Firstly, what is (business) travel management?
Business travel management or travel management is a - usually standardised - process in the company that includes the control, tracking and reporting of travel-related expenses for a business trip. Travel management includes the business trip request, travel booking, resource management and the final travel expense report. Companies usually have a dedicated internal travel manager or office management employees who manage the individual steps of business trips within the company. Travel bookings can also be made by external partners such as business travel agencies.
The digital transformation is also making business travel more digital
Digitalisation and increasing automation are making everyday office life easier. This also applies to travel management. Digital travel management refers to the use of software solutions developed specifically for companies to optimise the entire process of business travel planning and management. These tools offer a variety of business functions, ranging from booking and managing trips to invoicing and analysing travel expenses.
A digital travel management tool enables companies to automate travel policies, consolidate travel bookings, integrate approval processes and store cost centres. It provides a central platform on which all travel data can be collected and managed. It also facilitates communication between travellers, travel managers and other relevant parties.
Implementing a digital travel management solution offers a wide range of benefits for companies and employees. Here are some of the key benefits:
Simplified booking and management of business trips
A digital travel management tool allows travellers to make their own bookings and manage their own trips. This relieves the administrative burden and enables employees to actively participate in the planning of their trips. At the same time, the tool ensures that bookings are made in line with company guidelines and the travel budget.
Adherence to guidelines and compliance
One of the biggest challenges in travel management is compliance and controlling travel costs. A digital travel management tool makes it easier to enforce policies, as travel policies are automatically stored in the tool and taken into account when bookings are made. This ensures that most bookings are made within the travel budget and guidelines.
Flexibility and time savings
Digital business travel software offers travellers a high degree of flexibility when booking and managing their business trips. Rebookings and cancellations can be made simply and easily. In addition, employees save time as they can find all relevant information about their trips in one place and do not have to use multiple platforms or providers.
Transparency and reporting
A digital travel management tool enables companies to record and manage all travel data centrally. This gives both travellers and management access to all the necessary information at all times. In addition, travel costs and expenses can be easily tracked and reports can be created to analyse and optimise travel expenses.
Support and service
Most digital travel management tools offer a comprehensive customer service that is available to travellers in case of questions or problems. This service is often available around the clock and can help the traveller to solve problems or overcome challenges during the trip.
Digital travel management tools offer a variety of features to help companies plan, book and manage their business trips. Here are some of the key features that companies should look for when choosing a travel management tool:
Self-booking
A good travel management tool allows travellers to make their own bookings and manage their own trips. It should offer a user-friendly interface that allows employees to make bookings intuitively and easily.
Compliance and guidelines
An important function of a digital business travel tool is adherence to guidelines and compliance. The tool should be able to automatically take company guidelines into account and ensure that bookings are made in accordance with the guidelines.
Rebookings and cancellations
Flexibility is a crucial factor when booking and managing business trips. A good travel management tool allows travellers to change their plans easily and simply if necessary. Rebookings and cancellations should be quick and easy to carry out.
Large selection of travel options
A travel management tool should offer a wide range of travel options to meet travellers' needs. It should compare different providers, airlines and transport options and offer travellers a wide range of options.
Transparency and reporting
A good travel management tool enables companies to record and manage all travel data centrally. This means that both travellers and the administration have access to all relevant information at all times. In addition, comprehensive reporting functions should be available to analyse and optimise travel expenditure.
Support and service
Customer service is an important aspect when choosing a travel management tool. It should offer comprehensive support that is available to travellers in case of questions or problems. Customer service should be fast, reliable and available around the clock.
There is a wide range of digital travel management software on the market to help companies plan, book and manage their business trips. Below we present 20 software solutions that are suitable for companies of all sizes.
4 tools for booking and managing business trips
10 software solutions that simplify travel expense management
Digital travel management offers a wide range of benefits for companies and employees. By using travel management tools, companies can plan and manage their business trips more efficiently, save costs, ensure compliance and increase employee satisfaction. Choosing the right tool to support travel planning, booking and invoicing is crucial to the success of digital transformation in business travel management.
Companies can choose between complete travel management systems, booking software or pure travel expense management. The range of solutions is diverse and continues to grow, as does the number of accommodations and means of transportation. The entire travel planning process can therefore become quite complex. However, with the right travel management tool, employees are guided intuitively and easily through the individual steps of travel planning - and in the best case, they are supported by experts or smart technologies. This saves companies work, time and often unnecessary expenses.
If your company is not yet using a digital travel management tool, you should carefully examine the various options on the market and select the tool that best suits your company's needs and requirements. With the right travel management software, you can make business trips more efficient and successful.
