Introduction
“Control your expenses better than your competition. This is where you can always find your competitive advantage”.
– Sam Watson.
You can control expenses in many ways, but a comprehensive and integrated travel and expense software platform can be an effective tool in the process. Since numerous players are in the market, picking the right one can become overwhelming.
In this article about Tripactions vs.Concur, we help you understand everything about these travel and expense platforms. Understanding what each offers and how they stack up against each other will help you make the right choice.
Read More: 10 Best Expense Management Software
About TripActions
TripActions was founded in 2015 by Ariel Cohen and Ilan Twig. Designed as a technology-first platform, TripActions was focused on user experience. Using AI, Data Science, and intuitive design, the platform has evolved over the years.
In February 2023, TripActions was rebranded as Navan (“navigate and avant”). The name change was an attempt to offer new messaging, and designs and target a fresh category titled-” Business Software Designed for People.” However, this did not seem to work for them as they realized their brand equity was too intrinsically linked to its previous name. Therefore, in April 2023, it rebranded back to its last name- TripActions.
The travel and expense software solution maximizes efficiency, minimizes cost, time, and effort by offering features that improve productivity and policy controls. Controls built into corporate cards help eliminate out-of-policy spends.
Some of the features they offer include
- Travel booking and support
- Hotels and flight deals
- Virtual and physical corporate cards
- Issuance and reimbursement of global cards
- Digitized expense management solution
- Real-time analytics
- Integration
Quick Read: Best Navan (TripActions) Alternatives and Competitors
About Sap Concur
SAP Concur provides a suite of features catering to businesses of varying sizes – large, medium, and small. The solution enhances travel and expense management with streamlined workflows and improved employee experiences.
It offers a user-friendly app, simplifying the planning and booking of business travel, thus facilitating the automatic upload of information for seamless expense report filing.
With its headquarters in Bellevue, Washington, USA, SAP Concur operates globally, with offices in India, Australia, China, Japan, Mexico, and various European countries. The cloud-based services seamlessly integrate with existing systems, such as ERP, HRMS, or accounting systems, ensuring comprehensive visibility into business expenses.
Sap Concur’s solutions efficiently connect with vendors, travel agencies, and credit card companies. It also facilitates swift expense capture and recording. Its Business Intelligence feature also provides analytics, empowering organizations to manage expenses and optimize cash flow effectively.
Quick Read: 5 Best SAP Concur Alternatives and Competitors
Comparative analysis: Tripactions vs. Concur
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Must Read: SAP Concur Reviews: Pricing and Features
Unique features: Tripactions vs. Concur
1. TripActions
TripActions provides businesses with an array of easily navigable solutions for managing travel and expenses in an automated manner, facilitating effective planning, monitoring, reporting, and control of corporate expenditures. Its objective is to fuse contemporary technology with exceptional customer service to simplify booking travel, managing itineraries, and reporting expenses.
Let us consider some unique features that TripActions offers.
1.1 Online Booking Tool
The tool allows users to plan and book travel arrangements through a user-friendly platform efficiently. This feature simplifies searching for flights, hotels, and other travel services, providing a centralized hub for all booking needs.
Read More: Happay’s Self Booking Tool
1.2 Corporate Smart Cards
TripActions offers corporate smart cards as specialized payment cards for business expenses. These cards can be issued to employees, offering a convenient and secure way to make business-related purchases while allowing for easy expense tracking and management.
1.3 Travel Policy Controls
This feature enables businesses to establish and enforce travel policies within the TripActions platform. It ensures that employees adhere to company guidelines when making travel arrangements, helping to control costs and maintain consistency in travel-related decisions.
1.4 Accounting Integrations
TripActions offers accounting integrations, and this feature allows for seamless synchronization of financial data between TripActions and the company’s accounting software, reducing manual data entry and minimizing the risk of errors.
1.5 Spend Reporting
This feature provides detailed insights into company expenditures. Users can generate reports that break down expenses by category, department, or any other specified criteria. This capability is crucial for businesses looking to analyze and optimize their spending patterns.
1.6 Travel Deals and Rewards
Users can take advantage of discounts, special offers, and loyalty programs to optimize travel expenses. This feature not only helps in cost savings but also enhances the overall travel experience for employees.
1.7 Global Client Support
TripActions provides comprehensive client support services, ensuring that users receive assistance and guidance, regardless of geographical location, contributing to a smooth and hassle-free travel experience.
2. SAP Concur
SAP Concur’s travel and expense solution provides comprehensive features to streamline and optimize corporate travel management. The platform offers an intuitive online booking tool, simplifying flight, hotel, and transportation planning and reservation processes.
With integrated corporate smart cards, SAP Concur facilitates secure and traceable business-related transactions, ensuring efficient expense management. It also offers a mobile-friendly interface for on-the-go access and global customer support to assist users across different time zones.
Let us consider some unique features that SAP Concur offers.
2.1 Concur Expense
- Offers a well-designed and straightforward expense management process that covers implementation, reporting, and tracking, among other features.
- It gives you a single view of spending so you can manage your budgets as your forecasts and strategic decisions are based on reliable and accurate numbers.
- Helps users to create, submit, and approve expense claims and reports using any device.
2.2 Concur Travel
- Can improve your travel management ecosystem with intuitive and user-friendly applications and tools.
- Contributes transparency as travel data is available in real-time. You can gain visibility to improve compliance and support duty of care requirements.
- Offers a more user-friendly interface, so planning and booking business travel is quicker, and monitoring is a breeze, too.
Is there another option?
Yes, Happay!
If you want to invest in a travel and expense software solution, do not limit yourself to just two possibilities. Consider other options that compare well and offer features that tick off all the “must-have” boxes in your list.
Happay provides a platform that simplifies and streamlines your travel and expense management. Apart from travel and expenses, Happay offers solutions for petty cash management, invoicing, corporate payments, and corporate cards. With Happays integration security measures, complete visibility, and control features, you can efficiently handle multiple workflows all in one place.
Let’s take a look at the challenges Happay addresses:
Expense
- Replacing the time-consuming data capture process
- Overcoming policy non-compliance challenges
- Resolving delays in approvals
- Enhancing spend visibility
Travel
- Eliminating the hassle of travel planning
- Expanding travel options for greater flexibility
- Providing more choices to ensure better travel experiences
- Streamlining the often complicated and lengthy expense reimbursement processes
Cards
- Doing away with annual fees or hidden charges associated with cards
- Facilitating smooth disbursement of cash/funds to users
- Ensuring compliance with policies regarding card usage
- Offering improved visibility and control over card transactions
Tripactions vs. Concur: What do users think?
1. TripActions
1.1 User-friendliness
Measuring the user-friendliness of a software application offers valuable insights into the everyday workings of the software. According to users on G2, the software is easy to use as expense submissions are automatic and quick. A single travel and trip information source helps centrally give relevant and accurate information.
On the other hand, users also complained that the software was not user-friendly. For instance, one user suggests that using the “group travel” option was slightly confusing rather than easy. In another example, users mention that flight reward points were not automatically added, making it cumbersome to ensure they are added after every trip. Also, one user says that any manual additions to the list of merchants are not saved and must be added whenever you want to use the merchant.
1.2 Interface
TripActions offers a desktop and mobile interface, making it very convenient for travel planning. Users on G2 mention that a separate UIX for business and personal travel makes tracking organized and efficient. Similarly, other users commend the quick turnaround time in registering transactions on corporate cards. They appreciate the notifications that pop up at transaction time as it prevents delays.
On the other hand, some users are not that impressed with the interface. The convenience of contacting someone during travel emergencies would certainly be a plus point for the travel and expense management solution. One user would appreciate the ability to resolve the issue of additional paperwork/proof to approve a submission through chat.
1.3 Customer Service
Users on G2 have mixed reviews when it comes to customer support. While some are appreciative of the chat feature that provides professional, knowledgeable and efficient help, many users feel that the feature is not effective during travel. Users feel that an offline GPS support would solve the problem of inaccessibility.
1.4 Mobile App
One of the G2 users suggests that the biggest plus of using TripActions is the savings in time and effort when adding expenses. Another user finds the regular travel updates quite helpful in preventing travel delays.
In things that may be improved in the app, one user suggests that a bulk upload feature may be valuable as travelers may need to upload several receipts daily.
1.5 Pricing
What works in favor of TripActions is that one user appreciates the transparency in the pricing. What is included and excluded from the pricing plan is also quite clear. Otherwise, some users have found that TripActions may not be offering the most competitive pricing and some others have found relatively less expensive pricing plans offered by other vendors.
2. SAP Concur
2.1 User-friendliness
As per users of G2, SAP offers a user-friendly platform that helps to manage their travel expenses. An easy-to-use experience is coupled with easy integrations so the overall experience is seamless.
On the other hand, users mention that the mobile app is not as user-friendly as the desktop version. While working with the application may be confusing, users feel that it can be easily reconfigured to provide better services. Users also count the inability to create custom reports as a minus.
2.2 Interface
Users on G2 find the interface to be easy to use and efficient, especially for finance teams. Also, the fact that the app links to the phone makes scanning and uploading information easy. The simplicity of the interface makes transaction visibility and compliance better for all stakeholders.
If we are to look at adverse reviews, some users report that while the travel booking works great, the interface for travel booking is not as refined as that of travel booking portals. The advanced search options could undoubtedly be improved as users feel like they are clunky and imprecise.
2.3 Customer Support
Barring a few users who appreciated the customer support they received, several users maintained that the support team took too long to respond or were not equipped to handle the issue that was being raised. Another point raised by users is that since they had not paid for customer support, they had to deal with online help, which was frustrating.
2.4 Mobile App
The biggest advantage of using SAP for users on G2 is the fact that the entire expense capturing and filing process is easier and far more efficient than the manual workflows. Users mention that as and when expenses happen, all they do is capture them, and as soon as the mobile app syncs, the expenses are compiled quickly and easily.
Users state that the downsides of the mobile app include its slowness. Further, one user states that it is not user-friendly, and the lack of sync between the web version and the app’s features causes trouble. Another user notes that there are several “image processing” issues as the app reads the scanned receipts.
2.5 Pricing
One user suggests that the SAP pricing model is higher, especially for medium and small industries. Another user thinks that the pricing structure is not uniform, making it difficult to decide and estimate.
Trust Building Elements
1. Customers: Tripactions Vs. Concur
It’s important to understand what other customers say about the vendor you’re considering. Their opinions can give you insights into the vendor’s reputation, reliability, and the overall quality of their products or services. By reaching out to existing customers, you can gather experiences, testimonials, and feedback that provide a perspective on what the vendor does well and where they might face challenges.
Among the numerous customers, some well-known names on TripActions list of customers are
Lyft, Amplitude, Box, Snowflake, DataDog, Yelp, and Primark.
SAP Concur’s customers include Chobani, SNP, Ghallagher, George Washington University, and Trialcard.
2. Awards
TripActions has been ranked among the best global software companies by G2 for 2023. Software Suggest’s Emotional Footprint Awards 2023 also names TripActions as one of the top contenders
SAP has been favorably recognized in several categories by Trust Radius. For the year 2023, it has been rated “ Top Rated”. Furthermore, they were also recognized as having the “Best Feature Set,” “Best Relationship,” and “ Best Value for Price.”
G2 has also recognized SAP Concur as a “Leader” in Fall 2023.
Customer Success Case Studies
1. Anaplan looks ahead with TripActions
“I would say our biggest challenge has been lack of visibility, so if our core mission is to connect everybody and to make sure we’re making decisions that are data-driven, we weren’t doing that from a travel perspective,” Sarah Toomey, Head of Procurement at Anaplan
The Challenges:
- Lack of visibility into travel spend and trends
- Incomplete data meant an inability to negotiate better rates
- Travelers booking independently with zero transparency
The Solution:
- 11%+ net savings
- Single source of truth and system of record for travel spend
For a quick read of the entire case study, click here
2. Tetra Pak streamlines the expense management process
Tetra Pak is a large global food packaging company. Despite a global presence, they did not have a travel process in place. The workflow also lacked a consistent means of handling business travel and expenses.
The Challenges:
- Tetra Pak worked with 33 different travel agencies and this impacted costs and operational efficiency
- They also did not have a consolidated supplier base
- Finally, they did not have a process to follow through on travel policies.
The Solution:
- The SAP Concur platform has combined unified procedures and improved user experiences to streamline travel and expenses.
For a detailed read of the above case, click here
Conclusion
A one-on-one comparison is always extremely helpful in understanding the right fit for your organization. Apart from reviewing the features, benefits, and reviews, it may be significant to consider awards and their overall performances through case studies, and their customers.
FAQs
TripActions and Concur are both travel management platforms, but TripActions focuses on a user-friendly experience, while Concur is known for its comprehensive features. TripActions often emphasizes a more modern and intuitive interface.
TripActions may stand out for its personalized travel recommendations and a focus on improving the traveler experience. In contrast, Concur might be valued for its extensive expense management capabilities and integration with other enterprise systems.
While both platforms cater to businesses of various sizes, TripActions may be seen as more agile and suitable for smaller companies. At the same time, Concur might be chosen by larger enterprises due to its scalability and advanced features.
TripActions often prides itself on its user-friendly interface, real-time data, and personalized suggestions, aiming to simplify the booking process for travelers compared to other solutions like Concur.
Concur is well-regarded for its robust expense management capabilities, including detailed reporting, compliance features, and integrations with various accounting systems. Users might choose Concur for its comprehensive expense solutions.
TripActions typically offers integrations with popular business tools, though the extent may vary. Concur, being a part of SAP, may provide more extensive integration options with a broader range of enterprise systems.
Both platforms usually provide tools to enforce travel policies. TripActions may focus on proactive policy guidance during the booking process, while Concur may offer robust policy enforcement and reporting features.
Typically, TripActions and Concur offer mobile applications, allowing users to manage travel arrangements and expenses on the go. Users can check for the latest features and user reviews on the respective app stores.
TripActions often emphasizes personalized customer support, aiming for quick issue resolution. Concur, being a larger platform, might have a more extensive support infrastructure. Users may consider their preferences and support needs when choosing between the two.
Pricing structures can vary, and both platforms typically offer subscription-based models. Companies should evaluate their specific needs, such as the number of users and desired features, to determine which platform offers the most cost-effective solution.
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