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Travel Risk Management: It's Time to Take the Next Step Towards Your TRM Plan

SAP Concur blog emphasizes the importance of travel risk management (TRM), outlining three key steps: know who monitors risks (e.g., TMC or third-party services), identify internal stakeholders (e.g., HR, legal, security), and practice emergency plans regularly. It also mentions GBTA's recommendation for dedicated teams for specific incidents.

Impact and considerations

Companies must fulfill duty of care; an effective TRM plan ensures rapid response during crises. The article provides practical guidance on integrating data, clarifying responsibilities, and improving readiness through drills.

Data is Key to Protecting Your Most Valuable Asset – Your People

An SAP Concur blog post discusses the role of data in implementing a travel risk management (TRM) program. According to a 2017 Business Travel News report, companies are trending toward a 'team approach' integrating internal and external stakeholders for TRM. The survey shows 66% of companies use itinerary data and employee contact information to support TRM, and 46% use market-specific threat information. The article emphasizes that integrated data is the heart of a successful TRM program, and organizations need to leverage technology to collect travel and spend data from various channels to keep employees safe and compliant.

Impact and considerations

Effective travel risk management requires integrating multi-source data and coordinating internal and external stakeholders, which is critical for employee safety and business continuity.

10 Trends Shaping Business Travel and Spend Management in 2019 and Beyond

SAP Concur executives forecast business travel and spend management trends for 2019 and beyond: risks facing female travelers will rise to the top of the corporate agenda, with a GBTA report finding only 18% of corporate travel safety policies specifically address female safety needs; GDPR becomes table stakes and data privacy will change product engineering; shifting immigration and tax policies create new pressures on multinationals; SMBs gain competitive advantage through AI and machine learning; nearly 50% of business travelers spend 30 minutes to an hour daily on expenses; online booking tools will embrace new content sources such as NDC and Airbnb; machine learning goes mainstream; ho…

SAP Concur Releases Guide on Preparing for Duty of Care Incidents

SAP Concur published an article, the final installment of its travel risk management series, providing guidance on how to respond to duty of care incidents. The article emphasizes that to fulfill duty of care obligations, a comprehensive emergency response plan must be in place and continually tested and reviewed. The plan should include: around-the-clock monitoring, establishing response roles, reliable communications, integration of tools, and practice, review, and repeat. It also cites a report by Reed & Mackay and recommendations from the BTN Group and GBTA.

Impact and considerations

For companies and travel managers responsible for employee travel safety, this guide provides a framework for building an effective emergency response plan, helping to respond quickly and effectively when employees are in harm's way and fulfill duty of care obligations.

96% of Business Travelers Willing to Hit Road This Year

SAP Concur's 2021 Global Business Traveler and Global Travel Manager reports found that virtually all respondents desired to travel again, with nearly two-thirds 'very willing.' Budgets are expected to rise but not to pre-pandemic levels. More than two in three travelers say they are driving the return to travel, not their companies. Travelers value flexibility (72%), and 68% oppose a return to pre-COVID policies.

Protecting Travelers in an Unpredictable World

Citing a GBTA Foundation survey, SAP Concur says 57% of business travelers agree that 'nowadays, any destination could be high risk.' The post identifies risk-management gaps: 58% of travelers said they would call their supervisor, 60% of travel managers rely on travelers to reach out when they need help, and 31% of travel managers say they are unable to support travelers who book outside their system. It recommends reviewing employee awareness and education, infrastructure and data integration to meet duty of care.

Impact and considerations

Travel risk management depends on complete data and effective processes; if out-of-system bookings cannot be covered, companies may be unable to locate and assist employees in a crisis, affecting duty-of-care fulfillment.

SAP Concur Releases 2018 and Beyond Business Travel, Expense and Invoice Predictions

SAP Concur experts released predictions for business travel, expense and invoice trends in 2018 and beyond. Predictions include: paper receipts becoming obsolete as e-receipts standardize and countries such as France, Spain, China and Japan deregulate paper receipt requirements; non-traditional payment technologies like blockchain and vCards changing transactions and reimbursements; cloud technology enabling small businesses to adopt enterprise tools faster; predictive analytics and personalization transforming business travel; duty of care remaining a C-level priority; and employee-initiated spend becoming the largest unmanaged spend category.

Nine Tips for Filling the Gaps in Your Duty of Care

A SAP Concur blog post notes that many organizations understand the need to support and protect business travelers but few realize their duty of care obligations extend to all employees. It cites GBTA-identified traveler risks including standing out, driving in unfamiliar locations, stress and fatigue, language barriers, unfamiliarity with local health risks and medical facilities, and not knowing who to alert in an emergency. Common gaps include failing to inform travelers of risks, not documenting safety advice, focusing security only on high-risk international travel, not including safety in procurement criteria, not regularly testing crisis management plans, and lacking a fully mapped t…

SAP Concur Expands Concur Locate Traveler Safety Capabilities

SAP Concur announced expanded traveler safety capabilities, including an Uber for Business partnership, TripLink expansion, and new TripIt Pro features. Concur Locate added API support allowing partners like Uber for Business to share traveler location data. TripLink now has 6.9 million registered users and 28 airlines, hotels, and ground transportation providers. Concur Locate messaging is now integrated into the SAP Concur mobile app. TripIt Pro added safety scores for neighborhoods worldwide and international information for 180 countries. Concur Locate's customer base grew 122% year over year in the first half of the year.

Six Ways to Ensure Your Invoice Process Works for You

A SAP Concur blog post offers six ways to optimize invoice processes during disruption. Citing a GBTA survey where 96% of businesses described COVID-19's impact as significant, it recommends accelerating invoice capture, approvals, and processes. Methods include: doing things digitally, eradicating duplication and fraud, on-the-go approval, automating policy adherence, keeping communication with suppliers, and spotting trends to adapt. The article also describes how Concur Invoice provides visibility, speeds up payments, and integrates travel and expense data.

SAP Concur: Using Data to Track Down Your Travelers

A SAP Concur blog post discusses traveler tracking and duty of care challenges. It cites GBTA data showing 42% of travelers prefer to book directly on a supplier's website. It also notes one-third of travelers in the UK, Germany, and France still book directly with suppliers at least once a year despite having access to company online booking tools, and 40% of travelers who used an OBT in the past year also booked directly with a supplier at least once in the same period. It states that if travelers don't book through company channels, employers can't get itinerary information in time, affecting duty of care.