Chapter three Friction and risk: delays, disruptions, and expense drag

When the way people want to travel doesn’t align with management policies, friction can follow. Employees face extra admin and slower expense reimbursements, while managers contend with incomplete data and less certainty around duty-of-care.

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The admin reality for employees

For employees, a work journey becomes easy when booking and expenses are seamless. If it isn’t straightforward, they do whatever gets them moving quickly, and this could create several issues.

49%

are booked on personal accounts, which fractures expense trails.

72%

employees want easier switching between personal and business profiles.

47%

of travellers still submit expenses manually.

63%

think the process should take under 15 minutes, and 77% would prefer full automation.

40 minutes

How much time employees spend a month on ground claims. 15% spend between one and four hours.
51%

cite unexpected delays and travel disruptions (40%) as their top frustrations.

78%

say taxis/PHVs simplify work–life balance. However, 35% still feel frustrated when booking.

The platform difference

Where an approved business platform is in place, the admin burden falls. 76% of employees say a sanctioned business platform would save them time, and 60% say it would make them more productive.

The challenges for managers

Managers inherit the downstream effects of a non-linear process. Multi-directional guidance produces multi-directional behaviour, making control reactive rather than designed.

48%

of companies let employees pick any ground option.

92%

of programmes ‘recommend’ channels (often to local PH firms at 50% and ride-hailing at 41%).

53%

apply some restrictions, but only 12% restrict ride-hailing specifically.

59%

of managers struggle with receipt handling while 54% struggle to track ground spend.

21%

report fraud or policy breaches while 13% see unauthorised ride-hailing bookings. This is symptomatic of channel ambiguity. No single route means enforcement is inconsistent.

Setting the stage for sustainable progress

Across the ground travel experience, there's a significant opportunity to simplify and streamline processes for both employees and managers. And as we’ll explore in the next chapter, improving these workflows not only drives efficiency—it also creates the foundation for more effective sustainability reporting.

Key Takeaway:

Reducing friction across the ground travel process saves time, strengthens compliance, and enhances duty of care. The result is smarter decisions and a safer, more responsive programme.

Cost, comfort, and competing priorities

See previous chapter

Sustainability signals

See next chapter