Alexa, ask SAP Concur: Where is the journey headed?

At SAP Concur, we've been working toward the vision of the perfect business journey for 25 years. We've come a long way toward achieving that goal: Today, we're the leading provider of integrated business travel management solutions. And still hungry!

Since the end of 2014, we have also been part of the large SAP family. As a "born-in-the-cloud company", we are proud to be able to support SAP in realizing its cloud strategy. And on the shoulders of a giant, there are also completely new opportunities.

The foundation stone is laid

But in the past, DSAG rightly demanded that we do our homework first. SAP customers are used to different SAP solutions working seamlessly together. And they expect a customer experience that is characterized by consistency and simplicity.

In recent years, we have therefore focused on the native integration of Concur with SAP solutions. With demonstrable success: The integration between Concur and SAP currently covers all ERP versions from ECC 6.0 SP18 onwards.

This also includes all current SAP S/4 Hana and SAP S/4 Hana Cloud Editions. This enables SAP customers to exchange data between the systems in near real time.

As a result, this not only leads to consistent data and process transparency, but above all to noticeably shorter processing and reimbursement times for travel expenses. Business travel can thus be managed and controlled even more easily and efficiently for SAP customers of any industry and size.

More and more customers are taking advantage of these opportunities: At the beginning of 2018, for example, more than one million travel expense receipts were already processed via our native SAP integration. What belongs together is growing together.

That's why now is also the right time for a new brand identity. Concur is becoming SAP Concur. Why? Because we can deliver on the promise that comes with this move: the best of both worlds, seamlessly integrated.

The new brand identity also makes it easier for SAP customers to recognize us as a member of the growing SAP family. We are thus leveraging the strength of Germany's most valuable brand without concealing our own origins and history.

The integration is also noticeable at the organizational level. In addition to increased collaboration at the sales level, we are now supported by almost 100 developers who were previously responsible for SAP Cloud for Travel and Expense in SAP Research & Development.

In addition, we have consistently invested in the DACH region in recent years - around three times as many employees as three years ago are now there for our customers in the region.

Networked travel and travel expense management

On the basis of the deeper integration and cooperation with SAP, we are now stepping up our innovation course in business travel management, from which SAP existing customers in particular will benefit.

The potential of this is illustrated by the SAP Vehicles Network. In the future, business travelers in the U.S. and Europe will be able to rent cars, pay parking fees and fuel costs, and conveniently submit all expenses to the SAP Concur travel expense system in real time while still on the road.

Our SAP Concur API data interface also enables us to quickly pick up on current trends and developments. Just recently, we developed an Amazon Alexa skill that allows business travelers to ask Alexa about upcoming business trips, flights, hotel bookings, and transfers.

Integration into the diverse SAP system landscape will also remain an important topic on our journey. SAP customers can look forward to further innovations and integrations into SAP cloud solutions in the future.