How Navan Delivered 43% Travel Savings and Real-Time Visibility to 1st Phorm
Results
+75
NPS
43%
savings on flights + hotels
15 days
from signing to launch
Region
NORAM: North America
Headquarters
Fenton, Missouri
Industry
Health and Wellness
Products Used
- Navan Business Travel
1st Phorm, a sports nutrition brand headquartered in Fenton, Missouri, offers a wide range of premium supplements—including protein powders, pre-workouts, vitamins, and meal replacements—designed to help individuals achieve their fitness goals. As the company has grown, so has the complexity of managing employee travel. Previously, travel management was a cumbersome, manual process, which created bottlenecks and inefficiencies. The company sought Navan to scale its travel management operations and to gain greater control and oversight.
Before Navan
Prior to adopting Navan, 1st Phorm’s travel process was entirely manual. “Travel requests were previously managed through PandaDocs,” explained Kate Brennan, experience director at 1st Phorm. Employees would submit travel requests that were approved by their department heads and then forwarded to Kate, who would handle all the bookings and send itineraries. This setup was manageable initially, but as the company grew, the burden of booking travel for numerous employees became unsustainable.
“From a growth perspective, it would be tough to sit there and have all those travel requests going through one single person,” said Kate. “It’s easy to get bottlenecked there.” As the company expanded, this system became increasingly inefficient, requiring late-night adjustments and frequent back-and-forth communication to resolve issues. “There were times I’d be up at 2 in the morning helping somebody with an adjustment,” she said. “With Navan, we don’t have to do that anymore.”
“
We were looking for something that was very user-friendly, something that every employee could go in and book on their own.
Kate Brennan
Director of Experience, 1st Phorm
Why Navan
As 1st Phorm grew, they needed a solution that would scale with them. After evaluating different travel management solutions, the company chose Navan for its user-friendly interface and ability to offer a centralized, controlled travel solution.
“We were looking for something that was very user-friendly, something that every employee could go in and book on their own,” said Kate. However, 1st Phorm also required a system that offered oversight to prevent excessive spending. Navan provided exactly that: a platform where employees could book their own travel, with financial parameters and controls to help ensure compliance with company policies.
“
Navan helped us better manage everything in one place, which has allowed us to track overall spend.
Kate Brennan
Director of Experience, 1st Phorm
Results with Navan
The transition to Navan has been nothing short of transformative for 1st Phorm. The most notable benefit has been the efficiency Navan has brought to the travel process. “It’s freed up a lot of my time so I can focus on other priorities,” Kate explained. Employees can now book their own travel, making adjustments as needed, without relying on one person to handle all the logistics.
The streamlined process has also led to significant cost savings. “Navan helped us better manage everything in one place, which has allowed us to track overall spend,” said Kate. And the real-time reporting feature has been invaluable for monitoring expenses and helping the company optimize its travel budget without sacrificing quality.
“Employees have enjoyed the independence to book on their own,” Kate added. This autonomy has been a major advantage for employees who can now select preferred travel times, airlines, and loyalty points, all while adhering to company travel policies.
Additionally, Navan’s 24/7 live chat support has helped employees quickly resolve any travel-related issues.
Future with Navan
Looking ahead, 1st Phorm is confident that Navan will continue to support its growing travel needs. The team at 1st Phorm is excited to continue leveraging Navan’s features to streamline travel and help ensure cost optimization over the long term. The bottom line: Navan has transformed 1st Phorm’s tedious, time-consuming travel management process into what Kate described as an “efficient, scalable, and cost-effective solution.”