Creating a Request Using Request Assistant

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to create a request using Request Assistant

What Is Request Assistant?

Request Assistant is a feature available in Concur Request. It combines the power of Concur Request and generative AI to provide employees with intelligent cost estimates for their trips, saving them time and effort.

  • Your company administrators can configure whether the Request Assistant feature is available to users.
  • The tool provides estimated costs and explanations for the pricing of each segment.
  • You can make changes based on trip needs, such as flight class, number of connections, and hotel ratings, and then update the estimated costs based on the changes.
  • The estimated costs are automatically added to the request as expected expenses. You can add more expenses and other details as needed before submission.
  • Future versions of the service will include SAP Concur along with company-specific policy guidance to create a personalized experience.

User Experience

Using Concur Request is simple and straightforward. The tool gives the user several options to ensure an accurate estimate based on the required travel options.

From and to Locations

For policies that use this feature, the request header form automatically includes the From City and Main Destination City fields. The feature allows you to indicate where you're traveling to and from, so the system can create its estimates based on travel to and from those locations.

Screenshot showing the request header with the From City and Main Destination city fields highlighted.

Additional Options

Two additional options automatically appear on the request header form:

  • You can turn the feature off for requests as needed. For example, you might do this if you're required to provide the details of actual travel inventory instead of the generated estimates.
  • You can determine which segments they want estimates for. The options you can select will vary based on the configuration.
Screenshot showing the request header with the additional options highlighted.

Note

If the Flight and Train options are both available, they are mutually exclusive. You can select Flight or Train for the estimates, but not both.

Adjustments

Once the initial estimate is created, users can make adjustments for better accuracy. The adjustment options will vary by segment type. For example, the Flight and Train  options allow users to specify the cabin class and number of connections they prefer, and the Hotel options allows them to define a preferred star rating.

Screenshot showing the adjustments screen.

Creating a Request Using Request Assistant

This demonstration starts with the user having already chosen to create a request.

Steps

  1. Complete the request header.

    Screenshot showing the completion of the Request Header.
    1. Enter the From City and Main Destination City.
    2. If necessary, scroll down to the bottom of the screen.
  2. Select the travel options.

    Screenshot showing the selection of the travel options.
    1. Select the desired services to get estimates. In this example, select Flight and Hotel.
    2. Select the Generate Estimate button.
  3. Make the necessary adjustments.

    Screenshot showing the selection of the adjustment options.
    1. Select Economy from the Class dropdown.
    2. Select Nonstop from the Connection dropdown.
    3. If necessary, scroll down to the bottom of the screen.
  4. Update the estimates.

    Screenshot showing the selection of the Regenerate button.

    Select the Regenerate button.

  5. Review the updates.

    Screenshot showing the updated estimates.
    1. Review the updated estimates. The previous steps can be repeated, as necessary.
    2. Select the Create Request button.

Result

Screenshot showing the completed request.

The request is generated and includes expected expenses based on the estimates. You can review the created options and provide additional details such as desired departure or arrival times, and notes to the Travel Management Company (TMC) if needed.

You can also add any other expected expenses prior to submission.

Creating a Request Using Request Assistant

Now that you've seen the steps on creating a request using Request Assistant, watch the following video for a demonstration.

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