The Top 5 Reasons To Hire a Travel Manager

The cost of employee travel can often be one of an organisations largest expenses.  Having an experienced and knowledgeable Travel Manager within your company to manage and negotiate travel related products and services can not only help to control that cost but through monitoring and analysing travel expenditures and patterns can also provide measurable savings and cost-cutting opportunities.  But it’s not all about controlling costs, increasingly organisations need to find ways to ensure their travelers are productive and more importantly, safe when travelling for business.  Whether you manage your travel in-house, use a Travel Management Company or both, what are the top 5 reasons to employ a Travel Manager? 

1. Savings/Cost Control

 Measurable financial benefits can be achieved when you employ an experienced travel management professional to negotiate discounts and preferred rates with travel suppliers based on volume and price and by driving volume through these preferred suppliers and negotiated agreements.  Research has shown time and time again that an effective Travel Manager can provide savings that far exceed the cost of employing them.

2. Policy Compliance

In order to get the most out of your negotiated rates a companywide and well communicated travel policy is key, a managed and well thought out policy guides and compels employees to make their travel arrangements through the correct channels using the negotiated rates with preferred suppliers and thus ensuring your organisation meets its contractual obligation with the supplier.  In turn you can receive overrides and incentives.  Non-compliance can also prove incredibly challenging during times of crisis and makes it difficult to control costs.

 3. Traveler Safety

In times of crisis it is the Travel Managers responsibility to ensure employees that are travelling are kept as safe as possible.  Tracking systems, effective communications and emergency assistance procedures should all be in place should the worst happen.  Companies have a duty of care to their employees to ensure that they are kept safe when travelling for work.

 4. Efficiency and Productivity

 An efficient travel process gives your employees more time to do their actual job rather than trawling the internet for a good deal.  A well thought out policy and process can increase employee satisfaction and negotiated extras can provide a much better traveler experience that in turn leads to productivity and policy compliance.

 5. Technology

 Developments in Technology are prevalent everywhere, and Business Travel is no different.  A dedicated expert in your company can help you to make the most of these developments and help you to understand how they can have a positive impact on your overall travel programme.

Progressive Personnel are a leading travel recruitment company with a specialist Business Travel team.  Many of our assignments involve finding exceptional Travel Managers to introduce or transform a Corporate organisations travel policy, provide measurable savings and ensure that Corporate Social Responsibility goals and obligations are met.