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TMCs push global growth of data warehousing tools.

Article Excerpt
American Express and Business Travel International are expanding the scope of their data warehousing tools beyond air and hotel expenditures to the total cost of travel, as growing interest in such tools prompts providers to offer more global coverage.

Buyers typically use data warehousing--the consolidation of management information from multiple sources to produce a comprehensive picture of a company's expenditure--to negotiate deals with suppliers and to ensure their travelers are sticking to the agreements they put in place. More recently, data warehouses have been used to trace the whereabouts of traveling company personnel in the event of a major security incident. Now, data warehouse providers aim to help buyers account for every travel expenditure.

Yvonne Schneider, American Express vice president and general manager for global product development, said the newest application for data warehousing will prove one of the main benefits of Amex offering consolidated travel management and card data, starting this December (BTN, Aug. 2).

"It gives the full picture," Schneider said. "Corporate clients can understand the total cost of the booking, such as what is happening at the airline counter with charges like excess baggage fees and change fees. We will be able to see if a traveler makes a cheap Web booking...

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