Each year, BCD Travel surveys confirm that duty of care is a top priority for travel managers. In our May 2024 survey of travel buyers, 92% rated it extremely or very important. But here’s the problem: 29% of business travelers don’t even know if their company has a travel risk management policy. That’s quite a gap, and it could put employees and organizations at risk. So, how can travel risk management teams help make business trips safer? We have some suggestions – three to be exact – from Lise Levesque, Senior Crisis Program Manager at BCD.
1. Get the right stakeholders at the table. Travel risk management isn’t just a job for travel and security teams. It takes input from IT, HR, legal, procurement, finance, marketing, the C-suite and more to build a truly effective program. A cross-functional approach ensures you’re covering all angles – from cybersecurity threats to legal compliance and crisis response. If you haven’t already, it’s time to bring these stakeholders together and start building a holistic strategy.
2. Assess your travel security program. How strong is your travel risk management program – really? Without a formal assessment, it’s hard to know. That’s where a Travel Security Program Assessment (TSPA) comes in. Conducted by Advito, it helps you identify program gaps, align with the ISO 31030 travel risk management guidance, and benchmark against industry best practices. If you want to level up your program and ensure compliance, this is your starting point.
3. Upgrade your policies and providers. Many companies fall short in two key areas: sourcing the right security providers and keeping policies up to date. Here’s how Advito and BCD can help:
- RFP development & support: Need 24/7 security, medical assistance, or traveler safety training? We’ll help you find and negotiate with the best providers.
- Travel Risk Management policy overhaul: Whether you’re building a policy from scratch or refining an existing one, Advito can conduct a full gap analysis, rewrite policies to align with your business goals, and craft a communications plan to ensure travelers know exactly what’s expected.
Don’t wait until a crisis hits to build up your travel risk management program
A strong travel risk management program isn’t just a box to check – it’s a critical safeguard for your employees and your business.
BCD and Advito clients, contact your program manager for more information. Not a client? Contact us via the button below.
Finastra takes action to ensure the safety of its global workforce
With a workforce of more than 7,500 employees worldwide and nearly half of whom travel regularly for business, Finastra, a global financial software company, faced a significant challenge in ensuring the safety and well-being of their employees when traveling on business.
