| The establishment of a travel policy is of major
importance to an organization for controlling travel and entertainment
(T&E) expenses. Employees cannot be expected to follow guidelines
when there are no guidelines to follow. Consequently, many employees
do not take advantage of cost saving opportunities that can dramatically
reduce the travel costs incurred by an organization. When employees
are aware of budgetary constraints they respond accordingly. A policy
encourages compliance among travelers by setting reasonable guidelines,
explaining the rationale behind them and describing penalties for
non-compliance. A strong policy also provides negotiating leverage
for a company to indicate to a potential supplier its ability to
move volume and market share.
The solution is proper planning and management of the travel budget
in combination with a solid travel policy. There is no standard
policy that will satisfy every corporation. MontroseTravel.com will
help you design, implement, and update a complete written travel
policy detailing set procedures for your travelers to follow, ensuring
maximum control and savings for your company.
We have created a simple to use Written Travel Policy development
tool designed to streamline the process, as well as
an easy to use template
and completed sample
policy to speed the creation of your own policy. Once
your policy is complete, you can count on MontroseTravel.com to help in its
execution, adherence, and continued modification. A policy is only
as good as it’s monitored, managed, and reported.
Policy Compliance
As with most of MontroseTravel.com’s procedures, policy compliance
is monitored through a combination of technology and human interaction,
and is fully customizable. Policies are unique to each company,
reflecting company culture and priorities.
As a result we are able to help you monitor your policy to whatever
degree you desire. Policy standards are loaded into our back-office
system so that any agent, including those at the 24-hour emergency
call center, can see your company standards.
Additionally, your primary agent and their team are thoroughly
trained on approval and notification processes. If several policies
exist within the department and division breakdowns, these standards
will be observed as well. Many companies require a written or electronic
approval for each reservation, some just in the case of policy deviation,
while other prefer notification only. Any combination of these is
possible and even common. Additionally, management reporting will
detail for you those travelers who have not observed policy, allowing
you to isolate recurrent problems.
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