Sustainable Travel and well-being of humans

Why should the focus in Travel be on the well-being of the environment and humans?

When you embark on a business trip, you make conscious choices for the environment. This includes weighing the time saved by taking a plane against the lower costs and emissions of a train. However, as an organization, you must go further. You're not only making conscious choices for environmental well-being but also for the well-being of your people. At the SAP Concur Benelux Day 2024, Shaun Healey and Sylvain Muller delved into the importance of wellbeing.

For the SAP Concur Benelux Day, Healey, SAP Concur's Business Travel Solutions Expert, traveled from England to 's-Hertogenbosch. He had two options for his journey: the plane and the train. The specific advantages of both options are clear. The flight has a total of 6.5 hours door to door travel time, including recommended check-in time and transportation to and from the airport. This is significantly less than the almost 9-hour train journey. However, the costs are higher; the flight from Birmingham turned out to be almost twice as expensive for him.

Healey: "The trade-off between time and money felt like a tie. But then came the third factor that influenced my decision-making: the environment. My flight had a carbon footprint eight times higher than that of the train journey. That tipped the scales in favor of the train."

Making conscious sustainable choices

A few years ago, Healey might not have made this choice because emissions were less visible in the process. But things have changed. Healey remarked, "Today, it's important to display the Greenhouse Gas Emission (GHG) of every trip, regardless of the mode of transport, at the Point of Sale. This allows organizations and employees to make informed choices based on the emissions of different modes of transportation, from trains and planes to rental cars, and sustainability scores of hotels."

These are essential data, especially as sustainability goals and reports become increasingly important. Consider, for example, the Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) rating. Healey explained, "Your organization's score in this area partly determines your attractiveness to employees and investors. Therefore, you must record, report, and act by actively incorporate sustainability figures into your Travel & Expense-programs, especially regarding your employees' travels and commuting."

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Focus on human and environmental well-being

Clear information enhances awareness when making certain choices. However, awareness isn't just about the environment, according to Sylvain Muller, SAP Concur's Senior Director of Product Management. "It's also about being aware of your employees' well-being. As an organization, you must consider the physical and mental well-being of your employees. This includes safety, workload, and work-life balance."

Muller: "For employees, it's increasingly important that an employer considers both environmental and human well-being during travels. Organizations actively engaged in this are more attractive to job seekers, thus attracting talent sooner. It's also crucial for your current employees. A satisfied employee is often a productive one."

Physical and mental well-being integrated into SAP Concur

People's well-being is a new, significant pillar for SAP Concur. In various ways, SAP Concur assists organizations in maintaining control over their employees' physical and mental health, such as:

• A clear dashboard. Data at a glance, showing managers exactly how much time their employees spend away from home, flight durations, travel days and times, risk countries visited, and outstanding expense claims.
• Automatic suggestions. If an employee travels very early or late in the day, they receive a notification recommending booking a hotel for the night before or after, including a hotel suggestion. With a few clicks, the hotel is booked.
• Real-time compliance check. You may have policies prohibiting weekend travel or requiring the use of public transport after 9 p.m. SAP Concur checks every trip for compliance with your policy.

Simplify with SAP Joule

Efficient work also contributes to employees' well-being. Therefore, it's important to book a trip with as few steps as possible. The simpler, the better. For example, by displaying all relevant information upfront. Healey noted, "In the evolution of Concur Travel, you see everything you need to know at a glance: not just your travel times but also baggage restrictions, carbon footprint, and prices per comfort class. With a few clicks, you find and confirm your trip."

This becomes even easier with the integration of SAP Joule. Healey shared his vision of how SAP Joule can be used: "Our vision is to have Joule assist travelers in the best possible way. Such as: are you going to a conference in Barcelona? Tell Joule and it will suggest ideal flights and hotels for this stay. From Joule, you can directly access SAP Concur, where you can easily confirm Joule's suggestions. Do you want to add two days of vacation to your business trip? No problem. Through a link with SAP SuccessFactors, Joule checks if you have enough leave days and submits a leave request for you." The integration of SAP Joule is not currently on the roadmap but is expected toward the end of 2024.

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