Strategic Relationship Manager (Travel Industry)

The Strategic Relationship Manager is responsible for managing a portfolio of clients. At large, the focus will be the management of these client relationships through multi-level interactions, quality, health, growth and profitability of our organization. The delivery and full understanding of our value add propositions is a critical element of this role, as well as ensuring our services and solutions are delivered in alignment with that of our Organizational key strategies, as well as with the clients objectives. The individual must be dedicated towards achieving the highest profitability results by identifying growth opportunities within the current client base and focusing on the existing fee structures.

VALUE ADDED PROPOSITIONS

• Ensure that you have a full understanding of the various products and services that we offer, the key focus areas of the SRM is the ability to:
• Negotiate Supplier Rates effectively and ensuring value for money, offering of both client and company negotiated rates and ensuring that this is accessible via all platforms. Rate Access Codes are stored and updated in the client’s company profile.
• Comparison of rates, peer benchmarking and ensuring alignment of rate offering according to the clients travel policy
• Full understanding of the Online Technology Products & Service Offering – holistic End to end travel management solution - TravelIT
• Advisory services:
• The SRM must have an understanding of the products sold by advisory and the ability to present these products to their Clients in a confident & professional manner.
• Virtual Credit Cards Customer benefits & processes
• Direct integration into the various banking institutions virtual card payment solutions.
• The SRM must understand and confidently promote this value add to their clients as well as successfully implement.
• VIP & BULK Service Offerings (Executive booking service offering / BULK – Service Offering arranging Meeting Incentive Conference and Events).
• Understand and present the BULK service offering to clients where there is leakage on groups, incentive and meetings spend.
• Create opportunities for additional revenue and turnover by engaging clients with regards to our Executive Booking Services and High Touch service offering.

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION, REPORTING & REGULAR TRAVEL SPEND REVIEW PRESENTATIONS:

• Ensure delivery of MI reports on a monthly basis according to the client’s requirements, as well as discuss areas of improvement, trends and opportunities for negotiations whilst reviewing reporting in monthly meetings, ensure that discussions are minuted.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• Ensure that your clients understand the detail and value behind the unique set of reporting provided and accessible via TravelIT. All Ad hoc reporting must be charged out according to the client’s specific pricing models.
• Ensure regular Travel Spend Reviews are presented according to the contractual obligations (Quarterly, Bi Annual, and Annual) analyzing costs, supplier spend, trends and recommendations regarding improvements within the travel program. Utilise these presentations as an opportunity to promote additional revenue streams, service offerings and technology.

TECHNOLOGY

• The SRM must have a full understanding of the Technology and functionality that our system can support within the different brands and environments.
• TravelIT:
• Ability to complete a TravelIT Build,
• Ability to train users / bookers on the online travel management solution,
• Offer navigational support when required,
• Understanding of the benefits of our Local Development team– in house enhancing the product.
• The SRM must have the ability to discuss back office integration and the benefits.
• Have a full understanding of API’s (direct integration) and the benefits to clients (Air,

Car & Hotel)

• Manage traveller behaviour in terms of tracking the following key items in order to improve on the clients travel program:
• Missed Savings,
• In and Out of Policy tracking,
• Lead time analysis understanding of how this impacts Air fares,
• Driving increased Online Adoption,
• The SRM must understand our product offering and the benefits of implementing.
• Expense Management and the ability to professionally present the service offering to their portfolio of clients.
• Ability to manage benchmarking on the system to produce savings achieved according to the clients specifications.
• Ability to understand the Virtual Card & Payment processes
• Reconciliation reporting and financial functionalities available on the system.
• SEC ( Service Excellence Centre)
• Ensure that all clients understand the value of SEC and continually drive and educate our client base on how to log a complaint or compliment using the applicable website and link.
• Ensure that all SEC calls logged are closed and that the client is happy with the result.
• Ability to extract the reporting from the specific reporting accessible.
• Constantly drive that 90% of calls must be logged by clients directly on the system
• RADAR
• Understand and promote the value of RADAR to your clients

RETENTION AND GROWTH

• The SRM needs to have multilevel relationships within the client, this includes levels such as:
• PA’s and travel bookers
• CEO and CFO of the client
• Procurement heads and travel decision makers
• At least one client lunch to be done per month with divisional ACCOUNT MANAGER (SRM) and GM.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• Travel Booker Workshops

<R5million

• Travel Booker Workshops held annually, workshops should include refresher training sessions, travel policy guidelines, recommendations to improve the travel program as well as supplier introductions and educational programs.
• Bi-annual booker lunches/breakfasts held at preferred TTS suppliers or preferred suppliers within the clients travel program.

>R5million

• Travel Booker Workshops held annually, workshops should include refresher training sessions.
• Annual booker lunches/breakfasts held at preferred TTS suppliers or preferred suppliers within the clients travel program.
• Quarterly booker lunches/breakfasts held at preferred TTS suppliers or preferred suppliers within the clients travel program.
• Continually explore opportunities for organic growth Communication | Business Acumen.
• Regular supplier meetings | updates with regards to industry trends and shifts.
• Timeously share relevant branded client notifications, product 1 pagers and industry updates to all clients within your portfolio.
• Consistently research and understand your clients industry and Travel program.
• This is a strong requirement of understanding your clients’ industries, share information, destinations, business interests, acquisitions & divestments.

Balanced scorecard (BSC)

• A BSC to be in place for all qualifying clients, this needs to be reviewed monthly/quarterly to ensure that we are delivering according the BSC linked to the clients Service Level Agreement.
• Various samples available linked to specific client SLA’s.
• Pillars to remain as Savings, service, control and technology and safety and sustainability

SEC

• Tracking of complaints raised and working with operations to resolve any issues raised as well as communication these to the client (Investigation process falls into

SEC/OPS roles)

• Complaints ratio to be included in BSC and/or to be highlighted on monthly meetings
• Surveys (JD section to be reviewed)
• Surveys to be conducted as per clients SLA’s and response ratio to be driven

(>35%)

• All results to be communicated to the client and within the business (GM or divisional Manager).

Margin

• Margin per client analysis to be done monthly
• Targets per client
• 7% gross margin
• 2% Net profit to turnover
• Manpower analysis (less than 55% of income)

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• Expenses (less than 8% of turnover)
• Understanding the inland profit analysis, the income statement
• Risk & Reward models (impact to margins)

Contracts

>R5million

• Ensure all clients have a signed contract aligned to the schedule of services and re negotiated 3 months prior to expiry

<R5million

• Ensure all clients have a signed SLA aligned to the schedule of services and renegotiated 3 months prior to expiry
• Ensure contracts have been reviewed and all salient features impacting our business have been clearly communicated to all relevant parties

Financials:

• Client fee negotiations to be handled according to contracted dates (Annually etc.). This needs to be diarized & scheduled 3 months prior to the fee expiry date.
• Management fee vs transaction fee understanding and basic understanding of how to calculate the fee and the fee model
• Understanding of budget SRM to be involved in submitting annual budget)
• Aged Analysis and debtors assistance
• Recovery or reduction of merchant fee’s where possible
• Understand each line item of the income statement and ensure that all costs and income are correct against your specific financials model, in conjunction with the

Operations team.

• Quarterly transaction variance reports where variance clauses are included in financial agreements.
• Fully understand the process of loading fees in the various environments; it is imperative that the SRM has the ability to accurately load the fees timeously and prior to the effective date.
• Ensure a CPI or COLA inclusion on all contracts

Risk & Reward:

• Implement risk & reward (gain share agreement) at the time of renegotiating client financials, when applicable
• Opportunity to earn additional revenue

PREFERRED PARTNER PROGRAMMES

Preferred partner focus

• Shifting clients spend to preferred partners away from non-preferred partners.
• Identify opportunities of moving clients away from Bed & breakfast and Guest houses to preferred suppliers.
• Monthly MIS analysis to check where clients spend has shifted and drive contracts and agreements with the clients.
• Understand new routings, projects etc. within clients and drive our preferred partners.
• Supplier workshops as well as relationships and meetings to be ongoing.
• Ensure support and growth of all TTS preferred partners.
• AHA – is a continued focus on moving clients into our own properties (business plan per SRM as to how they are going to shift some business into our properties)

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES AND CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

• Align clients to our Standard Operating Procedures (both front and back office).
• Join new business presentations as operational support and to ensure that we get the schedule of services right (to be presented separately).

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• The SRM needs to do continued business consulting and needs to be Trained as ‘drivers’ in our business so that they are able to sell our technology solutions confidently to their clients.

CENTRAL FILING & CLIENT FOLDERS -

CRM/SOLUS

• Client folders on solus to be continually updated as and when updates occur and should include the following: Financials per client (Signed and valid per client at all times).
• A valid Contract in place per client at all times (Signed & Valid).
• Service level Agreement in place and valid at all times.
• Balanced Scorecard in place where applicable and supporting reporting requirements measured monthly/quarterly.
• Client details updated at all times (contacts, addresses etc.)
• Copy of office bible to be kept on file.
• Agenda & Minutes of meetings.
• Updated & Current Client Travel policies.
• Corporate agreements and validity tracking information.
• Compliments and complaints Reporting.
• ECC usage and charges and Reporting.
• Client review presentation to be saved in the relevant folders according to the client’s needs (quarterly, annually, bi-annually).
• Client workshop presentations.
• Client Travel Policy understanding and assistance with policy changes.
• Maintain regular client visits as per SLA and minutes thereof.

ELECTRONIC MAIL AND CALENDAR MANAGEMENT

• Electronic Mail management is a critical element of this role and requires sound communication skills with specific and timeous responses to all communication. Ensure that all communication is responded to within a time frame of 24 to 48 hours from receipt, acknowledgement of receipt must be done within 2 hours and timelines provided to the sender as well as consistent management of queries via this platform with open lines of communication at all times.
• Calendar management is critical to this role, ensure that calendars are kept current and appointments and tasks are managed accordingly via the outlook calendar platform.
• The ability to manage tasks via this platform is critical to the role as there are multiple deadlines that will occur concurrently.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Matric
• Degree / Diploma in Business Management Or studying towards Degree in Business Management

EXPERIENCE IN YEARS

• 4-5 Years in a similar role

KNOWLEDGE

• Microsoft (word, power point, excel)
• Sound financial knowledge in order to negotiate client fee models and understand margin per client at all times.
• Drive and manage income statements and profit analysis per client.
• Ability to read and understand client MI reports and convert into presentable review.
• Sales and relationship building capability.
• Presentations skills and public speaking.
• Supplier interactions and negotiations.
• Understanding and delivery of the SLA and Scorecard.
• Continued Business consulting in selling technology solutions.
• Client reviews and workshops.
• Ability to adapt to different environments & technological advancements.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Work Location: In person