When key decision makers are traveling in search of new business opportunities, it’s critical they be able to use their discretion and judgment in doing whatever might be best for the enterprise.

Unfortunately, business travel can be so complex and nuanced that it is very difficult for things to work out this way in practice. Business travelers often find themselves working as closely as they can with compliance experts while they are out of country.

All of this leads to significant complications. In fact, it can render business travel inadequate and inefficient — all because of expense report compliance, an increasingly important part of overall government compliance.

All of these issues and more can make global collaboration difficult while traveling:

Different Time Zones

Odds are good that your global business traveler is three, four, five, or even more hours away from your home office. That makes it extremely difficult for them to speak to the member of your organisation they need, even if they can find a good platform to do so.

Telephony Issues Abroad

Although more business professionals are using satellite phones to support their globetrotting efforts, even C-level executives do not necessarily have this perk readily available at all times. Developing markets can make it particularly challenging.

Business Messages That Are Easily Misunderstood

When communicating with compliance experts about the nuances of some transaction overseas, it can be easy to be misunderstood. This can compound the issue and give the appearance that the compliance personnel gave the wrong information — which can look intentional.

An Expense Report Should Be Flawless, But You Need The Right Tools

When traveling overseas, your staff members deal with enough problems just striving to be fully understood and accepted in the host country. The last thing they need is additional issues with being understood by the home office. Expense report software can help.

With the right expense report software, you can shift responsibility away from the traveler by making most reporting functions a “one touch” affair. That means that the compliance experts in the central location can get started doing their work right away.

Communication is handled through the software, and direct correspondence between the parties becomes unnecessary unless a travel expense document shows an issue that needs to be resolved promptly. This helps both sides of the transaction do the job at hand swiftly and successfully.

When it’s as simple as that, everyone benefits.