How Ross Production Services Cut Admin Time by 30% With Navan

Region

NORAM: North America

Headquarters

Wallingford, Connecticut

Industry

Media and Entertainment

Products Used

• Navan Business Travel

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Ross Production Services (RPS), a division of Ross Video (rossvideo.com), delivers the people, mobile production systems, and technology for broadcast across sports and entertainment properties nationwide.

Faced with an outdated travel management system hindered by limited inventory, poor customer support, and a clunky mobile interface, RPS turned to Navan. Today, Navan serves as RPS’s all-in-one travel booking platform, providing seamless mobile access for traveling freelancers, automated reporting data feeds, and robust savings on airfare and lodging.

Before Navan

Prior to Navan, RPS managed its travel program through a legacy platform. Coordinating live event broadcasts meant constantly moving staff and thousands of external freelancers around the country, and the legacy setup created significant operational friction.

Off-platform bookings, driven by an outdated travel management system that lacked modern API integration capabilities, forced travel coordinator Jamie Manley to spend 5 to 8 hours every week manually typing hotel addresses, contact information, and travel details into spreadsheets. Another problem: On-the-road freelancers lacked an accessible mobile app to adjust travel plans quickly on busy event days. Additionally, resolving flight cancellations or applying airline credits meant waiting in long phone or chat queues for support. Plus, restricted inventory options made it difficult to keep production budgets under control.

“We faced a lot of challenges when it came to inventory and customer support, especially because we didn’t have a mobile user-friendly app, which is essential because our primary users are freelancers,” said Manley. ”And we definitely struggled with getting in contact with support, whether it was to use an airline credit or just to resolve a simple issue.” 

Why Navan

When evaluating new travel solutions, RPS established four core objectives: a transparent pricing structure with lower booking fees, broader travel inventory with discounted rates, a reliable and modern platform across all devices, and effortless tools to manage flight adjustments and unused airline credits.

Navan stood out as the clear choice by addressing every requirement in a single, intuitive platform. Manley and the leadership team recognized that Navan’s mobile-first design would give on-the-go freelancers full autonomy to manage their itineraries, while robust back-end tools like automated credit tracking and central billing would give RPS total operational control and financial clarity.

“

Navan is modern, AI-driven, and reliable.

Jamie Manley

Travel Coordinator

Results and Impact With Navan

RPS modernized its travel operations by mandating Navan as the all-in-one platform for every employee and freelancer booking travel. The transition delivered immediate improvements to efficiency, traveler satisfaction, and budget control.

Significant Time Savings and Automation

Automating data flows and mandating all bookings be made through Navan freed up 30% of administrative capacity, saving 5 to 8 hours per week previously lost to manual spreadsheet entry. “I no longer have to manually enter every piece of travel booking from a staff member into our reporting system,” noted Manley. “Streamlining the reporting process and having that data readily available to our system and within the Navan system was a huge value to us.”

Widespread Traveler Adoption and Satisfaction

Freelancers and internal staff consistently praise the speed of the mobile app and rapid live support response times. Employees also stay engaged through Navan Rewards, earning personal travel perks for booking below-policy accommodations. “Most people say that this is the best travel platform that RPS has had,” said Manley. “People really enjoy it. They always mention how user-friendly the mobile app is, how quick it is to book travel, and how easy it is to chat with a support agent.”

Maximum Airline Credit Recovery

In the unpredictable live broadcasting industry, schedule changes are constant. Navan automatically logs unused flight tickets, enabling RPS to recover and reuse credit for nearly 90% of canceled flights. “Being in the TV industry, flights and events can change very fast,” said Manley. “I feel like nine out of ten times that a flight is canceled, we’re getting an airline credit on Navan — it’s been amazing.”

Streamlined Group Logistics and Budget Control

Combining Navan’s manager analytics dashboard with Navan Events allows RPS to manage large event room blocks nationwide while consistently securing negotiated rates that keep budgets on track. “Being able to use Navan Events has been super-helpful for us,” said Manley. “It takes more off my plate, and the negotiated rates have been great for our budget. Plus, Navan’s reporting has been super helpful — you can download a report in less than 30 seconds and have all the data you need.”

“

When you can find an all-in-one booking and travel management solution with an intuitive user experience, you know you have a winner. For us, that was Navan.

Jamie Manley

Travel Coordinator

Future with Navan

By replacing legacy travel software with Navan, Ross Production Services successfully transformed a complex, manual travel workflow into a modernized and highly efficient program. Navan’s intuitive mobile application, automated credit tracking, and seamless group booking capabilities have enabled RPS to save valuable administrative hours, reduce travel costs, and keep hundreds of traveling freelancers supported on the road.

As RPS continues to expand its live event productions across the country, Navan provides the scalable, reliable technology foundation required to keep their crews moving smoothly and their budgets on target.

“If you’re looking for a new travel platform that fits your business structure and makes travel booking easier, lean into AI and don’t be afraid to make the switch,” said Manley. “When you can find an all-in-one booking and travel management solution with an intuitive user experience, you know you have a winner. For us, that was Navan.”