Blog /Implementation of Travel Policy and its Benefits

Posted on 27 Feb 2023

Implementation of Travel Policy and its Benefits

The role of an HR in a managed travel

The purpose of business trips is to conduct meetings, sales, negotiations, and other activities on behalf of the company. Business travels can be also an extended business and a multiple-side engagement. In this circumstances, human resources managers are key to guarantee the highest level of safety for employees in their business travel.

When planning a business trip in another country, HR managers should be mindful of certain regulations and restrictions that differ from those in their home country. They should also be informed and prepared about any inconvenience that may happen during all activities of their employees in a foreign country.

Here’s what an HR manager should keep in mind:

  1. Accommodation Standards
  2. Preparing documents according to the country of visit/business
  3. Planning Travel Itinerary
  4. Booking a vehicle for convenience when needed (especially for group trips)
  5. Conducting orientation sessions
  6. Adopting a Cultural Norms
  7. Maintaining international health standards
  8. Finding better deals for your employees

Care about travel and expense management

Managing travels and expenses is a great responsibility, and the potential roughness involved in these two components can make or break your travel program.

We all know that a strong corporate travel culture fosters motivation and connection between employees. This approach may become the new center of company culture, and it is one of the most vital factors for attracting and retaining the best employees. As a matter of fact, employees who don’t like their company’s culture are 24% more likely to quit. And this should certainly concern an employer who wants to succeed!

Reviewing best practices to address employees’ expenses and travel arrangements is an important part of maintaining an engaged workforce. When employees are engaged, they’re connected to your mission and are more productive. Improving your travel expense policy will have a positive impact on the overall.

Connecting with a travel management company

Corporate travel is an important component of running a modern business for many companies, as well as one of the most expensive. Travel costs must be carefully managed, while logistics must be handled so that travelers do not encounter problems. As a result, many people seek the assistance of a travel management company. In this article, you will learn more about travel management as a discipline and some of the key advantages that a TMC company can provide.

What is a TMC (travel management company)?

In general, travel management refers to the strategic management of travel requirements, with corporate travel management serving as the most prominent example. It typically entails everything from developing a travel policy to dealing with vendors, making reservations, and assisting in the monitoring and management of travel costs and expenses.

Implementing travel management program

Companies can benefit from travel management companies for a variety of reasons. Some are obvious, while others are more easily missed. The following are nine of the most significant advantages of using a TMC company to manage your business travel strategy.

  • Program benefits
  1. Lower-Cost flights and hotels

While it is true that a TMC company will require payment for their services, often in the form of a fee for the services you use, the reality is that they can still save you a significant amount of money. This is especially true if you travel frequently or have employees who do.

A travel management company will have business connections throughout the travel industry, allowing them to negotiate favorable hotel rates. They also have the knowledge required to find cheap flights in the right location and book flights at the right time. As a result, overall travel expenses can be drastically reduced.

  1. Professional advice and insight

Any seasoned travel management company will be well-versed in the travel industry and will have picked up a few tips along the way. With this in mind, they will be able to provide expert advice on how to best spend your money, the best travel routes, and what you should know before visiting specific destinations.

In many cases, businesses will partner with a TMC firm that specializes in dealing with clients in their industry. Because some industries have very specific or nuanced travel needs, this can be extremely useful. Prior experience can assist the travel management company in optimizing your travel strategy and avoiding common pitfalls.

  1. 24/7 Support service

Another advantage of working with a travel management company is the availability of assistance. Most businesses will have this available around the clock, or close to it. This means that if something goes wrong, if you need to make a quick change, or if you require immediate advice, someone will be there to assist you.

You will have to handle any travel issues internally if you do not use a travel manager. This could imply that you have difficulty finding support outside of your core business hours, or that you are personally responsible for providing support for every corporate traveler in your organization, even if they require assistance at inconvenient times.

 

 

  1. Travel polices and reporting

Business travel should be as consistent as possible, but you must also keep travelers happy and safe. For these reasons, it is critical that you develop a travel policy. With a clearly defined policy in place, everyone knows where they stand, acceptable and unacceptable behaviors can be defined, and expense rules can be established.

When it comes to reporting your travel expenses, most travel management companies will consolidate information into a single report, assisting in gathering important information in one location. This makes it easier to keep track of your travel expenses and determine whether or not you are overspending in this area.

Aside from consolidating reporting in this manner, the best corporate travel management experts will go above and beyond, assisting you in analyzing the information in your reports so that you can make adjustments to your strategy.

  1. Travel monitoring

When it comes to business travel, many people put it off until the last minute. A travel management company, on the other hand, can actively monitor and manage any travel plans. One way this manifests itself is through the use of travel alerts or warning messages, which are sent to alert people about important information. This can include last minute flight, cancellation, and other amendments. On the other side, it can include also overviewing of safety hazards that should be acknowledged during the journey.

  1. Peace of mind

Travel management can be complicated, and it is all too easy to overlook something, whether it is sorting out visa requirements, ensuring business travelers have adequate medical coverage, or arranging airport transfers. The peace of mind that comes with working with a TMC company is a significant advantage.

Your chosen business travel agency will work with you to understand your requirements and then ensure that everything is in order. Their knowledge of the subject makes it far less likely that anything will be overlooked by mistake.

  1. More time for other tasks

Finally, one of the primary reasons why so many businesses turn to a travel management company is that it frees up more of their time, which can then be spent on other critical business tasks. Travel management is a multifaceted discipline, and it takes time to find the best flights, hotels, and arrange transfers.

A high-quality TMC company will not only be able to handle these responsibilities on your behalf, but they will also have existing business relationships with vendors, providing them with much faster access to the best possible rates.

Travel management program and employee wellbeing

Your most valuable asset is your workforce. However, expecting one of your business travelers to fly red-eye, then return to the office after several days on the road and produce an implementation plan end route to the conference treats your valued employee more like software than a software developer.

Traveler burnout is caused by the stress of frequent business travel, which is exacerbated by the pressures of productivity, performance, and personal sacrifice. This is especially true for employees who travel 14 or more days per month. This type of stress can be demoralizing, resulting in depression, job dissatisfaction, and disengagement, as well as the costly process of employee replacement.

Ensuring employee well-being – protecting their mental, physical, and social well-being – is a common law duty of care responsibility that applies to traveling employees, whether they are meeting a prospective client across town or presenting at a global conference.

In a fast-changing and fast-paced global workplace, it is essential to ensure employee wellbeing. Joining a workplace wellbeing program is certainly important for all organizations and businesses worldwide. It has become the core responsibility of modern HR professionals

Make your job easier and improve company performance

When it comes to business travel, companies have a lot of responsibilities. Travel managers exist to streamline business travel expenses and simplify processes. However, the task can be difficult because the role combines technical, accounting, logistical, and human aspects, among others.

A travel management system is the ideal solution for handling these difficult tasks! If you’re still not convinced, here are some compelling reasons to use these tools.

As a result, it is critical to have a method in place to ensure that employees do not struggle to complete expense reports and that organizations can retain and satisfy their workforce. Human resource teams work extremely hard to find qualified candidates and maintain employee life-cycles. A fully organized and managed program solution can help employees and HR managers to form strong bonds.

An employee wellness program can provide employees with a comprehensive support system to promote emotional, mental, and physical health. While a wellness program can help to support optimal employee functioning. Encouraging employees to take proactive care of their health by participating in a wellness program can help fuel a vibrant company culture comprised of motivated and engaged individuals.

Partner with a right TMC

Business Travel Companies, Elite Travel Lufthansa City Center, are a one-stop shop for businesses in need of a reliable corporate travel management partner. The company offers duty of care and risk management services, as well as sustainability tools, efficient expense management processes, and employee wellness programs. A common-sense approach to business travel underpins everything we do.