What is an end-to-end travel program and why does it matter?

Speak to any business leader today, and they will confirm that, efficiency and a seamless experience are paramount for success and sustainability today. Likewise, your travel programme is no different.? An end-to-end travel solution offers a comprehensive approach that streamlines every aspect of your business travel, from booking to expense management.

The goal of end-to-end integration is to create a unified process where information flows smoothly between the different steps in the travel process – from planning, booking, payment, trip assistance, and tracking to post-trip expense reimbursement and reconciliation.

By integrating various travel services into a single supplier or platform, you can significantly reduce administrative burdens, enhance traveller satisfaction, and optimise your travel spend.?

Just as every traveller is different, so is every business, which means integration means different things to different companies. Add to this the ever-changing environment and constantly evolving technologies available, and it’s no wonder that some businesses are further along this journey than others. Every business is different, and the company’s needs will inevitably evolve, so no matter where you are in the process, a unified platform will certainly improve the managed travel process.?

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Here are the top reasons for considering integration:

1.???????? Increased efficiency

The most significant advantage of end-to-end integration is efficiency. Think about it. Some businesses may use a Travel Management Company and a separate OBT to book; others may use different communication tools or a standalone approval system. It’s a bit like cobbling together separate spare parts to build a car. It will work but will never run as smoothly as buying the real thing.

Combining travel and expense in one seamless workflow for the business (at a high level) provides better visibility and control of expenses, drives process efficiency and enables travel managers to deliver consistent traveller care. For the traveller, bringing travel into one workflow makes life a lot simpler because they don’t need to toggle between different tools and processes. Ultimately, this frees employees up to focus on their core business, not managing travel.

2.???????? Better policy compliance

With an integrated solution, you can configure the company’s travel and expense policies and implement them in real-time. When an employee searches for trip options, the software will highlight in and out of policy options. When a traveller requests an out-of-policy booking, the system will prompt the traveller to provide a reason for the declined saving. The information is included in the approval request, allowing the approver to make an informed decision. This allows them to make better decisions when it comes to policy compliance.

Further, when an employee submits an expense report, the software automatically verifies the expenses against the policy. Any expense that falls out of policy is flagged to deter employees from submitting out-of-policy expenses in the future.

3.???????? Improved traveller safety

Duty of care is paramount today. Integration provides real-time information that is essential for maximising insights and minimising traveller risk. For example, for one customer, we flagged any high-risk (and thus out-of-policy) destinations which were automatically sent to the risk department for additional approval. As a result, they were able to prevent travel to any areas considered too risky.

4.???????? More savings

For travel managers, the more information—and the more ways to slice and dice it—the better. Instead of searching for data from different sources, a unified programme will deliver up-to-date visibility of travel expenses. Managers can drill down to gain deeper insights into spending patterns, where to cut costs and forecast with more accuracy. These statistics also make it possible to negotiate favourable deals with suppliers to reduce the cost of travel.

5.???????? Better communication

Real-time updates can be the difference between a successful business trip and a missed one. Integrating communication tools like travel apps allows for self-serve information or push notifications that can be sent immediately. Also, we know most trips can involve booking a few separate pieces and that travellers may book these independently, for example, tickets for a show. APPs can auto-import these features intelligently and insert them into any existing trip itineraries.?

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The coming together of all travel components drives advantages and multiple benefits for the business and traveller – the trick is finding the right fit for your specific needs.