KDS, a leading international provider of corporate Travel & Expense (T&E) management systems, today announces the availability in Great Britain and France of TMC Express, a T&E tool designed specifically for small and medium enterprises. This solution is being made available exclusively via a strategic partnership with Travel Management Companies (TMCs) such as Gray Dawes and AFAT Selectour Group.

TMC Express is the only travel and expense management tool designed from the ground up with small and medium enterprises in mind. It provides users with an easy-to-use web based solution which offers a full range of travel options across air, rail, hotel and car hire, and also automates many of the administrative functions of expense reporting to make the full T&E process as quick and easy as possible. TMC Express is pre-configured for simple deployment in a timeframe of less than four weeks, and as a hosted solution, no extra investment in IT infrastructure is necessary and no maintenance is required.

“Today, demand for a unified Travel & Expense solution represents four out of five of the requests for proposal that we receive, and small and medium sized organisations account for half of these requests,” said KDS CEO Dean Forbes. “While KDS already has a sizeable SME client base, we realise that many medium sized organisations really rely on their TMC for personal service and guidance, which is why we have chosen to create a system which supports and strengthens that relationship. We believe that the closeness TMCs enjoy with the SME market is truly an asset in the change management required when implementing a T&E solution.”

TMC Express is available as a seamless addition to their existing system for clients already using KDS’ online travel booking tool, or as a complete and integrated solution from the start for new customers. While KDS will continue to offer other solutions to the SME market directly, TMC Express will be available exclusively through TMC partners.

“Our market knowledge and strong relationship with our clients makes Gray Dawes the ideal partner to move to a full T&E solution,” said Suzanne Cockburn, CEO of the UK based TMC. “We believe that providing not only an advanced online travel management tool but also a unified expense solution gives us a unique advantage in an increasingly competitive marketplace.”

The ability to add expense management to their existing travel service in a fully integrated package is helping TMCs to strengthen relationships with their clients, and in doing so encourages those clients to continue to use the TMC’s service over increasingly popular online consumer booking websites.

“Companies are increasingly looking for ways to simplify their T&E management. They want greater transparency and more control,” said Philippe Quillien, Corporate Travel Director of AFAT Selectour Group. “Working with KDS helps us to deliver the service our clients demand, and brings us closer to them.”

The T&E solution provided by KDS is fully customisable to fit clients’ needs. When booking travel, flights, low cost carriers, rail, car hire and hotels are offered as required to help users to find the lowest cost option available. Company policy is built into the software, highlighting any out-of-process travel and accommodation options or expense requests to both the user and approver, encouraging policy compliance. Local VAT is automatically applied, showing the true cost of travel, and powerful reporting tools enable administrators to easily ensure annual targets are met.