Behind the Platforms with Jack Edwards, Head of Technology

Munro's Head of Technology, Jack Edwards, on building better systems, improving client visibility and making technology work for people.

Business travel involves a surprising amount of work behind the scenes. From managing information across different systems to keeping internal processes running smoothly, technology underpins much of what we do at Munro's Travel. As our Head of Technology, Jack is responsible for making sure those systems work reliably, finding ways to improve them and exploring how we can use technology to better support our teams and clients.

With a master’s degree in computer science and around ten years of experience in the technology industry, Jack's background spans IT infrastructure, cybersecurity and software development. Since joining Munro's, he's brought that experience to a role that covers a broad range of technical responsibilities.

"My role covers everything from the infrastructure that keeps the business operational to developing our internal systems and client-facing platforms. My main priorities are reliability, security and making sure our technology continues to support the business."

Developing technology around our clients

One of the advantages of developing much of our own technology is the flexibility it gives us to build and adapt solutions around the needs of our business and our clients.

As Jack explains, “Rather than relying entirely on off-the-shelf products, we can build and adapt solutions around the requirements of our business and our clients.” This also means we're able to respond directly to feedback without necessarily depending on an external software provider's development priorities.

A key focus is the continued development of MORE, our internal travel management platform and client-facing reporting environment. We're working on better reporting, greater visibility of travel activity and a more intuitive experience when accessing and managing travel information. The aim is to give clients clearer insight into their travel programmes and make the information they need easier to access.

Internally, Jack is also focused on streamlining how information is processed and reducing duplication across the different systems involved in business travel. As he explains,

“When information is spread across multiple platforms, even relatively simple tasks can become unnecessarily time-consuming.”

Understanding where improvements are needed starts with speaking to the people who use our systems every day. Our colleagues understand their workflows better than anyone, while client feedback helps identify what works well, what causes frustration and what additional information would be useful.

For Jack, it comes down to keeping things straightforward.

“Technology should make people's jobs easier, not introduce unnecessary complexity.” By combining that mindset with our in-house technical expertise and business travel experience, we can continue to develop practical solutions that work for the people using them.

The technology behind every journey

A single business travel booking can involve multiple supplier systems, integrations, financial processes and exchanges of information, all of which need to work together reliably.

As Jack explains, technology's role extends well beyond making a reservation. It also supports changes, reporting, invoicing and the wider management of a client's travel programme.

Much of this work goes unnoticed when everything is functioning as it should. Keeping these systems reliable and ensuring information flows between them is a significant part of Jack's role, helping our teams manage the complexities of business travel and provide consistent support to clients.

Looking ahead: automation and AI

Artificial intelligence and automation are already having a significant impact on business travel, and their influence is only set to grow over the next few years.

Jack expects systems to increasingly handle routine processes automatically, identify potential issues earlier and provide more useful insights from the information already available. He also anticipates greater connectivity between travel management platforms.

He's particularly interested in intelligent automation and how it can improve the way our systems operate. For Munro's, this means exploring how we can make better use of existing information, generate more meaningful insights for clients and simplify the work our teams carry out every day.

With the expertise to develop many of these solutions in-house, we have the flexibility to explore new technologies and adapt them to the needs of our business, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

A passion for technology and aviation

Outside work, Jack's interests aren't too far removed from the world of travel. He's a private pilot and has a longstanding fascination with aviation, particularly the technical side of flying and understanding how everything works.

"It's a great way to switch off from work, although there's still plenty of planning, problem-solving and technology involved!"

He tries to get up in the air whenever he can, although living in Scotland means the weather doesn't always cooperate.

Looking to the future

For Jack, one of the best things about working at Munro's is the opportunity to make a genuine difference. He enjoys working alongside people with extensive industry knowledge and being part of a business that's willing to embrace new ideas and improve how it operates.

As technology continues to evolve, he'll be focused on building on Munro's existing systems, exploring intelligent automation and developing solutions that support our teams and clients.

With the combination of in-house technical capability and business travel expertise, we can continue to adapt our technology as requirements change.

Ultimately, the goal is to develop systems that work for the people who use them, giving our teams the tools they need and helping our clients manage their travel more effectively.