Companies have numerous obligations as far as business travel is concerned. Travel managers are there to simplify processes and streamline business travel expenses. But the task can be complex as the role mixes technical, accounting, logistical, and human aspects, among others.
A travel management system is the ideal solution for managing these complex assignments! If you’re still not convinced, here are four very good reasons for adopting these tools.
Reason no. 1: Make everyday life easier for Travel Managers
Implementing a company-wide travel policy can sometimes be complex. Reimbursement rules may vary depending on the type of travel and the status of the employee. The challenge is to find a balance between setting limits and adopting a certain amount of flexibility so that assignments can be performed in the best possible conditions.
Travel management systems simplify this management and make it easier to validate and track business trips. Thanks to the centralized data, travel managers can track current, past, or scheduled trips in real time. Some management systems can also be used to manage the company’s vehicle fleet. An undeniable advantage for travel managers every day.
Reason no. 2: Save time through automation
Another good reason for adopting a travel management system is to automate time-consuming and low value-added tasks. On a daily basis, for example, searching and comparing offers (accommodation, transport, etc.) is often the most time-consuming task for the employee and/or travel manager. Adopting a travel management system saves time because it centralizes data and allows you to compare the different offers available in a matter of seconds.
Automating processes is essential to reduce the time it takes to search, manage, validate and reimburse. And this doesn’t just concern the travel manager – employees and the accounting department are also affected.
💡 See also : Mission orders and expense reports: what reimbursement process should you put in place?
Reason no. 3: Simplify expense report management
As a travel manager, you may experience difficulties getting expense reports validated and reimbursed. Travel management systems offer the following:
- You can manage mission orders and evaluate the cost of a trip in advance, making it possible to validate, or reject, an employee’s trip;
- Employees can enter their expense reports straight away. This reduces problems of lost documents and receipts. For example, N2F, an expense report management application, has a smart scan that extracts data from expense reports photographed by the employee;
- Requests to authorize business trips and travel;
- Requests for the advance payment of expenses, etc.
Expense report management is completely paperless, giving you full control of the validation and reimbursement process. The application includes a history of all operations enabling you to track exchanges and actions taken. Employees are reimbursed in a timely manner and the risk of error is significantly reduced.
Reason no. 4: Optimize your company’s travel policy
All information related to employee travel is centralized, giving travel managers an overview of the trips made and a complete history. The travel management system therefore enables them to evaluate the cost of travel in real time and, more generally, the company’s travel policy. This makes it easier for travel managers to identify areas for improvement and to quickly correct them.
One of the key roles of travel managers is to streamline business travel. A travel management system will provide them with an indispensable decision-making tool to help them carry out their role.
