Op-Ed: Enhancing Security Makes Business More Productive
World events continue to underscore the need for enhanced security in our transportation systems, even as the prolific use of online commerce technologies creates the additional threat of identity theft or similar crimes. Transportation and data security are clearly important for corporate travel, and not just for reasons of personal safety and privacy.
Secure business travel means more productive business. With domestic expenditures of $80 billion annually on managed travel programs alone, much is riding on Corporate America's ability to travel safely and reliably.
What should concern us further are the "unseen" additional expenses. This $80 billion is only the expenditure against an existing security infrastructure, which does not seem designed for speed and efficiency, hence the added cost of productivity loss. By example, in today's post-9/11 world, road warriors are most keenly concerned with travel safety, but they also regularly experience the frustrations of the tradeoffs for that safety.
A 2005 survey sponsored by Verified Identity Pass Inc. and conducted by the Business Travel Coalition revealed more than one-third of business travelers consider inconsistencies in procedures between airports as their number-one concern with business travel. Another one-third cite long security lines as their top concern. These numbers reflect frustration with the status quo, but also a drop in productivity while navigating airport queues. This is a prime example of the troubles that arise
when business needs conflict, rather than align, with security needs.
With all of this in play, each of us has a personal and professional stake in seeing security as a top priority in every sector of the travel industry. The questions we must ask then are: How can we do our part and how can we align business needs with those of national and personal security?
I believe we can make a big difference with two approaches: innovation and advocacy.
Travel management companies have a great opportunity for innovation by approaching security in the same way they do
other issues—meeting customer needs. This means going beyond offering a low-cost way for business travelers to book a flight, car or hotel room and the attendant services associated with those assets. Rather, forward-looking TMCs will leverage critical issues, like security, as an actionable dimension of
customer service and subsequently deliver new features and service choices. For security specifically, TMCs should focus their best thinking and technology resources on offering ways around security process impediments, increasing preparedness for plausible emergencies and ensuring data protection.
As "registered traveler" programs take root through cooperation between the public and private sector, progressive TMCs will offer access to and integration with these systems so that travelers may avoid long, inconsistent and unproductive airport security lines. These same TMCs should offer customers automated global traveler-tracking services that provide destination information and warnings, track and locate travelers and offer worldwide assistance in case of emergency. When it comes to data, TMCs
should continually seek new methods for protecting valuable passenger name record, credit card and other unique digital information from leaking or being stolen.
Corporations have a vital role to play as advocates for better security processes and capabilities, and they should commit to making security-related issues a priority. They should seek travel management companies that offer the tools to enhance traveler safety, productivity and data protection.
They
should let the appropriate government officials and suppliers know their feelings on the issues of traveler security, without reservation. Whether it's support for registered traveler programs, tougher standards for data security,
or encouraging the government and suppliers to have a solid plan to keep travel alive if the unthinkable happens again, the voice of the corporation needs to be heard. This can be done through professional organizations like the National Business Travel Association and the Association of Corporate Travel Executives or directly, but in any case companies have a key part to play because where there is corporate demand, industry and government are more likely to respond.
A more comprehensive, consistent
and automated approach to security also produces savings through efficiencies, increased productivity and fewer incidences of data misuse.
In the end, if we make our collective mission to innovate and advocate for security in the same way we do so vigorously with
price, content and distribution, we help ourselves immensely. We simultaneously align safety and business priorities, create a more consistent and efficient business travel security process, and generate savings: a win-win-win situation.
As president of Cendant Corporate Travel Solutions, David A. Falter is responsible for integrating Orbitz for Business and Travelport, which last
month signed a deal to offer customers Verified Identity Pass Inc. biometric smart cards at a discounted rate.