Travel management software programs provide you with efficient ways of logging expenses, filing reports and managing your travel budgets. What used to take hours of filling out extensive expense reports can be achieved quickly, accurately and thoroughly with the right travel expense software.

Information about travel expense analysis software is available online and through industry associations. Many expense report software developers can explain the benefits of their programs better than a third party analyst, while unbiased reporting often can point out flaws in a system or inconsistencies in the promises made by the provider. Begin making the most of travel expense management with confidence after doing a thorough examination of the products and services available.

1. Integrate travel management software into your back office operations.

2. Try web-based travel and expense management products while on the road.

3. Bring in consultants to find the best expense management software for your company needs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use company travel expense software for reports and payroll in your home office

Look for software programs that easily transport travel expense reports from employees in the field to the home office for easy review and reporting. Payroll and reimbursements can be processed with programs suited to integrate the traveler with the back office. Look for programs to help you cut big travel expenses with programs such as dashboard applications that allow you to view spending as it occurs, track mileage and entertainment costs daily and prepare forecasts based on previous expenditures.

I recommend: InterplX can install programs that interface with your general ledgers and can generate reports from the travel expense logs submitted from mobile applications. Aestiva can help you make the most of your travel budget by providing software with which you can manage the expenses as they happen from desktop applications that interface with mobile reports.

Give employees mobile travel management software to use on the road to send reports daily

Find travel management software companies that provide you and your team access to Internet platforms to plan itineraries, log expenses, check flights and calculate fuel costs on the road. Look for mobile programs that you can integrate the software into various mobile devices used by your employees.

I recommend: CyberShift can provide your traveling team with updated travel expense software applications they can use on the road. Provide your employees with Expense Tracker software so they can report expenses from the road.

Bring in a travel expense software expert

With all the options available, a travel and expense management expert may prove to be a valuable investment to help you select the best software for your uses. Look for a consultant that doesn't sell or develop software, but one that has had experience with various suppliers.

I recommend: Begin making the most of automated and online expense reports after consulting an unbiased third party. The consultants from ExpenseWatch can review your options and make expert recommendations. Check out the services of the Taff Partnership to see if they can find ways to incorporate new technology and new travel polices to help your company save money.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Look for suppliers of company travel expense software that can hook you up directly with airlines and hotels to be sure you are on their preferred lists for the best rates.

When it comes to business travel, seasoned road warriors often learn by trial and error what works and what doesn't. It's possible to ramp up that learning curve, smooth out the potholes and:

1. Snag lower airfares and maximize loyalty benefits
2. Save money on car rentals and hotels
3. Make the most of flight delays and cancellations
4. Stay healthy and safe on the road and at your destination.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Book flights, hotels and cars on Web sites that do it best

There are plenty of travel Web sites that promise the best/lowest/cheapest, but some are better than others. Airline sites, for example, might not show all available inventory but prices can be lower than on aggregator sites. The best online services will search all sites.

I recommend: For speedy air searches, use SideStep, Kayak, and Mobissimo (rated best for international carriers). Check Hotels.com and Hotwire.com for hotel deals. For a fast scan of rental car options from several companies, check out BreezeNet. For an online managed travel program, look into the American Express program for small businesses. Also check out Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity — each has an online business booking program.

Maximize frequent flyer/frequent guest/frequent driver benefits

Loyalty has its rewards. Fly the same one or two airlines; become a familiar guest at the same handful of hotels, rent from the same car company and you'll stack up the rewards. Just be sure to choose those that work best for the way YOU travel.

I recommend: Check out airport Web sites for your primary departure and destination cities — who flies in and out, and how often? Visit the most logical airline Web sites and join the frequent flyer programs. Enroll in the Cendant TripRewards program to earn when you stay at Days Inn, Super 8, Travelodge, and other moderate properties. Join the Marriott Rewards or PriorityClub Rewards programs to earn points and miles from their broad-ranging family of brands. Check out Budget Rental Car's Budget Business Program , The Hertz Business Account Program and the Avis Corporate Awards Program.

Ease the pain of flight delays and cancellations

Airport delays are at an all-time high. To avoid boring and nonproductive downtime at the gate, log on: many airports now offer free wireless internet access. And there's another alternative: you don't have to be CEO of a Fortune 500 company to gain entrance into those exclusive airline clubs.

I recommend: Check out Wi-Fi Free Spot for domestic and international airports with free wireless access. Look into the airline clubs operated by your favorite carriers, or join Priority Pass, a one-size-fits-many program that gets you in to over 500 airline clubs around the world.

Stay safe and healthy on the road

Business travel is stressful, unhealthy and sometimes downright risky. Violence against travelers is making the news. Laptop theft is on the rise. Road warriors know how to protect themselves; you can do it too.

I recommend: Look into several ways to secure your laptop against theft. If you travel to international hot spots, subscribe to destination updates that will alert you to potential danger. Check into an emergency medical evacuation plan and peruse travel health information.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  To minimize airfares, book at least seven days in advance of travel (14 is better) and don't change your schedule; if you do you'll pay added fees.
• •  Always have a Plan B when you travel by air; check departure monitors as soon as you arrive on a connecting flight and note your options if you're delayed or bumped.
• •  Check hotel bills carefully and dispute charges for services you didn't use (mini bar, turndown service, fitness center, business center, etc.).
• •  Avoid post-car-rental charges. Check over the car both before you leave the lot and after you return it. Note damage and take pictures if possible.
• •  Don't automatically rent a car. Check into alternate transportation options if you'll be in hotel or conference center meetings most of the time.
• •  If you belong to professional organizations, look for members-only air, car or hotel discounts. If you qualify, get an AARP card and use it.

Travel management software programs can provide access to timekeeping programs and expense accounts reporting features. From getting your expenses turned in quickly and efficiently to being able to budget accurately, web-based expense management can help to eliminate errors and give your sales and finance departments better control over their efforts and more efficient uses of their time.

Use travel and expense management software to create budget reports and plan future travel strategies. Find quality travel and expense reporting software providers online and through peer referrals. Begin using travel expense management programs in a number of ways to make your company more profitable.

1. Use travel and expense management software to manage your expenses on the road.

2. Use web-based travel expense software to monitor travel expenses in real time.

3. Use corporate travel expense solutions to prepare budgets and make project adjustments.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Set up reporting options with travel expense management software

Rather than rely on lengthy waiting times to create expense reports and pay your team, utilize the latest travel expenses software to speed up expense reporting and payroll processing. Programs allow traveling employees to input expenses as they occur, and easily manage time spent on each duty. Credit cards can interface with the software, and other features can provide exchange rates, find hotel deals and forecast a budget based on previous travel.

I recommend: Find out how CyberShift can help you and your employees manage your time and travel budgets with their latest software applications. Get answers to how it might work for you and experience a free online demo of the products. Look for free demos and discover the differences between various travel and expense management products at ExpenseWatch.

Go live with expense report software

With web-based travel management software, you can create expense reports while you're out instead of waiting until you get back in the office. Integrate an Internet software system into your company to make quicker and more accurate decisions on the spot as you monitor cell phone usage, mileage and entertainment expenses. Employees input their expenses as they occur and, with the online programs, the home office can see the expenses immediately.

I recommend: Try a free demo of the software that can automate the entire process from Aestiva. Check out the latest web-based travel software options from ExpensAble to get a glimpse of what the program will look like on your portable devices.

Incorporate travel and expense management products in your forecasting efforts

You can adjust travel expenses to meet the needs of clients and support staff and make accurate estimates of costs associated with a project by incorporating travel expense software that is integrated with your financial programs. With an interactive system, you can ease the corporate travel experience and take advantage of opportunities in travel deals or make necessary staff adjustments as required by your project and your budget.

I recommend: View the desktop application and try the latest web-based applications developed by Unanet to integrate travel software into your budgeting and payroll systems. Concur has developed travel management software that can analyze travel expenses and integrate the information into reports that help you plan your future travel projects and see where you can make adjustments to save resources. Take a free tour of the programs to see which ones best serve your needs.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Look for travel expense software programs that can be linked in with travel websites and agencies and be updated with the most current travel rates and specials.

Business travel can be costly. Therefore, managing expenses related to that travel has a real impact on a company's bottom line. While it's important that employees feel ownership regarding cutting travel expenses, it's also vital for medium and large businesses to have experts on staff to ensure the company gets the volume discounts and other expense-reduction perks it deserves.

Key terms to learn to understand travel expense management include key accounts, base fare, yield management, negotiated rate, economy plus, and hotel voucher.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Key accounts

Key accounts are a travel industry term for regular customers who can use their leverage to get a lower rate on travel or overnight stays. Becoming a key account with specific airlines and hotel chains will help businesses control travel expenses.

I recommend: BNET gives a more thorough definition of key accounts that can be applied to travel expense management.

Base fare

The base fare is the fare paid for air or train travel before tax or upgrades are added. Sticking to the base fare whenever possible helps control both private and business travel expenses.

I recommend: You can read about how taxes and add-ons affect base fares, and what you can do about it, in The Denver Post.

Yield management

Yield management is the practice of adjusting prices up or down depending upon demand. This is part of how two people on the same flight who purchased tickets at different times can pay different fares. Understanding yield management and the likely change times for rates will help manage travel expenses.

I recommend: Hotels use yield management since every empty room night is an unrecoverable resource. The explanations in this Hotel News Resource article apply to other goods like airline seats.

Negotiated rate

This is a rate negotiated by a preferred customer that is lower than posted rates. Negotiated rates are common in the hotel, rental car, airline and train travel industries.

I recommend: There is an interesting piece at Hospitality Net that describes how negotiated rates work and discusses improvements in their application within the travel industry.

Economy plus

Economy plus is an air travel term referring to a class of ticket in the coach section that has more space than coach but without the amenities of business class. Using economy plus tickets is a good way to wean some executives off business class travel and manage travel expenses.

I recommend: High Anxiety by Joe Sharkey sums up the value of economy plus in corporate travel as a response to a corporate crackdown on business class and first class travel.

Hotel voucher

Hotel vouchers can be obtained by frequent individual users or large corporate accounts. They represent prepaid hotel rooms at a heavily discounted rate. Using these vouchers will create upfront costs but lessen overall hotel travel expenses.

I recommend: The News & Observer goes into detail about how hotel vouchers are being used less and less. Cheap Voucher Store sells hotel vouchers to businesses.