![[PR] PR_Ascott and Vimut Hospital_2024](https://www.traveldailynews.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PR-PR_Ascott-and-Vimut-Hospital_2024-400x265.jpg)
…
This was the message given to the participants in a 24 October ITB Asia Convention session on ACTE Travel Technology by Mr Jeremy Findley, Head of Business Development Asia-Pacific for Concur, a leading provider of on-demand Employee Spend Management services. “Mobile technology will revolutionise business travel, allowing travellers to book and amend flights and make hotel reservations, as well as complete expense forms while on the road, thereby increasing their flexibility, welfare and productivity,” said Mr Findley. “Mobile travel technology can also provide travellers with other time-saving features, such as flight check-in, virtual room keys and electronic boarding passes sent directly to their mobile device,” he said.
As a result, employees will need to spend less time on travel-related tasks in the office, instead performing them while travelling. Implemented across the entire business, these functions will deliver substantial cost savings for companies through increased productivity and efficiency.
Mobile technology will help the corporate travel manager meet travel policy requirements, delivering improvements in employee security during business trips.
Up-to-the-minute security alerts or warnings about delays or disasters that might affect corporate travellers can be automatically sent via simple, timely SMS text messages. And travel managers will at the same time be able to track employees using GPS systems, enabling them to account for all their staff in the event of an emergency.
Mobile technology will also help travel managers promote policy compliance while on the road. In the case of a cancelled flight, employees will be able to access approved supplier lists, ensuring that they follow company policy rather than choosing costly alternatives, and thus further reducing company costs.
Mr Findley highlighted the importance of travel managers consulting the IT and HR departments within their companies to introduce a mobile strategy into their travel management programmes and take advantage of current and future offerings.
While travel managers are aware of these benefits, they have so far made little progress in implementing changes. Some 80% acknowledge the role of mobile phones with enhanced features to improve corporate travel but, despite this, very few have integrated these services into their travel programmes. “The benefits of mobile technology are already significant – from increasing traveller productivity to improving safety and tracking staff. But it has the potential to totally transform corporate travel – not just for the business traveller, but also the corporate travel manager.”
Tatiana is the news co-ordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes to monitor the hundrends of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skim the most important according to our strategy. She holds a Bachelor degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
