A recent study by SAP Concur has shed light on the growing complexities of business travel, highlighting the need for intuitive, client-centric solutions to streamline the process.

According to the research, a significant 43% of business travellers find the pre-trip phase, encompassing planning and booking, to be the most stressful aspect of their journey – a notable 4% increase from the previous year.

João Carvalho, managing director of SAP Concur in Southern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, notes that this stress is compounded by additional hurdles, including unforeseen travel disruptions and time-consuming expense reporting.

The absence of user-friendly solutions can lead to employees booking outside of corporate channels or enduring frustrating processes within approved systems, ultimately affecting not only travellers but also travel managers and HR teams.

As such, by implementing consumer-oriented solutions, businesses can alleviate these pain points to ensure a more seamless and efficient travel experience for stakeholders involved.

Carvalho highlights four key ways consumer-grade tools are revolutionising corporate travel management:

1. Safety and efficiency: Intuitive travel and expense management solutions encourage employees to use corporate tools, ensuring visibility and duty-of-care compliance.
2. Risk and compliance: User-friendly systems integrating company policies simplify the booking process, empowering travelers to make compliant choices and reducing manual filtering.
3. Streamlined travel: Seamless, consumer-like booking experiences minimize clicks and maximize efficiency across all trip stages, boosting employee satisfaction and freeing travel managers for strategic tasks.
4. ESG advancement: Companies can promote sustainable travel by providing accurate, easily accessible information on eco-friendly options, enabling travellers to make informed decisions aligning with organizational ESG goals.

He said that by investing in user-friendly technology, businesses can transform travel management, enhancing traveller satisfaction, reducing administrative burdens, and empowering eco-conscious, compliant decisions.