Improving travel management processes is a top concern for corporate travel and procurement managers in Germany, according to a survey conducted by VDR, Germany's corporate travel association.
The preliminary results, released on Wednesday (May 15) after surveying more than 800 corporate travel managers, will form part of VDR's upcoming 2024 Business Travel Report, which explores hybrid and remote work. This study will reveal how the role of business travel management is changing in this era.
Given the increasing complexity of business mobility and the number of “new subject areas” being added to the remit of travel managers, nearly 95% of respondents highlighted “process optimization” as a key area of concern .
The majority of respondents (80%) said fleet management is also part of their responsibility, as business travel now includes commuting and 'mixed travel', and 'total mobility'. VDR said this indicates further movement toward
Remote and flexible working arrangements are also gaining traction among German companies, with all respondents saying their organization allows employees to work “at least partially” from home or in Germany. . Meanwhile, 43% of companies allow employees to work overseas, and a further 33% plan to do so.
“More than ever before, mobility professionals are becoming interface managers between human resources, purchasing, finance, and even IT disciplines in order to effectively design processes,” VDR featured preliminary findings. said in a statement.
The study found that more than half (52%) of large companies with more than 500 employees are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to improve their travel management processes, compared to 500 people), it was revealed that only 36%. .
Environmental sustainability and travel safety round out the top three priorities for current and future travel managers, and the association believes that the European Union's recently introduced Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is a key It is pointed out that this is a driving factor.
VDR plans to publish its full 2024 Business Travel Report at the end of June.
