How Hudl’s Move to a Consolidated T&E Solution Transformed Operations

Region

NORAM: North America

Headquarters

Lincoln, Nebraska

Industry

Tech

Products Used

• Navan Business Travel
• Navan Expense
• Navan Travel Payments

Previous Solutions

SAP Concur, Expensify

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Hudl is a sports technology company dedicated to helping teams and athletes at every level optimize their performance. Based in Lincoln, Nebraska, with a significant global presence, the company provides hardware and software — ranging from smart cameras in high school gyms to robust analytics tools for professional teams — that record, upload, and analyze sports data. 

To manage its thousands of employees across offices in the U.S., London, Barcelona, Italy, and beyond, Hudl relies on Navan to streamline its internal operations. Natalie Malone, Hudl’s Corporate Events Manager, serves as a primary admin and the go-to person for all Navan-related inquiries. As a frequent end user herself, Natalie has a unique perspective on the platform’s impact, noting that she gets to see the “full ecosystem” of the solution in her day-to-day work.

Before Navan

Prior to adopting Navan, Hudl managed travel and expenses across separate platforms, including Concur and Expensify. This fragmented approach created a significant disconnect in company data, making it difficult for managers and admins to get a clear, holistic view of spend. “We had no single source of truth, and when your data is fragmented, your strategy is too,” said Malone. “We weren’t just losing time — we were losing visibility.” And that, ultimately, caused confusion for both travelers and the finance department.

Why Navan

The decision to switch to Navan was driven by the need for a unified, consolidated platform that could handle both travel and expenses in one place. Hudl sought an intuitive, modern interface and advanced technology that would be easy for employees to adopt regardless of their location. Malone noted that the simplicity of the platform was a major draw, as it allowed Hudl to replace a complex, manual legacy solution with a modern UI. By moving to a single app, Hudl aimed to reduce the “app fatigue” its employees felt from managing multiple work-related tools, while providing a seamless experience for power users in sales and marketing who are constantly on the move.

“

I’m not just an admin; I’m an end user, too. Seeing the full ecosystem of Navan in action every day gives me the confidence that our global team has exactly what they need to succeed, no matter where they are in the world.

Natalie Malone

Corporate Events Manager

Results with Navan

Enhanced Visibility and Compliance

Since implementing Navan, Hudl has gained real-time tracking for both spend and travel, allowing the company to know exactly where employees are and what they are spending at any given moment. This visibility is crucial for safety and budget management, especially if there’s an emergency in the world.

“The ‘out-of-policy’ warnings act as a digital guardrail,” said Malone. “It’s not about policing; it’s about instant education for employees who may not know the policy. Plus, managers immediately see the ‘why’ behind a transaction, and the real-time visibility gives us peace of mind.”

Streamlined Event Management

Malone has been particularly impressed with the Navan events and meetings tool, which eliminated the need for her to manually track hundreds of individual flight details. “I used to have to go into every single person's flight: When are they taking off? What is their flight number? And there’s so much user error that can happen with that,” she said. “Being able to use the Navan events tool has been amazing — it saves me so much time.” 

A Frictionless Expense Experience

On the expense side, the platform has transformed the user experience through features like the receipt picture upload and a remarkably quick reimbursement process. “Navan Expense is super easy to use,” said Malone, and employees appreciate the convenience of having a single app for both travel and expenses.

The finance team also benefits from increased efficiency; they can now comment directly on specific expenses to communicate with employees, rather than losing track of conversations in email or Slack. This streamlined workflow is anchored by significant automation; 71% of transactions are auto-approved and coded, which is a major time saver for the finance department.

Employee Satisfaction and Rewards

Beyond administrative efficiency, the platform has significantly enriched the daily experience for Hudl employees. Travelers appreciate the seamless integration of their loyalty programs and airline credentials, removing the friction of managing multiple passwords and membership IDs.

A standout favorite is the Navan Rewards program, which has quickly become a highly valued perk. ”Navan Rewards has been a game-changer,” she said. “Our employees love being rewarded for making cost-effective hotel choices, and it’s a huge cost savings for the company while serving as a fantastic perk for our employees.”

Future with Navan

The partnership between Hudl and Navan continues to grow as the company looks toward a future of increased global travel. By consolidating complex workflows into a single, user-friendly interface, Hudl has successfully empowered its workforce to focus on high-impact work rather than administrative tasks. 

Malone looks forward to how Navan’s commitment to continuous innovation will continue to support Hudl’s evolving needs, providing the necessary guardrails and visibility to ensure the company spends its resources wisely while supporting its employees across the globe.