IDC MarketScape names SAP Concur a Leader in T&E software solutions
The latest IDC MarketScape assessment of global SaaS and cloud-enabled travel and expense software solutions, named SAP Concur a Leader. As well as assessing the solutions available, it also offers market insight and advice for buyers.
The IDC MarketScape report findings always carry weight because IDC is a major global provider of market intelligence for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets.
This year’s report positions SAP Concur in the Leaders Category for worldwide cloud-enabled SMB travel and expense management solution.
The Value of Automation in Navigating the Complex World of T&E
The report highlights the complexity of T&E and the value of automation in delivering a seamless experience for both business travellers and travel administrators. It comments:
“The best T&E systems are those that understand that at its most fundamental level, travel and expense is about moving data quickly, securely, and efficiently from one party to the next. As a result, the software services that provide the most tools for data management are likely the ones that are best positioned to deliver a top-notch experience.”
The Value of the Cloud for SMBs
The IDC MarketScape highlights the speed at which small and medium-sized businesses are switching to cloud-based T&E management such as SAP Concur solutions. It gives two reasons for this: the ease of implementation and the lower price point in comparison to enterprise T&E applications.
These are benefits echoed by many of our customers. When Michael Tinney, Finance Manager at FBD Insurance, was researching expense solutions, one of the reasons he chose Concur Expense was because: “It was competitively priced and we would only pay per approved claim, rather than paying annual fees for users who were only submitting one claim per year. It was the right model for us.”
SMB Requirements for T&E Solutions
Apart from assessing T&E software providers, the IDC MarketScape also offers best practice advice when choosing solutions.
It emphasises four key areas that all businesses must address when looking at T&E automation:
- The ability to build an ecosystem that integrates T&E with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), accounts payable, HR and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.
- The ability to ensure data security
- The ability to automate key workflows
- The ability to integrate payments with expense reports
It also highlights three areas where SMBs should pay particular attention:
The first is the mobile experience, so it’s as easy as possible for employees to record expenses and file expense reports directly from their mobile devices. The SAP Concur mobile app, for example, has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 on the iOS App Store.
The second is applications that replicate consumer software and deliver a more social, mobile and conversational experience. The SAP Concur App Centre connects with popular tools such as Booking.com, Airbnb and Uber, making booking business travel as easy as booking personal travel.
The last is applications with a streamlined implementation process that balances the desire for a speedy implementation with an opportunity for the user to tailor the solution to better fit its organisation. Luke Braham, former Head of Technology Operations at RED commented on his experience with SAP Concur: “I really believe anybody, in any department, could administer, configure and run the product.”
Join the Move to the Cloud
The IDC MarketScape: Worldwide SaaS and Cloud-Enabled SMB Travel and Expense Management Applications 2019 Vendor Assessment (doc #US45354719, December 2019), has plenty of information, including detailed advice for technology buyers.
If you are keen to make this the year you automate your organisation’s T&E, this report is a great place to start.