So, what are the most common pitfalls that arise during corporate travel, and how can they be navigated to enhance the experience? Here are a few vital insights drawn from industry experts.

The credit card conundrum

Imagine landing in a new country after three exhausting flights, only to discover that your corporate credit card has been declined at the hotel check-in. This scenario is all too familiar for travellers who face unexpected holds on their cards from car rental companies or accommodations. In South Africa, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) often expect their employees to cover substantial costs upfront, leading to further complications.

Herman Heunes, General Manager at Corporate Traveller, highlights the solution: 鈥淐redit facilities with your travel management company alleviate the burden of direct payments for each transaction.鈥� With consolidated invoicing and a billback facility, travellers can focus on their work, not on playing 鈥渃redit card roulette.鈥�

The cash-only reality check

Despite the widespread acceptance of credit cards, many destinations, particularly in Africa, still favour cash transactions. 鈥淐ard acceptance can be limited, especially among smaller vendors or taxi services,鈥� explains Rategang Moroke, Operations Manager at Corporate Traveller. When cash is necessary, travellers might be forced to use international electronic transfers, which can take days to clear.听This requires travellers to be aware of backup plans to prevent cash flow issues during their trips.

Currency fluctuations disrupt budgets

Arriving at your destination to find your carefully planned budget impacted by sudden exchange rate changes can be disheartening. One day, your planned R500 dinner morphs into R700 thanks to a volatile currency market. While travel management companies like Corporate Traveller typically book flights and stays in South African rands to mitigate this risk, unexpected expenses can still arise.

Moroke emphasises the necessity of incorporating realistic currency buffers of at least 10-15% into trip budgets to accommodate these fluctuations, especially for SMEs operating on tight margins.

Death by a thousand receipts

Ask any frequent flyer about their most dreaded post-trip task, and the answer will likely be: sorting through a jumble of crumpled receipts. Manual reconciliation is a time-consuming process and, for many, it raises anxiety levels. 鈥淔or clients using expense management systems, receipt management is largely automated, allowing for immediate upload via mobile apps,鈥� says Moroke. Unfortunately, many still manually submit their costs, leading to delays and increased frustration.

Bridging the 鈥榓pproved budget鈥� gap

Frequent travellers are all too familiar with the conversation that follows unplanned expenses, like opting for the last available hotel suite or an unexpected menu upgrade at a client dinner. Instantly, your R800 meal turns into a R1,200 bill, leading to sticky conversations upon return. To address out-of-policy spending, travel policies, pre-trip approvals, and transparent reporting are essential. 鈥淓xceptions are flagged and discussed with clients,鈥� explains Heunes, adding that persistent non-compliance can lead to disciplinary measures from compliance teams.

How to prepare for seamless travel

Before embarking on your next business trip, consider the following tips to navigate financial hurdles effectively:

While on the road:

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According to the findings of the , two-thirds of business travellers feel that traveling for business is critical to their career advancement. However, the survey also found that most professionals don’t feel they have an equal opportunity to take business trips compared to their colleagues.

“Three-quarters of business travellers say they enjoy business travel, but a growing number feel their opportunities to do so are diminishing,” says , Human Resources Director at 麻豆原创 Africa. “Common reasons cited by respondents include their level of seniority (19%), their age (18%), where they live (14%) and their status as parent or caretaker (14%). Surprisingly, 12 percent of respondents said they have fewer opportunities to travel for business due to how often they come into the office, which clearly has implications for remote and hybrid workers.”

The global business travel market was and is projected to reach nearly $2-trillion by 2030. There are business trips every year.

Disruptions continue to impact travellers

Following the disruption caused by the pandemic which brought the global business travel market to a standstill, the market has recovered. However, disruption continues to plague the sector.

“Nearly nine in ten business travellers we surveyed said they’d experienced a significant impact from a travel disruption in the past year,” says Koolen. “These disruptions are not only bad for business, but also for employees’ work-life balance, who often have to spend additional, unplanned days on their trip or sit through longer layovers.”

According to the survey, common disruptions affecting business travellers include unexpected delays or cancellations, safety concerns, and trips getting re-routed.

“In response, the majority of business travellers (80%) are proactively taking steps to account for disruptions, including booking extra time for arrival, departure, or both,” explains Koolen. “Companies can also play a supporting role by investing in travel management solutions that help business travellers stay informed of potential disruptions and allow them to make quick changes to their trip to mitigate any issues.”

Three ways to address business travel challenges

One of the most pressing challenges for business travellers is their companies’ need to balance flexibility with cost-efficiency. “The top two focus areas for companies regarding their business travel are meeting employees’ needs for flexibility and cutting back on travel costs. Nearly all business travellers have seen their companies cut back on certain travel options over the past year, most notably options to add personal travel days to their business trip and allowing remote work while traveling to avoid having to take leave days.”

Understanding employees’ needs and concerns over business travel can help companies ensure they adjust policies accordingly. “It’s essential that companies take necessary steps to keep employees safe and minimise negative experiences and undue disruptions during their business trips,” says Koolen.

Some of the steps companies can take to address business travel challenges include:

1 Deepening engagement with employees

Regular surveys of employees, both before and after business trips, can help companies gather valuable insights into their experience. This can inform changes to business travel policies that may reduce disruptions and avoid negative experiences.

“Companies should check in with employees and ask them questions around their perceived levels of access to business travel opportunities, challenges experienced during recent trips, safety concerns, and familiarity with company travel policies,” says Koolen. “In addition, companies should ensure employees have easy access to resources that enable employees to resolve common challenges.”

2 Acting on data

While collecting data around business travel challenges and experiences is vital, it’s even more important to act on that data. “Companies must use the insights they gain from employee surveys and interactions to develop actionable plans for enhancing business travel experiences,” says Koolen.

Such plans may include revisiting travel policies to remove opportunities for friction, both while booking trips and traveling for work. “Companies need to ensure the right tools are in place to help travellers navigate common challenges, and remain agile in their approach to resolving travel-related issues.”

3 Enhancing capabilities with AI

Koolen says the push-and-pull between the needs of companies and their employees may soon get some help from AI. “Nearly all employees in the survey said they are open to using AI-enabled options for booking their business travel. However, only 7% are comfortable doing so right now, pointing to an urgent need for companies to provide training and support around using AI.”

According to the survey, business travellers are most willing to consider AI automation for administrative tasks, including guidance on safety and wellbeing, visa and documentation support, capturing expenses, and finding sustainable travel options.

“AI-enabled tools may help companies address some concerns among their employees, but the most important aspect is not the tool itself, but the reasons for offering it: making business travellers鈥� lives easier. By taking care in how AI is introduced, companies can ensure AI-powered tools empower employees to improve the quality of their business trips while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.”

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According to recent research from 麻豆原创, over 50% of global business travellers have had to switch their accommodation because they felt unsafe. If you think about it, that鈥檚 a significant number of people forced to make last-minute changes due to personal safety fears.

So, if you鈥檙e preparing for a business trip, whether it鈥檚 in a local city or halfway around the world, addressing safety should be a top priority. It goes beyond just locking the door behind you once you鈥檙e inside鈥攕afety starts the moment you think about hitting 鈥榖ook鈥� on that hotel, says Rategang Moroke, Operations Manager of Corporate Traveller.

Here are five questions Moroke suggests you ask听 to ensure you accommodation is safe.

1. What hotel security measures are in place?

鈥淚t鈥檚 important that companies vet the security protocols of the hotels they choose, especially in regions where crime may be more prevalent. The right set of security measures can help ensure travellers feel safe and focused while they鈥檙e away for work,鈥� says Moroke.

These basics should now be non-negotiable: keycard access for both your room and the lifts, CCTV throughout public areas, and alert, well-trained staff. Additional measures, like 24-hour on-site security, are definite bonuses.

2. How does the hotel safeguard my privacy?

Many hotel safety issues involve not just physical security but also privacy failures. One obvious concern for many travellers is hotel staff inadvertently disclosing room numbers or handing over keys to the wrong person. According to International SOS, four in ten business travellers are worried about hotel staff unintentionally giving away confidential information.

When you check into a hotel, your room number shouldn鈥檛 be announced aloud. And as a guest, you should also be able to trust that your personal data 鈥� whether it鈥檚 payment information or your identity 鈥� is handled securely and with discretion.

3. Is the hotel located in a safe area?

Physical security measures inside the hotel are important, but location matters too. You could be staying at the most secure hotel imaginable, but if it鈥檚 in a rough part of town, you鈥檙e exposing yourself to unnecessary risks every time you step out.

This isn鈥檛 just about personal preference鈥攊t鈥檚 a critical part of any company鈥檚 travel risk management plan, says Moroke. 鈥淯nderstanding local crime rates, recent disruptions, or even the neighbourhood鈥檚 geography can give you a better sense of whether it feels right for you,鈥� she says.

4. What emergency protocols does the hotel have in place if something goes wrong?

While planning your trip and focusing on business, it鈥檚 easy to overlook potential emergencies. Yet knowing what a hotel has in place for different types of crises鈥攚hether it鈥檚 a medical emergency, fire, or criminal activity鈥攃an make all the difference.

Does the hotel have a clear emergency response plan? Do they have security personnel trained in first aid? Are staff readily available to liaise with local emergency services if needed? These may seem like 鈥榳orst-case scenario鈥� things to worry about, but they can quickly become serious matters if a problem occurs during your stay, says Moroke.

5. Does the hotel use any technology for guest safety?

Technology changes fast, and hotels are adapting. Today, you鈥檒l find more options when it comes to mobile check-ins, which allow you to bypass the front desk altogether. This reduces the need for unnecessary interactions and gives you more control over your check-in process. Some hotels now also offer keyless entry using mobile apps, which is another great feature for those who want additional layers of security.

Moroke concludes, 鈥淭he hotels that offer tech solutions鈥攚hether it鈥檚 mobile check-in or smart locks鈥攁re taking additional steps towards enhancing their guests鈥� safety. But safety doesn鈥檛 end there. Your TMC should also offer services like real-time location tracking, which helps businesses keep a two-way line of communication open with attendees. If there鈥檚 any sort of safety risk, we know where travellers are and can get help to them quickly.鈥�

This article first appeared on Inside Travel:

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In 麻豆原创鈥檚 recent Concur Global Business Travel Survey, business travellers reported significant budget cuts (40%), a surge in reduced overnight trips (32%), and a noticeable dip in the quality of accommodations (31%).

The survey revealed that 31% of participants were engaged in an ongoing quest for cost-effective travel options. Unsurprisingly, air travel expenses emerged as one of the primary focal points for budget scrutiny as businesses seek to rationalise overall travel expenditures.

According to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the average cost of business-related airfares surged by 72% in 2022. While these statistics provide an overview, what is the actual experience for a business traveller striving to harmonise corporate objectives with personal comfort?

Real-world impact

In an interview with听Travel News, a seasoned corporate traveller shed light on the tangible effects of reduced travel budgets. He emphasises how these financial constraints have transformed business trips into less enjoyable and more arduous experiences.

鈥淲e must consider longer airline routes with multiple stops to secure cheaper airfares. This strategy, while financially prudent, has introduced new challenges. The extended layovers not only induce fatigue but also limit the time available for attending crucial meetings at my destination. This shift is a significant departure from the more efficient business travel experiences of the past.鈥�

He explained that while it was tempting to reduce business travel costs, his company must be mindful of how these decisions could impact travellers.

鈥淏usiness trips should contribute to the benefit of our operations and profitability, and at the same time consider that we are away from home; living out of a suitcase is no longer exciting for me. I have preferences when I travel to feel comfortable and safe in a foreign environment. There must be a balance between cost saving and our business travel processes, and it is tricky to get that right when everything has become so expensive.鈥�

Proactive approach

Bonnie Smith, GM of Corporate Traveller, says now is the right time to take a strategic rather than reactive approach to business travel budgeting.

鈥淲hile all businesses need to have an eye on expenses, it is equally important to provide teams with the necessary resources and flexibility when they are on the road.鈥�

In a recent Corporate Traveller article, Smith notes that business travellers are pinching pennies and facing more pressure to make the trip worth every cent.

鈥淭he fluctuating rand has not helped, resulting in daily travel allowances barely covering the basics. And you know what they say about all work and no play: it is making these trips much less about glamour and more grind.鈥�

This article first appeared in .

The post Rising Costs Choke Business Travel appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

However, considering the turbulent economy, Gabriele Indrieri, VP & Managing Director for 麻豆原创 Concur EMEA South, points out that it is vital for businesses to make efficient choices, especially when it comes to resources. 鈥淚t鈥檚 for this reason more decision-makers are weighing up the cost-benefit of corporate travel and looking for saving potential.鈥�

To assist businesses in reaping the benefits of business travel while protecting the bottom line, he outlines five tips to consider:

1. Minimize errors to reduce overspending: If employees manually enter and itemize expenses, they are more at risk of making costly mistakes. Therefore, investing in smart technologies, although initially can be costly, will mitigate this and instil long-term cost and time efficiencies. For example, tech can pull individual charges from credit card providers automatically or integrate charges and receipts directly from hotels, airlines, and rental car companies, or uploaded them as photographs by travellers 鈥� ultimately eradicating the room for error.
2. 听Enforce practical policies: Only one in three employees believe that their company鈥檚 travel and expense policy is well-fitted and fair, according to . Not only do expense policies need to streamline processes, but they also need to align with the company鈥檚 culture. Therefore, finance teams must consider how policies will work in practice, as it鈥檚 unlikely that they will suit every employee, meaning that flexibility will need to be built into their approach.
   This could be implemented through platforms that enable administrators to flex policies by creating multiple versions within the system that can be applied to different employees based on individual factors, departments, and offices. It is then essential to continually check whether the policies remain suitable for the workforce as time goes on. Regular automated audits are the best way to do this for overall, accurate visibility and to prevent finance teams from manually sifting through every single transaction.
3. Communicate policies regularly: Often when employees overspend, it鈥檚 because they are not aware of the budget allowance. This can be mitigated by ensuring a clear budget and that all employees are working within the expense policies laid out.
   However, only a third of employees say that their company鈥檚 travel expense policies are easy to understand with another only another third of employees taking action to avoid unconscious fraud. 听By frequently checking their policy for updates, employees will know the importance of facilitating travel bookings. In addition, professional travel booking solutions that make travellers aware of the bookings being covered by the company鈥檚 policies or not will reduce the number of potentially costly out-of-policy bookings and allow for peace-of-mind.
4. Streamline VAT reclaim: Many companies still fail to reclaim VAT, even though they lose a large amount of money as a result. This can be attributed to the use of inefficient tools and the fact that processing VAT claims and ensuring compliance can be complex. Using a solution that removes the need for businesses to manage their VAT reclaim manually can lead to significant time and cash savings while minimizing compliance issues.
5. 听Rely on data when negotiating rates: Discounted prices add up to real savings. But, to negotiate rates, you need to track spending with each supplier. This can be challenging without the right tools to sort through inconsistent spending data that is captured from credit card feeds and other sources. Plus, when employees book outside of the approved system, those expenses may not even be captured. As such, if businesses harmonize their spending data from all booking sources, they will be positioned to demand the best prices.

听鈥淭he pandemic has transformed the way we work, with virtual communication and digital tools to collaborate becoming the norm. However, it’s clear that there’s no substitute for the kind of in-person connections that business travel enables,鈥� says Indrieri. 鈥淏y adopting a strategic approach that takes into account the cost-benefit of each trip, businesses can take advantage of this by creating a cost-efficient travel program that allows employees to build valuable relationships and maximize productivity.鈥�

鈥淣ow is the time to take action and plan for the future, with a focus on sustainable, cost-effective travel that enables businesses to thrive,鈥� he concludes.

The post Strategic Business Travel: 5 Tips for Boosting Productivity and Savings appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

Notable highlights of the responding 3,850 business travelers across 25 global markets include:

It鈥檚 personal. Travelers believe their career success and fulfillment depend on a return to business travel.

• Ninety-two percent of respondents are motivated to travel for business this year for personal reasons, including making personal connections with customers and colleagues (54 percent), experiencing new places (52 percent), and taking a break from their everyday life (41 percent).
• That said, four in five business travelers worry that unless they increase business travel this year, their personal (80 percent) and professional lives (80 percent) will suffer.
• Respondents listed personal concerns about the ability to develop and maintain business connections (45 percent), making less money (38 percent), and not advancing in their career (33 percent). In fact, one in five (18 percent) are worried they could lose their job if they are unable to increase their business travel.
• Respondents also felt that if business travel does not increase, it will be more difficult for their company to build new relationships (38 percent), and it would result in fewer new deals signed (37 percent) and fewer contract renewals with existing clients (34 percent).
• Heavy workloads and unused vacation days also mean workers want to make the most of any upcoming business travel鈥�89 percent say they will add personal vacation time to their business trips in the next 12 months.

But COVID-19 has also altered power dynamics in the workplace. Business travelers will consider their options if employers don鈥檛 match their expectations.

• Two out of three respondents (68 percent) clearly state that they want to return to business travel, but they want to do so on their own terms.
• Almost a third (31 percent) say they would ask to limit travel if their company does not implement policies or measures to help protect their health and safety, while 20 percent would go as far as looking for a different position.

Travel flexibility is moving to the forefront for business travelers, while safety is taking a back seat.

• Flexibility, such as choosing your transportation, lodging, and travel dates, is now the most pressing need for business travelers, ahead of their vaccination-related demands (72 percent vs. 62 percent).
• In contrast, , ensuring personal health and safety while traveling was the most important consideration for business travelers.

Additional findings鈥攊ncluding how businesses can address travelers鈥� requirements to rebuild trust and retain talent鈥攚ill be released and discussed during the on June 17, 2021.

The survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com), a leading independent provider of quantitative, qualitative and hybrid market research, among 3,850 business travelers (defined as those who travelled for business three or more times in the past 24 months, and who work in a role that will likely require them to resume business travel when it is safe to do so) from the following markets: US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, LAC (Colombia, Chile, Peru, Argentina), UK, France, Germany, ANZ region (Australia, New Zealand), SEA region (Singapore, Malaysia), China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, India, Korea, Italy, Spain, Dubai, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg), South Africa, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. The survey took place April-May 2021.

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The last twelve months have generated high levels of economic, political, and social uncertainty, and the same can be said for organisations, as the pandemic has completely altered the way we do business. It has brought forward new challenges and enabled new work conditions which we were never prepared for.

And while COVID has delivered new challenges, it has also caused many companies to turn to new technology. If 2020 has taught businesses one thing, it鈥檚 that they can take decisive action when pushed to do so, especially when it comes to implementing new digital tech to help forward thinking organisations to thrive in unforeseen circumstances.

Here are three technological advancements that have helped businesses during the pandemic. As many are now beginning to realise, these new tools have become critical to streamline processes, automate tasks, and remote work.

1. Cloud adoption and automation

The cloud鈥檚 important role as a pillar of digital transformation hasn鈥檛 changed since before the pandemic 鈥� in fact, its uptake has quickened to manage the surge in data businesses need to process. from Synergy Research Group have revealed that cloud spending is up and has not been hampered by the ongoing crisis. This trend is likely to persist, as the migration to virtual work underscores the urgency for scalable, secure, reliable, cost-effective off-premises technology services. In fact, despite the inevitable economic downturn in the wake of the pandemic, cloud spending is estimated to rise 19% for the full year, even as IT spending as a whole is forecast to fall 8%, according to industry .

While the trend to move to cloud-based solutions has been increasing steadily over the past two to three years, it is now the on-demand utilisation of IT resources, including data storage, processing power, and applications on a pay-as-you-go basis via the internet. Effectively, the cloud now underpins all key digital strategies in the workplace. As businesses look at ways to increase productivity, reduce errors within their systems and improve their employee experience, they are starting to use cloud-based automation tools and services. For instance, the cloud has been used to switch to a paperless and virtual expense management system, streamlining back-office finance processes and eliminating the need for staff to present expense claims in person. This has helped with automating and streamlining mundane, manual tasks for employees, and enabled finance teams to spend their time on tasks that are more strategic.

2. The Artificial Intelligence advantage

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way people work, how enterprises operate, and how entire industries transform. As businesses maintain hybrid remote-working models and forestall other potential disruptions in 2021 and beyond, the role of AI in the workplace will continue to grow. More businesses are leaning on AI algorithms to make quick decisions backed by real-time financial precision, to meet the business needs brought forward by the pandemic.听This includes managing spend in near real-time to improve budget management and liquidity, increasing compliance and eliminating errors, to taking on mandatory tasks and maximising profitability.

For the travel and expense (T&E) industries, AI has become particularly useful in analysing data. The new generation of AI-powered T&E tools allows businesses to analyse the travel experience and purchasing behaviours.听Integration tools and various applications of AI can interpret traveller data to provide companies with meaningful information that can improve compliance, identify cost savings, and more.

With AI, businesses can also automate an enormous quantity of data and reduce human errors. This then leads to predictive analytics, allowing companies to take proactive action in making business decisions. For example, the new 麻豆原创 Concur survey, 鈥淭he Hidden Potential of VAT Reclaim鈥� has found that businesses are looking to ensure they have digital tools and solutions in place to take VAT reclaim processes online.

3. Pre-trip approval

More companies will implement pre-trip approvals for business travel in 2021, as part of a broader effort to keep employees safe and transform travel and expense policies. Typically, the pre-trip approval system enables employees to enter basic data, such as dates, times, trip destinations, reasons for the trip, and any requests for advances, in a travel request.

All this information will help the corporate travel team and the employee鈥檚 line manager to assess whether a trip is essential and to keep tabs on employees for their duty of care requirements. Often, these pre-trip approvals have been mandated by cost-control concerns but as countries around the world continue to reshape travel restrictions, advanced approvals can support traveller safety programmes.

The pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on many businesses. But the smart use of technology is one way to tackle current and future challenges. From supporting employees working from home, managing compliance and cashflow to duty of care obligations, there are many ways technology can support businesses and their staff -鈥攏ow and in the post-COVID world.

The post Three Defining Tech Moments That Have Helped Businesses Face COVID-19 appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

According to Angelique Montalto, Head of 麻豆原创 Concur Africa, organisations are having to quickly adapt to improve their travel and expense policies to keep employees safe while also maintaining adequate liquidity. 鈥淲e are seeing across our platform how organisations are taking a far more active role in terms of their travel policies, with a specific focus on meeting their duty of care obligations for traveling employees. In addition, the economic impact of this past year has brought the office of the CFO into a more active role in guiding travel and expense policy as organisations try to maintain healthy cash flow.”

麻豆原创 Concur is the world鈥檚 largest travel and expense platform for businesses, processing almost 55% of the globe’s travel and expense claims.

At a recent virtual event, two Concur partners, Uber and Flight Centre, shared insights about the impact of the pandemic on their customers and operations, and how businesses are adapting to a radically new normal.

Unprecedented impact on business travel sector

Bonnie Smith, General Manager of FCM Travel Solutions South Africa, which is part of the global Flight Centre Travel Group, says she has never seen such a wide-reaching global impact on the business travel industry. 鈥淚n our latest survey of more than 1600 customers around the world, only 26% of businesses stated they plan to return to pre-pandemic levels of domestic travel in 2021. Half of all businesses are also making changes to their travel policies, with a strong focus on health and hygiene, and ensuring all suppliers have the necessary measures in place to reduce the risks of COVID-19.鈥�

According to FCM Travel Solutions鈥� customer survey, nearly three-quarters of organisations are reviewing their hotel supply strategy. 鈥淭he single biggest element is health and hygiene, which 37% of respondents said is their top concern,鈥� says Smith. 鈥淪eventeen percent are also consolidating their suppliers to reduce leakage. More than half (56%) of organisations are also reviewing their airline supply strategies, with aspects such as touch-less check-in options topping the corporate travel wish lists.”

Global research conducted by 麻豆原创 Concur in July found that 97% of business travellers expect a 鈥榥ew normal鈥� for business travel even after COVID-19 related restrictions are lifted. For 45% of business travellers surveyed, the trip itself is perceived to be the most stressful stage of business travel, a 50% increase from the year before.

While South Africa has opened up its industries following the lifting of the strictest lockdown measures, many businesses are choosing not to engage in business travel. 鈥淲e are seeing around half of local industries resuming business travel, but at far lower frequencies,鈥� says Smith.

Timothy Kiluba, New Models Lead Operations Manager Sub-Saharan Africa at Uber, echoes Smith鈥檚 sentiments. 鈥淕lobally we saw a drop of 80% in business travel via our platform this year. As a business whose core focus is on the movement of people, the lockdown has had a severe impact.鈥�

Thinking differently

With most workplaces shut, a ban on international travel and most countries under some form of lockdown, Uber had to adapt quickly to this year鈥檚 events. 鈥淭he pandemic has forced us to think differently and innovate,鈥� says Kiluba. 鈥淲e looked beyond the movement of people to see how we can assist with also moving what is important to people.鈥�

Uber partnered with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to deliver medicine, as well as food parcels to people in need via a network of partners. 鈥淥ur Uber Connect service helped people locked in their homes to send goods – books, food, care packages – to loved ones while lockdowns were in place. We have also piloted a new Uber-by-the-hour service in Tanzania to allow travellers to keep an Uber for an hour and so minimise the need to use different drivers when a trip requires multiple stops.”

No more room for manual processes

Montalto says organisations that still rely on manual or semi-automated expense claim and invoice management processes will be at a significant disadvantage due to the ongoing disruption. 鈥淲hile we鈥檝e seen a reduction in expense claims on our platform, the types of employee expenses are rapidly changing. Recent data suggests 72% of businesses using our platform are seeing changes in the types of expenses going through their systems, but only 24% have made any changes to their policies. This can have a seriously deleterious effect on an organisation鈥檚 cash flow and liquidity.鈥�

With many employees working from home or even a hybrid remote office, expenses such as office furniture, connectivity and equipment have increased significantly. 鈥淢any people had no home office when the first lockdowns were announced, and employees have subsequently had to purchase desks, chairs, and additional data to ensure they can remain productive while away from the office,鈥� explains Montalto. 鈥淎s a business, if you鈥檙e still relying on a manual or semi-automated process to manage expense claims, the surge in new expenses would have been nearly impossible to manage and the opportunity for non-compliance rampant.鈥�

Montalto advises that organisations automate their employee spend and invoice management processes. 鈥淏y using a central platform, companies can update and dynamically enforce their policies remotely, and ensure all incoming claims and invoices are aligned to policy. Organisations are seeking greater control over all of their spend during the unpredictable and difficult period ahead. We expect to see a much closer working relationship between HR and the office of the CFO to ensure travel and employee expenses support the financial health of the organisation.鈥�

The post How 2020鈥檚 Events are Transforming the Business Travel Sector appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

It鈥檚 no secret that one of the industries most affected by Covid-19 has been travel. Even now that things are slowly returning to some kind of new normal, travel is likely to remain constrained for many years to come. But people still need to stay in touch, make business connections and carry out site visits, so how will businesses adapt to getting their people back on the road and in the air?

In this webinar, you will get the unique opportunity to hear from two companies in the eye of the storm: Uber and FCM Travel, which is part of the global Flight Centre Travel Group. FCM Travel鈥檚听Bonnie Smith听will present the global group鈥檚 research into听how businesses in the world have adapted to a changed travel landscape, and what plans they are making for the future. She will explain the impact that shifting demands will have on听pricing, the measures that airlines, airports and hotels are having to take to听keep their customers safe, and how businesses should听budget for these new circumstances.
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Uber鈥檚听Timothy Kiluba听will provide some first-hand insights in the way听the famous industry disruptor pivoted during Covid-19 and how the company has reimagined the future of travel. Also on the panel is Angelique Montalto, the regional director for travel, expense and invoice management solution provider 麻豆原创 Concur, who will share her insights into the听trends and solutions for business travel in a Covid-19 world.

Programme听
11h00-11h05:听Welcome by听Georgina Guedes, CFO South Africa editor-in-chief
11h05-11h25: Bonnie Smith, general manager of FCM Travel Solutions South Africa, presenting research into听global trends in business travel
11h25-11h35: Timothy Kiluba, head of expansion for Sub-Saharan Africa at Uber, detailing the ride sharing service鈥檚 evolutions and precautions in Covid-19
11h35-11h45: Angelique Montalto, regional sales director for 麻豆原创 Concur, outlining听solutions for travel in a Covid-19 world
11h45-12h00: Q&A 鈥�听Your questions on business travel, budgeting and keeping your employees safe answered by the panel of experts

Why attend?

• Discover how the business travel landscape has adapted to the realities Covid-19, and what this means for your business.

• Learn how to budget for the changing demands and costs of business travel in the new normal.

• Your business travel questions answered by a panel of experts who have insights into the current business travel market.

The post Online Webinar: A New Blueprint for Business Travel appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

New research fielded by in June 2020 looks at business travellers鈥� concerns and expectations post-COVID-19. While the data suggests travel will continue to play an irreplaceable role in meeting critical business demands, it also shows that health and safety are top-of-mind among employees. The survey reveals that ensuring their health and safety while travelling is most important to business travellers, with 65 percent placing it in their top three considerations. Top concerns about returning to business travel also include infecting their families (55%) and getting sick themselves, (53 %).

These concerns could be contributing to employees鈥� stress during the trip. Forty-five percent of business travellers said they find the actual trip the most stressful stage, a 50% increase from last year. Twenty-six% find pre-trip activities such as planning, booking and organising their trip to be the most stressful, while 29% find post-trip activities such as filing expense reports and monitoring their health after returning home to be the most stressful. Additionally, business travellers hold themselves most accountable to protect their health and safety once travel starts again (36%). However, they also are looking to their employer to protect their health and safety (18%).

This leads to the question 鈥� are travel managers prepared to meet business travellers鈥� expectations in light of the fluid state of business and travel during these unprecedented times?

听The 麻豆原创 Concur survey found that among travel manager respondents, 96% reported that their company was not fully prepared to manage evolving travel demands during the outbreak.

What were the biggest pain points experienced?

• Handling the volume of cancelled reservations (44%)
• Processing the volume of refunds, receipts, and unused tickets (43%)
• Determining if it is safe to travel in the absence of government guidelines (40%)

As business travel resumes, travel managers could face similar challenges on top of meeting employees鈥� expectations to ensure they feel protected and safe. If companies don鈥檛 adapt, 65% of business travellers say they intend to take some degree of action, such as asking to limit or reduce travel in their current position (455), searching for a new position within their company that does not require travel (10%), or searching for a position at a different company (8%).

Here are a few tips that can help travel managers meet business travellers鈥� expectations to keep them healthy and safe:

• Update travel policies. Travel managers should look at their current travel policy and make updates to fit the current situation. One important guideline to update is what the company will consider essential travel. They should work with human resources and their business leaders to determine which business functions need to be conducted in person and which ones can be done online. Thirty-nine percent of business travellers say they consider limiting business travel to only the most business-critical trips as vital for their company to implement when travel resumes. Not only will it help minimise employees鈥� exposure, it can also make a difference in the company鈥檚 bottom line.
• Consult the experts. National health organisations and hospitals offer free information for businesses and consumers who need to travel. Travel managers should stay up-to-date on the latest guidance and ensure employees know about these resources. The site offers helpful information on traveling within South Africa and internationally. TripIt from Concur offers a helpful that gathers a collection of resources to make finding information about international public health, safety advisories, and travel guidelines easy.
• Health checks and personal protective equipment (PPE). Travel managers should look into ways they can implement mandatory personal health screenings before and after travel for employees. In fact, 39% of business travellers believe this is an important measure companies should take. This can help ease business travellers鈥� concerns about infecting others and being infected themselves in the course of travel. In addition, 33% of business travellers want easier access to PPEs like gloves or facemasks and expect their company to provide them with this equipment.
• Implement technology that gives insight into employees鈥� travel plans. It鈥檚 vital for travel managers to know where employees are during business trips so they can communicate with them should an incident occur. An integrated technology solution that provides up-to-date business traveller data and the ability to reach out to employees in the event of an emergency offers peace of mind to both the business traveller and the travel manager.

While these tips won鈥檛 fully solve for all business travel challenges, they can help alleviate some of the concerns employees have when it comes to returning to travel, and help businesses adapt, stabilise, and reimagine business travel in the new normal.

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