Welcome to TCG Consulting's first quarterly installment of our 2017 Newsletter, "Innovation, Ideas, and News".  Enclosed are helpful insights and industry specific content across Corporate Travel, Meetings, Payment and Expense Management, as well as the latest developments and happenings from within our organization.

TCG remains committed to providing superior, transformative strategic advisory support to our clients using our proprietary TCO-TMPESM approach to drive cost take out, policy compliance, user acceptance, process and workflow efficiencies, program consolidation & integration, supplier and technology strategies, or spend oversight & reporting.
TCG Announces 2016 Winner of Our Highest Client Award
TCG Consulting proudly announces the presentation of The Carbrey Award - our most prestigious client award - to Mary Batal-Riley, Senior Manager Procurement, Global Travel for Shire.

Jim Coufal, Senior Director at TCG presented Mary 
with the award in Chicago alongside Shire global leaders & travel team members, former Carbrey winners, and members of the TCG global leadership and practice teams.


Updated 2017 Global Market Forecasts
TCG recently published an update to our 2017 global market forecasts which now includes metrics incorporating our proprietary Total Cost of Ownership for Integrated Travel, Meetings, Payment and Expense (TCO-TMPE SM). This model helps organizations measure impacts on total program spend - a broader measure beyond the traditional approach of Air, Hotel and Ground.

The forecast includes regional summaries for Air, Hotel, Ground and TCO (using the TCO-TMPE SM model), as well as drill down forecasts for some specific markets. 

New TCG Associate Introductions
TCG proudly announces the addition of seven new associates across our Global Leadership, Business Development, Project Delivery & APAC Global Business Services Teams.
Understanding & Avoiding Potential Impacts of the EU Interchange Rate Cap on Corporate Credit Card Programs
The Interchange Rate Cap established by the European Union (EU) may impact corporate credit card programs and automated expense management processes via  hidden potential costs on travel programs and corporate rebates - especially for those organizations maintaining individual bill/individual pay card programs.

Jim Coufal, Senior Director of Global Payment, Expense & Invoice Management recently outlined in a TCG Executive Briefing how this new EU Rate Cap could impact your program costs. In addition, the briefing discussed how to  optimize your card program via integration with the broader Corporate Travel, Meetings, Payment and Expense Management Program ecosystem using a Total Cost of Ownership approach can  uncover these sometimes hidden program costs.

  • Open Loop Networks (Visa, MasterCard)
     
  • Impacts on Payment System Program revenues and costs
     
  • Travel, Payment, Expense configuration and processes requiring change and the array of potential outcomes
     
  • Echo Effect placing competitive pressure on closed loop merchant fees (three party schemas)
Spotlight on TCG's Total Cost of Ownership Approach for Strategic Program Management
TCG's Total Cost of Ownership approach (TCO-TMPESM) for innovative, integrated and strategic program management was recently featured in the February, 2017 issue of  
 

Written by Chief Marketing Officer, Bill Kerr, the article highlights why a broader, holistic methodology should be adopted to overcome impacts the ongoing sellers' market continues to have on traditional methods of optimizing mature global corporate travel, meetings, payment & expense programs.

In Memoriam
John Clifton 12/14/1952 - 2/20/2017

John Clifton, recently retired from his role as a TCG Senior Consultant working out of our Houston Center of Excellence, succumbed on February 20, 2017 after a courageous fight with cancer. He supported KBR as a senior member of the travel team for nine years before joining TCG in 2015 as part of an organization transition.

He was regarded as an industry thought leader and expert in the areas of traveler safety, travel risk management, operational support, and Corporate Card Program management and deployment. In honor of his contributions and accomplishments, TCG is renaming our Houston Center of Excellence to the John Clifton Houston Center of Excellence.

On behalf of the entire TCG family, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to his family and express our highest respect for John as a colleague and a friend.
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