SAP Concur Conversations

Managing a T&E program for thousands of employees is a balancing act between efficiency, adoption, and delivering value. With thousands of faculty, staff, and students traveling for business, staying on top of bookings, expenses, and policy compliance can feel like trying to steer a $4.2 billion ship through turbulent waters. Michigan State University (MSU) faced this very challenge, starting with just 54% adoption of their travel and expense (T&E) program. But with the right strategy, tools, and collaboration, they charted a path to success.In this episode of SAP Concur Conversations, Ed Phillips, University Travel Manager at MSU, and Jeanne Dion, Vice President of the Value Experience team at SAP Concur, share how MSU boosted T&E adoption to 80%. They reveal the role technology played in the transformation, how data shaped their decisions, and why listening to travelers’ needs was key to creating a more user-friendly program. Packed with insider strategies, surprising insights, and real-world solutions, this episode is a masterclass in turning organizational challenges into opportunities—proving that with the right approach, even the most complex travel programs can become a well-oiled machine.

What does it take to revolutionize travel and expense management at a university serving thousands of faculty and staff? For Bridgewater State University, it meant embracing bold changes: issuing ProCards to all employees, embedding compliance into their systems, and prioritizing equity and ease of use. This innovative approach not only simplified processes but also ensured that every employee, regardless of financial means, could travel without hardship.In this episode of the SAP Concur Conversations podcast, Jeanne Dion speaks with Tara Thompson, Assistant Director of Travel and Expense, to explore how Bridgewater State’s revamped approach to travel and expense management redefined compliance, equity, and the employee experience. By tying every booking to duty-of-care data and automating expense reporting with e-receipts, the university created a system that works for both the institution and its people. From reclaiming expenses during crises to boosting employee satisfaction, this transformation offers valuable lessons for organizations of all sizes.

Your travel and expense (T&E) system is more than just a tool—it’s a strategic lever that can drive efficiency, improve compliance, and create a seamless experience for employees across your organization. Whether you're starting fresh, refining your processes, or reimagining the way your system operates, the opportunity to innovate and improve is right at your fingertips. But where do you begin, and how do you ensure your efforts deliver lasting value?In this episode of the SAP Concur Conversations podcast, Jeanne Dion, Vice President of the Value Experience team at SAP Concur, sits down with Carolyn Crawford Moras, founder of Carolyn Crawford Consulting, to discuss actionable strategies for elevating your T&E system. From fostering cross-department collaboration to leveraging automation and analytics, they’ll share insights that will help your organization run more efficiently, ensure compliance, and enhance the user experience for everyone—from travelers to backend teams.Join the conversation and discover how to turn your T&E system into a powerhouse for productivity and innovation.

What does it take to streamline expense management in a university setting where every research project has its own unique demands? In this episode of the SAP Concur Conversations podcast, Amanda Langton, a Financial System Support Specialist for Carleton University, shares how her team tackled the complexities of higher ed finances head-on. From quirky exceptions (think tampons in cricket aquariums) to leveraging automation and cross-department collaboration, Amanda shares her secrets for transforming Carleton University's financial systems. Joined by Jeanne Dion from SAP Concur, they explore how smart strategies and a strong support network can empower finance teams to adapt, innovate, and stay ahead of every expense.

In today’s business landscape, efficiency isn’t just a goal; it’s a mandate. For Burlington Stores, optimizing travel and expense (T&E) reporting was a must to keep up with growth and strategic goals. But where do you start transforming a basic reporting system into a best-in-class analytics powerhouse? In this episode of SAP Concur Conversations, Christine Makai, Senior Credit Card Analyst at Burlington, joins Jeanne Dion, Vice President of the Value Experience team at SAP Concur, to share the inside story of Burlington’s T&E transformation.Christine details how her team leveraged Consultative Intelligence to go beyond standard reports, developing customized insights that impact everything from accruals to compliance checks. The result? A massive reduction in outstanding accruals and a data-informed T&E program that aligns seamlessly with Burlington’s operational priorities. From unlocking hidden insights to fostering innovation, Christine’s journey reveals how data-driven strategies can fuel continuous improvement and guide smarter decisions at every step.

Every time your employees get behind the wheel for work—whether in their own car or a company vehicle—your business is exposed to risk. With vehicle insurance rates surging 22% year-over-year and 1 in 7 drivers now opting to forego insurance entirely, the stakes for companies have never been higher. Many employees who do have insurance are turning to low-cost policies that leave them dangerously underinsured, and in the event of an accident, their employer could be left footing the bill—an average of $75,000 for non-fatal incidents.Are your drivers among those at risk? And more importantly, would you even know if they were?In this episode of SAP Concur Conversations, join host Jeanne Dion and Jonathan Steele, Director of Product Management at Motus, as they explore the hidden dangers of driver risk. They’ll discuss real-life stories where businesses learned the hard way about the cost of overlooking compliance, driver safety, and insurance verification. Jonathan will also share actionable strategies that can help you get ahead of these risks, from building a seamless mileage reimbursement program to deploying proactive monitoring tools that protect both your employees and your bottom line.