INSIGHTS
How to make corporate travel policy compliance second nature
The answer lies in finding the sweet spot between empowerment, policy, and cost, allowing compliance to take care of itself. After all, corporate travellers are independent, savvy, and not afraid to book their own way. So enforcing travel policy without being overbearing is not an uncommon challenge.
Recent industry conversations revealed that people push for procurement-focused or traveller-centricity programs actually want the same thing. They're just speaking different languages.
Why do travellers book outside of policy?
There are more booking channels than ever, and people are very capable, which makes DIY travel tempting. Starting with a program tailored to your company's culture and travel patterns helps keep people from feeling the need to look elsewhere.
Business travel has become much more traveller-centric over recent years. Gaining traveller acceptance of your policies is in offering choice and flexibility, within boundaries. By giving your travellers autonomy to choose travel options that meet their personal preferences, you can effectively drive in-policy bookings and increase traveller satisfaction.
- Melissa Elf, General Manager Australia, FCM Travel
What's wrong with traditional compliance approaches?
Traditional travel policy enforcement treats compliance like a box-ticking exercise. Book within policy, save the company money, job done. But this misses the bigger picture entirely. People are people and value their preferences being taken into consideration. When this doesn’t happen, it’s not uncommon for companies to start seeing non-compliant bookings leading to leaked spend, duty of care gaps, and extra admin.
Traveller-centric doesn't mean book whatever you want. True empowerment gives choice within guardrails so people can make good decisions without leaving the corporate travel program. If they need to travel, a program is in place to support their needs.
- Brittany Taylor, FCM Consulting
While mandating your travel policy is important, there are many ways to embed compliance into your program without being so heavy handed.
Empowerment is the ability to make good decisions and operate with some freedom, but within a framework.
- Danny Cockton, Wood PLC
How can technology help compliance?
Online booking tools through your travel management company work best when they offer choice within approved parameters. Clever tools like FCM Extension can guide travellers back into policy without feeling restrictive. The same goes for artificial intelligence (AI). In the near future, it will learn individual travel patterns and preferences to suggest compliant options that actually appeal to each traveller. When your booking tool remembers that Sarah prefers aisle seats and David always books hotels with a gym, compliance feels like concierge service rather than corporate constraint.
An approval process can play a key role too. When someone else is doing the booking, built-in approvals or tech features can offer travellers a range of options and let them make the final choice. It gives them a sense of control while keeping bookings compliant. The mobile world we all live in can support here too. Many compliance failures occur because people book last-minute flights or hotel rooms. Your corporate tools need to work for people on the go too, matching the speed and simplicity most people these days expect from consumer apps
Can psychology improve policy compliance?
Behavioural nudges beat mandates. Show preferred options first, highlight savings from booking in policy, or provide side-by-side comparisons of compliant versus non-compliant choices. People naturally take the path of least resistance when it's clearly marked. A financial services client boosted compliance by highlighting “Best Fare of the Day” rates through FCM’s booking tool, helping manage budgets while keeping travellers happy.
And don’t forget. Every extra step in your booking process is a compliance slip waiting to happen. When travellers can book a trip through the airline, hotel, or third-party website faster than your corporate tool, they will. The easiest policy to follow requires zero extra effort.
An FCM global media client lifted compliance from 42% to 84% by streamlining the booking process, updating the travel policy, and running traveller and arranger training.
How do you communicate policy benefits?
Instead of explaining why policies exist, show travellers how compliance benefits them. Preferred supplier relationships can lead to upgrades and better service. And using the online booking tool provides visibility, autonomy, and instant support for the traveller. Make policies clear, stress duty of care requirements, and listen to feedback through surveys or travel champions.
Quick wins for better compliance:
Making it stick
Real compliance occurs when your corporate travel program aligns with your company culture. If your organisation values independence, build that into your booking process. If cost control is paramount, show how empowered travellers make decisions when given a choice and armed with great technology.
Most importantly, get leadership buy-in from the top down. When the CEO follows the same booking process as everyone else, compliance becomes organic, rather than contractual, to certain levels of the company. The companies getting all this right aren't choosing sides between empowerment and control, they're winning on both fronts.
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