How can you encourage timely expense report submissions?

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Timely expense report submissions are crucial for accurate budgeting, cash flow management, and tax compliance in corporate finance. However, many employees tend to procrastinate, forget, or make errors when filling out their expense reports, causing headaches for managers and accountants. How can you encourage your staff to submit their expense reports on time and with minimal mistakes? Here are some tips to help you improve your expense report process and culture.

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Christian AGUE

Spécialiste Contr?le interne | Merlin du Contr?le interne
NARAYANAN NARASIMHAN

Associate Vice President Finance | SAP S/4HANA, Financial Operations

1 Simplify the process

One of the main reasons why employees delay or avoid submitting their expense reports is that the process is too complicated, time-consuming, or confusing. To simplify the process, you can use online tools or apps that allow employees to scan receipts, track mileage, and categorize expenses easily. You can also provide clear and consistent guidelines on what expenses are reimbursable, how to fill out the forms, and where to submit them. By making the process more user-friendly and transparent, you can reduce the hassle and frustration for your employees.

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NARAYANAN NARASIMHAN

Associate Vice President Finance | SAP S/4HANA, Financial Operations
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To motivate timely expense report submissions, leverage digital tools and technology to streamline the process. Implement an intuitive mobile app or web-based platform that allows for easy uploading of receipts and auto-fills report fields, reducing the time and effort required. Employ notifications and reminders through email or the app itself to prompt employees before deadlines. Introduce a gamification system where timely submissions earn points, leading to rewards or recognition. By making the process user-friendly and engaging, and by providing clear, consistent communication, companies can significantly increase on-time expense report submissions.

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Mohamad Abdel Baki

Senior Consultant @Matrix-consultancy | MBA | FMVA | CFE | CAMS
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To motivate the timely expenses submission the process should be easy and it should be made available on different places ( work laptops and phones) so the employee can do it seamlessly and not worry about wasting his time for the submission process.

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2 Set deadlines and reminders

Another way to encourage timely expense report submissions is to set clear and reasonable deadlines and send regular reminders to your employees. For example, you can require employees to submit their expense reports within a week of completing a business trip or by the end of each month. You can also use email, calendar, or app notifications to remind them of the upcoming deadlines and the consequences of missing them. By setting deadlines and reminders, you can create a sense of urgency and accountability for your employees.

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Christian AGUE

Spécialiste Contr?le interne | Merlin du Contr?le interne
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Setting deadlines sometimes depends on each company's accounting practices and processes. In my experience, the accounting practices of SMEs are sometimes simpler than those of multinationals, which have to produce cut-offs and reports every month. In the case of multinationals, for example, you can decide that expense claims are automatically sent to finance once the transaction has been carried out and the voucher received, with the final deadline being one week before the monthly cut-off date. As far as reminders are concerned, you can use e-mail reminders or direct telephone calls to remind people of upcoming deadlines and the consequences of not meeting them.

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3 Provide feedback and recognition

A third way to encourage timely expense report submissions is to provide feedback and recognition to your employees. Feedback can help you identify and correct any errors or discrepancies in the expense reports, as well as educate your employees on the best practices and policies. Recognition can help you acknowledge and appreciate your employees who submit their expense reports on time and accurately, as well as motivate others to follow their example. You can provide feedback and recognition through email, phone, or face-to-face communication, or through incentives such as bonuses, rewards, or recognition programs.

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4 Monitor and evaluate the results

A fourth way to encourage timely expense report submissions is to monitor and evaluate the results of your efforts. Monitoring can help you track and measure the timeliness, accuracy, and compliance of your expense reports, as well as identify any issues or challenges that need to be addressed. Evaluating can help you assess the effectiveness and efficiency of your expense report process and culture, as well as the satisfaction and engagement of your employees. You can monitor and evaluate the results through reports, surveys, or feedback sessions.

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5 Involve and empower your employees

A fifth way to encourage timely expense report submissions is to involve and empower your employees in the process and culture. Involving can help you solicit and incorporate your employees' input and feedback on how to improve the expense report process and culture, as well as foster a sense of ownership and participation. Empowering can help you delegate and entrust your employees with more responsibility and autonomy over their expense reports, as well as support and enable them to make decisions and solve problems. By involving and empowering your employees, you can create a more collaborative and positive expense report environment.

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Haytham M. Azmy - MBA, CTP

Strategic Finance lI Finance Business Partner lI Finance Director lI Financial Analysis lI Financial Managment lI Treasury
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In addition to involvement, you need to educate your customer (internal & external) by explain the importance of bookkeeping of your cost and the theory behind matching revenue with cost in the same month, specially will dealing with non-finance background members. You may have the challenge of timeline and process of invoicing or accomplishmen of service provided, but you can overcome all of this via setting and deadline / cutoff date for the same and rest to be postponed to next invoicing or clearing cycle.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you encourage timely expense report submissions?

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2

3

4

5

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1 Simplify the process

2 Set deadlines and reminders

3 Provide feedback and recognition

4 Monitor and evaluate the results

5 Involve and empower your employees

6 Here’s what else to consider

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