WHO Ethiopia successfully began its transition to a state-of-the-art Business Management System (BMS) on 13 January 2026, marked by the first travel and expense approval using the SAP Concur platform. Professor Francis Kasolo, WHO Ethiopia Representative a.i. and Director of the WHO Liaison Office to the African Union and UNECA, completed the inaugural approval, showcasing the system’s capability to manage end-to-end travel processes through an online, self-service booking platform.
The new BMS addresses longstanding challenges in travel management by consolidating processes and offering continuous support through a 24/7 hotline provided by the selected Travel Management Company. The full transition includes comprehensive staff and management training delivered both in-person and online via the i-Learn platform, ensuring all users are equipped to navigate the new system efficiently.
Once fully operational, the BMS will replace the Global Management System and other legacy platforms with an integrated solution that enhances program management, contributor engagement, supply chain operations, meetings and events, travel and expenses, as well as human resources and finance. The finance and human resources modules are expected to go live in the coming weeks.
The system introduces advanced self-service functionalities, allowing staff to submit expense claims and book travel via web or mobile applications. SAP Concur automatically captures data, verifies compliance with organizational policies, routes requests for approval, and integrates with financial systems for payment. This approach streamlines operations, reduces manual tasks, strengthens budgeting and forecasting, and provides real-time visibility into organizational expenditure.
Through a single login on the OneWHO intranet, users can access all BMS functionalities without multiple credentials. Based on similar testing at the WHO regional office level, the system has proven user-friendly and intuitive, enabling the Organization to maintain comprehensive oversight of spending while improving efficiency across its operations.
