GUEST BLOG: MOBILE TRACKING

The world is an increasingly unpredictable place, subjecting anyone doing business internationally to increasing insecurity. Preparing for and dealing with a mutable situation is a complex undertaking, and requires the right tools to act swiftly, safely and decisively. 

Travel managers have adopted a variety of tactics for keeping travelling personnel safe overseas, including the use of mobile tracking systems, which have evolved considerably since they were first introduced.

There is a popular misconception that travel tracking is solely about monitoring people 24 hours a day, but this does not provide a duty of care; it merely provides an indication of where they are at any given point in time.

Most important is to capture vital traveller itinerary information at the point of booking, so there is time for a risk assessment to be performed and any necessary risk mitigation resources to be put in place so that the trip can proceed safely. 

Tracking is best suited to higher risk individuals, such as lone female travellers or those operating in risky or remote locations. With some tracking apps it is possible to set a safe area boundary and alert the team responsible for the individual’s safety if they stray into dangerous territory. However, when considering the rise of such applications, it’s important to remember that they should only form one part of a wider security strategy, designed for use at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner.

GPS technology becomes truly useful when you look at what is going on around the employee you are tracking, as well as where they are going. Understanding the risk around employees can help a business deal with potential issues in advance, providing the ability to not only respond but to monitor and take steps to mitigate anticipated risks.

The key thing for corporations to avoid is a ‘laissez faire’ attitude. Technology hasn’t taken over yet and smartphones etc. are frequently lost or stolen. Mobile applications will therefore always need to be used in the correct context and with input from other forms of intelligence, including travel managers themselves.

Written by Matthew Judge, Group Managing Director, Anvil. Anvil will be exhibiting at the Business Travel Show 2016. For further information, visit www.anvilgroup.com.

GUEST BLOG: Safety first.

It’s every manager’s worst nightmare – a seemingly regular business trip goes wrong and your employee goes missing abroad. Your emails are unanswered, calls unreturned, and the employee fails to turn up to their scheduled meeting.

Whilst the possible harm to your employee is undoubtedly and rightly your main concern, the consequences for businesses which have failed to adequately pre-empt and plan for risk can be dire – from finding yourself in the middle of a media inquisition to the possibility of criminal charges.

Under the UK’s Health & Safety legislation, companies owe a duty of care to their employees and must take reasonable steps to protect their personnel (from sourcing safe vehicle hire to understanding the employee’s pre-existing illnesses). However, many businesses are ill informed about exactly what constitutes ‘reasonable steps’, as the buck doesn’t simply stop with a travel insurance policy. This, in isolation, does not represent a duty of care plan and will not prevent the employee from being exposed to risk. Instead, careful planning and ongoing management should be at the foundation of every overseas trip, particularly when considering the unique and unexpected risk factors that some countries face. From the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to the recent uncharacteristic protests in Hong Kong and terrorist attacks in Europe, the varied nature and scope of risk has certainly been shown by events of late.

The overwhelming force of globalisation has changed the structure and pace of corporate life – meaning travelling internationally is a necessary part of doing business for globally operating companies. Assessing the risks for business travellers is about so much more than insurance, as the costs to a business of an employee coming to harm whilst working away from home can be far more significant. Pre-empting risk is essential in order for every business that works internationally to avoid fines, imprisonment – and ultimately danger to their employees.

This post was written by Matthew Judge, Group Managing Director, ANVIL, which is launching the next generation of its traveller security application TRIS at the Business Travel Show today and tomorrow. Register online or onsite - www.businesstraveller.com/register