The benefits of a managed corporate travel program

Business travel is complicated, and those who look after travel for their organizations know this better than anyone. On most days, they’re trying to balance company needs with keeping travelers happy, productive, and within budget. A managed travel program can be a big part of making that happen.

What does it mean to manage a corporate travel program?

Having employees who travel for work doesn’t necessarily constitute a managed program. If they’re booking travel—like hotel accommodations, airline tickets, or car rentals—autonomously and with little company oversight, this is considered unmanaged.

Risk management and emergency aid

In contrast, a managed travel program is one in which the company coordinates all travel arrangements and employee expenses. This can be set up and maintained by an organization’s travel team, a TMC (travel management company), or both. It usually involves formal levels of approval, a source of truth for travel policies, and technological resources that help streamline and monitor processes like booking, expensing, and reimbursement.

To manage or not to manage?

An unmanaged travel program might seem like the path of least resistance, especially from the employee perspective. Travelers may get more control over their bookings by arranging their trips with individual airlines or hotel groups. And while this freedom may seem advantageous, it poses the risk of anti-policy behavior. It also puts more responsibility on individual employees to make changes or fix errors, and it removes access to company-negotiated rates. All this could‌ lead to higher travel costs for an organization.

The 4 main benefits of a managed program

Continual access to data and reporting

Manual data pulls and reporting are a thing of the past. A managed travel program provides always-on access to the metrics needed to evaluate program success and plan for the future. With such a program, travel managers can analyze travel usage and individual or overall spending, and report knowledgeably ‌to internal stakeholders.

The data from a managed travel program doesn’t just keep companies on top of costs. It can also help employee travelers feel safe and cared-for on the road. Travel management platforms often provide access to risk management tools and emergency communication resources, helping a company keep tabs on employee well-being. These platforms also give employees a hub for finding region-specific safety information or travel advisories, providing them with much-needed peace of mind.

Informed, compliant business travelers

A managed travel program also helps business travelers stay compliant with company policies, especially around allowable expenses. Such programs showcase company-negotiated hotel and airline rates, meaning employees won’t need to guess what class of room or ticket they can book.

Systemized, automated processes

With a managed travel program, travel managers and employees alike benefit from efficient systems and processes. The technology of a TMC speeds things up for travel managers, whether that’s expense reconciliation or employee onboarding. For employees, time spent looking up, booking, and/or changing hotels, flights, or ground transportation means less time spent doing their core job functions.

How Uber for Business can help

Systemized, automated processes

We know that an efficient and well-run travel program requires the best tools and partners. Uber for Business provides both. Learn more about how our platform aids organizations in managing rides and meals for employees on the go.

Customization and control

Traveling employees want and need options, especially when it comes to ground transportation. Uber for Business allows easy setup and customization of rideshare programs for on-the-move teams. Think of the centralized dashboard as a control center for specifying eligible ride options like UberX or Uber Business Comfort, tracking employee usage, and watching their spending.

To provide traveling employees a chance to experience local cuisine, organizations can implement a meal program through Uber Eats. The dashboard gives the same level of control as it does for ride programs: set spending caps or location parameters so travelers are well fed and not overspending.

Always-on information

Stay on top of how travelers are using Uber for Business and how much they’re spending. The dashboard provides 24/7 access to real-time usage and expense data, as well as weekly or monthly reporting capabilities. Not only does this help companies stay within budget, but it also arms program admins with ample data for future planning.

Top-notch employee experience

With Uber for Business, traveling employees get the rideshare and meal-delivery experience they know (and hopefully love), in over 70 countries around the world. The platform also makes separating work and personal expenses as easy as selecting the profile toggle in their Uber app. And for those connected to a business account, all company-sponsored ride and meal benefits are visible in the Business hub portion of the app. This helps employees stay informed—and helps ensure T&E compliance.

Expense integrations

Forget about saving and keeping track of receipts. Uber for Business integrates with a variety of top expense providers to help expedite a tedious (yet crucial) process. Travel managers can provide custom expense codes and reconcile receipts, which automatically flow directly into the company’s expense provider dashboard. Not only does this save time, but it also helps eliminate human error.