements, airport strikes etc. –
the traveller is informed of important conditions in
advance
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And
not least – our customers expect quick answers and
results – and this way all data is easily available. You
immediately know who the traveller is, his organizational
affiliation, special requests, travel pattern, previous
and future travels etc.
I can
hardly see how we could manage our Travel Department
efficiently in the future without a tool like SkyGate.
Obviously, we are talking about a control tool, and in the end
it is employees and competences, policies and mandates that
create the results. But without the efficient tool, I doubt
that we could achieve these results to the same extent.
I 2002 we implemented a changed travel policy with a
cost-reduction of 20% as result – this can only be done
efficiently with exact reporting and follow-up. In the same
period the Travel Department achieved a 100% satisfaction in
the latest customer survey, which I perceive as a sign that
the changes have been implemented and administered in a
fashion that also makes sense for travel bookers and
travelling employees."
Jens Liltorp
Novo Nordisk Servicepartner A/S
Travel Management
www.nns.as |
