Evaluate before you automate your travel policy

On-line tools can help you cut travel expenses, monitor travel spend and enforce travel policies. Still, before choosing these tools it’s best to evaluate key business travel areas, including:

• Trip planning and authorization
• Reservations
• Expense reporting and reimbursement
• Document distribution
• Post-trip management
• Internal expense reporting

Each of these pieces of your travel plan can be automated to maximize your travel spend dollars. You should look at each component to determine which is best handled on-line. Remember, you don’t have to do everything at once. Right now, it’s worth taking stock of how well each process supports your company’s overall business goals, travel management priorities and business travelers. Once you do that, you can move forward with an online travel plan that works for your company.