Keen to leave winter behind and look ahead to the spring? We're all looking for warmer days. The same goes for the global economic climate, which is tending to the 'grey' currently with negative news around the China economy and oil prices. It's not making forecasting any easier and for business travel managers it presents a mixed picture.
While business confidence may be low in some regions or areas of industry, on a day-to-day basis, getting out and finding the new contacts and customers to grow will be high up the list of priorities of many businesses. For every area of challenges, there are hundreds of boom industries and countries. But how many recognise that by managing the expenditure costs of their travel could be key effecting a turn for the better on the bottom line?
With the changing political climate around the world, travel managers should be looking beyond the books to make sure the travel policies and procedures they have in place include a relevant and comprehensive duty of care package. Knowing that employees who are travelling for business are going to be well cared for in the event of any crisis, big or small, should be one of the key considerations for travel managers this year.
But how can companies use a travel management company (TMC) effectively and gain confidence in their provider?
Here are four key areas of service provision that everyone working with (TMC) should look for.
Account management
Making sure your account management team at the travel management company is properly deployed is essential to the long term success of the business. The level of engagement and strategic development needs to be tailored to the culture, objectives, maturity and organisational structure of a company to ensure that a range of benefits are achieved. This includes budget maximisation, traveller satisfaction and duty of care. A good TMC should enable clients to save time and focus on their business rather than on booking or researching travel or changing bookings when diaries move.
Furthermore, TMCs should always focus on excellent service. Corporates should be looking for when selecting a TMC is a consultancy style service that aids long term business growth and efficiencies. Excellent service is usually personal, adaptable and thought through. Those qualities apply regardless of the size of the organisation, if their priorities are in the right order.
Productivity
The productivity of a company can be increased if business travel is well organised by a TMC. Travel experts can negotiate the best deals and schedules while planning a trip that allows employees to be both as productive and comfortable as possible. The complexity of business travel planning will be dealt with by a TMC, providing people with the solutions that ensure the best connectivity, productivity or even rest.
It's important a company buys travel that is appropriate to its needs, and that it facilitates the business objectives of any given trip.
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Partners like TMCs have different values for different clients. ©Steve Debenport/iStockSupport
Support while travelling on business is vital in today's uncertain landscape of political unrest, global health scares and natural disasters. It is important to have adequate risk assessment and awareness of the considerations of certain destinations. A full service TMC will ensure that those on business travel trips have a global support network, 24 hours a day, from healthcare to security provisions if necessary.
In the event of anything happening that affects travel or is a risk to travel, a TMC can track and report on the whereabouts of travellers and make provisions to return them to safer place, if necessary.
End to end solutions
An integrated and multi-modal approach to business travel combined with pre and post trip reporting and expense management is essential in the design of effective and efficient travel programmes.
TMCs assess and deploy a range of technological options to deliver the most appropriate solutions and work to successfully combine technology with experienced and qualified people in order to deliver the desired result for a business. Digital solutions now pervade every aspect of our lives and perhaps during 'transit' our expectations will be highest.
Choosing a TMC that pays attention to the quality of its digital as well as its personal interactions will pay dividends when it comes to the speedy dissemination of vital information.
So the value of a using a travel management company should not be underestimated when it comes to planning the year — and years — ahead. TMCs have the experience to ensure that your travel management needs fit all other aspects of the company's commercial life. Business travel is still vital to growing businesses. Being properly managed, it can enhance your business and your bottom line while reducing risk and exposure.