Whether you’re dealing with lean teams or other tasks are taking priority, managing business travel can sometimes feel like an added extra that you simply don’t have time for.
When this is the case, people often look to technology as this can fill in the gaps and replace the small, yet frustrating, admin tasks that clog up inboxes and mental space.
While bringing in tools can be incredibly beneficial for businesses, it’s important to choose ones which match your priorities and needs.
Why travel technology matters for SMEs
When budgets count, resources need to be of genuine need and make a difference to the daily lives of employees which is why introducing travel technology can ease pressures.
If you don’t have someone working in a travel management dedicated role, the pressures of sourcing suppliers, evaluating companies, negotiating discounts and benefits, managing relationships, creating policies, and even more, is added to the shoulders of someone who already has a long to-do list.
If a tool can ease one of those tasks, or tick it off completely, the benefits equate to less stressors on the business and its employees, as well as a whole lot of time and money saved.
How to choose the right travel technology for the business
It feels like every week there’s another new technology or platform popping up, many of which are enticing when seeing their advertisements online. While the industry is providing more options compared to a decade ago, not every travel technology will be right for your business.
Assess business needs and current behaviour
When you’re working with a budget, or are an SME who is starting to introduce business travel, you should begin by looking at how the company already utilises business travel and related technology.
Start by looking at who handles bookings or creates the company policies, as well as how they currently go about this. Are they managing this across numerous platforms and spending their time emailing suppliers and trying to create connections?
When you know these answers, connect the dots and see where inefficiencies are taking place, while also asking people involved about any pain points. These areas should then be the first to be streamlined with technology.
Carefully consider which features are needed over others
Some features do deliver on the ‘wow’ moment you might be looking for, but you should use business data to see what will make the most impact.
Sometimes, the additions which seem worth it at the time, eventually go unused if it just adds another step into an already thought-out process. If budget is an issue, focus firstly on the features which would make the most difference to the team whether that be real-time dashboards for spend visibility, automated approval workflows, or expense integration.
If you’re unsure, send out questionnaires or seek out feedback from the team, especially those who are often embarking on corporate travel trips or planning them as they’ll be able to provide real insight.
Consider user experience and training rollout
We all know that time is money and there’s nothing more devastating than rolling out a new system and it going untouched. Typically, this is due to the user experience being difficult to navigate or the need for long-winded training to be able to use it.
Where possible, you want to avoid this from happening and opt for a system or process that can be replicated by anyone in the business regardless of how experienced they are in using technology.
Avoid overly complex dashboards or any technology that requires long training sessions.
Ensure there’s support or adequate customer service for when needed
Being able to access support as and when you need it can be more of a stress reliever than you may initially realise, especially as travel problems can pop up every now and again.
Having an expert available and on-hand to assist equates to less time being wasted and greater duty of care, as you can be guided to the best outcome.
Or if something goes wrong with the technology, there needs to be a point of contact so the issue can be rectified as soon as possible. If you’re having to spend your time researching and then waiting for a response, it can create an internal frustration.
The tool should be able to be integrated with existing systems
When looking at bringing new technology into the business, it’s vital it works well with the systems you already use.
For example, if teams mainly work across Mac and iOS but a new technology tool only works on Windows, you’ll have wasted time and money. Even if a product sounds great, it will only add unnecessary work for employees if they have to go outside the norm to access it.
If integration is possible, the travel data and/or bookings can flow through the necessary steps more freely too. Again, this speeds up the tasks and can provide better oversight as to what’s actually happening.
Only introduce a tool which has good value for money
When resources or budget is limited, each tool and technology must be worth the spend. Any tool you bring on must be able to justify its cost which doesn’t mean only opting for the cheapest option, but instead choosing the technology which fixes current priorities in the quickest or most efficient way.
Pay for what you need, rather than for features which you won’t currently be getting any use out of. Remember it should also be usable by anyone in the organisation, including those who aren’t used to working with technology.
The easier a tool is to use, the more likely it is that an employee or manager will fit it into their existing workflows.
Look for something which can keep the business agile and flexible
Sometimes, even when a corporate trip has been signed off and the initial processes have begun, changes start to become evident. Maybe another person needs adding onto the same itinerary, but with an all new expenses or payment process. Or perhaps a flight needs to be changed at the last minute.
The technology you’re using must be able to handle these requests, as this will allow the business to stay agile. If any small changes make the system go down or falter, it means you’ll have to wait before the issue can be sorted.
Check it has thorough reporting and data visibility
Having reliable data and an insight into how the technology addresses reporting is essential, with this being important for both duty of care and general budgeting and planning.
For example, employers must know where employees are to support them if needed. If the data is incorrect or isn’t detailed enough, this may not be possible which would result in a lack of duty of care.
As for the overall reporting, ask whether reports are generated on a regular basis or if this information is simple to find. Not only will clear records be beneficial to show if needed, but the increased visibility
How do travel management companies utilise technology?
Every travel management company will be different, but here at Good Business Travel we already have the tools you need so you can hit the ground running from the very start.
Our technology can stay as agile as your business too, as we tailor it to fit your company rather than the other way around. We have ‘Smart Expense Management’ which streamlines expense reporting and can provide insights into your company’s travel spending. Within the tool, receipts can be captured automatically through taking a picture of them – it’s really as easy as clicking a button or two.
We also have advanced solutions which allow us to source competitive flight fares while identifying the best deals and promotions to maximise savings.
Save money and simplify business travel with a travel management company
If you’re unsure where to begin with installing or onboarding travel technology, but are looking for support in this area, consider working with a travel management company.
They are experts in corporate travel and will already have everything you need to get started, with this able to be built upon as the business grows.
We have round-the-clock support too, so the company and its travellers will always have someone to call, no matter the time zone or travel hiccup. To begin working with our travel management team, book a free consultation here.