The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) provided a first look at the new Online Booking Tool request-for-proposal (RFP) template, which will be made available to attendees of the 2009 NBTA International Convention & Exposition in San Diego, August 23-26.
Designed to serve as an industry standard, the new RFP will serve as a comprehensive guide to the key considerations when choosing online booking tool alternatives.
The new NBTA Online Booking Tool (OBT) RFP template was created by the NBTA Technology Committee with valuable industry insight from OBT vendors, travel management companies (TMCs) and corporate travel managers to serve companies of all sizes with both domestic and global reach. Businesses can customize the RFP to include only necessary features based on the specific needs and demographics of a company.
NBTA Technology Committee Chair Dianne Bradley said, "This is the first of its kind that we're aware of. For years our colleagues have sought a standardized form to use when considering online booking tool vendors. We listened and, after carefully gathering insights from all industry sectors, we have not only a flexible, customizable template, but one also built to address the rapid pace of technology development and transition."
The RFP template has 19 sections that cover issues such as profile management, implementation, non-travel services, security and privacy, and mobile services. The template also offers insights into the role of OBTs in a managed travel program, the benefits of using an OBT, and other important considerations regarding content.
NBTA Technology Committee Vice-Chair Theo Szymanski commented, "As we all know, technology advances faster than most can keep up with. We designed the RFP with this mind and plan to review the template annually to address any vital updates to keep pace with functionality changes."
The Online Booking Tool RFP will be available on USB drive wrist bands to attendees of the 2009 NBTA Convention at the Discover NBTA booth (#1127).
The Technology Committee will offer a detailed look at the RFP in Educational Session MB5 - Announcing the NBTA Model RFP for Online Booking Tools, to be held Monday, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. in the San Diego Convention Center.
The toolkit will also be available on NBTA's website
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