Are you looking for opportunities to gain broader experience of a cross-University team and help improve a high-profile service for staff?
The University’s Commercial Team are inviting volunteers to join their User Engagement Group for the new Travel Management Company (TMC), Clarity Travel Ltd.
They are looking for two representatives from each faculty and Professional Services to participate in quarterly meetings with the supplier (one hour per session).
As a representative, you will have the opportunity to:
- Act as a liaison between faculty colleagues and Clarity.
- Provide a valuable contribution to the future development?of the service.
- Receive updates on industry trends?and Clarity’s development plans for the service.
- Have the platform to raise important topics which are?impacting the travel management service.
It is anticipated that the first of these meetings will take place in July 2025.
This is a great opportunity to influence travel contract related decision-making and stay informed about developments. Individuals from the TMC User Group have highlighted the value of their involvement in previous engagement exercises.
“I joined the TMC User Group through the Digital Equality Steering Group to help develop accessibility requirements. These requirements ensure our new travel platform serves all colleagues effectively.
Participating gave me insights into how vendors prioritise digital accessibility and comply with equality legislation. The process demonstrated the professionalism and dedication of our procurement team.
I encourage colleagues to engage in similar processes. This opportunity allows you to advocate for solutions that align with our values. You gain understanding of different university operations whilst contributing meaningfully to decision-making.
User input makes a difference in securing buy-in for the chosen solution. It ensures solutions align with our diverse community’s needs whilst recognising the inherent limitations of market-available options.”
Matthew Deeprose – Accessible Solutions Architect (iSolutions)
“Being involved in the process was a valuable opportunity to ensure accessibility was not just a consideration, but a core requirement. It was really rewarding to help shape the criteria and see accessibility taken seriously throughout.?
The process itself was collaborative and empowering—we were able to strengthen the standards, conduct meaningful usability testing, and ultimately helped to identify a supplier that could deliver inclusive travel solutions.
I’d absolutely recommend this approach for future tenders—it’s a powerful way to embed equality and inclusion into procurement decisions.”
Nathan Smith – Equality Charters Project Manager (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion)
If you are interested in taking part, please register your interest by emailing: tmcqueries@soton.ac.uk