The world of business changes all of the time and one trend that has undoubtedly occurred is the increase in corporate travel. More and more companies are travelling nationwide and worldwide to conduct activities relating to their business.
There are many different reasons why this is the case. One trip may be to meet up with a potential client, whilst another may be to oversee production operations you have going on in another location.
Nonetheless, irrespective of your reasons for travelling, one thing you should definitely consider taking advantage of is top travel management companies and the software they provide. Read on to discover the reasons why…
1. Make huge cost savings
There is only one place to begin and this is with the fact that you are likely to make substantial cost savings. There are many different ways how you will do so.
The main way you save money is because the travel management companies will present you with all of the best deals. These companies often have special links with airlines and accommodation providers and so they are able to provide you with exclusive deals that cannot be found elsewhere.
Aside from this, the software provided by these types of companies allows you to easily compare different deals and plan your trips effectively, which also leads to savings. Also, you will have the ability to enforce travel policies for all of your employees to adhere to.
You will be able to plan your trip much more conveniently and you will benefit from all of the best deals. These companies have access to the lowest rates, as they will have secured deals with some of the best airlines.
In addition to this, you will be able to oversee everything via one interface. This allows you to manage your costs as effectively as possible. From airport transfers to accommodation to booking meeting rooms, to car rental hire, and much, much more – you will be able to sort out everything as easily and cost-effectively as possible. Learn more at https://www.coupa.com/products/travel-expense-management/expense-management.
2. Reduce carbon footprint
Companies all know that they have a responsibility to be more environmentally friendly. The best travel management companies help you to adhere to your duty. After all, travel can be responsible for a significant degree of carbon emissions. Yet, the best companies will recommend the greenest routes.
3. Businesses do not need to replace travel with video conference calls
There is no denying the fact that travel can be a costly form of expenditure for a lot of businesses. Therefore, when conferencing-calling software was introduced, it was something that a lot of companies embraced. A small percentage of these businesses believed that such software could replace the travel their company conducted. However, it generally has not been the case. Instead, most businesses have realised the value of company travel, and therefore they are turning to travel management services to help them reap the greatest value.
Travelling is particularly important when it comes to conducting customer meetings. In fact, research shows that you will bring in approximately 15-20 times the returns if you conduct a face-to-face meeting rather than holding one via the Internet. Your meeting is going to be much more compelling when done face-to-face. A computer screen does not generate the same effect and therefore customer meetings are rarely as effective. Let’s say you hold your customer meeting via conference software, and another company pitches just as well as you do but they do it face-to-face, you can be sure they will secure the client.
You can also lose some of your professionalism by going for conference calling software. Unless you have trained your employees in how to use it, a lot of rookie mistakes are made. There can be sound interference, glaring on the screen, disconnections and such like. This does nothing for your corporate image or the effectiveness of your meeting. Indeed, if you are merely checking in with another department then you can use the software, but don’t neglect the opportunity to visit the said department now and again otherwise they won’t feel valued.
Whilst conferencing calling is definitely a great platform to use in some instances, it is not the ultimate solution and certainly should not be a replacement for travel. Companies are realising this, which is why they are turning to travel manager services instead. By doing this they can be more effective with their travel plans whilst saving a considerable degree of money at the same time. Therefore, they make the travel aspect of their company a lot more worthwhile and profitable too.
4. Improve the efficiency of your planning
Aside from this, you will find it much quicker and easier for you to organise travel plans. This is because travel manager companies provide their clients with software whereby they can organise everything via one easy to use interface. This means you can put together the travel plans with minimal hassle.
Nonetheless, the benefits of this do not end there. Let’s say you have a conference meeting in a certain location. You will be able to find directions to this location via the software. You will also be able to discover any other information you desire, such as exchange rates or even the weather forecast.
5. Receive support whilst in another country
One of the key benefits associated with these companies is they provide you with peace of mind whilst you are conducting your business activities overseas.
If you ever have a problem or need a question answered you know you have a team of experts on hand that can give you everything you need.
6. Make savings wherever you can – in places you may not have realised
Don’t overlook the benefits of small savings. They all add up. A good example of this would be selecting a hotel that offers free Wi-Fi. If you fail to do this, your employee will need to pay for Wi-Fi on a daily basis or even an hourly basis. This is an unnecessary expense and one that will easily add up.
In addition to this, it is also worth monitoring your employee’s spending. If they want to dine in the fanciest restaurants, that’s their choice, why should you have to fund it? Providing travel cards with a pre-set amount of money is a viable solution.
7. Assess re-booking options with greater ease
One of the greatest expenses companies experience in relation to corporate travel is the need to reschedule their trip for another date. Unfortunately, this happens a lot more frequently than we would like.
Potential clients may need to rearrange or you may have unexpected commitments at your home offices, so it becomes necessary to re-book your trip for another date. If you haven’t considered this prospect beforehand you may actually have to book the trip afresh, meaning you end up paying twice as much for one trip.
However, there are airlines and alike that are flexible and will allow you to change your flights for a small fee. This should be considered beforehand to ensure damage limitation is put in place.
8. Benefit from the knowledge of travel experts
The knowledge and guidance of a travel management company are worth its weight in gold. They know international markets like the back of their hands. This ensures you maximise value from your trip. They will also provide you with 24/7 support, from help with bookings to information on road closures.
Therefore, if you experience an issue whilst abroad you know that you always have someone on hand who can fix the problem for you.
Managing everything from one centralised interface is also worth thinking about. Just consider how much easier this is going to make travelling. Everything you need is right there in front of you.
9. Reduce the time spent on travel-related tasks
In addition to this, time is of the essence in the world of business. Can you honestly say that you have the hours spare to search for the best deals, plan your trip, look at hotels, evaluate exchange rates and so on and so forth?
Booking a corporate trip is no quick and easy task, especially if you are to reap maximum value from it. Travel managers do all of this for you. They will get to know your company and understand your wants and aims from your trip. They then use this knowledge to cater to your travel demands.
This cuts out the hard work for you and saves you time so that you can focus on the core functioning of your company.
10. Use unique and helpful tools and features
We can go back to the earlier benefit of being more eco-friendly here. There are a lot of travel managers boasting carbon calculators in the present day as they recognise how important it is to run as environmentally friendly as feasible. There is no stone left unturned in the quest to provide you with the ideal business trip.
So there you have it: ten reasons why a travel management system is something all businesses should make the most of.
