Corporate travel management app is a necessity in today’s business world. It allows you to streamline your processes and improve the efficiency of your travel program. For the same reason, many businesses are moving from manual methods and embracing automation via travel management apps.
However, with many options available, researching the right app for your business can be overwhelming. For the same reason, we have created a guide to help you find the travel management app that meets the needs of your business.
Listed below are steps to follow for your research process.
Assess The Travel Requirements of Your Organization
As your company grows, streamlining your business travel becomes crucial. Mismanaged systems can not only lead to cost leakages but also affect the productivity and satisfaction of business travelers.
To choose the right business travel management app, you must first understand the needs of your company. Consider factors such as the number of travelers, frequency of travel, cities you often travel to, safety of travelers, etc.
Define Objectives
Choosing the right app for your business becomes easier when you are clear about what you want to achieve through the app. Identify the business travel challenges that your company is facing with the current business travel management processes and find out where the software could help you.
This will help you focus on the most critical areas and ensure that the chosen software addresses your highest-priority needs. These needs may include: saving costs, improving efficiency, increasing policy compliance, and centralizing data.
Evaluate Budget and Expenses
To narrow down the options further, you will have to analyze the budget of your travel program. Then, look at the pricing models different corporate travel management app providers offer.
Some standard pricing models include subscription-based fees, per-user fees, or transaction-based fees. Evaluate which pricing model aligns best with your budget and usage patterns. Consider if there are any add-on costs for premium features or upgrades.
One of the most saving-oriented pricing models is the “pay-per-trip” model. In the “pay-per-trip” model, you only have to pay when you book business travel. There are no regular subscription fees. This helps avoid unnecessary payments in the months you don’t travel.
Most advanced travel management companies like itilite charge according to this model. They charge a clean price upfront, so there are no hidden charges for aspects like support, cancellation, and rebooking. This way, you can get a greater predicatbility into your T&E spending, and save more on travel management.
To learn more, get a first-hand experience of itilite now.
Check Vendor Reliability
Managing business travelers is a critical task as you are responsible for their safety and travel experience while they are on the road. Therefore, when choosing a business travel management app, the reliability of the vendor should be a top priority.
Research the experience of the vendor in the industry through Google reviews, social media, and testimonials. You can go a step further by connecting with the company that uses the app and asking about their experience. This will help you gain deeper insights and allow you to make a better decision.
Research and Compare Options
After you have defined the needs, objectives, budget, and vendor reliability, you can compare the options based on their features. Some features to look for are listed below.
Self-Booking Option
The app must allow travelers to make booking themselves and take control of their travel plans. This allows employees to curate itineraries that match their schedules and align with any meetings.
Further, this approach reduces the workload for travel managers. They no longer need to engage in time-consuming communication with travelers to finalize arrangements.
Personalization
The business travel management app must be able to curate personalized packages for travelers. These suggestions usually depend on the search history, bookings, and preferences of travelers.
Personalized suggestions reduce the time needed to make bookings, as travelers can quickly select the most suitable option listed at the top.
User Friendliness of the App
To ensure that employees are able to use the app effortlessly, it is important that you choose a corporate travel management app that has a simple UI. The app should present a clear and logical flow, guiding users through the booking process and other relevant tasks.
Well-organized menus and easily accessible search filters contribute to a seamless user experience. In addition, details such as flight times, hotel descriptions, and pricing should be prominently displayed.
Seamless Approval Workflow
A good corporate travel management app must include a travel approval workflow. For instance, once a traveler makes a booking, the software should forward the booking to the designated approver for review. The approver can then approve or reject the booking with just a click.
Further, the app must also have a workflow hierarchy wherein it is possible to include multiple approvers for a single booking.
Policy Enforcement Feature
The app enforces travel policy by showing in-policy and out-of-policy travel packages in different windows. This enables travelers to make more informed decisions.
Further, the software should flag non-compliant expense reports and prevent their submission. This prevents employees from committing fraud and ensures that they follow the T&E policy.
Receipt Capture and Storage
The software must be capable of capturing the picture of receipts on the go. This enables employees to save digital copies of their receipts on the cloud. As a result, employees can easily track their expenses and stay on top of their budgets. Digital receipt storage also eliminates the worry of losing or damaging physical receipts.
Compatibility With Existing Systems
The corporate travel management app should have the ability to integrate with your organization’s existing systems, such as ERP, HRMS, and accounting systems.
This integration ensures that travel-related data, such as employee profiles and financial data, can be seamlessly synchronized between the travel management app and other systems.
Round-the-clock Travel Support
An essential requirement for a travel management app provider is to offer 24/7 travel support. This ensures that your travelers receive prompt assistance and have their queries or issues addressed without delay.
The app provider’s support team can provide guidance, offer safety advice, or connect travelers with appropriate local resources. This ensures the well-being and safety of your employees while they are on the road.
Spend Analysis Dashboard
A spend analysis dashboard provides a centralized view of your organization’s travel expenses. It presents data on various expenditure categories, such as airfare, accommodation, transportation, meals, and miscellaneous expenses.
This overview enables you to understand the overall spending patterns and identify areas where costs can be optimized or reduced.
Credit Card Integration
The corporate travel management app must provide credit card integration, particularly for corporate credit cards. This integration allows for secure payment processing, expense tracking, and reconciliation. Moreover, by integrating corporate credit cards into the travel management app, expenses can be automatically recorded and categorized in real time.
High Security of App Data
Since a business travel management app handles sensitive information related to travel bookings, personal details, and financial transactions, having robust security is a must.
The app should have security measures such as data encryption, access controls, and secure data storage. This protects this sensitive data from unauthorized access, data breaches, or misuse.
Further, the app must adhere to data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
Choose The Best Corporate Travel Management App
By following the steps outlined in this blog and focusing on the key features discussed, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your objectives. Further, you can also consider exploring the features of the leading travel management app, itilite.
Itilite allows your employees to book their tickets from a wide range of inventory, creates personalized packages, and automates the approval process. It also provides you with real-time expense reporting and analytics dashboard, empowering you to make data-driven decisions. And rest assured, ITILITE keeps your policies in check, ensuring compliance every step of the way.
But don’t just take our word for it; we want you to experience the benefits of itilite firsthand. Book a free demo to explore itilite app today.
