How to Successfully Take Employee Travel From Unmanaged to Managed

The hardest part of bringing in a managed travel program for the first time is understanding what to look for before you begin. From policy control and reporting capabilities to traveler experience and support, it’s important to really consider all key features and functionality as you search for a travel management solution so you can intelligently decide what will best serve your business.

To help organizations on that search, we’ve created a checklist of the key features and functionality to look for in a business travel solution, separated into four areas of consideration — implementation, inventory and policy, visibility and scalability, and traveler experience.

One factor you'll want to consider is implementation — it’s important to gauge system requirements, process, and support before making any big commitments. And when it comes to implementation, there are a few line items we suggest you look out for:

1. It’s quick and easy to get the system up and running: Find out how long it’s taken other customers to really get the ball rolling, both operationally and with rollout to employees.
2. It offers dedicated support: Is there an experienced team available to help you effectively launch the solution to travelers via proven templates and best practices?
3. It can adapt to the workflows you’re building and scaling internally: Does the solution fit in or clash with other systems (such as HR or expense management) you’re using as part of your current business ops tech stack?
4. It will quickly deliver measurable ROI: Work with vendors during the evaluation process to determine where each can deliver tangible value. Partnering on an ROI analysis will give you a good idea of what results you can expect.

Essentially, you’ll want to think about a) simplicity and time to launch, b) system integration capabilities, and c) traveler onboarding and adoption when thinking about implementation.

Worst case, you get stuck with a system that takes months to get up and running, it doesn’t fit in with your tech stack and workflows, and then no one knows how to (and then therefore doesn’t) use it. Best case? You’ll be well on your way to an easy-to-manage travel program and happier travelers in no time.

Beyond implementation, there are plenty of other factors to consider in your managed travel program search. Download The Ultimate Unmanaged to Managed Checklist to learn more about all the features and functionality that will best fit your needs.