The Future of Travel & Expense: The importance of the 'shift left' for your organization

'Shift left'. According to Chris Juneau, Head of Market Strategy at SAP Concur, these two words represent the future of Travel & Expense. During the SAP Concur Benelux Day 2024 on March 5th in 's-Hertogenbosch, he explained what he means by that. And how AI helps your organization in achieving optimal efficiency and compliance.

In his opening keynote, Juneau shared a story about a young colleague who, on his very first business, made the mistake of treating his corporate credit card as a free ticket to spend as much as he liked. When Juneau told the man that his expense claims exceeded the company limit and that he would not be reimbursed, it turned what should have been a dream trip into a nightmare scenario.

Juneau went on to say that with the help of AI, situations like this are avoidable. By ensuring employees get valuable policy information before they spend money, organizations can place the audit part of the spending process at a moment that matters rather than after it’s too late.

Checking before, not after the purchase

As an organization, you might assume that your employees strictly adhere to company policy. That they know every rule about travel and accommodation expenses. But that's not the case. However, the flow for expense claims usually goes like this:

Purchase >> Submit >> Audit >> Approve >> Payment

This means your employee buys something and claims it, and only then is it audited. Are these costs in line with company policy? But if the answer is 'no,' it's too late. The costs have already been incurred.

So, it's time to change the flow. Artificial intelligence (AI) enables you to 'shift left' with the audit. Juneau explains: "By that, we mean literally shifting the audit to the left in your flow. The audit occurs during the purchase, before you incur the costs."

The right choice at the right time

"Nobody likes an unpleasant surprise," he says. "To prevent that, we are changing the role of technology. We're involving AI immediately in your purchase or decision. AI helps you make the right choice at the right time. Thus, you get the correct outcome instantly, and you spend less time correcting wrong outcomes."

Juneau provides two examples. "You can integrate policies or regulations into SAP Concur. When, for instance, you want to book a hotel, you see if it falls within your company norms. Pre-purchase control, rather than post-purchase. And thus, no more unexpected surprises. Secondly, there's SAP Joule, your personal co-pilot. Joule seamlessly integrates with SAP Concur. Unsure about certain expenses? Ask Joule. You get the answer immediately. Fast, simple, and perfectly clear."

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Focus on people and embrace technology

Ease of use is paramount. No frustrations about non-working or cumbersome systems, but satisfaction with a straightforward flow. "The shorter an employee uses our app, the better. It means it works quickly and simply,” Juneau said during his keynote.

Rudy Verslype, Solutions Consultant at SAP Concur Benelux, echoed Juneau's words. "As a company, you have to embrace new technology, but also keep the focus on your people. Support your employees so they efficiently utilize their time and look back on the 'moments that matter' with a good feeling. They shouldn’t spend hours entering, sorting, checking and approving or rejecting expense claims."

The 'shift left' plays a crucial role in this. Verslype: " You immediately have all your (potential) purchases checked for compliance by AI. This way, you link technology to a better user experience. For your employees on the go, who see immediately what's feasible and what's not, and for your back office. Your back office no longer needs to check every expense claim; AI has already done that. They can focus on the exceptions."

Reporting obligation work-related personal mobility (WPM)

Verslype emphasizes that organizations can also use this technology when they face new challenges. "For Travel & Expense, too, change is the only constant. Disruptions and new developments are part of everyday life. Also in terms of laws and regulations."

As an example, Verslype mentions the the Work-Related Personal Mobility Reporting (WPM) obligation. From 1 July 2024, Dutch organizations with a hundred or more employees are required to report on their employees' business and commuting traffic.

Verslype: "Not only do you have to record how much you travel, but you also have to enrich this information with details such as your mode of transport and sustainability data. And then report it. You want to do all this as efficiently as possible and fully compliant. The shift left and the AI in SAP Concur also help your organization in this regard."