The SAP Concur blog explores the transformation of corporate travel post-pandemic, emphasizing the balance between compliance and flexibility. The article notes that companies need to give travelers more choice and safety while controlling costs, forecasting expenses, overseeing itineraries, and fulfilling duty of care. Recommendations include adding preapprovals, capturing direct bookings, focusing on mileage, and working with finance.
The article recommends four questions for evaluating B2B payment providers: whether the payment solution is customized or out-of-the-box; what the provider means by 'vendor analysis'; how the provider supports onboarding new vendors; and how well its platform integrates with your systems. It notes that checks are being replaced by faster, easier, and more secure digital payment methods, helping businesses save money and even generate new revenue streams. A CSI executive said its vendor analysis draws on hundreds of thousands of accepting vendor records from a 20-year internal database plus Mastercard and Visa data.
SAP Concur published a blog post discussing how technology can help businesses prevent fraud and save money. The article cites a report from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) estimating $7.1 billion in annual losses due to internal fraud, with the average organization losing 5% of its annual revenue. It notes that small and mid-size businesses face higher risks of duplicate invoices and recommends preventing fraud through automated expense management, mobile solutions, and clear policies.
A SAP Concur blog post discusses risk and compliance issues around employee spend, including UK HMRC penalties for errors due to a lack of reasonable care, internal policy compliance, financial risk and fraud risk. It cites data that 37% of business travelers had at least one exception on their expense reports and that T&E fraud averages a median loss of $125,000.
At SAP Ariba Live, SAP Concur and Ariba discussed Intelligent Spend Management, SAP's approach to helping customers unify spending data across travel, expense, invoice, and procurement categories. Customer feedback highlighted that growth brings complexity, making it difficult to bring together complete, timely spending data across categories, which limits visibility and slows decision-making. SAP aims to address this by integrating best-of-breed solutions for travel, expense, invoice management, and direct and indirect procurement.
SAP Concur published an article on how companies can strengthen T&E spend oversight without adding headcount. T&E can account for as much as 10% of a company's budget, and greater employee spending power raises risks of fraud, compliance breaches and traveler safety. SAP Concur offers mobile tools that help write expense reports, automatically applies spending controls and targeted audit rules, and Concur Audit uses objective experts to review reports against internal policies and regulatory requirements. An IDC infographic shows that after implementing SAP Concur, 62% more employees followed T&E policies, lost receipts fell 67%, auditing staff was 28% more efficient, and businesses saw ave…
SAP Concur notes that the pandemic has led many organizations to revisit work models and employee benefits, and work-from-home arrangements may become the future norm. The article asks whether companies have given enough thought to the business expenses incurred by work-from-home employees, and invites readers to download a white paper on expense management considerations related to work-from-home policies.
In an AP Recognition Week post, SAP Concur notes that accounts payable (AP) is often the last line of defense for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) managing cash flow. Many AP teams still handle paper invoices with convoluted workflows and non-disaster-proof storage. The post states that most SMBs it works with process around 600 invoices per month, at least half arriving as paper, causing heavy manual data entry, approvals, and reconciliation. SAP Concur recommends cloud-based AP tools such as Concur Invoice to automate invoice receipt, processing, payment management, and settlement, enabling faster audits, better cash flow management, and increased spend visibility.
A SAP Concur blog post argues that many corporate expense and invoice processes were originally quick fixes and may no longer be fit for purpose as businesses grow. It recommends automation, cloud-based tools, and customizable integrated solutions to improve scalability. A customer case notes invoice approvals taking days and high paper and storage costs. A study cited found finance teams using automated T&E solutions saw a 15% reduction in time spent processing expense reports, while invoice management users saw a 16% reduction.
SAP Concur's blog notes that finance departments often scramble to account for employee expenses during year-end reporting. It recommends reviewing the end-to-end expense process, clarifying responsibilities, and adopting automation to increase visibility. An automated system can track expenses in real time and support mobile receipt submission, speeding up reimbursement and reducing non-compliance and fraud risks.
A SAP Concur blog post cites ACFE President Bruce Dorris: the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic instability will not only increase levels of fraud but also lead to more discoveries of existing fraud. The post recommends organizations bolster internal controls to mitigate fraud, focusing on detecting and preventing fraud in expense, invoice, and other employee spend areas, and references the ACFE 2022 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse.
SAP Concur suggests finance managers improve team efficiency with three steps: ensure members understand team and corporate goals, provide tools like automated AP and expense software, and play to members' strengths. Automation streamlines processes, increases spend visibility, and supports remote work.
SAP Concur data shows December is the peak month for expense reports, with a peak around December 19. The article suggests finance leaders attend a webinar on November 28 to learn how to help teams face year-end challenges, boost productivity, and prepare for 2019.
A SAP Concur blog post notes that mileage reimbursement is one of the largest categories of employee spend, with U.S. businesses spending more than $1.95 billion on mileage reimbursement in 2017. Manual mileage tracking is error-prone: employees may forget to record, deviate from routes, or pad claims. SAP Concur offers Concur Drive, which tracks mileage automatically or manually using phone GPS and sensors, integrates with Google Maps, and provides a transparent audit trail to simplify compliance and VAT reclaim.
SAP Concur blog post discusses how finance leaders can build a scalable audit process to support business growth. It recommends considering when, what, and why to audit, and emphasizes the need to ensure compliance with global regulations and internal policies amid global expansion and acquisitions.
A SAP Concur blog post opens with the idea that doing the same thing repeatedly while expecting different results is futile, arguing that companies relying on manual processes and outdated systems will not see unexpected spend, poor productivity and employee dissatisfaction resolve themselves. It says travel and expense is often the second-largest spend for businesses, and that Concur Expense and Concur Travel help review consolidated reliable data, spot cost-saving opportunities, and improve policy compliance, productivity and employee satisfaction.
SAP Concur blog discusses how intelligent technologies help control spend risk. Employees have more spending options, and traditional cost containment struggles. The Intelligent Enterprise uses ML, AI, and IoT to provide visibility, focus, and agility, unifying spend views, improving compliance, optimizing employee experience, and providing flexible tools.
Royal Voluntary Service mobilized 600,000 volunteers to support the UK's NHS during the COVID-19 crisis, with volunteers handling non-medical tasks such as driving patients to and from hospital, delivering groceries and medication, check-in and chat calls, and transporting equipment. To efficiently process the enormous demand for expense claims, the organization partnered with SAP Concur to automate expense claims through the NHS Volunteer Responders Expenses System, enabling volunteers to be reimbursed quickly. Volunteers can also donate expenses back to Royal Voluntary Service. The charity chose SAP Concur solutions for their upfront resource and scalability, implementing the service deli…
A SAP Concur blog post notes corporate travel spend is getting harder to manage: travelers book via mobile apps and supplier websites, and new distribution channels fragment booking and cost data. GBTA data shows 77% of businesses are not completely confident they can quickly and accurately locate business travelers in an emergency. Compared with five years ago, experienced travel managers spend 66% more time on data and analysis reporting, 66% more on evaluating or implementing new technology, 60% more on traveler safety and duty of care, and 52% more on cross-department meetings or collaboration. The article recommends finance and travel program leaders work together to deploy solutions t…
This SAP Concur blog post emphasizes that moving from manual expense management to automated, cloud-based solutions saves time and improves competitiveness. Automation allows teams to spend less time on expense reports and invoice reconciliation, focusing on strategic matters. Mobile capabilities further boost productivity, with 57% of SMBs reporting over 50% of employees using mobile devices for business.
A SAP Concur podcast features TCG Consulting experts discussing three priorities for organizations preparing for financial disruption: spend category management, mobile adoption and new employee spend behaviors. The discussion covers gift card spend auditing, mobile-first strategies, receipt thresholds and travel policy automation.
The pandemic has caused state and local governments to face unexpected expenses and new spending categories, with 68% of decision makers citing this as a major challenge. CARES Act funding comes with compliance requirements; automating expense and invoice management provides real-time visibility, ensures compliance, and adapts to change.
SAP Concur launched a travel and expense (T&E) policy builder for small businesses that generates a customizable policy template in about three minutes through six questions, covering mileage reimbursement rates, airfare cabin classes, meal allowances, hotel price caps, and preferred booking methods.
A SAP Concur blog post argues that small businesses still tracking expenses manually may miss opportunities due to poor visibility and inefficient processes. It recommends cloud-based automated spend management so employees can file expenses on the road and managers can see up-to-date data in real time. The post suggests estimating manual-process cost as hours spent multiplied by employee hourly wage, and stresses that automation enhances existing processes, so companies should first fix or create an expense policy before automating.
SAP Concur published a guide to help businesses build a business case for accounts payable automation. The article uses a Tennessee insulation manufacturer's example to show that automation reduced month-end close time from five business days to two, and recommends using case studies, industry statistics, and company data to demonstrate automation value to financial leadership.
SAP Concur blog identifies three internal barriers to business growth: paper-based expense and invoice processes, lack of policy compliance, and unapproved spend. It cites research that automation speeds up expense approval by up to 80%, and gives examples: London charity Thames Reach moved to SAP Concur and reduced filing from a six-foot-high cabinet to a concertina file in the first six months; customer RED found £27,000 spent with Amazon last year was all unapproved and has now moved to a single Amazon Business account.
This article discusses the challenges state and local government agencies face in spend management, noting that relying on outdated manual systems actually does more harm than good. Partnering with Route Fifty, it reveals obstacles agencies encounter when updating expense and vendor invoice management systems, and notes that the arrival of a new generation of tech-savvy IT and finance professionals is driving the adoption of digital tools.
A SAP Concur blog post offers guidance for SMBs on selecting accounts payable (AP) automation solutions. Citing AMI-Partners, it notes the typical SMB works with 190 suppliers and vendors, generating 2,280 checks annually if one check per vendor per month; 42% of surveyed SMBs report invoice reconciliation errors; and accounting or finance staff spend 14% of their time each week processing invoices, more than five hours per employee per week. The post recommends choosing a solution that achieves complete paperless automation, automatically captures invoices, supports mobile apps for iOS and Android, provides standard reports and built-in metrics tools, and covers the entire invoice manageme…
SAP Concur published an article emphasizing the importance of a supplier invoice policy. An effective policy can reduce time spent approving and processing invoices, handling exceptions, and storing and retrieving documents. The article suggests the policy should include a statement of purpose, company expectations and compliance, areas of ambiguity, and consider purchase orders, invoice coding, approvals, retention periods, and payment terms. Automated invoicing software can further improve efficiency and control spend.
SAP Concur blog shares small business growth tips, emphasizing cost control for expansion. Citing a report by SAP Concur and Oxford Economics, 93% of cost-conscious SMB executives agree they have the right platforms and systems to adapt to growth, versus 79% of less cost-conscious executives. SMBs that do not prioritize spending face administrative issues (59%), increased travel and expense reporting (52%), onboarding problems (48%), and digital security challenges (45%).
SAP Concur introduces Concur Drive, a feature within the SAP Concur mobile app that uses phone GPS to automatically and accurately calculate mileage and create logs. Users can turn logs into expense line items with a button-press, and Concur Drive notifies them of missed entries to avoid losing reimbursements. Integrated with Concur Expense, it simplifies and speeds up the reimbursement process.
A SAP Concur blog post emphasizes that amid rising employee turnover, companies should enhance employee experience by automating travel and expense management. It suggests finance and IT leaders collaborate, listen to employee feedback, adopt cloud solutions to streamline processes, and offer flexible work arrangements. Automation enables employees to submit and approve expenses from anywhere, reducing manual work and increasing efficiency. Additionally, companies should show care through gifts, events, and updating policies.
SAP Concur blog cites Phocuswright research showing invisible spend (corporate travel data not captured by traditional TMC reporting) can hurt supplier negotiations, cause compliance issues, and jeopardize traveler safety. Phocuswright surveyed 2,300 business travelers and found 88% relied on smartphones on business trips, leading to new traveler behaviors and difficulty measuring compliance. The article recommends capturing all travel data to improve policies.
SAP Concur published a customer case study on Logoplaste implementing SAP Concur travel and expense solutions across 18 countries with Accenture's help, achieving a user rating of 4.3 out of 5 within weeks. Logoplaste shared nine lessons, including engaging credit card companies early, reviewing travel policies, outsourcing tax and VAT requirements, taking reporting seriously, considering integration needs, involving all departments, prioritizing master data, simplifying processes to tackle change resistance, and looking to the future.
SAP Concur and The Wall Street Journal podcast explores how emerging technologies like AI are transforming corporate travel management. The article highlights trends like direct booking and user experience, and the risks of employees booking outside the corporate booking tool, such as cost overruns and compliance issues.
A SAP Concur blog post states that the first step to small business growth is planning. It emphasizes that cash flow is a more critical metric than profit, as poor cash flow is one of the biggest contributors to small business failure. Recommendations include establishing an expense policy to govern travel spending, using automation tools like Concur Expense and TripLink to streamline travel and expense processes, and reducing the average cost of processing a single invoice by more than 80% with Concur Invoice.
The article states that inefficient, antiquated travel and spend management exposes organizations to substantial fraud and noncompliance risks. FCPA violations have resulted in penalties of $965M for a European telco, $800M for a multinational technology company, and $795M for a global telecom. ACFE found that companies using data monitoring and analysis technology had 52% lower losses and 58% faster detection. CenterPoint Energy used modern expense reporting to uncover a fraud scheme spanning over a decade.
The SAP Concur blog outlines planning considerations for procurement and corporate travel executives as business travel resumes after the pandemic. It argues companies must balance employee health and safety, cost control, and supplier financial health, and recommends phased travel resumption, stronger cross-departmental coordination, and updated travel and expense policies. It also references the TAMS industry standards, pre-trip approval trends, and tax and compliance issues triggered by travel.
SAP Concur published a blog post discussing how the public sector can control employee spend and combat fraud. The article notes that managing taxpayer dollars comes with heightened responsibility and public scrutiny, and the shift to remote work requires re-evaluating spend processes. Decentralized spending, manual processes, and poor data integration are key factors leading to errors or fraud. Automating spend processes helps agencies create built-in policies that flag inappropriate expenses before reimbursement, reducing mistakes and potential fraud.
Comdata has unveiled a native integration with Concur Invoice, offering businesses a streamlined, paperless way to receive supplier invoices and execute secure electronic payments. Through Comdata's integration with the Mastercard network, clients earn rebates on invoice payments. The solution works with a client's ERP or accounting system, allowing existing approvals and workflows to be retained.