Choosing the right travel approval process for your business

One of the most effective ways of driving cost-savings to travel programs is implementing an approval process that works for both your travellers and travel arrangers. Approval processes that are too strict can lead to lost savings due to late approvals and missed fares, while those that are too lenient can result in out-of-policy bookings.

What is clear is there is still a level of oversight organisations need to ensure that travel is booked in-policy and the cost centre and purpose of the trip can be specifically monitored. Further, with the turnover of staff across many industries in recent years, there is a risk that the purpose and requirements of these approval processes may no longer be understood. As such, organisations need to communicate their travel policies and approval procedures to all employees to ensure compliance and minimise misunderstandings.

Centralised versus decentralisation approval processes for business travel

A traditional centralised booking process places the power to book and approve travel requests in the hands of selected administrative staff or Travel Bookers. This approach can be favoured by businesses as it allows for high levels of control and oversight over travel bookings, policy, and budget.

In contrast, a decentralised approach gives travellers the ability to make their business travel bookings. With the improvements in policy controls within booking technology, many organisations with a younger or predominately remote and hybrid workforce, who are used to booking things themselves, favour this approach.

Should you choose to follow a decentralised booking approach it’s important to assess what approval process is best for your business, be it no approvals or an active pre-trip or passive approval system that can be specifically configured based on company travel policy.

Configure approval system to policy requirements

When implementing a decentralised booking process, your chosen corporate online booking tool should still support your company’s varying business travel policy requirements to make bookings and approval simple; for example role type, the purpose/reason for travel, country pair, supplier choice, fare class and ‘days in advance’ booking policy, each producing a variety of triggers. The online tool can be configured to either restrict any out-of-policy behaviour or provide some room for movement.

Active approval

Active (pre-trip) approvals still require direct approval from the travel or line manager for the booking to be ticketed. This notification is sent via email to the approver and the approver can approve or decline by simply clicking the link within the email; no need to log-in.

With active approval there is a reliance on the approver to act within the ticketing time limit, this can be as short as the same day. If this is missed the lowest prices can be lost and bookings need to be requested again. To help combat this, a reminder email notification is also sent to the approver to remind them of travel requests before the ticketing window closes, helping to ensure that the best fares are not lost due to oversight.

Passive approval

With a lean toward a decentralised booking approach, many companies are recognising the benefits of a passive approval model for their travel bookings.

A passive approval process can save time for approvers and bookers while ensuring that the best fares and urgent bookings are not lost. Due to the highly configurable nature of the Corporate Travel Management’s (CTM’s) Lightning online booking tool, with a passive approval process, companies can choose to allow all in-policy bookings to be automatically approved, safe in the knowledge that these bookings are within the company’s travel policy. To maintain oversight, notifications of bookings can be sent to the selected “approver” once bookings are made, ensuring all required facets of the business remain informed.

Approvals in booking technology

At CTM our commitment to innovation and providing a return on investment for customers means we are continuously driven to provide speed, accessibility, and ultimately peace of mind. CTM’s Lightning online booking tool the following features and more to address several pain points in the approvals process:

• Multi-tier approvals
• Policy by country
• Reallocate approver
• Days in Advance (DIA)
• Approval based on role type

With the right technology implemented, a decentralised travel booking approach with an appropriate approval process can simplify the booking process for business travellers, while continuing to ensure in-policy bookings and policy adherence.

You can find out more about Lightning and CTM Approve Quote and which features are best aligned with your business goals, by speaking with a CTM Business Analysis and Solutions manager or your CTM Account Manager.