Business travel is vital for expanding business across territories, regions, states, and international borders. It helps companies execute projects, establish their image, and improve networking. Several companies rely on business travel to grow sales, as face-to-face meetings are crucial in clinching deals. Most companies are considering corporate travel management software to simplify business travel.
An advanced travel management platform helps manage travel booking complexities, preventing expense fraud and enhancing travel policy compliance. Corporate travel management software provides a duty of care solutions besides automating expense reporting and expense data generation. Choosing the best corporate travel management solutions simplifies travel management while improving the travel experience.
What to look for in a corporate travel management software
Organizations must assess several crucial aspects while choosing the right corporate travel management tool, as it is critical for the effective execution of the travel management program. Determine the efficacy and relevance of the tool by evaluating it based on the following criteria:
1. Ease of adoption
An ideal corporate travel software is easy to adopt for extensive use across all employee levels. Travel management software with a simple learning curve allows its use across all employee levels. Check whether the corporate travel management tool has the following features:
1. User-friendly interface – The interface of the travel management solution should be intuitive. It must ensure a seamless user experience with instant access to flight status, approvals, and policy-compliant travel booking.
2. Seamless accessibility through multiple platforms – Employees should have access to the platform through an app, as they will be on the move. The corporate travel management software must allow easy access to expense reporting, travel booking, and real-time travel updates to enhance user experience.
The travel management software should allow expense report creation and submission through the app, besides capturing receipts with the help of a mobile scanner. It eliminates the need to keep receipts and reduces the admin burden.
2. Access to multiple features
Established corporate travel management solutions provide features suitable for your organization. Choose the one with features to support your travel program. SaaS-based travel management platforms like Paxes enable customization of features to help companies adopt the solution quickly.
1. Free and easy setup – There should be ease of setup with no additional costs. The corporate travel management software should be up and running within the shortest possible time and should have seamless compatibility with tablets, iPads, and laptops with no need for upgrades.
2. 24×7 accessibility – The travel management software must support round-the-clock access to essential data with no downtime. The provider must provide service backup to resolve technical issues.
3. Cloud-based platform – The platform must have on-demand scalability and other cloud features for anytime and anywhere access via the internet. It should accommodate additional employee profiles whenever necessary.
4. Ability to integrate complex policies – The best corporate TMC’s travel policy can be complex with multiple employee levels, destinations, travel modes, and approvals. The corporate travel management software should help configure policies for easy adoption.
5. Travel policy customization – Changes in travel policy must reflect in real-time to help employees know the new guidelines immediately.
6. Approval workflow configuration – Approvals of travel requests and expense reports are vital for smooth travel management. The corporate travel management tool should allow the configuring of workflows.
3. Safety enhancing features
Corporate travel software with safety features is crucial for duty of care compliance.
1. Tagging and blacklisting hotels and cities – A travel management software should enable the safe tagging of hotels that comply with the safety standards of the WHO. It should facilitate blocking hotels and cities that are not secure for your employees.
2. Live tracking of employees – Employee tracking features of travel management tools help you locate employees in real-time to reach them in emergencies.
4. Round-the-clock support
The corporate travel management tool should allow multi-level emergency support with 24×7 access to human agents.
5. Advanced reporting and analytics
The travel management software must facilitate advanced analytics and reporting to support travel and expense management processes. You should have access to analytics for making data-driven decisions to save costs. Paxes helps organizations achieve greater policy compliance and cost efficiency by providing information on actionable decisions to optimize travel costs. It offers real-time travel insights by consolidating data on a centralized platform.
Why does a business need travel management software?
Business travel management is crucial for streamlining business travel by reducing complexities and enhancing employee satisfaction. A comprehensive corporate travel management software ensures policy compliance, employee safety, and cost control. Companies can improve productivity by boosting employee satisfaction as the software allows self-booking travel.
Conclusion
The type of corporate travel management tool determines the travel program’s success, besides helping travel managers ensure greater policy compliance and employee safety. Paxes is a SaaS-based travel management solution with an intuitive dashboard and easy accessibility from any internet-enabled device like a mobile or laptop. It ensures employee well-being, duty of care, and travel policy compliance.
Corporate Travel Management Software FAQs
What is corporate travel management?
Corporate travel management involves developing and executing a travel program and policy to meet business objectives by ensuring employee safety. It requires continuous monitoring of travel expenses and negotiating rates with travel suppliers.
What is a travel management solution?
A travel management software platform streamlines the travel program of an organization by helping travel managers plan, track, and assess business travel. It enables the creation of travel inventory and improves reporting and policy compliance.
What does travel expense management involve?
Business travel expense management involves claiming, reimbursing, and auditing travel expenses by employees.
How does an organization save money on business travel?
The standard approach toward saving money on business travel is to negotiate the best rates for transportation and accommodation. Businesses can save money by clubbing multiple business destinations into one trip or reducing the number of business trips.
What is the role of a corporate travel manager?
A corporate travel manager books travel, negotiates rates with travel suppliers, monitoring and tracking travel expenses, builds up a vendor base, and enhances the travel experience of employees.
