The value of a managed travel program for SMBs

Corporate travel can be a source of frustration and missed opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

Without a managed travel program in place, employees are left on their own to shop around for the best prices, finance teams can’t track spending, and companies miss out on significant savings.

A managed travel program uses policies to ensure travelers stay on budget and within the rules of your travel program. Analytics also provide insight into travel spend and help to shine light on rogue behavior.

Many SMB leaders assume managed travel programs are only for large enterprises: complex, expensive, and time-consuming to implement. Modern travel platforms, however, now make travel management easy to implement for smaller companies.

This guide explores the tangible value a managed travel program delivers to SMBs and how Spotnana makes it simple to get started.

Lower travel costs without the hassle

One of the biggest time-wasters for employees is shopping across multiple websites to find the best deal. Managed travel programs provide access to negotiated corporate rates and better pricing. When you work with a TMC, you get access to their negotiated discounts with airlines and hotels.

Spotnana aggregates travel options from airlines, hotels, and car rental companies in one place, displaying a TMC’s negotiated discounts from all major suppliers. We also provide access to a broader range of rates and fares than other travel tools, including full access to the same discounts that can be found on sites like Booking.com. This eliminates the need for employees to shop around multiple websites to find the best deal.

Our travel technology also helps SMBs keep costs under control by empowering travelers to redeem unused ticket credits during the booking process. Often unused ticket credits account for approximately 5% of a company’s total spend on US air travel.

Unmanaged programs can lack consistency and fairness because travel policies aren’t easily enforceable. This also creates a burden for people who have to police offenders.

Spotnana helps you control costs without creating frustration for travelers. Set simple travel policy rules that guide employees toward budget-friendly options while still giving them flexibility to choose what works best for their trip. 

When employees book a trip, they can quickly see which options are in policy and which aren’t. You can instantly adjust policies as your needs change, ensuring spending stays aligned with your budget.

Better visibility into where your money goes

Finance teams at SMBs often struggle to track travel spending in real-time. Without centralized booking, expense reports often come in weeks after trips, making it impossible to manage budgets effectively. 

When travel is booked across multiple consumer sites and personal credit cards, there’s no way to see the full picture of what the company is spending. This lack of visibility makes it difficult to forecast travel costs or identify areas where the company is overspending.

A managed travel platform provides complete visibility into who’s traveling, where they’re going, and how much they’re spending. Real-time reporting lets you see spending as it happens, not weeks later. You can quickly identify patterns, such as which routes are most expensive or which hotels provide the best value. This visibility enables you to make informed decisions about policy guidelines.

Spotnana’s global platform captures all your travel data in one place, providing real-time dashboards that show spending as it happens. You can see who’s traveling, where they’re going, and how much trips cost without waiting for expense reports or aggregating data from multiple sources. 

Spotnana’s dashboards answer critical questions about where your travel budget is going without requiring complex reports or waiting for answers. This complete visibility helps you identify overspending and make informed decisions about your travel program.

A better experience for travelers

Managing travel without a platform creates headaches for everyone involved, particularly travelers. Employees waste valuable time searching multiple websites, comparing options, and coordinating their own bookings. When plans change, travelers are on their own to rebook flights and find hotels, taking time away from their actual work.

Modern travel platforms simplify travel for both employees and the people who manage it. With Spotnana, travelers get an easy-to-use booking experience that feels like shopping on their favorite website. 

Spotnana’s self-service capabilities let travelers handle their own bookings, changes, and cancellations without needing to call for help. More than 80% of trip modifications can be completed by travelers themselves, while travelers can access their loyalty program benefits and see personalized options based on their status, making the booking experience feel like their favorite consumer travel site. 

When travelers need help, we connect them with our partners’ experienced travel agents via chat, phone, and email.

Getting started is simpler than you think

For small and medium-sized businesses, modern platforms have eliminated the complexity, high costs, and lengthy implementations that used to prevent effective travel management programs. 

With Spotnana, you can be up and running in days, not months. The cost savings begin immediately, making the return on investment clear from day one.

Want to learn more about how Spotnana can improve your travel program? Get a demo today.