A How-To Guide to Set Up and Manage Employee Travel
Well-established companies and start-up companies alike will require travel from everyone to their entry-level employees all the way up to their CEOs for some reason or another. Whether they’re going out of the country to woo a potential client or to discuss a merger with a competitor, they’re going to need the support and assistance from the company they work for to ensure the business trips they’re sent on go off without any problems. This is just one reason why you should consider establishing a travel program for your office. While the thought of this could be quite daunting, especially when you are expecting to accommodate a lot of travel needs, it doesn’t necessarily have to be more trouble than it’s worth.
We’ve put together a simple “how-to” guide to help you navigate the process of setting up and managing your employees’ travel accommodations, needs, and expenses. Not only will it make life easier for those arranging the travel and the travelers themselves, it also has the ability to save your company a lot of money in the long run!
Set Your Company’s Travel Policy
These are going to be the rules and guidelines by which all of your traveling employees will need to abide. You will need to include the specific providers they’ll be using, such as the airlines and car services. It should also be set in stone which class of service that you’re willing to cover for those that travel for work. Just because the owner of the company or the CFO can travel first class doesn’t mean that everyone can. The specifics of these requirements should be spelled out clearly for each level of employment to ensure it isn’t abused.
Be sure to also specify the exact amount they’re able to use for per diem, or the daily allowance for expenses in any given day. You don’t want to give them so much that they take advantage of it, but you also don’t want them to go hungry just because your per diem rates aren’t adequate. Your employees will also need to know whether or not they’re able to take a more expensive flight if it prevents a several hour layover. There are different reasons why it would be ok, such as a deadline meeting, but again, it will need to be specified in your travel policy so it isn’t abused.
Centralize the Travel Arrangements
When your employees have a need to make travel arrangements, if you don’t require that everyone use the same travel agency or travel manager, things can get lost in the shuffle. Having a centralized travel system will ensure that all the information generated by the person that’s on the road will all go to the same place. The expense reports, guideline compliance, and time management data will be much easier to access and will ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Expense Management
There are two ways you can streamline your company’s travel expenses. You can either set up a corporate credit card program or use an expense reporting software like Expensify. Both will generate automatic reports that will go directly to the travel manager and finance department to ensure these expenses are tracked, filed, and reimbursed in a timely manner. When you’re able to track those travel expenses in real time, your employees will be more likely to follow the guidelines set without abusing company funds.
If your company has finally progressed to the point of needing a travel manager, hopefully the information we’ve provided will help make that transition and process go smoothly. With a successful managed travel program, you’ll be amazed by how much easier it becomes to schedule and book a business trip as well as all the money you’ll save in the long run.
Image Credit: freedigitalphotos.net/sdmania
