The life of the road warrior is full of pros and cons, and today's addicting mobile devices offer no exception. Sure, they enable you to stay in touch with friends and family, which may reduce en route stress, but they also allow your boss and co-workers to call at any time.
"Modern technology has proved to be both a benefit and an intrusion," according to Occupational and Environmental Medicine. "Electronic media allows international business travelers more easily to obtain information from headquarters or the home office that enables work ... [but] home office matters can intrude while one is away and may interfere ... or at least erode private time." ( 1)
As they facilitate more on-the-road work, mobile tools also support traveler security and help travelers avoid piles of paperwork upon their arrival home.
For years, "mobile" has been the next big thing in travel management. At the moment, mobile devices are seen as having a vital role in traveler safety. Each of 72 travel managers responding to an Association of Corporate Travel Executives poll last year said "tracking and communication with travelers for security purposes" was a benefit of mobile devices. ( 2) Ninety-three percent of respondents said their companies provide mobile devices to travelers. New functionality, including location-based services, electronic room keys and mobile payment, all hold promise, but disconnects remain: Travel or purchasing departments generally do not manage mobile technology--deferring instead to information technology departments--while 9 percent of firms don't manage mobile at all, according to the poll.
Respondents to the ACTE survey identified as "valuable" a number of potential mobile travel functions that few said were in use at their firms. While 88 percent found value in changing reservations, just 16 percent said travelers were doing so; 75 percent said booking preferred suppliers would be valuable, but 6 percent said travelers were doing so; 73 percent said creating expense reports with mobile devices would be valuable, but just 3 percent said it was happening.
But there are some pioneers.
According to the ACTE report, Procter & Gamble "is piloting an anticipatory flight notification service contracted through its travel management company. Sixty of the company's frequent travelers are receiving alerts via email, personal digital assistant or cell phone as specified in their online profiles. In the next phase, Debbie Gittinger, P&G global travel service manager, would like the agency to proactively rebook travelers who are en route when flights are canceled or delayed. The travelers' new flight information would be sent so when the traveler turns on their personal digital assistant or phone, their new flight information would be available."
To support its 700 travelers, Hughes Network Systems devised a mobile "roadmap" that includes mobile booking capability, a mobile version of the Hughes intranet travel portal and enhancements to its travel security and T&E expense processes. The company implemented management capability to approve trips--required as part of a pre-trip approval process--via a Blackberry or similar device. ( 3)