Technology is the great enabler of travel management. From pervasive online booking tools to niche traveler rewards systems, travel buyers can deploy an array of products, features, tools or systems to guide travelers pre-trip, in-trip and post-trip.
Whether extended through a travel management company, offered by a startup or delivered by a specialized provider, the travel management tech stack has grown rich with options.
For companies hellbent on containing costs, technology features and products can help enforce policy, steer purchasing to preferred suppliers, optimize prices paid and shine a light on travel spend.
For programs keen on employee engagement and safety, technology can help mitigate traveler risk and ease their lives on the road.
The Beat this week published an in-depth research report to assess adoption in 11 discrete technology categories. It's based on a survey of more than 200 travel buyers whose organizations handled at least $500,000 in 2018 U.S.-booked air volume.
Among the findings, online booking tools, expense reporting systems, mobile travel applications and traveler tracking systems form the core of travel management tech, each adopted by at least two-thirds of respondents.
Airfare and hotel rate reshopping and guest-booking technology are emergent tech options, adopted by at least one-third but less than two-thirds of respondents.
Meanwhile, niche solutions like software that captures off-channel bookings, virtual payment tech and trip budgeting and rewards systems are gaining ground in usage but have been adopted by less than one-third of respondents.
A dedicated website and a PDF of the full study, including charts and analysis, are available here.