Business travel is at an all-time high and continuing to increase, according to the Global Business Travel Association.1
However, travelling for business is often not as glamorous as some people may think, with 40 per cent of Australian business travellers saying that booking, planning, and organising trips is the most stressful part, according to the SAP Concur 2019 Global Business Traveller Survey.
SAP Concur commissioned a survey of 7,850 business travellers from 19 global markets, including over 400 from Australia.
The results also revealed that 32 per cent of Australian respondents found the trip itself the most stressful part, especially in terms of travelling, working, and managing their personal safety. 28 per cent said after the trip was the most stressful period as they caught up on emails and filed expense reports.
Matthew Goss, managing director, ANZ, SAP Concur, said, “Business travellers can find trips stressful and often worry for their own safety while they’re away. According to the survey, more than half (53 per cent) of travellers have reduced travel to certain locations due to political unrest of health hazards, and 47 per cent have, more than once, changed their accommodations on a business trip specifically because they felt unsafe, while a further 30 per cent have done it once.”
“This, compared with increasing demands around convenience, choice, and control when travelling for work, means that companies need to consider how they can best accommodate their employees’ needs when travelling.”
According to the SAP Concur 2019 Global Business Traveller Survey, the most important factors when travelling for business are very similar for employees and employers alike. The number one concern is personal safety (31 per cent for individuals; 28 per cent for employers), followed by ensuring the goals of the trip are met (28 per cent for individuals; 27 per cent for employers).
Staying within travel policies is important for 15 per cent of individuals compared with 18 per cent of employers. Using time as efficiently as possible is important for 16 per cent of individuals and 14 per cent of employers. Interestingly, spending the least amount of money possible was important to nine per cent of individuals and only 14 per cent of employers.
Matthew Goss said, “It’s encouraging to see that employers and employees have the same priorities when it comes to business travel, and that those priorities centre around safety and effectiveness rather than on spending the least amount of money possible. This means business trips are likely to lead to better outcomes for the company and the individual.”
The survey also revealed that many companies are taking their time when it comes to reimbursing employees for travel-related expenses. On average, it took Australian companies almost 12 days to reimburse travellers for a business trip expense. Just 20 per cent of respondents said they were reimbursed in two days or less, 29 per cent were reimbursed in three to five days, 30 per cent were reimbursed in six to 14 days, and a full 20 per cent were reimbursed in 15 days or more.
Globally, 35 per cent of respondents had lost more than $100 on a travel-related business expense that weren’t reimbursed, either because they didn’t think it was worth reporting or because their company failed to reimburse them.
Matthew Goss said, “It’s unfair for companies to expect employees to be out of pocket for work-related travel. The long reimbursement timelines indicate that companies may not have adequate systems for managing expenses, and some may even be relying on manual, paper-based expense processes. This means these companies could be missing out on ways to manage expenses more strategically, which could result in cost savings as well as improved morale for employees who are reimbursed sooner.”
The survey results confirm this, with almost three-quarters of Australian business travellers surveyed believing their company was behind in adopting the latest technologies to make business travel easier. Almost half (48 per cent) agreed strongly with the statement while 22 per cent agreed somewhat. Just 30 per cent disagreed to some extent that their company was behind in adopting the latest technologies to make business travel easier.
Matthew Goss said, “The latest, cloud-based travel and expense management solutions can make life much easier for travellers and managers alike. These platforms can automate much of the expense management process, and deliver data and insights that help businesses retain tighter control over expenses, reimburse employees faster, and see where better deals can be negotiated.”
Australian business travellers were likely to embrace digital tools if offered by their employers. For Australian travellers who had their arrangements cancelled while travelling for business, 69 per cent preferred to re-book online such as using a website or app compared with just 31 per cent who preferred to do it over the phone.
The survey showed that Australian travellers like online booking tools because:
· they offered better information such as descriptions of hotels or airlines (77 per cent)
· they were more convenient (67 per cent)
· the had better prices (64 per cent)
· the traveller was loyal to that brand (60 per cent)
· they offered more options (53 per cent).
Of those (54 per cent) who used their company’s travel agency or travel department, they did so because of:
· better information such as descriptions of hotels or airlines (67 per cent)
· more convenience (63 per cent)
· ability to talk to a real person (56 per cent)
· better prices (54 per cent)
· brand loyalty (56 per cent)
· more options (48 per cent).
Of those who used online travel agencies/sites, they did so because of:
· more convenience (68 per cent)
· better information (68 per cent)
· better prices (64 per cent)
· more options (60 per cent)
· brand loyalty (56 per cent).
Australian business travellers are interested in learning more about how to make business travel work better for them. The survey showed that travellers would like to receive training from their companies on how to:
· stay safe while travelling (50 per cent)
· prepare for an upcoming trip including best travel practices (49 per cent)
· use their company’s travel booking tool (42 per cent)
· submit expenses for prompt reimbursement (41 per cent)
· maintain healthy habits while travelling (41 per cent)
· book cost-effective travel (38 per cent)
· travel more sustainably (38 per cent).
Matthew Goss said, “The business travel landscape is changing with more travellers preferring to take control over their own arrangements rather than leave them in the hands of travel agents, for example. As people have become used to booking their own family holidays or personal travel using apps and websites, they are looking for that kind of functionality when it comes to business travel. Organisations that aren’t empowering business travellers to do this, while also maintaining tight control over and visibility into expenses, may find their employees less willing to travel for work, and less productive when they do.”
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