Business travel is an essential part of most companies, big or small. However, corporate travel is a complicated process with several variables and unknowns. Also, managing many employees’ business trips can only be challenging with an effective travel management app.
Every year, business travelers account for 445 million trips globally. Most companies spend around $799 daily on travel, including meals, flights, and lodging. In other words, travel managers and their teams face many challenges in setting up a travel policy and keeping track of travel costs. That is why having a travel app for successful business travel management is crucial.
What does an employee travel management app do?
If you want to organize and manage your business travel, travel management software can help. It is a platform or SaaS program(software-as-a-service) that allows you to schedule and track all the travel requirements and processes employees need for business or company travel.
HR, finance departments, and employees can use an employee travel management app to communicate and manage employee requests and expenses. It will have an easy-to-use flight, hotel, and transportation inventory that fits the travel policies, integrates approval, controls budgets, and has a user-friendly dashboard.
Features to look for in an employee travel management app
If you are a travel manager, ensure your corporate travel management app has the right features. The app will help minimize manual work and make traveling comfortable for your employees. Here are some features you should look for in your travel management platform.
Making your business travel requests
This app should have a form setup with relevant employee data, like their name and info manager. You only need to enter the info when you are about to leave. It is a great way to save money on your employee travel. You can always manage your reservations accurately, so you need not worry about conversion fees. Even better, each person can have their profile and make money based on their loyalty points.
Authorization and approval order
The app will have approval hierarchy functionality so that when an employee applies, it automatically goes for assessment by one or more approvers. You can also opt to auto-review travel requests based on specific criteria.
Integrate with travel policy
Without a travel policy set up, managing travel can be a real headache. A travel app lets corporate travel managers create travel policies and integrate the rules to ensure employees follow them. It allows the manager to customize and change travel policies as needed. An effective travel reimbursement system should spot and report policy violations, helping you stay compliant.
Simple booking process
With the right travel management software, managers and employees can book their tickets. That way, you can give your traveling employees the best experience possible. Employees can book their flights and hotels on their own in one easy-to-use app, whether on their phone or online. In addition, you can customize things like pre-spend violation reports and policy settings to fit your travel program.
Forecasting and decision-making
Your travel app should be able to figure out where your employee spends money beyond budget. In this way, it will guide them to make better choices that can help them save money.
Tracking the employee
Your app is accessible from any location at any time. Employees should be able to upload travel documents, change plans, and even submit their expenditures from any device. Meanwhile, travel managers should be able to approve expenses or schedules. They should have access to employees from anywhere in real time.
Budget control
Employees and managers can watch out for extra costs that could feed into the travel budget, like hosting fees, booking changes, or help requests. Always choose a travel booking tool that has clarity on the pricing structure.
Plenty of inventory options
If you want to save money on flights and hotel stays, a travel app makes it easy for your employees to compare prices, dates, and deals. Similarly, it should provide the best travel and reservation experience for employees and travel managers. Your travelers need not spend time finding the best deals and comparing prices. Inventory database software should do all the work for you.
Support system
Unforeseen events may happen while employees are on the road, and you need an app that lets you modify bookings in real time to deal with unexpected situations quickly and easily, with beneficial features and free or low fees.
Expense report
Choose an app that automatically captures employee expenses from sources like emails, texts, and credit and debit card statements. It should also let you book and manage your trips automatically.
A corporate travel management solution will give you all the financial information you need for your digital receipts, so you do not worry about them getting lost. The unified travel management app will capture all the expense data and report your employee travel spending in real-time. Such solutions also have a budget app that helps you keep track of individual travel expenses.
Expense reimbursements
Most companies make it a point for employees to submit expense reports and proof of expenses toward travel expense reimbursements. This process means a lot of emails back and forth and long wait times, but it can be different. Automated expense management solutions like ITILITE can make the process much smoother and faster, so employees can get their reimbursements quickly and finance teams can work without stress.
Duty of care features
Your organization has a legal duty to look after your employees’ safety, and the travel management software lets you send them quick alerts so they can take action. The platform’s global threat monitoring can keep you updated on what is happening so you can send messages to employees traveling in case of emergencies.
A travel management platform keeps track of your employees’ locations, dates, and names. You can send out bulk messages to your employees by keeping an eye on global events or threats.
The Bottom Line: Keep your traveling employees safe and happy
Organizations are turning to travel management tools and platforms to ensure employees are happy and productive on their business trips. Always choose a travel and expense management solution that can help cater to your unique corporate travel management needs.
A travel management app is the best way for businesses to make their travel needs easier to approve, budget, and provide 24/7 support. If you are looking for the best travel management app, ITILITE is a preferred unified travel management solution adaptable for any business of any size.
