WHO Ethiopia Leads by Example in Transition to New Business Management System

WHO Ethiopia successfully initiated its transition to the state-of-the-art Business Management System (BMS) on 13 January 2026 by completing the first travel and expense approval through the new SAP Concur platform.

Professor Francis Kasolo, WHO Ethiopia Representative a.i. and Director of the WHO Liaison Office to the African Union and UNECA, made the inaugural approval on the BMS using SAP Concur, which manages end-to-end travel processes through an online, self-service booking system.

The new system responds to longstanding concerns related to travel management consolidation, supported by assurances of a 24/7 hotline provided by the selected Travel Management Company.

The country office is undertaking a full transition to the BMS, with staff and management receiving cascaded in-person and online training through the i-Learn platform. Once fully implemented, the BMS will replace the existing Global Management System and other legacy platforms with a more efficient and integrated solution.

The BMS introduces advanced self-service functionalities across program management, contributor engagement and management, supply chain, meetings and events, travel and expenses, as well as human resources and finance, with the latter two expected to become operational in the coming weeks.

Based on similar testing conducted on the system at WHO regional office level, the system has been found to offer user-friendly tools and intuitive self-service features. The BMS is accessible through a single login via the OneWHO intranet, eliminating the need for multiple credentials.

One of the key components of the BMS, the SAP Concur system, is expected to significantly reduce manual and time-consuming processes for both finance teams and employees. It provides real-time visibility into expenditure, strengthens budgeting and forecasting, and ensures compliance with organizational spending policies.

Through the self-service model, users are required to submit expense claims and book travel using web or mobile applications. The system automatically captures data, verifies compliance with policies, routes requests for approval, and integrates with financial systems for payment, enabling the Organization to maintain a comprehensive overview of its spending.