As with all problems, business travel challenges often arise when you least expect them to. From managing travel expenses to navigating different time zones, especially during international travels, these hurdles can catch you off guard. However, the key to navigating through these challenges in business travel with ease lies in thorough preparedness. This involves conducting thorough research, familiarising yourself with available options, and establishing backup plans.
Below, we’ll explore some significant business travel challenges and the strategies to overcome them.
Common business travel challenges with solutions
1. Unorganised travel documentation
The process of organising travel information during business trips can often resemble navigating a maze. It involves juggling multiple reservations for flights, accommodations, and ground transportation, while simultaneously recording expenses to ensure financial accountability. Furthermore, staying updated on itinerary changes, meeting schedules, and compliance with travel policies adds another layer of complexity.
Solution:
Streamlining all corporate travel-related data into a singular platform is imperative for maximising time efficiency and minimising confusion. This centralised approach enables swift access to essential information without the inconvenience of rummaging through paperwork or navigating various websites. Utilising cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox facilitates effortless storage and retrieval of travel-related documents.
Yet, a more effective solution to combat these business travel challenges lies in the implementation of dedicated travel management software within your organisation. This innovative solution offers a unified dashboard where all travel details are consolidated, simplifying itinerary management and expense tracking. With everything accessible from a single interface, you can efficiently oversee bookings, monitor expenses, and maintain organisational efficiency.
2. Insufficient packing
Preparing for a business trip poses a significant challenge, especially when it comes to packing. As a dedicated road warrior, your schedule is likely brimming with tasks and deadlines to manage before setting off on your journey. Amidst the whirlwind of activity, finding the time to pack appropriately can be a struggle. With deadlines to meet and work events to prepare for during the trip, crucial items like your passport may easily slip your mind in the hustle and bustle.
Solution:
To address the hurdles associated with packing for business travel, consider developing a comprehensive packing checklist tailored to your specific needs. This checklist serves as a valuable tool to ensure you don’t overlook any essential items necessary for your journey.
It should encompass a wide range of items, including crucial documents, medications, electronic devices, and any other essentials pertinent to your trip.
3. Adapting to different time zones
One of the primary hurdles faced by business travellers is the need to adapt to new time zones, particularly when journeying abroad. This adjustment, commonly known as jet lag, presents a significant challenge to overall well-being during travel. Jet lag occurs when your body’s internal clock remains synchronised with your home time zone instead of the one you’ve entered. It often results in temporary sleep disturbances, accompanied by symptoms such as fatigue, digestive discomfort, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.
Solution:
To minimise the impact of jet lag, prioritise adequate rest in the days leading up to your business trip. Sleep deprivation exacerbates the symptoms of jet lag, so ensuring you’re well-rested before departure is crucial. Additionally, consider gradually adjusting your body to the new time zone several days before departure by shifting your sleep schedule and meal times accordingly.
Arriving at your destination a day or two prior to your scheduled events or meetings allows your body more time to adapt to the new surroundings and time zone. This extended period enables a smoother transition and reduces the severity of jet lag upon arrival. Once you’ve reached your destination, aim to sleep during the local nighttime to help synchronise your internal clock.
By implementing these strategies, you can minimise stress during your business trip and optimise your energy levels and productivity on workdays, ensuring a more enjoyable and successful travel experience.
4. Addressing safety risks
Navigating the landscape of business travel exposes individuals to a myriad of potential hazards and uncertainties. Whether embarking on domestic excursions or international ventures, road warriors are constantly confronted with diverse safety concerns. Moreover, these concerns are amplified for female travellers, who face unique challenges and vulnerabilities.
Studies indicate that a significant majority of women business travellers—83%, to be precise—have encountered safety-related issues while on work-related trips. As a result, safeguarding the well-being of travellers stands out as one of the foremost challenges confronting businesses in managing corporate travel effectively.
To address these concerns and ensure the protection of employees, most companies have implemented robust safety protocols. These measures typically include comprehensive duty of care plans, tailored safety training programs, and clear corporate travel security policies. However, individual travellers also bear the responsibility of taking proactive measures to mitigate risks and prioritise personal safety throughout their journeys.
Solution:
To ensure your safety during business trips, it’s essential to implement a series of proactive measures. Begin by conducting thorough research on your destination, including assessing the political climate, availability of healthcare facilities, and emergency contact information. Government-issued travel advisories can provide valuable insights into the safety status of your destination.
In addition, it’s crucial to pack essential medications, secure backup copies of important documents, and safeguard your communication devices. For female business travellers, taking extra precautions is paramount. Assess the safety of your travel site carefully and endeavour to blend in with local customs and attire to minimise unwanted attention.
If the prospect of remembering all these safety measures seems overwhelming, consider creating a personalised travellers’ safety checklist. This checklist will serve as a handy reference to ensure you cover all necessary precautions.
5. Delayed expense reimbursements
Each employee has their unique approach to meticulously managing their monthly budget for spending, saving, or investing. However, unforeseen corporate travel expenses can disrupt this financial balance significantly, especially when reimbursement is delayed. Delayed reimbursements present a twofold challenge for business travellers.
Firstly, they can evoke frustration and hinder productivity. Additionally, prolonged delays can impact morale, potentially leading to resentment towards business travel. In some instances, employees may even contemplate seeking alternative job opportunities.
Various factors contribute to delays in expense reimbursement. These include reliance on a single individual to handle expenses for multiple employees, manual expense filing processes, missed submission deadlines, out-of-policy expense claims, and misplacement of receipts. Such inefficiencies can exacerbate the delay and further compound the challenges associated with managing business travel expenses.
Solution:
Overcoming this challenge is achievable by leveraging automated tools tailored to simplify expense filing and expedite approval processes. Implementing a business travel expense software can significantly streamline operations by sending prompt notifications to approvers upon the submission of booking requests.
Furthermore, employees can access the travel expense policy in real-time, eliminating the need for out-of-policy approvals. This proactive approach not only saves time but also enhances efficiency and ensures compliance with company travel policies.
6. Unclear corporate travel policies
One of the primary hurdles faced by companies in corporate travel management is ensuring adherence to their policies. While it’s imperative for employees to fully grasp these policies, doing so can prove challenging amidst a myriad of other responsibilities.
Adding to the complexity, many travel policies are overly lengthy or complex. They often use legal jargon that may be difficult for employees to interpret. Consequently, individuals may struggle to discern the expectations outlined in the policy or may choose to disregard it entirely.
Solution:
To mitigate the complexities of travel policy compliance, companies can partner with a travel management company like Holiday Tours. This collaboration enables organisations to establish tailored travel policies based on various factors such as department, employee roles, and trip duration.
By engaging with a reliable travel management company, employees gain seamless access to travel policies. This facilitates enhanced compliance, empowering individuals to clearly comprehend the guidelines and modify their travel arrangements accordingly to ensure alignment with the established policy.
7. Difficulty tracking expenditure
Tracking corporate travel expenses poses a significant challenge for business travellers. It’s imperative for them to meticulously document all receipts to facilitate filing accurate expense reports for reimbursement according to company policy.
Business travellers often struggle to manage their budgets and expenditures while on the road. Instances of missing receipts and expenditures that do not comply with the travel policy further complicate matters. This lack of comprehensive tracking can make it challenging to adhere to budgetary constraints. Moreover, failure to report expenses by the specified deadline may result in non-reimbursement by the company.
Solution:
Employees have the option to monitor their expenses using expense tracking software. However, these tools may not be synchronised with the company’s travel policies, leaving employees uncertain about reimbursement eligibility.
To address this issue, companies can opt to utilise an integrated travel and expense management software to streamline expense tracking more seamlessly for employees by automatically generating expense reports from receipt images with a single click. It can also identify out-of-policy expenses and help employees stay within their budgets.
8. Health concerns during travel
International travel frequently exposes individuals to health risks. Therefore, when travelling abroad, it’s essential to take preventive measures to reduce the likelihood of contracting infections. Moreover, adjusting to new climates and cuisines in unfamiliar locations can disrupt one’s internal clock and sleep patterns, potentially leading to illness.
Common health issues encountered during travel include gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea, often caused by consuming contaminated food and untreated water. Mosquito bites are another prevalent concern, as they can transmit diseases like malaria. Additionally, travellers may be susceptible to fever and respiratory tract infections while on the move.
Solution:
When embarking on business travel, prioritising health precautions is paramount. Opting for a diet familiar to you can help prevent potential illnesses that may arise from trying new foods abroad, ensuring a smoother trip overall.
Additionally, packing a well-equipped first-aid kit stocked with medications for common ailments such as colds, stomach aches, and headaches is essential. Incorporating vitamins and supplements into your routine can also boost energy levels and combat travel fatigue effectively.
Lastly, don’t overlook the importance of carrying mosquito repellent cream to guard against insect bites, especially in regions where diseases like malaria are prevalent. These proactive measures contribute to a healthier and more enjoyable travel experience.
9. LACK OF BUSINESS TRAVEL ASSISTANCE
Employees often encounter a significant challenge in securing adequate support during business trips. Various issues related to flights, accommodations, or the destination itself may arise unexpectedly. For instance, urgent assistance may be needed if the hotel assigns the wrong room or transportation is required.
In companies with only one designated travel manager, it may be challenging for them to address all employee inquiries promptly. Furthermore, employees may feel hesitant to approach the travel manager with their questions, further exacerbating the issue.
Solution:
Companies have the option to outsource their business travel management to a Travel Management Company (TMC). By partnering with a TMC, organisations can access round-the-clock support for employees through multiple communication channels, including calls, texts, or email.
A proficient TMC also assigns a dedicated travel manager who can promptly address any inquiries and ensure compliance with the company’s travel policy.
10. Coping with delayed or cancelled flights
Among the most prevalent challenges faced by business travellers are flight delays and cancellations. While these disruptions may not be as troublesome for tourists or leisure travellers, they can result in substantial losses for those travelling for business purposes. A delayed flight can result in missed important meetings or engagements, leading to inconvenience and potential financial losses.
Various factors, such as adverse weather conditions or technical malfunctions, can contribute to flight delays or cancellations. While immediate solutions may be limited, employees can take proactive measures to minimise the impact of such occurrences.
Solution:
When scheduling flights, it’s advisable to choose early morning departures. Flight schedules tend to be interconnected, meaning delays with one flight can cascade into delays for subsequent flights later in the day. By selecting an early morning flight, you reduce the likelihood of delays and increase the probability of arriving at your destination on time.
Additionally, it’s essential to incorporate buffer time into your itinerary to account for potential travel delays. Anticipating disruptions such as traffic congestion, flight delays, adverse weather conditions, or other unforeseen issues is crucial when planning to attend a meeting. Allocating extra time in your schedule allows for flexibility and minimises the risk of arriving late.
Elevate your corporate travel program with a TMC partner
At Holiday Tours, we specialise in providing tailored services to address diverse corporate travel challenges. From crafting comprehensive travel policies to expertly managing expenses, our dedicated team is here to support you every step of the way. With Holiday Tours as your TMC partner, turn travel obstacles into opportunities for success. Let us help you unlock the full potential of your business travel experience!
STREAMLINE YOUR CORPORATE TRAVEL PROGRAM WITH US.
REACH OUT TO US AT +603 2303 9100 (PRESS 3) OR [email protected]
You may also be interested in: