UC Riverside is moving to a new travel and expense system with the latest technology that makes it easier for travelers to manage payments and receive reimbursements.
The campus officially launched the Concur Travel and Expense System on Monday, July 25 after eight months of planning. This is the first of several updates to an aging financial administration software system as part of the multi-year Impact23 initiative that will see more upgrades over the next year.
What is Concur’s Travel and Expenses System?
Concur is a secure cloud-based platform for booking university business trips aimed at increasing efficiency for travelers, cardholders and department representatives. It integrates invoice, travel and expense management into one system. It replaces the current iTravel system. Employees will be able to use it to book and manage payments for airlines, hotels, car rentals and other travel-related expenses. This is the first stage of moving to Concur for travel expenses. The second phase, planned for 2023, will include business meetings, entertainment and other reimbursement.
Once the traveler role is assigned by the employee department system access administrator, employees can access Concur with their NetID and create profiles that enable Concur usage. Concur allows employees to get pre-trip approvals and estimate costs in advance. Travelers also have access to Travel & Entertainment Card. The fees charged to the Travel Card are paid directly by the university; however, the traveler (or designated travel organizer) must reconcile the expenses with the expense report within 30 days after the end date of the trip.
Employees can use Concur’s online platform to compare and select dates and prices for flights, hotels, trains, and car rentals. UCR has also contracted with Anthony Travel to serve as the designated travel agent to assist UCR travelers. Anthony Travel has a dedicated UC travel agency available to book trips or assist travelers online or by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Travelers can also book charges to company cards held by Anthony Travel.
What is the replacement process like?
Under Concur, UCR will be billed directly during the booking process, reducing the costs themselves to travelers.
The UCR travel card program will move from a personal liability to a corporate liability program. Travelers must apply for and receive approval from their department for a Visa credit card to pay for approved travel and business expenses. The university will pay the fees automatically but the cardholder is responsible for reconciliation of monthly expenses through expense reports.
What new features are available to UCR travelers?
Concur allows Travelers to manage receipts and add expenses on the go. The Concur mobile app gives travelers the ability to book air, hotel and car rentals, manage their travel plans, check flight status, and more. Users can take photos to attach receipts and record other expenses incurred while traveling. Trips booked through Concur will register the trip with UC’s travel insurance program, UC Away.
Why did UCR change from iTravel to Concur?
iTravel is an old internally developed software system that is becoming obsolete. Concur is a company whose cloud-based software is widely used by many organizations, including other UC campuses.
What if I already booked a trip on iTravel?
The iTravel system and the trips booked through it will continue to be supported during the transition period with the aim of phased out on September 1. All campus travelers must switch to Concur by that date.
How will student travel be booked?
Only career or contract employees with departmental approval can book travel and be issued travel and Travel & Entertainment Card. Employees can book trips and arrange lodging for students.
Will there be training and other resources available for the transition?
Several training courses will be available as part of the Concur launch. A 20 minute course on the use of a travel card is required before applying for a travel card.
• Concur & Resources: Sign up for training, view guides and watch videos
• Travel Organizer Sessions: Departmental travel organizers can sign up for a 15-minute session with UC Riverside account payable trip advisor to get live support for Concur
