1. Cost Control and Budget Management
As a travel manager, trying to balance the cost-efficiency and quality of business trips can be one of the biggest challenges you face.Searching through seemingly endless combinations of accommodation offerings, transport options, and other relevant business travel services can be tedious and overwhelming. Then, there's the added time spent calling or emailing travel suppliers and agents to negotiate deals and manage travel expenses to stay on budget. While ensuring cost optimization is necessary, it's equally important not to compromise on the travel experience. Corporate travelers must feel comfortable and refreshed to be on top of their game for pitches and client meetings. Booking a hotel room on a noisy street or an Airbnb in a poorly connected part of town is unlikely to be worth the savings.2. Corporate Travel Policy Compliance
Ensuring that all staff trips adhere to your company's travel policy can be difficult, especially if your teams are booking across several websites. The policy may be long forgotten, lost in an email, or hidden away on the intranet.Complying with policies can be even more complicated when you try to factor in the preferences of individual travelers. Some people might like to stay in hotels with on-site gyms or be based in a particular part of a city. Others may prefer to fly at a certain time of day or take public transport rather than hire a car. These requests may be reasonable, but trying to work them into itineraries can be time-consuming and cause the cost to fluctuate. On the flip side, some requests are over budget or not in line with your corporate travel policy. It can also be difficult for travelers to remember details like your company's preferred hotel chains and airlines, especially if you have recently updated these.3. Travel assistance for when things don't go according to the plan
Travel disruptions are bound to happen at some point on business trips. Whether it's a train strike or a canceled flight, some things are just out of your control. TravelPerk's survey found that in 2023, 79% of corporate travelers across the UK, US, Germany, and Spain experienced some form of travel disruption. Recent global aviation data showed that over a 6 month period the US had the highest number of flight cancellations worldwide (124,883), followed by China (108,465), Indonesia (30,192), Canada (15,598), and the UK (113,89). These unseen events can create a lot of hassle, especially if the alternative options are inconvenient or lead to mounting costs from last-minute travel arrangements. So, what can you do when things go wrong?4. Duty of Care to travelers
Ensuring traveler safety is no small feat. Travel managers must complete many tasks, from setting company expectations and analyzing hazards to tracking employees and monitoring changes to security on the ground. A comprehensive travel policy can help set guidelines for safety concerns like alcohol consumption while employees are on the road. But these advisories and risk assessments must be clear. Feel free to use our travel and expense policy template for guidance.6. Curbing carbon emissions
As the world pushes to reach the environmental goals laid down in the Paris Agreement, business travel has a key role to play.Traveling with work has always carried a large carbon footprint. Employees often have to travel long distances and use carbon-inefficient forms of transport, notably planes. Corporate travelers are also usually on the move at rush hour, using routes prone to gridlock.But, organizations have the opportunity to make a major difference to the world by creating greener corporate travel policies. A shift to a more eco-friendly approach can tap into the spirit of the modern workforce. According to studies carried out in the UK in 2020, over three-quarters of employees now consider a company’s green credentials when considering a new role. By upgrading their sustainability efforts, companies can help the planet and attract top talent. For business travel planners, however, this presents a significant challenge. When trying to lower your company's carbon footprint, it can be difficult to know where to start, especially if you don't have access to accurate data.7. Technological Integration
There is an ever-growing list of tech solutions for corporate travel bookings, expense reporting and reimbursements, HR, and managing traveler safety. Trying to stay up-to-date with the latest offerings and implement multiple systems can be confusing and time-consuming.Juggling multiple tools can be difficult enough for travel managers to stay across. But the bigger problem is that this approach makes it even more likely that staff will not have time or will forget to input information into different platforms. The result: You can end up feeling like your tech solutions are taking up more time than they save, and you're not fully utilizing their functionality.8. Travel Data and Analytics
As a travel manager, you always look for ways to improve the efficiency of your travel program. By collecting, analyzing, and leveraging travel data, you can make informed decisions to optimize your strategy, increase cost-effectiveness, and support sustainable travel goals. But this can be easier said than done. Without the right processes and tools, you can end up with piles of separate invoices, complicated reimbursement requests, and tracking travel expenses, which will take a while to gather and compare meaningfully. Thankfully, there are ways to overcome these challenges and turn your travel data into opportunities for your company.9. Allowing employees some autonomy
When employees travel for work, they sacrifice time away from loved ones and the hobbies and interests that they enjoy. The last thing workers want is to feel micromanaged or babysat when it comes to their business trips.As an organization, one way to ensure business travelers remain engaged is to offer them more autonomy over their travel arrangements. Whether it's flying after dropping their kids at school or choosing a hotel with a gym, these factors can improve their travel experience and overall happiness with their role. But how can travel managers ensure freedom doesn't equal a free-for-all? 10. Traveler Satisfaction and Experience
As a travel manager, your employees' satisfaction on business trips is a goal that shouldn't be underestimated. A Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) survey found that 79% of North American business travelers shared that their business trip experiences significantly influence their overall job contentment.So, with employee engagement and retention at stake, how can you boost traveler satisfaction? Ensuring a great travel experience starts from the booking process until post-trip reporting. Crafting seamless processes for every stage gives corporate travelers the peace of mind to focus on important business meetings.