Expense management needs to go mobile, says Concur

How mobile expense management systems keep employees happy

Current expense management process are outdated and employees want better ways of keep track, according to Concur.

As companies look for more ways to keep employees happy, reducing the cost and inconvenience of turnover and addressing the skills shortage, expenses is in the firing line, the company says.

Employees want to replace outdated, paper based, manual processes with mobile, automated systems.

According to research conducted by Concur, employees resent the slow, laborious process of expense claims and 54% of employees surveyed want quick expense reimbursements. An expense management software solution is on the wish list for 17%.

"Outdated expense management makes it slower for people to be reimbursed for legitimate expenses, and easier for companies and individuals to make mistakes," explains Matt Goss, managing director - Australia - New Zealand, Concur.

"It frustrates people and takes them away from their core duties, none of which is conducive to happy, productive employees," he adds.

"It's a pain to have to save paper receipts, try to find them at the end of the month, fill out an Excel spreadsheet, submit it to management, and then wait for potentially weeks while the expense claim is reviewed and approved, and the reimbursement finally happens," says Goss.

"Employees want more flexible travel and expense programs, the power to work from anywhere, and, importantly, faster reimbursement.

Goss says the ideal expense management process uses mobile technology.

"Employees can take a photo of their receipt as soon as they get it, then immediately upload it to their expense claim, regardless of where they are in the world," he says.

"Mobile tools empower employees to spend less time dealing with expenses and more time doing their jobs," Goss explains.

"It means they no longer have to keep track of paper receipts or worry about lost receipts. Some of our customers have reduced the time spent processing expenses by as much as 80% by using these tools," he says.

"An expense management software solution means employees get reimbursed sooner. Making expenses easier also increases compliance, since it's simple for employees to follow policies," Goss says.

"And, because they can spend less time worrying about expenses and more time being productive, employees are happier and, potentially, more loyal.