Guide To Corporate Travel Management: The Dos and Don’ts of Traveling For Work

If you’re in charge of managing travel for a sales force or other group of employees, you know the job can be dynamic and complex. Every business is different, and there is no single right way to do it. Let’s look at some common challenges involved in corporate travel management, and how you can make the experience better for everyone involved.

Common Travel Management Tasks

A typical Corporate Travel Manager faces many challenges. They are responsible for booking, arranging transportation, and finding lodging for corporate travelers. They work with vendors to keep expenses down and they determine corporate travel policy. They may provide guidance to employees on the road. These tasks require a variety of tools and skills.

Corporate Travel Policy

A clear travel policy eliminates confusion and helps to make travelers feel secure.

The corporate travel policy should be comprehensive and concise. The language used should be straightforward and easy to understand, and it should answer common questions.

You may develop different versions of this document with modifications that apply to different circumstances. Make sure to communicate those differences with travelers, and arm them with the appropriate document.

Booking

Most business travelers appreciate autonomy in booking.

Self-booking, though easy, may not be the most cost-effective solution. You might keep costs down by using a single booking agency. This helps to keep travel details and expenses in one place.

You might work with a booking agency to create a corporate portal or app for your workforce. Make this app for self-booking part of your corporate travel policy. This method maintains autonomy for employees, eases the workload, and can automatically apply filters to each transaction. Many corporations find that this is the best solution.

When booking for others, check with the traveler before making final decisions. Everyone appreciates a reasonable schedule, so avoid unusual departure times if possible. Minimize or eliminate connecting flights. Always verify the details prior to the departure date in order to make any necessary corrections.

Organizing Transportation

Not all airports have ground transport services in-house. Cab drivers and rideshare services can be found in most locations, but there are exceptions. Rural areas may present their own difficulties.

Each location in the itinerary can present transportation challenges, so do your research. Be familiar with the available services in the area. It’s a good idea to take a look at the current local weather, too. Be ready to provide recommendations to your travelers.

Verify any reservation you make ahead of the trip, and make sure to communicate any changes with travelers.

Lodging

Your workforce trusts the company to provide a safe and secure location.

When assigning lodging for travelers, the best deals may not be the best fit for your workforce. Cheap rooms may require additional expenses on cross-town travel, or create unplanned delays. Finding the right balance can be difficult.

While you don’t want to waste your budget on luxury features or amenities no one will use, no one wants a room in a bad neighborhood. When selecting lodging, along with looking for the best deals, make sure to research the surrounding area. There are dozens of ways to do this, including Google Map’s Street View. Always put your employee’s physical safety and security ahead of all other concerns.

Restaurants And Entertainment

Managing travel expenses like food and entertainment can be tricky. Employees will want clear guidance. Make sure each version of your corporate travel policy addresses these expenses.

To make things easier, the company may provide a list of approved restaurants and a list of businesses or areas on the itinerary where expenses will not be reimbursed. Knowing this information ahead of time helps to reduce the number of disallowed expenses.

Maintain A Flexible Budget

Keeping costs down while making sure travelers have what they need is important to the bottom line. Having space in the budget for emergencies is just as important. Unexpected situations happen all the time, so make sure your budget is prepared to financially meet the challenge.

Let employees know the limits on expense accounts and corporate credit cards. Make sure they understand policies regarding expenses. If there is an emergency, be ready to make an exception. Consider empowering support staff to approve emergency expenditures and similar items without the need to seek additional approval, which may be difficult during off-hours.

Your best tool for managing the budget is good expense reporting and tracking software. There are many corporate travel management apps and software suites available, as well as online services that can help with this task. Use one that fits your management style.

Traveler Assistance

Knowing they’re not alone in case they need help provides an important layer of security to any traveler.

Good business travel support requires reliable communication. Any employee on the road should be able to reach out at any time for assistance, through their phone, app, or online. This process should be dependable and easy. Make sure your employees know these services are available and understand how to access them.

Outsourcing

Sometimes hiring an external corporate travel management service may be the best way to go.

External travel management services may have unique insight on specific itineraries, offer savings, or specialize in certain types of travelers like c-suite executives. Consider this option if you feel in-house resources are spread too thin.

Getting temporary help to fill in gaps is a good way to lighten a heavy workload and make sure all employees get full attention.

Final Thoughts

Traveling for business can be stressful for everyone involved. By providing your traveling workforce with the best experience possible, corporate culture has an opportunity to shine.

Make sure to give your representatives a stress-free travel experience. With proper corporate travel management, they can concentrate on their jobs and not be distracted by inconveniences. This helps to make business travel worthwhile and reduces the chance of dissatisfied employees seeking opportunities elsewhere.