How is it working in a navigation software company as a #travel agent? It's similar to working in an implant but with some important nuances. After all, travel is travel, whether the company is a big pharmaceutical firm or a small software company. What makes the difference is that you handle the #entire process, from creating the travel policy to issuing tickets and justifying these travels in case of need to be reported to any official entity. Today's post is prepared by @Alba gonzalez, straight from the horse's mouth.
The process starts with an email forwarded to you by a colleague who has been invited to present an abstract at a #congress or needs to travel for a project #kick-off meeting. They provide details such as their preferred time of arrival or the meeting location. This is where the travel department (also known as "me") begins to work.
I will send all the options considering these two fields:
A travel policy: This ensures the #best prices and #cost reduction without compromising traveler comfort. The policy covers aspects such as the average allowable nightly rate, permissions for priority boarding based on the flight schedule, and the authorization procedure. It's essential to bear in mind when creating this kind of policy that when a company needs its staff to travel, they should not be lodged in shabby #hostels far from the event, nor should they be seated in inconvenient spots on #early morning flights.
Team Knowledge: This makes life easier for travelers. For example, knowing that a colleague prefers to have ample time at the airport to #avoid rushing, while another colleague who has children prefers to sleep at #home despite arriving late. All these singularities help tailoring the travel arrangements to their preferences.
The key to success is balancing these two aspects when sending a proposal.
After the traveler responds with their preferences, I issue the documentation and create the Travel and Expenses Report (#TER) with all the details, such as the agenda, flight tickets, and confirmations. The final step before traveling is notifying our Social Security System about the details.
Once the trip is completed, I finalize the TER by verifying all costs and collecting invoices. The labor consultancy will be notified about the per diems to be added to the payrolls.If the trip summary needs to be reported to an official entity because it is part of a grant or project, I will forward it to the program manager.
When you work as a corporate travel agent, you are typically involved in the middle part of the process: creating proposals and issuing tickets. However, at Rokubun, my involvement spans from the very beginning to well after the travel is completed. It starts informally, perhaps during a lunch break, when a colleague mentions the possibility of being awarded with a grant. My role continues up to two years after the trip, dealing with project justifications and other related issues.
Stay tuned for more.
