Few companies today would question the importance of managing the health and safety of their travelling employees. While the primary responsibility must always sit at the top of an organisation, it is often less clear whose job it is to deliver the actual services needed. In many organisations it is either explicitly or implicitly assumed to be the travel department. For many travel managers this is an unwelcome chore – but it doesn’t have to be.
With a complete travel risk management solution in place, it can instead be an opportunity to enhance a travel programme and add some serious extra value in the process.
Here are four ways travel risk management can be used to improve the business travel experience and turn a travel manager into a superstar.
The Obvious
And when a large-scale incident occurs somewhere in the world, corporate management immediately needs to know if any employees are in or travelling to the affected area. In my experience it is often travel managers who have – or are expected to have this information.
The better the tools, the better travel managers can support their organisation in a time of potential crisis.
But even outside of dramatic events, the safety and security information a good travel risk management solution can provide is often appreciated. This is particularly true when employees are being asked to travel to an unknown destination, or to a place that has recently been in the news because of negative events.
Visibility
The basis for sound travel risk management is knowing your exposure: where are our people located now, and where are they going? While many Travel Management Companies offer a basic form of travel tracking based on itineraries, only a professional and dedicated travel risk management solution will capture all travellers, regardless of how they booked their tickets. A professional travel risk management tool not only has the capability to capture all bookings, but also to extract data.
Does booking out of policy mainly occur in specific countries, on specific routes, or maybe within specific departments in the company? Complete and accurate data enables travel managers to analyse travel programme compliance and track whether it is improving over time.
Communication
Being able to communicate with travellers is key in managing travel risk. Employees need the right information at the right time, and not be overwhelmed with information causing them to eventually ignore it. Therefore, alerts and messages need to be targeted.
A modern travel risk management solution should allow messaging based on a combination of geographical location, function, department, etc. Done right, you now have a trusted and appreciated channel, which travel managers can use to also provide travellers with useful information that makes it easier for them to travel – and easier for them to do so within policy.
Smooth travel is safe travel
Sometimes the ambition to save money can lead to travel arrangements that are not only uncomfortable for travellers, but even unsafe. Flights arriving late at night or early in the morning, hotels in less desirable areas or with less than adequate safety and security arrangements.
Travel managers should sit down with security and/or health and safety counterparts – or with outside consultants specialising in travel safety and security – and make sure that the company’s travel policy aligns with safety and security policies. More often than not, the result will benefit business travellers – and they will love their travel manager for it.
This blog was posted by Jens Näsström, Business Development Director at Safeture www.safeture.com. Register for your free visitor pass at www.businesstravelshow.com and come and talk to us at stand B224.
The Wellness Retreat is a new feature for 2020, that will help you tackle the physical and mental well-being challenges that you face in your role as a travel professional or travel manager through a series of workshops, seminars and product demonstrations. Find out more www.businesstravelshow.com/wellness-retreat
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