TRA Guide to Travel Optimization

At the Travel Risk Academy, we frequently discuss the importance of optimizing travel programs. In fact, our annual summit is dedicated to this very topic. But what exactly do we mean when we talk about Travel Optimization Management (TOM)? In this article, we’ll unpack the concept of TOM with TRA Mentor Bruce McIndoe and offer suggestions on how to apply it within your own organization. 

More Than Just Cost Management 

Before diving in, let’s make one thing clear: optimizing a travel program goes far beyond simply managing costs. Travel is a business and organization enabler. At its core, TOM encompasses two equally important areas of focus. 

1. Stakeholder Engagement 
   Effective travel optimization requires collaboration across multiple departments. This means involving stakeholders from various parts of the organization, including HR, Procurement, Security, Risk Management, Audit, QHSE, Finance, Travel, Mobility, Facilities & Fleet, Marketing and Events, Cybersecurity, Data Security, Legal, Operations, Insurance, DEI, Sustainability, C-suite leadership, and, of course, the travelers, bookers, and approvers who interact with the program daily. These diverse perspectives ensure that the travel program is aligned with the broader needs and priorities of the organization.
   
   
2. Alignment with Organizational Objectives 
   Optimizing a travel program also involves aligning your travel strategy with your organization’s broader objectives. Travel is an enabler and a critical function in achieving these objectives. By integrating your organization’s culture and values into areas like traveler safety, wellbeing, and sustainability, you can create a travel program that supports the organization’s mission on multiple levels. 

A Strategic Approach Yields Long-Term Gains 

While this organization-wide approach may sound challenging, it’s important to recognize that the effort put in at the outset will return benefits over time. As a travel program evolves into strategic alignment with the organization rather than a cost center, the costs we are so eager to control naturally fall into line with a clear linkage back to the organization’s objectives. 

Contrary to popular belief, optimizing your travel program does not necessarily mean spending large sums on technology or external consultants. The beauty of TOM lies in fully understanding what you already have in place. By thoroughly analyzing the current program, clearly aligning it to the organization’s stakeholders, and identifying gaps, you can begin to make meaningful improvements and start reaping the longer-term benefits. 

Beyond Spreadsheets: A Holistic View of Your Travel Program 

Optimization won’t happen by simply crunching numbers in a spreadsheet. It requires a hands-on approach—one that involves rolling up your sleeves and getting familiar with every element of the program. This includes those aspects that may have been overlooked, as well as those that appear to be working fine but could benefit from further refinement. 

By staying open-minded and willing to go the extra mile in your due diligence, you can identify opportunities that might have otherwise been missed. The result is an optimized travel program that puts people at the heart of every decision, ultimately contributing to your organization achieving its goals—sometimes in ways you had not considered. 

To get you started we have put together our top tips on Travel Optimization Management. 

1. Engage Stakeholders Across the Organization 
Optimizing a travel programme isn’t just the job of the travel team—it requires input from all relevant stakeholders across the organization. As listed at the top of this article, this can include HR, finance, security, compliance, and the travelers themselves. Consider creating a Travel Council or Travel Optimization Team (TOT). Involving stakeholders is crucial in: 

• Understanding needs and priorities: Different departments may have different priorities. Finance may focus on cost control, while HR may prioritize traveler well-being and security and look after recruitment and often mobility.  Your marketing team may be responsible for running events and have a different set of needs and risks, they can also help you communicate the programme internally.
• Creating a collaborative framework: By engaging everyone in the process, you can build a travel programme that meets the needs of both the organization and its travelers, leading to better buy-in and compliance.
• Mapping current versus future state: Stakeholders can help you define where your travel program is today versus where it needs to be. Their feedback can help map a clear path toward achieving an optimized travel programme that serves the goals of the organization and the safety of its people. 

Your Travel Optimization Team will become your Travel Optimization champions; they can link to other committees or report to the C-Suite and take ownership of the direction of the program. 

2. Conduct a Thorough Analysis of Your Current Program

Before optimization, a comprehensive analysis of your existing travel programme is crucial. This involves:

• Conduct a SWOT for each functional area. “Why do we travel?” and “How do we enable safe travel?” What is their value proposition for travel and is the travel programme helping achieve it?
• Evaluating current policies and procedures: Are they clear, up to date, and effective? How are they being communicated, across all stakeholders.  Identify any gaps or areas that need improvement.
• Measuring performance: Analyze the collection and assessment of key metrics like traveler satisfaction, policy compliance, travel-related incidents, and cost efficiency. 
  
• Mapping pain points: Talk to travelers, travel arrangers, and other stakeholders to uncover bottlenecks or issues, such as confusing policies or slow response times during emergencies. 

This analysis will help you understand where your programme currently stands and provide insights into areas that need to be adjusted or optimized.
 

3. Understand Your Supplier Partners and Their Services and Capabilities

It’s essential to have a deep understanding of the services and capabilities that your supplier partners provide, how they overlap, and where there are gaps. You may have several partners offering similar services, such as traveler tracking tools, global mobility, visa and immigration, meetings and events, online booking tools, security alerts, or insurance/emergency assistance. A clear understanding of these overlaps will help you: 

• Reduce redundancy: If multiple suppliers offer similar services, you can eliminate overlap and streamline your program. For example, you might find that two partners offer traveler tracking, and one of those solutions might be more integrated with your booking system, making it the better option.
• Enhance value: By knowing which supplier excels in specific areas, you can leverage their strengths to improve your program’s overall effectiveness. For instance, some partners may be better equipped to provide sustainability metrics or enhanced traveler wellbeing support. 

Work with your suppliers to ensure they know and align with your travel program goals and the broader objectives of your organization. 

4. Take a Holistic Approach to Travel Program Management and Insider Risk

Optimizing your travel program requires an integrated approach. It’s about balancing risk management, traveler well-being, sustainability, compliance, legal, safety, security, cyber-security and cost efficiency in a way that supports the organization’s goals. Here’s how: 

• Traveler safety and well-being: Focus on tools and policies that make travelers feel safe and supported. When employees understand the reasons behind safety measures and see the organization prioritizing their well-being, they are more likely to comply with travel policies.  

• Sustainability: Align your travel program with the company’s sustainability goals by choosing environmentally friendly travel options and measuring your carbon footprint. Offering travelers sustainable choices, like selecting eco-certified hotels or opting for virtual meetings, also boosts engagement.  

• Cost efficiency without compromise: Optimization doesn’t mean focusing solely on cutting costs. Rather, it is about ensuring value for money—choosing the right suppliers, reducing redundancies, and enabling better service for your travelers.  

5. Overall Alignment with Organization’s Objectives and Culture

Travel is a key enabler for any organization, but to be effective, your travel program needs to align with the culture, direction, and goals of your organization. For instance: 

• If your organization values innovation, offer flexible travel policies that allow employees to be creative while staying safe. 

• If sustainability is a core value, integrate greener travel options and measure your environmental impact, paying attention to how you can reduce travel, rather than off-setting.  

• If well-being is a priority, focus on policies and services that support traveler health and work-life balance.  

Look for ways to engage stakeholders higher up the chain; you can package travel data and analysis in numerous ways to show support organizational objectives.  Give them exactly what they need. 

Aligning the travel program with these broader principles leads to happier, more informed teams, increased policy compliance, and a program that actively supports the organization rather than being viewed only for cost control. 

6.Aligning with Relevant Standards

There are several management system frameworks that are designed to support an organization with guidelines and best practices in a wide range of areas. When considering Travel Optimization Management, it is helpful to understand how many of these standards can integrate the processes and policies attached to them work in practice. 

Consider how your people on the move affect your existing processes and policies and how you can adapt them in line with existing guidance.  You may wish to consider the following globally recognized standards, but bear in mind that the industry at large is unregulated; meaning that you might need to develop your own set of criteria and benchmark. 

The most important ones for TOM are:

• ISO31030:2021 Travel Risk Management for Organizations 
• ISO31031:2024 Risk Management for Youth Travel 
• ISO45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety 
• BS25800 Guidelines Safeguarding for Organizations 

Others supporting the TOM program:  

• ISO31000:2015 Risk Management Guidance 
• ISO22301: 2019 Security and Resilience 
• ISO9001: Quality Management System 
• ISO27001:2022 Information Security Management 
• ISO14001:2015 Environmental Management Systems  

Conclusion 

Optimizing a travel program is about working as a team and taking a holistic approach that goes beyond cost savings. Conducting a thorough analysis of your current program, engaging stakeholders across the organization, and understanding the capabilities of your supplier partners, you can build a travel programme that supports your organization’s objectives and culture.  

A well-optimized travel programme will result in happier, more informed travelers who are engaged with the policies and understand the importance of safety, well-being, and sustainability. When done right, an optimized travel programme enables better organizational outcomes, fosters traveler loyalty, and positions travel as a strategic enabler rather than a logistical hurdle. 

The Travel Risk Academy is the home of the Travel Optimization Management Summit (TOMS), our annual summit bringing together program managers from across security, travel, procurement, HR, sustainability, cyber security and more. To learn more about Travel Optimization from peers and industry experts, join us at TOMS25, 13-15th May in London. Tickets are on sale here