Flexibility is essential for implementing global travel policies

The challenge of implementing a travel policy in different countries can only be met with a strategy of flexibility. The business culture of each market determines aspects of the program that need to be adapted and, in any case, it is always more effective to convince than to win. The travel managers of Forum Business Travel analyzed in Barcelona on April 10 the difficulties of globalization.

As pointed out by José Montes Cabello, expert in Business Travel, travel policy is like a football rulebook, but it has to be lively, changing and adaptable. You have to have a global picture to make decisions about improvements or changes to be made and you have to have the business culture of the market. Locally you can enrich the global policy for the benefit of all.

The Forum Business Travel expert panel discussed, among other things, the benefits and drawbacks of implementing a multi-country travel policy, the first steps to a regional or global implementation and the different possible models: single policy, local policy with international elements or policy with general guidelines and local customization.

According to Antonello Simoncini, purchase manager at Ricoh España,Every company needs a regulatory framework for its travel services, but it must be elastic, with some level of local intervention. Travelers need to have clear guidelines, but not to limit travel. We must always be very vigilant about the comfort of the traveler. Although the travel policy has to have a control, that is not the purpose”.

During the session, experts commented on the convenience of having local and multinational suppliers.Óscar García, founding partner of FBT, spoke in favor of giving freedom to the company, within a framework agreement, to choose between two suppliers. Sometimes you cannot work with the same ones in all markets because they do not work equally well”. Montes Cabello added that, although there are preferred suppliers, “the figure of the travel manager is very important to see the real need. Locally, their criteria is vital for the policy to be efficient.

Among the lessons learned from the implementation processes they have carried out in their professional careers, both Simoncini and Montes Cabello stressed that the support of general management is essential and that success lies in internal communication. As Simoncini pointed out, "the traveler must be clear about where he is traveling and under what conditions. For this reason, they recommended to carry out periodic training actions in the different countries, including the use of incentive measures.