In the complex landscape of business travel management, implementing effective Travel and Expense tools is no longer optional. It is a strategic investment.
Whether you are a growing SME or a large CAC 40 group, the goal remains the same: reduce costs, automate processes, and ensure flawless compliance.
But with so many providers on the market, how do you identify the one that will truly serve your strategy ? SD Global Consulting can guide you.
What types of Travel and Expense tools are right for your company ?
To understand the market, it is important to first distinguish the three main families of solutions we integrate for our clients:
- Expense tools : These digitalize expense entry, approval, and reimbursement. Major players include SAP Concur, KDS, Cytric, Expensya, Notilus, and Verticale Expense.
- Online Booking Tools (OBT) : These centralize flights, trains, and hotels while ensuring compliance with your travel policy. Examples include SAP Concur, Cytric, KDS, and Navan.
- Hotel Booking Tools (HBT) : Often used to complement OBTs, these optimize hotel rates and local coverage. We frequently work with HRS, CDS Groupe, or Hcorpo.
Why Travel and Expense tools vary by company size ?
We are often asked whether the choice of tools depends on the industry.
The answer is no : the technical needs of an audit firm or an industrial company are often similar. However, company size changes everything.
- SMEs : Prioritize simplicity, agility, and low cost.
- Multinationals : Focus on governance, data consolidation, scalability, and risk control.
An oversized tool for an SME becomes an administrative burden, while a tool that is too simple for a multinational creates compliance gaps and financial visibility issues.
What makes the difference between a good and an excellent tool
The best Travel and Expense tool is not the one with the most features but the one that fits perfectly into your ecosystem and generates reliable data.
Did you know? The most common failure, even with top-tier software, is not technical. It is a lack of governance. A poorly configured tool quickly becomes cumbersome for users.
Successful deployment: cost, time, and change management
Implementation time can vary significantly, from a few weeks for an agile solution to several months for a complex global rollout.
But be careful: financial cost should not be your only metric. Focus on overall ROI rather than the initial budget. A “cheap” tool that frustrates employees or generates errors will cost far more in the long run.
Change management is at the heart of our work at SD Global Consulting. Without proper support, employees may reject the tool. A successful project includes:
- Clear communication of benefits
- Appropriate training
- Post-launch adoption tracking
The real benefits for your organization
Investing in new Travel and Expense tools is a win-win project:
- For employees : Saves time, faster reimbursements, and eliminates the fear of paper receipts.
- For the company : Budget control, guaranteed compliance, and accurate data to manage ESG and CSR objectives.
Considering changing tools or optimizing your current setup ?
At SD Global Consulting, we help you select and deploy the solution that best meets your actual needs, completely independently.
If you have any questions about Travel and Expense, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team of specialists. You can contact us directly via our website form.
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