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Managing company travel software isn’t just a one-time thing; it’s a long-term project that needs to be taken on by everyone in the company. It can be tricky for a company to jump from one travel management system to another if they’ve been using something else for a while or nothing at all.
There are many aspects and features to consider for setting up your company’s travel software. And that’s before you even get into the services.
In this article, we put together a step-by-step guide to setting up your own travel software. We’ll also share a few practices you can use to develop and implement it.
Why Do Businesses Need An Effective Company Travel Software Process?
Companies are constantly striving to improve their processes. Effective corporate travel management helps businesses manage travel expenses and reimbursements more efficiently. It also improves the overall employee experience.
Here are some of the reasons why businesses need effective company travel software:
To Save time and money: With a well-designed travel management system, you don’t have to waste valuable employee time on the time-consuming process of filing expense reports. It makes employees more productive and leads to a higher return on investment per employee.
Make work hassle-free for employees: Most of the time, employees are the ones who have to deal with the hassle of travel and expense management. They have to keep track of all their receipts, explain why they spent money, and try to get reimbursed. Unfortunately, the system is so inefficient that the reimbursements are made late.
To speed up the processes: When you use a company travel software platform, all those annoying emails and phone calls are gone. You will not need to rely on outside sources to help plan your trip, but you can get a perfect way to communicate.
When you have a travel management system, work is effortless for employees. They can concentrate on their day-to-day tasks rather than worrying about travel plans and disregarding regulations.
What To Consider When Implementing Company Travel Software
Once you’ve figured out which travel management software is best for your business, it’s time to understand the nitty-gritty of getting it up and running.
Here are a few considerations to help you get your company travel software implemented in your organization.
Check Your Present Travel Management System.
Review your travel management processes and look at any expense reports from the past. See which workflows are causing the lowest expenses and what creates cost cuttings and savings.
Determine Company Goals
To implement a successful travel management system, you should define what you want to achieve with company travel software. You may need to improve expense management, simplify the reservation process, create approval strategies, and adhere to company travel guidelines.
Prioritize Employee And End-User Experience
Know what users are looking for in a company’s travel software. Big companies have a lot of people involved, and each user has their own set of priorities. For example, employees want quick reimbursements, managers need speedy approval and clarity, and accounts teams require security and validation.
Create Autonomous Booking Systems
Create a self-booking system for your employees. Then they can independently book their own airline tickets, accommodations, and car rentals. It’s a great way to give your employees more control over their trips. Additionally, online booking tools can save you time on approval and expense approval.
Offer Comprehensive Training
Take care that everyone using your corporate travel management tool has enough information and training. Meanwhile, employees must learn how to book flights online, operate the mobile app, raise requests for approval, and more.
Prepare A Cohesive Travel And Expense Policy
Make sure your travel and expense policy is comprehensive. Many businesses don’t have a travel policy in place.
Preparing a cohesive policy can help make approval and approval easier by removing any confusion in the system. Ensure your policy covers all travel-related processes, approved and non-approved expenses, and communication channels.
Provide More Options
If you want more employees interested in implementing company travel software, give them more options. Even better, they need a large inventory for where to stay and how to travel for business. Don’t just stick to hotels or traditional corporate travel booking systems. But ask yourself whether you can provide remote working options with your own catering or co-working spaces that let you be more flexible during your trip.
Monitor Travel Expenses
Track and document your company’s travel expenses. Monitoring all travel costs can help you create detailed reports and make important financial decisions.
Once you have a clear overview of your company’s expenses can help you make better budget decisions.
Use Tools To Communicate
The best way to communicate effectively is to use a tool specifically designed for travel communication. Email and phone calls are two of the most inefficient ways to convey information, leading to confusion.
Leverage Historical Data To Get Better Arrangements
You should investigate past expense data. Thereby, you can identify vendors and service providers you frequently work with. This information will help you negotiate more profitable discounts with your service providers and maximize your cost savings.
Keep Track Of Usage
Keep track of how your employees use the software to see if there are any issues or areas that need improvement. Further, Checking usage data can help you identify areas where you can create more improvements and reduce costs.
Prevent Expenditure Fraud With Automated Reimbursement Processes
Technology has come a long way in recent years, and now you can save time and money by automating expense reimbursement processes. These digital solutions are perfect for CFOs and finance teams who want to make their corporate travel management simple and less prone to expense fraud.
The Bottom Line: Choose A Company Travel Software That Inspires Compliance
According to a recent study, 41% of the respondents said their company travel program prioritized cost savings over employee satisfaction, and 38% said the program balanced the two. Additionally, only 21% said their travel management system prioritized employee satisfaction over cost savings.
To ensure the adoption and use of your company travel management software, you will need resources such as customer support and advice. Ensure you are using the right tools before signing any agreement.
A suitable company travel software like ITILITE offers an easy-to-use web and mobile interface that ushers all travel needs under one roof.
Lastly, All of the above considerations can help organizations get started. But it is necessary to ensure that adoption increases so you can get the most from your investment in your company travel software