Business travel is a part of any company’s success. Employees travel for several reasons, like selling, marketing, teaching, having trade shows, and having meetings.
A recent study showed that 85% of travel managers said business travel leads to more money and profits, and 78% said business travelers prefer in-person sales. But it can be tough to manage business travel bookings because of all the unexpected things that can happen, like flight delays and cancellations.
That is why it is crucial for corporate travel managers to have the training to make sure they’re providing a safe and enjoyable travel experience. But there’s more to it than that – they need other skills too. Keep reading to learn about strategies for corporate travel management with travel management software!
Top Strategies For Streamlining Corporate Travel Management
A corporate travel manager needs many tools and skills to perform daily operations. Let us find out the best strategies to handle corporate travel management smoothly.
Hire a Travel Management Company
It is a myth that only big companies can work with a travel management company. Lots of service providers team up with small businesses. But if you do your research, you’ll find ways to save money on hotels and flights. In the long run, it’ll add up to a great deal, and you can use the money saved for other things.
Prepare in Advance
If you want to cut costs on business travel, the easiest way is to plan ahead. Early bookings for hotels and flights can help you save money, and you won’t have to worry about last-minute price hikes. Additionally, you can take advantage of off-season travel times because it is usually cheaper than during peak times.
There are lots of benefits to planning ahead for your business. Keeping an annual timetable of trips employees plan to take can help you cut costs. For example, you can assign one executive to attend meetings and make sure they happen when they get scheduled close together.
You can also look at how often your business needs to travel. This approach can help you consider better decisions about when to travel, what prices to pay, and what trends to watch out for.
Use a Travel Management Software
A reliable travel management company can provide access to the ideal travel management software. It simplifies the auditing system and prevents vital records from getting misplaced.
Travel management software also offers easy availability of support, especially in emergencies. The latest technological solutions update improves business travel performance and provides lower processing fees.
Choose Budget-Friendly Options
When your employees are on the road to work, you should encourage them to use a budget-friendly way to get around. Ask them to take public transit or a shuttle whenever they can or rent a car if they do not have time to hire rentals. That way, you can save money on gas and other expenses.
Cost Control Management
Many reports indicate that corporate travel accounts for a chunk of business expenses. Corporate trips are essential for businesses to grow, but if you keep canceling and booking, it can take a toll on your company’s finances.
Also, booking pricey flights and hotels when you can access cheaper ones with the same amenities can mess up your money management. To avoid this, you can use an advanced booking platform. Furthermore, these corporate travel management systems can help you find the best deals even at the busiest times.
Create Guidelines for Operations
Let your teams work together to ensure your travel management policies are the latest. Talk about your travel frequency, spending limits, and goals. Figure out when you would like to allow first-class flights and hotels. Get your teams involved in the planning process so you can get a better idea of their non-negotiable and travel needs.
Design a Format
Designing a format to submit a booking request will decrease mistakes and last-minute hiccups. Many tech-savvy companies use platforms like ITILITE to automate multiple travel management tasks, like raising booking requests. You can send requests through an app from your phone. The app or online platform will show details about previous business trips so travel managers can proceed with booking based on the employee’s travel data.
Have a Broad Inventory Of Service Providers With a Global Footprint
Negotiating with a preferred service can help you save money on your corporate travel management. But not everyone has the same amount of travel as you do, so you need to use your leverage with airlines, hotels, and other service providers. Networking with travel vendors is a great way to do this, and you can find out what kind of purchasing power and supplier connections they have. Also, you can use their contacts to get extra perks like complimentary breakfast, happy hours, and early check-ins. Even though it may seem insignificant, you’ll find that small expenses can quickly add up and become a big problem. That’s why leverage is so necessary.
Educating Employees
10% of employees don’t know if they need to claim expenses, and 25% miss appointments because they don’t know what to do when they need to pay. It is up to supervisors and leaders to educate and manage expense management in an easy and efficient manner. It should be free from micromanagement, with automation and integrations that make it easier.
Even better, managers have direct control over spending limits. This foundation can help create forecasts and assessments.
Align With Reward Points
Establish a corporate travel policy. Ask your corporate travel management company for preferred vendors so you can save on travel costs. Encourage your employees to use preferred suppliers. Develop a program that aligns business objectives with airline or hotel travel and rewards points. Sign up for rewards programs offered by service providers or ask them to do this for you. Your employees will earn loyalty points for your company and themselves.
Final Thoughts: Plan Your Travel Management System
A well-thought-out corporate travel policy with a standard process for how employees submit booking requests makes it easier for travel managers to work. A regular system helps employees give the exact information a travel manager needs to book flights or hotels. If you want to improve business travel management and reduce costs, these are the best strategies to simplify the corporate travel management process. This approach can improve productivity, reduce expenses, and create enhanced efficiency. Use a travel management platform like ITILITE to streamline your business travel process.
