Solution promises to enhance performance, drive compliance and increase savings

HRS, the corporate lodging and meetings technology platform, has launched Copilot, a tool that, according to the company, offers hotel programs “an industry-first approach to using AI-first options that enhance performance, drive compliance and increase savings.”

Copilot, according to an announcement, “is the right solution for the right time in the evolution of travel management, as corporations navigating today’s uncertain economic climate can gain from use of proactive automation that addresses program needs across transient and meetings-related segment management.”

Built to be a constant option for procurement and travel executives, said the announcement, Copilot is designed to fully orchestrate hotel and meetings programs with just a single click. The technology autonomously drives insights and actions, delivering newfound speed from real-time data analysis to tactical actions that are specific aligned with individual program goals and objectives.

 Highlights include:

• Newfound data unification spurs actionable insights:  Copilot consolidates spend data — both historical and projected — across managed and unmanaged transient and meetings segments in one harmonized interface, giving users a converged overview enabling the benchmarking of suppliers, markets, points of sale, business units and traveler personas. 
• Automation symmetrically drives preferred supplier use across segments: Copilot’s platform approach to securing more comprehensive datasets while monitoring trends (including transient, groups, meetings and long stay) simultaneously facilitates automated tracking of preferred supplier usage across segments. The technology analyzes data in real time, triggering and implementing actions to influence booking behavior and promote preferred properties.
• One-click supplier management: Copilot reframes the laborious legacy of the “RFP” acronym in the procurement lexicon, using data to advise and prompt actions leaders can execute via a one-click approach.
• Drill down into any component of a hotel transaction: Similar one-click scenarios improve elements beyond procurement, such as booking optimization, payment, reimbursement and VAT Reclaim. 
• Seamless procure-to-reimburse process amplification: Copilot integrates into any managed travel ecosystem, enhancing end-to-end processes.

Travel managers, according to the announcement, retain complete decision-making authority, approving all recommended actions to maintain full control over travel policies and strategic direction.

Leonard Hornsby, senior travel manager and procurement and strategic sourcing manager for travel technology for Deloitte GmbH, said , “The speed of the query and answer functionality — knowing that the answers are driven from our comprehensive data — has me rethinking our approach to both short-term and long-term management of transient and meetings segments.” In initial trials, he said, “we see insights on issues faster than ever and are making precise program changes as the scenario calls for.”

Tobias Ragge, CEO of the HRS Group, said, “Copilot is proficient in helping executives and everyday leaders take actions towards the dual goals of cost removal and maximizing travel allocations.” It’s the right solution at the right time, he said, “with the capacity to unleash machine learning at a new scale and fundamentally upgrade the practice of hotel program management.”