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Corporate travel policies are necessary as they set clear expectations on how employees can travel. However, manual policies are inefficient, time-consuming, and create a high risk of inaccuracy. It’s extremely demanding on your time and resources.
Thanks to a revolution in the way companies manage business travels, travel managers can now expect a smooth, streamlined experience — one that’s augmented by intuitive, easy-to-use travel management software solutions. Like other forward-thinking companies, you can take leverage to an automated travel solution that increases efficiency, reduces costs, and provides a better corporate travel experience.
To get the most out of your corporate travel budget, it's important to make sure that you're getting the most for your money by automating travel policies. Below, we discussed the three reasons why you should adapt to a technologically-driven business travel policy.
1. No More Mishaps
It’s no secret that corporate travel policies can be a nightmare. Different rules, regulations, and guidelines across various departments can create a lot of confusion when it comes to things like reimbursements, approvals, expense reports, and much more. Usually, when these aren’t properly implemented, it can create mishaps in the company.
However, when you automate your travel policy, it can help keep the stress levels down and ensure that no one takes advantage of the system. Below are some ways automation can remove business travel-related mishaps.
Eliminate Manual Errors
Sometimes, a small mistake can be expensive, impacting both the employee that’s travelling and the company. Automation solutions are designed to help eliminate manual errors that could result in some unpleasant experiences. For example, they can automatically check for typos in names and addresses during the booking process. They can also automatically notify customers of any fees they might incur during their trip.
Boost Compliance
No matter how much you explain the rules and regulations, sometimes team members will still find loopholes to break the rules. Automation software can provide additional security measures and behavioural analysis to determine whether or not travellers have been following the set rules. With it, companies can assure time-off compliance and timely expense reporting.
Avoid Possible Lawsuits
As a CFO or travel manager, you know how important it’s to have a clear and transparent travel policy for your employees. If you don't, you could end up with a massive headache — or worse, a major lawsuit. An automated travel system makes it easier for employees to submit their requests for reimbursement, so they know exactly what they'll be getting back from their travels. Plus, automated systems can help keep track of expense reports and employee behaviour, which means fewer mistakes along the way.
2. Work Seamlessly and Effortlessly
Are you looking for a simple way to make managing business travel a breeze? Managing travel policies requires a lot of time and effort, but with the automation technology, you can skip the hassle of managing all the bookings, traveller preferences, and travel expenses — while also maintaining a consistent policy that keeps you in compliance with laws. In addition, it can help cut out the guesswork involved, streamlining the entire process.
Automate Booking Approval
Have you ever had to approve a travel request manually? It's not fun, right? You have to go through all the details, put in your approval, and then wait for an email saying that everything is set. Then you have to do it again for the next request.
It's tedious and time-consuming, but it doesn't have to be that way. With automation, you can take care of all the details in one place, without having to navigate through multiple systems or comb through several emails.
Accessible & Trackable Travel Expenses
Corporate travel is daunting enough, but when there is no automated system to keep track of receipts, vouchers, and expenses, it's a far more complicated process. An automated system ensures that everything will be tracked and dealt with correctly. Everything is automatically saved in the automation platform which does the accounting for you.
Less Paperwork
Managing a travel policy manually has always been time-consuming and requires keeping lots of paperwork. When you automate the process, you don’t have to keep piles of documents because everything is accessible in one central hub. Also, it removes the need to fill out forms or submit written reports.
3. Safer, Faster, & Better Travel Experience
The ability to automate travel policy management can help ensure that companies and employees safely perform their job functions while also providing them with a faster and better experience. The following are reasons why automation delivers a better experience!
Employee Satisfaction
Comfort is key, and when it comes to corporate travel, technology is the way to go. Automated and accurate travel reporting puts your team in control of big-picture data. It also gives your employee the freedom to manage their trip without going to a specific person to validate their trip. Plus, your staff will feel valued because you let them participate in the process.
Safety & Security of Travellers
Safety and security have never been so important. Travel management is a holistic approach where the full security of each traveller is considered. It has risk management that includes a detailed agenda of all aspects of travel to help put the mind at ease before their journey begins. For example, making sure your employees are in the loop when it comes to travel changes will help you make the most out of their time away from the office.
Easy Access to Information
All information regarding the travel policy is integrated into the system. This reduces risk by ensuring all employees have access to the right information at the right time. Managers can also access this information to easily send real-time notifications regarding travel issues and situations.
Automation Is the Modern Travel Manager
As a business, you need an automated policy that will govern every aspect of your corporate travel — a system that fulfils an important function as an indirect way to increase productivity, cut costs, and streamline operations. It also allows you to have a policy in place from day one, and it will update automatically with no work on your part.
While some business travel managers, CFOs, and business travellers are already on the automation bandwagon, some companies still need to catch up. To stay competitive in today's ever-evolving corporate travel industry, you need to stay on the cutting edge by embracing automation.
