The complete guide to corporate travel planning

Corporate travel planning has some of the same pain points you’ll encounter when booking personal travel. A family trip entails keeping within a budget, and trying to accommodate everyone’s needs when booking travel or accommodation.It stops there for private travel, but is 10x’d when it comes to corporate travel planning. Booking under the umbrella of corporate policies, employer duty of care responsibilities, entire team bookings, will make things that much more complicated.There are four key challenges for every

corporate travel planner

when it comes to business travel planning:

Balancing employee mobility with adherence to organizational travel policies is crucial.

Ensuring compliance with established guidelines

mitigates risks associated with non-compliance: like breaking budgets or putting employees in vulnerable situations.Those who plan corporate travel also need to ensure things like vaccines, visas, passports, and other travel documents are all in order for the trip.

Escalating travel expenses requires the optimization of travel budgets—without compromising on the quality of travel arrangements. Identifying cost-effective solutions and getting the best deal for the company is an uphill climb corporate travel managers need to deal with.

Prioritizing the

safety and well-being of employees during travel

is imperative. Navigating geopolitical landscapes and addressing health and security concerns are part of the comprehensive risk management strategies that anyone planning corporate travel needs to have in their luggage.

The digitization of the workplace has revolutionized corporate travel planning. It can help streamline processes by bringing many of your processes under one roof, or in one app in this case.But, it also introduces its own set of complexities. For example, managing multiple booking tools and third-party websites while ensuring data security is a beast that seemingly forever needs taming.Besides these main areas, modern travel preferences have been changing. From the rise of bleisure travel to the demand for sustainable options, corporate travel planning requires a forward-thinking approach to be able to book with these preferences in mind.Now that we understand the many challenges there are when planning corporate travel, let’s look at how you can make corporate travel plans easier for you and your team.

We've all felt the headache of planning business trips. But, there's light at the end of the tunnel for corporate travel planners everywhere. Let's dive into seven best practices that can turn corporate travel planning hassles into hurrah!

First thing’s first, let's talk money. Setting a clear budget lays the foundation for successful corporate travel planning. Knowing your financial limits helps prioritize expenses and prevents overspending. Plus, it ensures that you're getting the most bang for your buck for every trip.Here are some key questions you should consider when it comes to

budgeting for business travel

:

Bullet points can help employees understand their destination's dos and don'ts, covering everything from safety protocols to preferred modes of transportation. A well-defined

corporate travel policy

keeps everyone on the same page, minimizing confusion and maximizing efficiency.Keep in mind that you’ll need to take into account safety considerations for specific destinations within your company policies, as well as include any legal or regulatory requirements that the policy needs to address.Wrap all of this up in a one-pager if possible, deliver information in a way that employees will either remember it clearly, or can access easily and quickly while on the move.

When selecting a travel management platform, aim for a comprehensive solution that will feel like having a whole travel agency or experienced travel agent in your pocket.Look for a platform offering a wide inventory of travel options—including flights and accommodation—along with crucial features like duty of care, automated reimbursement approvals, and click-and-grab expense reports.You’ll also want to consider the quality of customer support you’ll be getting—you don’t want your travelers to be stuck anywhere without access to speedy help or they likely won’t be traveling again for your business.We spoke to

Anja Sejfic

, HR Business Partner at

Rinkel

. Anja shared some key considerations to keep in mind when choosing a travel management tool:

Before sending employees off on their adventures, do your homework. Dive deep into destination details like weather conditions, transportation options, and local safety concerns.It’s important to research any cultural or social norms that travelers might need to be aware of and pass this information on. This will enable your travelers to be successful in operating their way through a new environment.

It may seem daunting, but trust us, detailed itineraries for every travel booking are well worth it. These leave no room for uncertainty, covering everything from flight details to car rental pick-ups and drop-offs, business priorities, sightseeing spots, and free time for relaxation. They should be a mix of business and (personalized) leisure to ensure the travel experience is equal parts productive as it is enjoyable.Not only does this save travelers time, but it also adds a layer of organization that's invaluable during busy trips, and the template can be rinsed and repeated for future trips.

Remember the golden rule: the early bird gets the worm. Booking flights and accommodation well in advance comes with cost-saving benefits galore. It allows for greater flexibility in choosing preferred travel options and securing corporate discounts where you can.However, keep in mind that you’ll also need to be prepared for some last-minute changes, so plan for those as much as possible and stay on your toes (or at your fingertips) when travelers are on trip.

A good night's sleep is essential for productive business trips. After all, a well-rested traveler is a happy and productive traveler.Here are some questions to keep in mind when it comes to choosing the right accommodation for your travelers:By considering these seven best practices, you’ll be able to navigate the complexities of corporate travel with a little more confidence and efficiency than before.

Picture this: you’ve planned the trip, your travelers are now back in office.Now what?A key thing to do is evaluate the effectiveness of your corporate travel program. To do this, you’ll need to set some key performance indicators (KPIs) in place like:By analyzing these metrics after each trip by implementing post-trip debriefs, travel managers will be able to ensure more successful trips (and trip planning) in the future.

Whether you’re a corporate travel planner or a travel manager, corporate travel can be made a whole lot easier when you use a travel management company like TravelPerk.TravelPerk’s easy-to-use platform allows you to book transport, accommodation, and more from one place. You’ll be able to enjoy a baked-in

duty of care solution

, get real-time visibility on travelers and expenses, and access

round the clock support

with a 15-second response time.