I would like to request to retain current features present in the Custom Trip Field configuration settings.
Our company requires users needing to provide data critical to reporting at the BEGINNING of a booking instead of waiting to the end like it is intended in the new UI planned for release in 2024. Currently we require that users add project numbers at the beginning of a reservation prior to selecting flights. We had them adding this information at the END of the booking 13 years ago, and found that we were spending hours and hours researching project numbers for trips because the users would not cancel the booking and start over, or pause the booking to go get the project number. Instead they were entering things like "I dont know", or "none", or "...." and our accounting department would be scrambling to find the project numbers late and after the fact. NOW, when they enter it at the beginning of the reservation, we have never had an issue with it. They know they need the number in order to continue to the air booking which creates a visual guilt reaction that keeps them on track of entering the number before they get started.
This impacts the following roles....Traveler, Administrator, Approver and Arranger, Accounting, C-Suite Executives
I have been told that the reason this is going to be stopped in the new UI is because there have been numerous complaints about how many times the users are required to verify what they are booking and that the process is to long. I agree with that and wholeheartedly support the reduction of the number of times a user is required to review and approve what they have selected. That said.... it is wise to offer your clients the OPTION of continuing to keep the custom Trip fields at the START of the booking, if this is what works for them, and where they want to keep it.
Completely removing the clients choice in this matter is unacceptable, and not in keeping with the customizable nature that Concur has always been famous for. If you start forcing your users into a "standard protocol" type interface, it will no longer work for your users, and they will start looking for other OBT options that WILL allow them to customize.
This is also EXTREMELY prohibitive for GUEST bookings since we collect 8 Custom Trip fields at the beginning of a guest booking.
This is specific to our entire GLOBAL operation. We have 28 countries on Concur travel, and intend to expand further and every single configuration as custom fields at the BEGINNING of the booking process, but without this option we may decide to allow the new countries to use a different travel booking tool that will allow our customization needed.
By changing the Custom Trip Fields from being entered at the beginning to the end of the booking process, the users will inevitably begin entering nonsensical words or characters into the field in order to keep moving forward with the reservation instead of going out of the system, obtaining the number, and re-starting the process with the appropriate information. With the entering of incorrect data the reservations will need to be researched by multiple people, multiple departments, and costing more money in time and personnel availability in order to obtain the accurate data.
If this affects YOUR organization, I URGE you to respond and "Kudo" this suggestion so that we can have the OPTION when we move into the new Travel UI.
Thank you!
Stephanie
