Ensuring the safety and well-being of employees while traveling is a crucial responsibility for any company. Employees often find themselves in unfamiliar environments where unexpected risks, whether on a business trip, conference attendance, or a client meeting, may arise. And these risks can seriously impact employees’ travel experience and overall business travel goals.
To address this concern, many companies are turning to corporate travel tracking tools to safeguard their employees. A corporate travel tracker is a robust software solution that enables companies to monitor and track their employees’ travel activities in real time and during emergencies.
By leveraging advanced technology such as GPS and mobile connectivity, these trackers provide valuable insights into the whereabouts and safety of employees during their journeys. This enables travel managers to respond promptly to potential threats, mitigate risks, and ensure a timely and effective emergency response.
Let us Look at Some of the Key Benefits a Corporate Tracker offers:
1. Real-Time Visibility
One of the main advantages of a corporate travel tracker is that it provides real-time visibility into employees’ travel journeys. The traditional methods of tracking employees, such as sending multiple emails back and forth, phone calls, etc., are not 100% accurate and time-consuming and tedious. And if employees do not get a prompt response, they can land themselves in trouble.
However, with a business travel tracker in place, organizations can overcome these challenges. The real-time aspect of travel visibility is particularly significant for travel risk management purposes. Being a travel manager allows you to monitor employee movements and stay informed about their whereabouts at any given time. This is especially important during crisis situations, natural disasters, or security incidents. With real-time updates, you can quickly assess the impact of such events on their employees and take necessary actions to ensure their safety.
For example, during a natural disaster in a specific location, a corporate travel tracking tool alerts organizations about employees who might be affected. This allows you to proactively communicate with those employees, provide guidance, and arrange their safe evacuation or return. Real-time travel visibility empowers companies and travel managers to respond swiftly and effectively to emerging risks, reducing the potential negative impact on employee safety and well-being.
2. Pro-active Risk Identification
Proactive risk identification refers to the capability of a corporate travel tracker app to analyze travel itineraries in real time and flag potential risks before they escalate. By integrating real-time data with risk management algorithms, the travel tracker can automatically identify and assess various risk factors associated with employee travel.
These risk factors include geopolitical instability, natural disasters, health advisories, civil unrest, transportation disruptions, and more. The business travel tracker continuously monitors travel itineraries and cross-references them with relevant data sources, such as security alerts, travel advisories, and global events databases. This helps travel managers identify potential risks or issues affecting employee safety and security.
For instance, if an employee has a flight booked to a destination that recently experienced political unrest, the corporate travel tracker detects this and alerts you. It also prompts you to review the employees’ travel plans and consider alternative dates for employees to travel. This will help you mitigate any potential international travel risks associated with the unrest.
3. Emergency Communication and Assistance
When an emergency arises, such as a natural disaster, civil unrest, or a medical emergency, it is crucial for organizations to quickly reach out to their employees to provide guidance, support, and necessary instructions. A corporate travel tracking app enables this rapid communication through various channels, such as push notifications, SMS alerts, mobile applications, or email notifications.
Here’s how a corporate travel tracker’s emergency communication and assistance feature can benefit organizations and business travelers:
Immediate Communication:
The travel tracker allows organizations to send real-time notifications to employees who may be in or near an affected area. This ensures that employees receive critical information without delay, allowing them to take appropriate actions to ensure their safety.
Emergency Instructions:
The business travel tracker provides specific instructions to employees based on the nature of the emergency. For example, in the event of a natural disaster, the system can provide evacuation routes, safe zones, or shelter information. Organizations can help employees make informed decisions and navigate challenging situations by providing precise and concise instructions.
Coordination and Assistance:
In addition to communication, the travel tracker assists companies in coordinating emergency response efforts. It provides information about local emergency services, medical facilities, or transportation options. This enables organizations to guide employees toward the necessary resources and support, ensuring their well-being.
Live-location Tracking:
The travel tracker can also include features that allow organizations to track employee locations during emergencies. This information is vital in ensuring accountability and enabling organizations to assist employees in high-risk or affected areas.
4. Enhanced Duty of Care
Travelers’ safety has taken center stage in all business travel meetings and C-suite conversions, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. The new-age business travelers prioritize safety when going on business trips. Therefore, you must fulfill the duty of care responsibilities as an employer.
A corporate travel tracker enhances duty of care by enabling organizations to take proactive measures to ensure the safety and security of their traveling employees. Here’s how a corporate travel tracking tool enhances duty of care:
Real-time Monitoring:
A travel tracker provides real-time visibility into employee travel plans, including flight itineraries, hotel reservations, and ground transportation details. This allows you to monitor employee movements and accurately understand their whereabouts at any given time. Real-time monitoring ensures that organizations and travel managers can quickly assess the impact of any emergencies or risks on their employees and respond promptly.
Timely Alerts and Notifications:
The travel tracker can send timely alerts and notifications to organizations and employees in case of emergencies or risks. These notifications can include security advisories, weather alerts, or travel updates that may affect employee safety. By receiving such information promptly, organizations can take necessary actions to mitigate risks and communicate essential instructions to employees.
Communication and Assistance:
The corporate travel tracking software facilitates direct communication between organizations and employees during emergencies or critical situations. Organizations can use the tracker to send push notifications, SMS alerts, or in-app messages to provide guidance, support, and relevant instructions to traveling employees. This immediate communication capability ensures that employees feel supported and well-informed, even when they are facing challenging circumstances.
Risk-mitigation Strategies:
You can develop and implement effective risk mitigation strategies with real-time travel data and risk analysis. The travel tracker helps organizations identify potential risks in advance and allows them to take necessary precautions to minimize them. This can include additional security measures, travel plan changes, or alternative arrangements to ensure employee safety.
By leveraging a travel tracker, organizations can contribute to the overall safety, security, and well-being of traveling employees and help in risk management.
5. Travel Policy Compliance
Maintaining compliance with corporate travel policies can be challenging, especially when employees have varying preferences and travel arrangements. A business travel tracker simplifies this process by automating policy enforcement.
Companies can set up customized rules within the tracker to ensure employees adhere to the travel policy guidelines. The system can flag non-compliant bookings, highlight policy violations, and provide insights into travel expenses. This helps organizations streamline their business travel management processes, control costs, and maintain consistency in travel policy compliance across the company.
6. Cost-Savings and Efficiency
Cost-savings with respect to business travel are crucial for maintaining the company’s bottom line. However, sometimes factors can lead to cost leakages, such as lack of data analysis, employee behavior, lack of travel data, and outdated technology. But, implementing a corporate travel tracker can lead to significant cost savings and improved efficiency.
By centralizing travel data and automating processes, companies can reduce administrative overheads and eliminate manual tasks associated with corporate travel management. The real-time visibility provided by travel trackers allows organizations to optimize travel routes, negotiate better rates with travel vendors, and identify opportunities for cost-saving initiatives. Moreover, the streamlined risk management processes and improved duty of care practices can help mitigate potential financial losses due to travel-related incidents or emergencies.
Its Time to Switch to the Best Corporate Travel Tracker
The advantages of using a corporate travel tracker for risk management is undeniable. Companies, travel managers, and TMCs can easily and quickly know their employees’ whereabouts. By implementing a tool for business travel tracking, organizations can ensure the safety and well-being of their employees, improve risk management processes, enhance cost efficiencies, and foster a productive and satisfied workforce.
If you are looking for a corporate travel tracker for risk management, ITILITE is the right choice. The ITILITE software allows company owners and travel managers to track employees in real time, sends real-time notifications, and provides 24/7/365 business travel support, duty of care, and many more. These features help your employees stay safe!