To minimize confusion for your travelers, you should keep your program simple. But make no mistake: simplicity is not easy. It starts with getting a grip on the offers your travelers get. You need to own the content to stay in control of your travel program. Complex? You bet. But you need to hang in there, travel manager. Time to tackle the million-dollar question (or elephant in the business-travel room): How do you minimize confusion?
‘One size fits all:’ a foreign language?
In corporate travel management, ‘one size fits all’ almost seems to be a foreign phrase. Understandable, if we consider the circumstances under which the department usually operates. Traditionally, it sits within finance, procurement, or HR. But even in less common cases, where it’s set up as a standalone unit, corporate travel management still needs to work with several suppliers. Examples include online booking and expense tools, preferred hotels and airlines, ground transportation links, and, of course, corporate travel management agencies. How to facilitate the coordination of all these different parties?
Can you (and your road warriors) see the forest for the trees?
Itinerary platforms provide a solution, and they are on the rise. But their growing number triggers a forest-for-the-trees issue: separating the wheat from the chaff is increasingly difficult. The sourcing process for choosing a new platform should be rigorous, as some can cause problems. For example, off-the-shelf itinerary management apps are often revenue driven, showing travelers targeted in-apps with offers from third parties. And when a seat upgrade is presented to your unsuspected, tired road warrior like that, they might think it’s included in the budget. Neither of you will enjoy the inevitable discussion that follows.
And we haven’t yet mentioned the most dreaded (and necessary) topic: compliance. How on earth can you dial down the level of complexity when communicating about such a traditionally complicated process?
Picking the right platform: double down on simplicity
If you minimize confusion, travelers will make the right choices when it comes to expenses. Here’s what you need to accomplish that: an itinerary platform that allows you to embed what travelers can and can’t do within the app in a simple, intuitive way. KPMG, among others, has opted for Roadmap, as it allows the organization to fully customize its own app and curate its own content. Although compliance generally happens at the time of booking, KPMG has also developed a shortlist of dos and don’ts within the app. The result: no more clutter and confusion. Business travelers can hit the road knowing the company’s policies are just one swipe away!
Next in this five-part blog series: utilize data. Stay tuned!
Are you intrigued by the idea of putting simplicity at the heart of business travel? Download our whitepaper and discover the 5 benefits.
Markus Emmer
Co-founder of Roadmap
