Guest Post: Tackling content fragmentation today, to empower Gen A tomorrow

We 'must' focus on simplifying the technology stack, explains Richard Viner, Sabre's corporate travel UK and Ireland director

The fragmented technology stacks that TMCs navigate represent a rapidly evolving landscape. Today, we are addressing this critical issue to reduce inefficiencies, manage costs, and enhance operational efficiency. Content fragmentation - across data, service, and distribution channels - has long undermined traveller experience and satisfaction, generating ‘noise’ for the corporate travel buyer and hindering seamless experiences. As the global business travel industry is projected to exceed $2 trillion by 2028, the stakes for delivering value in this complex ecosystem have never been higher. The corporate travel buyer is at the sharp end, and according to Black Box Technologies, 100% of buyers agreed that fragmentation needs to be addressed urgently. Buyers look towards the TMC for help and onwards to travel technology partners.

Firstly, to tackle fragmentation, we must focus on simplifying the technology stack and integrating innovative tools. Today, numerous platforms and APIs are a spaghetti junction patched together to handle shopping, content, pricing, sustainability metrics, and user experience, creating a complex labyrinth. However, advances in machine learning, automation, and AI are changing the game for TMCs. By automating repetitive tasks and enabling agents to focus on customer service, we are optimising productivity. AI-enhanced booking platforms now provide smart tech that elevates shopping and booking experiences while addressing out-of-channel booking gaps. Nevertheless, challenges such as technical barriers to integrating NDC content remain, requiring collective efforts between TMCs, suppliers, and technology partners. Collaborative partnerships and initiatives, such as those by the Business Travel Association, are key to collectively being the voice of the industry, moving the needle in overcoming systemic inefficiencies.

As we succeed in reducing fragmentation, the next generation, Gen A, will step into a transformed corporate travel landscape. Within three years, Gen A will begin joining Gen Z in the workforce, bringing new expectations shaped by their experience of consumer-grade, personalised solutions. Today, this generation is already mastering AI, ordering items through voice at home (much to the dismay of their parents). The work on demand for consumer-grade shopping, pricing, and booking a frictionless travel experience with full content will be a minimum expectation. As we see the rise of super apps building multiple travel products encapsulating the first-to-last-mile journeys, often multimodal, with a single price-and-book experience, meeting these demands will require TMCs to further simplify systems, leverage real-time data, and deliver intuitive interfaces. These changes will not only bolster compliance and duty of care but also shape a workforce aligned with new technologies and expectations.

The corporate travel buyer needs the TMC now more than ever. At a recent BTA event, it was clearly voiced by Sammit Khanndeparkar, global TM of London Stock Exchange: “The role of the TMC is vital. We see immense value across our entire organisation.

"Travel Management Companies are not just service providers; they are strategic partners, offering ‘always on’ expert service, driving efficiency, cost savings, and traveller experiences through innovation and expertise," he said.

What we, as all businesses do today, through strategic partnerships, alignment, and prioritisation of our technical and product roadmaps, to understand clearly the problems we are addressing and for whom, with clear ROI, lays the foundation for a new golden era for TMCs. By addressing fragmentation now and investing in AI-powered platforms, collaborative partnerships, and sustainability solutions, we together can enable a future where TMCs deliver unparalleled value. Simplified technology stacks, integrated processes, and innovative strategies will allow TMCs to thrive in a competitive market. While fragmentation remains a critical challenge today, the progress we make will create opportunities for the next generation to build on these advancements, moving the industry forward with speed, agility, and a shared vision.

But what does it truly take to dismantle this patchwork approach and create a cohesive framework for corporate travel technology? While AI, automation, and sustainability tools promise transformative benefits, how quickly can the industry overcome integration hurdles, such as NDC barriers, to deliver a seamless traveller experience? Will the collaboration among TMCs, suppliers, and technology partners be enough to resolve systemic inefficiencies, or are further innovations required? As Gen A's expectations shape the next decade, how can TMCs ensure their strategies align not just with current demands but also with the yet-to-be-defined needs of a workforce accustomed to personalised, multimodal solutions? Addressing these questions will determine whether the corporate travel ecosystem thrives in the face of fragmentation or continues to wrestle with its complexities.

One thing is for sure: if we work in silos, we will never evolve to meet the needs of the next generation.