SAP Concur blog notes that travel managers are spending 60% more time on data analysis, technology evaluation, and traveler safety. However, a 2018 GBTA Foundation survey shows 80% of travel programs don't use technology to capture outside bookings, and 86% don't use tools for suppliers to send reservations directly to TMCs. Automated connected travel solutions can help simplify processes.
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 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 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 blog outlines four best practices for higher education institutions returning to travel: 1) Create a cross-campus travel working group including risk management, finance, and academic stakeholders; 2) Consider mandating TMC use for itinerary transparency, supplier discounts, and compliance visibility; 3) Develop new travel approval guidelines including pre-trip approval and COVID-19 risk considerations; 4) Improve back-office efficiency using Concur Invoice to automate invoice processing and eliminate data silos.
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.
SAP Concur blog discusses how AI can automate accounts payable processes to reduce costs, errors, and improve compliance. It notes the average cost to manually process a single supplier invoice is £9, while AI can automatically capture invoices, provide dashboard views, and flag issues. Businesses using Concur Invoice reported an 18% increase in policy compliance and a 46% improvement in staff productivity.
SAP Concur blog notes that SMBs waste millions annually on travel and expenses due to hidden spend, inconsistent booking processes, and manual expense reports. Adopting managed travel solutions that are integrated, ecosystem-based, secure, and workflow-automated can save an average of 122 hours per week and $40,000 per year.
SAP Concur cites a Kelton Global survey of 162 financial decision-makers in state, city, and local government, highlighting transparency and compliance challenges in government expense management. The survey found that one in three respondents frequently spot errors in expense reports and invoice processing, and three in ten say the problem has worsened over the past 12 months. 73% of decision-makers admit maintaining compliance is a regular struggle. The article states automation can improve efficiency, citing data that full automation can reduce fraud, waste, and abuse by 38% and increase budget management efficiency by 40%.
SAP Concur blog emphasizes that small businesses need year-round financial visibility, not just at year-end. It highlights common pitfalls: neglecting cash flow, not chasing late payments, assuming data accuracy, failing to review prices, and compliance risks. Automating financial processes reduces errors, improves compliance, and enhances cash flow management.
A SAP Concur blog post discusses how to maximize visibility of low-level (tail) spend and travel spend by focusing on spend channels. It notes that travel and expense spend is often one of the largest for organizations, typically second behind payroll. Tail spend generally accounts for 20% of a company's total spend but is spread across 80% of suppliers. By using digital technologies to track across all spend channels, companies can create a complete map of committed spend, improving forecasting, cost savings, and compliance.
A SAP Concur blog post notes that business travel decisions are typically optimized for cost and time efficiency, not environmental sustainability, and many organizations still use paper-based booking and expense processes. IOFM found the average business receives 63% of invoices as paper, and 62% manually handle over 75% of paper invoices. APQC research shows finance workers spend 49% of their time processing transactions. The article recommends digitalization and automation to reduce environmental impact, citing NEC's case: reduced T&E management time by 40% and saved about $1.8 million annually with SAP Concur.
This SAP Concur blog post argues that innovation is often hindered by manual expense and travel processes. It recommends leveraging automation, gaining full financial visibility, and fostering a supportive environment to free employees for creative work. It cites a PwC survey where 93% of executives believe innovation drives revenue growth, and notes that 55% of small business owners see current tech as a hindrance to adopting new technologies.
A SAP Concur blog post notes that while organizations want to review 100% of expense reports to catch mistakes and fraud, auditing is time-consuming and expensive, so many avoid it. The article argues that skipping audits risks compliance fines, costs from human error and greed, and falling behind amid continuous change. It recommends combining intelligent technology with expert review and embedding intelligent spending reviews into expense processes to improve efficiency and support continuous improvement.
SAP Concur published a blog post emphasizing the importance of digitalizing travel and expense (T&E) processes. The article notes that the financial services industry still relies on paper processes and manual expense reports, leading to delayed data, poor budget visibility, and negative impacts on employee satisfaction and talent recruitment. By automating T&E processes, companies can collect and connect spending data in real time, improve compliance, and enhance the employee experience. The article also covers digital features like mobile experience, e-receipts, and brand choice.
A SAP Concur blog post discusses the value of employee experience amid the Great Resignation. It cites U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data that upwards of 3 million people have been quitting their jobs every month since April 2021, with the highest quit rates among mid-career employees and in the health care and tech industries according to Harvard Business Review. It cites a 2019 Gartner employee survey showing employees happy with their experience at work are 69% more likely to be high performers. It also notes a Work Trend Index survey finding 70% of employees want to continue working remotely, 65% want more in-person time with co-workers, and 66% of decision-makers plan to support hybr…
SAP Concur states that managing cash flow is about clear visibility into where money goes. By automating expense and invoice processes, organizations can reduce manual errors, improve accuracy, and make more informed spending decisions. The post recommends automating expense management for near real-time spend visibility, eliminating manual entry, human error, and compliance blind spots; and automating expense audits and invoice-to-PO validation to control spend before money leaves accounts. SAP Concur says its cloud solutions connect spending data from suppliers and credit providers, automatically audit transactions, apply spending controls, check for duplicate invoices, and provide detail…
SAP Concur and Brex have launched an integration that automatically flows Brex card transactions into Concur Expense expense reports within 24 hours, reducing data entry errors, providing more granular spend reporting, and enabling automatic reconciliation across multiple systems.
IDC survey shows 85% of SMBs prioritize digital transformation, but only 26% have the capabilities. The article discusses challenges for IT leaders, including executive buy-in, cloud migration, workforce changes, and remote work security, and suggests automation as a solution.
A SAP Concur blog post offers four expense-compliance tips for the highly regulated life sciences industry: monitor and audit expense reports, use automated controls to catch errors and fight fraud, use accumulated data to drive policy changes, and move away from manual spend processes. It cites figures including almost 20% of travel and expense spending falling outside policy, 89% of fraud cases involving asset misappropriation, and 42% of respondents still spending about 76 hours or more per month auditing expense reports. It also notes civil monetary penalties of up to $1 million for failing to report Open Payments in a timely manner.
SAP Concur published an article explaining the Value Added Tax (VAT) reclaim process. It notes that due to complex and country-specific rules, companies often do not claim entitled VAT refunds, with 54% of VAT going unclaimed. The article recommends solutions that automatically identify eligible transactions, enrich transaction data, and confirm recoverable amounts, while warning that manual processes can lead to significant regulatory and financial penalties.
SAP Concur notes that paper-, email-, and spreadsheet-based travel and expense (T&E) management processes have always been inefficient, time-consuming, and error-prone, and are unworkable with offices closed. The article recommends automating T&E processes to save time and lower costs. IDC recently conducted a study of worldwide SaaS cloud-enabled T&E management solutions and provided a vendor selection guide. SAP Concur was named a leader in SMB global T&E management by IDC MarketScape.
A SAP Concur blog post notes that as more employees travel for business, expense reports are vulnerable to fake claims. It offers three tips: know common fraud schemes (such as profitable per-diems, mileage padding, and double dipping); institute a corporate credit card program to improve monitoring; and use automated expense reporting systems like Concur Expense and Concur Detect, which use AI to analyze receipts, credit card transactions, and travel bookings to identify fraud, compliance issues, and errors.
SAP Concur blog cites an Oxford Economics survey showing 81% of leaders would benefit from focusing more on efficiency and cost control. It recommends emphasizing cash flow, facilitating internal collaboration, focusing on cost visibility, and automating spend management to handle expansion costs like headcount, facilities, systems, and foreign tax compliance.
SAP Concur partnered with Education Dive to explore how universities use technology to improve back-office efficiency. The article notes that the pandemic has tightened budgets, prompting universities to turn to technology to cut costs. Three benefits include: employees empowered to work efficiently from anywhere, compliance supported, and improved cash flow. Savings from automating expense, travel, and invoice processes go beyond initial technology costs.
SAP Concur cites AMI-Partners research showing automated spend management improves cash flow, compliance, and efficiency. The survey shows 67% of businesses lack cash flow visibility, while automated solutions save time and improve compliance.
SAP Concur published an article on improving employee satisfaction by simplifying technology, gathering feedback, providing the right applications, promoting corporate cards, and adopting best practices. It suggests surveying employee needs, offering tools for travel booking and expense reimbursement, promoting corporate cards to reduce out-of-pocket expenses, and using automation, mobile apps, and training to improve compliance and satisfaction.
An SAP Concur blog post notes that accounts payable (AP) teams still face many manual processes, such as tracking receipts, reviewing expense reports, and digging through paperwork. It cites a TechRepublic survey indicating that as much as 38% of the workforce plans to leave their current job in the next few months, meaning the 'Great Resignation' continues. The article recommends digitizing expense reports and AP processes to reduce processing time, increase efficiency, and improve accuracy, freeing finance and AP teams to focus on more strategic work such as monitoring broader spend strategy and reclaiming eligible value-added tax.
An SAP Concur blog post discusses how travel managers can leverage business intelligence (BI) to keep up with technological change. It highlights SAP Concur's partnership with TMC partner Travel Incorporated, developing automated solutions on the Compleat platform, such as Seat Finder, automated schedule change processing, and Traveler Self-Service, to improve efficiency and data transparency. Travel Inc. also shares its practices of using real-time data and predictive BI to enhance traveler tracking and duty of care.
SAP Concur published an article on how charter schools can use automated invoicing and expense management to address cost pressures from enrollment growth. It cites data: 1.2 million students enrolled in U.S. charter schools in 2006-07, over 6,900 schools in 2016, and over 3.1 million students in 2017. Automated invoice processes can help schools improve cash flow, control spend, and expand enrollment without adding staff.
A SAP Concur blog post, citing Vanson Bourne research, reports that businesses leave 54% of eligible value added tax (VAT/GST/HST) unclaimed, amounting to millions or billions of dollars. It lists five reasons: businesses do not realize VAT can be recovered, regulations keep shifting, expenses are hard to track and validate, organizations lack time and expertise, and technology and processes are outdated. The pandemic added compliance challenges as governments rapidly changed VAT rules and deferred deadlines, then shifted focus toward audits to recover lost revenue. The article recommends modernizing VAT programs with intelligent technology, optimized data, and automated recovery processes…
A SAP Concur blog post explores the workplace characteristics of Generation Z (born mid-1990s to mid-2000s). They value job security and advancement opportunities, and are more motivated by purpose than money. Gen Z wants meaningful work, avoids repetitive tasks, and expects automation of tedious processes. The article advises companies to attract and retain Gen Z through automation and career development.
SAP Concur released a self-guided Concur Expense demo allowing potential customers to quickly experience the expense management process. The demo simulates a business conference trip, showing how to automatically import an Uber receipt, use machine learning to parse receipt details, create and submit an expense report, and have a manager approve via mobile app. The article highlights integrations with hotels, car rental companies, and airlines that reduce manual entry and improve compliance and spend visibility.
SAP Concur blog shares two customer cases: The Tech Interactive, a San Jose science museum, used Concur Expense and Concur Invoice to automate approval workflows, saving manual processing time and improving spend visibility; Wisconsin manufacturer WB Manufacturing, anticipating doubling sales in three years, deployed Concur Travel and Concur Expense in under three months, with sales team submitting expense reports after one day of training.
A SAP Concur blog post discusses how higher education institutions are adapting to hybrid work models. It cites Future Forum's Remote Employee Experience Index data: 83% of employees across all industries no longer want to work in-person five days a week, and 20% indicated they wanted to work remotely full-time. The article suggests institutions rethink staffing for online and in-person instruction, parking policies, technology tools, and more, while managing campus expectations. It mentions task forces at UCLA, Boston University, and Duke, and automation cases at the University of Alabama and Penn State University. Penn State processes more than 240,000 expense reports a year and saw no ba…
SAP Concur offers Concur Invoice to help state and local governments automate accounts payable processes, reduce manual work, stabilize operations, and provide spend visibility during uncertain times. The solution uses SAP Leonardo machine learning for a touchless process, supports remote vendor invoice capture, mobile approval, and near real-time visibility, and provides audit trails and secure cloud storage.
A SAP Concur blog post notes that in an environment of declining budgets and tight finances, businesses first think of cutting or controlling costs, but many lack a complete picture of their expenses. Too much spending is hidden, on personal credit cards, with too little oversight, and remote work has made it messier. The article recommends using tools to govern spending, capture every expense of every employee, automate invoices and auditing, and see finances in real time. It also offers a counterintuitive point: during cost control, make it easier for employees to spend, direct them to corporate cards and correct payment processes, making compliance the easiest and fastest option to obtai…
A SAP Concur blog post for SMB finance leaders discusses spend management best practices for maintaining business resilience in uncertain economic conditions. Citing an Oxford Economics survey of small businesses, it notes many SMBs adopted some form of digitization, but some remain on manual paper processes or partial automation, leading to workflow roadblocks, spend visibility gaps, and compliance issues. Suggested building blocks of resilience include streamlined processes, clear policies, up-to-date spend visibility, employee support, and cost control. The post states automating expense and AP processes can deliver real-time spend views, eliminate paper receipts, auto-populate expense r…