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If you run a business with fewer than 1,000 employees, you¡¯ve got bigger things to keep you up at night than travel management. But when it comes to traveler safety ¨C especially in a year like 2020 ¨C you have every right to be concerned. And you¡¯re not alone.

According to a whitepaper published by BTN Group, which states that even before our current challenges, 54% of small to midsize business leaders were concerned about traveler safety, well-being, and satisfaction.

What's Top of Mind for CEOs and COOs

Traveler safety, well-being, and satisfaction

Get the whitepaper

What¡¯s everyone so scared of?

Slowing or ceasing business travel is frightening enough (something else we¡¯ve all learned in the past few months), and the top executives surveyed cited cyber threats, trade conflicts, and terrorism as chief concerns when asked about what could impede their ability to travel.

That¡¯s a worrisome list made even more troubling by fears of infection and the need for social distancing. Add to that the very real concerns about an economic downturn, and it¡¯s hard to imagine getting out of bed in the morning, let alone flying across the country for a meeting.

This is all to say that now, as the world slowly begins to go out on the road again, there are dozens of critical factors to consider. ?

Should we sound the alarm or send up a solution?

Both.

Travel has had its most difficult year, and we cannot afford to forget its lessons. But we are taking to the skies (and rail, and road) again, and that literally gives us a reason to look up.

It¡¯s also good to know that there are solutions out there designed specifically to make business travel easier and safer for your employees ¨C travel management tools that not only improve the overall experience, they give you a decidedly uncomplicated way to capture all your travel spend.

That¡¯s a fairly big statement, so let¡¯s break down its benefits:

• You can improve traveler satisfaction by offering app-based tools that let employees book the way they like with brands they love. These same apps allow them to easily manage their itineraries, access upgrades and updates, and even receive safety data about the neighborhoods they¡¯re traveling to.?
• You can improve employee engagement and productivity with travel and expense solutions that eliminate paperwork from the process. So instead of tracking receipts, they simply snap a picture and hit submit. And instead of filling out expense reports after long, tiring trips, their charges are automatically categorized and uploaded. This takes mindless work off their desks and keeps them focused on their purpose.
• You can improve traveler safety with these same tools. Because every booking is automatically captured, every itinerary is available for your review, and credit card charges are centralized and easy to see, you can quickly pinpoint every traveler. So if there¡¯s a problem, you can help them get home safely.
• You can improve visibility into spending and, ultimately, control over costs. Again, there are ways to capture every booking and each transaction. There are systems that give you proactive controls, ensuring policy compliance. There are tools that pool all this data for you ¨C automatically. So you can see what¡¯s being spent, spot savings, and channel funds where they¡¯re needed most.

And, as it turns out, you can do all these things without adding overhead or extra tasks for your already busy team.

Rallying around the answers.

Never fear. The BTN whitepaper posted some positive stats, as well, reporting that the majority of executives found the following cost-avoidance methods highly effective:

• Reviewing regular reports and analysis of travel budget and program adherence. (77%)
• Enforcing travel policy compliance. (72%)
• Proactively educating travelers about booking preferred suppliers. (70%)
• Using a pre-trip system to approve or deny travel. (70%)

In the end, there¡¯s really nothing to fret about. The right travel and expense solutions cover all these benefits, so you can protect your travelers and your business at the same time. Employees will enjoy a greater travel experience, and you¡¯ll enjoy the cost control and compliance that go with it. No worries.