What are the difficulties in adapting global contracts to local travel policy?

ROGELIO GRACIA
Meetings & Congress Local account en PFIZER SPAIN

 

Once the global travel policy is announced, the first thing that is done is to create a “action committee” with the departments involved and decisive in validating, adapting and implementing these policies. Specifically, Legal, Compliance/Finance, Procurement, Human Resources and Travel Manager.

Each of these departments plays a very important role in ensuring that these policies can be implemented effectively and in accordance with local standards, as I explain below:

The Legal department is responsible for knowing if any section of the global policy does not comply with any of the country's legal requirements, such as visa or data protection.

The Compliance/Finance departments are responsible for determining whether the means of payment, expense reporting, local taxes and hotel categories, as well as the type of air and ground services can be applied to the country, as there are particularities in each one that cannot be extrapolated. Likewise, both departments must make very clear the payment methods for the services rendered. Currently, the most efficient means of payment for all services is the credit card, but in Spain there is still great reluctance to distribute it indiscriminately to all travelers.

From the area of Finances, the aim is to optimize resources as much as possible, reducing as far as possible the number of trips, accommodation and the average fare to be paid. These measures sometimes provoke some discomfort in the traveler, because he/she is not given as much freedom in choosing how to travel and where to stay.

The Human Resources department is responsible for verifying that global policies follow local guidelines with those agreed upon and that they are not detrimental to the acquired rights of employees. However, a local policy, if updated, should always be equally or more restrictive than the global one.

The Purchasing department must certify that the contracts that have been signed globally with hotel companies and airlines comply with all commercial terms and conditions in the country, as there are clauses that differ in each region.

An important factor when implementing a travel policy is to parameterize its use and control it with the self-booking tools, a safe bet and of great value, both for the traveler and the company.

The Travel Manager is responsible for making the global policy visible and understandable at the local level; in other words, he/she is in charge of ensuring that the policy is fair, pleases all travelers as much as possible and that they not only abide by it but also understand and comply with it. In order to carry out this task, it is essential to have the unconditional support of the Management Committee and the Communications department, which plays a fundamental role in knowing what and how the policies must be communicated to the employees. In short, the Travel Manager plays a crucial role as he/she is the focal point for all aspects of the travel process, from the time of booking to the time of return from the destination, for which he/she must be a good negotiator, a communicator who relies on solid arguments.