Corporations are coming under more and more scrutiny in looking after the welfare of their traveling employees. Arguments on whether this is a moral or legal responsibility, how much information is necessary and where is that information going to be obtained is becoming a hot topic in boardrooms around the world with a definite emphasis on North American businesses who have, in the past, been considered to be callous about overall employee safety. Corporate Governance is now a board level committee, employee safety being a key component.

Is it okay to send travelers to other parts of the world without providing them adequate up-to-date information on possible political and weather related disasters that could occur on their arrival and during their stay? Is it acceptable to arbitrarily send travelers off to distance lands without the quick and efficient ability to determine where they are and advise them of possible upcoming events? Likewise what information about a traveler’s location and whereabouts should a company have available to them in the event of a family or other emergency back home?

 

Obtaining current information on the status of any country, be it political or weather related could and would require an information network that most companies do not want the expense of maintaining nor are really capably of implementing. Coupled with that is the need for an information system that would easily provide the locations and whereabouts of all travelers at any specific moment in time. The need to find a traveler could easily occur on weekends and evenings, outside of a company’s normal business hours. Once a company determines that it is in everybody’s best interests, company and traveler alike, to have this information, the question becomes how can a company acquire and maintain this much needed information, economically?

Travel management companies provide their clients and their clients’ travelers with access to up-to-the-minute information on current and potential travel situations and threats. Coupled with this service is the ability to accurately pinpoint the location of all or any specific traveler worldwide, in seconds, through a proprietary online tool.