After an eighteen-month pilot project, SAP Concur, a cost-effective, leading-edge, web-based, mobile-enabled travel solution, will be implemented campus-wide over the next twelve months, starting with a group of eight units in January. Concur lets you manage all of your travel-related tasks, from approvals to reservations to reporting and reimbursement, all in one place. Concur will replace Cornell’s obsolete travel reimbursement system. The Division of Financial Affairs (DFA) will be leading the implementation.

During the pilot phase, the project team onboarded over 1800 travelers across 21 units. Travelers and their travel arrangers, processors, and approvers have helped shape Concur and the implementation process to meet Cornell’s needs. Pilot users reported problems and solution suggestions and provided feedback on the system’s functionality and policy impacts as well as on the training provided. Feedback has been largely positive and users have been quick to say Concur is an improvement over the old travel reimbursement system.

Staff in DFA worked directly with departments to ensure a smooth transition. “I believe the Concur system has simplified our travel processes for faculty and staff at ILR,” said Joe Grasso, associate dean for finance, administration, and corporate relations at ILR, “not only on the front end in arranging trips but also in completing the reimbursement process. I also think the phased pilot approach to implementation was a great way for DFA and ILR to work together to resolve any issues before the university-wide rollout occurs. Wil Stringer and our finance team worked in a really collaborative way with Sherry Guernsey and the Concur project team in DFA.”

Concur users who completed a post-implementation survey reported, “It’s faster for the traveler. They can do everything by way of their mobile device,” and “Everything is in one place, organized and streamlined. I don’t have to think about categories for expenditures and I cut the paperwork process literally in half (or better).”

Here are some of the features you can look forward to in Concur:

• Book travel yourself or use the travel agency chosen for Concur.
• Take advantage of Cornell’s negotiated discount rates with preferred travel vendors.
• Connect your own rewards programs to Concur. Some reward points vendors will send itemized electronic receipts directly to Concur, helping you complete your expense report.
• Use the SAP Concur mobile app to submit receipts with a photo, manage your expense report, book travel, and manage your itinerary.
• Use the TripIt Pro mobile app to view your itinerary, and get travel alerts and local maps and other information aimed at reducing stress during your trip. You can even connect existing TripIt subscriptions with Concur and get Pro features at no cost.

Also, eligible travelers can use a corporate-pay Travel and Meal Card to pay for business-related travel expenses. Those expenses are sent directly to Concur for inclusion in your expense report. Concur will match card transactions with the receipts you’ve submitted. All you have to do is verify transactions and enter itemizations when necessary.

Get more information about Concur and a sneak preview of training materials on the Training and Guides page of this website. Join the discussion and get updates on the Concur Yammer group.