Business travel management apps - 6 important reasons to use

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced corporate world, efficiency is key. One area where efficiency can make a significant difference is business travel. Whether it’s attending conferences, meeting clients, or exploring new markets, corporate travel is often a necessary part of doing business. However, managing travel arrangements can be time-consuming and prone to errors, leading to increased costs and unnecessary stress for both travelers and the company. This is where business travel management apps come in.

Now let’s look at 5 important points explaining these apps in detail –

What is a Business Travel Management App?

A business travel management app is a digital platform designed to streamline the process of planning, booking, and managing corporate travel. It consolidates various aspects of travel management into a single interface, allowing employees to book flights, hotels, rental cars, and other travel services easily. These apps often integrate with expense management systems, making it seamless to track and report travel expenses.

How Does a Business Travel Management App Work?

Business travel management apps typically operate through a user-friendly interface accessible via web browsers or mobile devices. Employees can log in to the app using their corporate credentials and access a range of features tailored to their travel needs.

Users can search for flights, hotels, and transportation options based on their preferences and company policies. The app may provide real-time updates on flight statuses, hotel availability, and itinerary changes, ensuring travelers stay informed throughout their journey.

Once travel arrangements are confirmed, the app may generate detailed itineraries and booking confirmations, which can be easily shared with colleagues and managers. Integration with calendar applications allows travelers to sync their travel plans with their schedules seamlessly.

Can corporate companies build these apps internally or can outsource them to a third party?

Companies have always an option to build an internal business travel app for their employees to use but then the companies will have to maintain a separate travel management department which will incur extra costs. An internal travel management app is advisable for mainly travel companies or companies that require 50% or more workforce to travel.

Outsourcing business travel management to a third party can be beneficial for the companies in the following ways –

Expertise: Third-party providers bring a wealth of expertise and specialized knowledge to the table, honed through years of experience in developing and refining travel management solutions. From user experience design to backend infrastructure, they possess the skills necessary to deliver a polished and feature-rich app.
Cost-Effectiveness: Building and maintaining an in-house app entails a substantial investment in resources, time, and talent. In contrast, outsourcing to a third-party provider offers a more cost-effective solution, with companies paying only for the services they need, without the overhead of ongoing maintenance and support.
Time Savings: The journey from concept to deployment can be expedited by outsourcing app development to third-party experts. With pre-built solutions that can be customized to suit specific requirements, companies can accelerate their time-to-market and focus on leveraging the app’s capabilities to drive business growth.
Continuous Support and Updates: Third-party providers offer ongoing support and maintenance, ensuring the app remains resilient, secure, and up-to-date with the latest features and enhancements. With a dedicated support team on standby, companies can rest assured that their app will continue to evolve and adapt to their changing needs.
Focus on Core Competencies: By entrusting app development to third-party experts, companies can redirect their focus and resources towards their core competencies, whether it’s driving innovation, expanding market reach, or nurturing customer relationships. With the technical aspects of app development in capable hands, they can devote their energies to strategic initiatives that propel their business forward.

What are the advantages of using a Business Travel Management App?

Time Savings: By centralizing travel planning and booking processes, employees can save time that would otherwise be spent searching for the best deals and coordinating logistics.
Cost Efficiency: Business travel management apps often offer access to discounted rates and negotiated contracts with travel suppliers, helping companies save money on travel expenses.
Policy Compliance: These apps can enforce company travel policies by flagging non-compliant bookings and guiding employees toward approved options, ensuring consistency and accountability.
Expense Tracking: Integration with expense management systems allows for automated expense reporting, reducing the administrative burden on employees and finance teams.
Improved Visibility: Companies gain greater visibility into travel spending and patterns, enabling them to identify cost-saving opportunities and optimize their travel budgets.

How Does a Business Travel Management App Save Costs?

Business travel management apps contribute to cost savings in several ways:

Negotiated Rates: By leveraging the collective buying power of multiple corporate clients, these apps can secure discounted rates from airlines, hotels, and other service providers.
Policy Enforcement: By enforcing company travel policies and preferences, such as booking in advance or choosing cost-effective options, the app helps prevent unnecessary spending on premium services or last-minute bookings.
Expense Control: Integration with expense management systems allows companies to monitor and control travel expenses in real time, flagging excessive spending and identifying areas for optimization.
Data Analysis: Business travel management apps generate detailed reports and analytics on travel spending and patterns, enabling companies to identify trends, negotiate better deals, and make data-driven decisions to optimize their travel budgets.

Why Should Corporate Companies Use a Business Travel Management App?

Efficiency: By streamlining the travel management process, these apps save time and effort for employees, allowing them to focus on their core responsibilities.
Cost Savings: Through access to negotiated rates and policy enforcement mechanisms, companies can reduce travel expenses and optimize their budgets.
Compliance: By enforcing company travel policies and providing visibility into travel spending, these apps help ensure compliance and accountability across the organization.
Data Insights: Business travel management apps provide valuable insights into travel spending and patterns, empowering companies to make informed decisions and drive continuous improvement in their travel programs.

Top 10 Business travel management apps in the US for 2024 –

Click on the name of each company to learn more about them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, business travel management apps offer a powerful solution for companies looking to optimize their corporate travel processes. By combining efficiency, cost savings, and compliance features, these apps enable companies to streamline travel management, enhance employee productivity, and achieve greater control over their travel expenses. As the demands of business travel continue to evolve, investing in a robust travel management solution has become essential for companies seeking to stay competitive in today’s global marketplace.