KDS has run some numbers on the use of manual processes in travel booking and expense management as well as traveller attitudes.
Unsurprisingly the message is that it's still taking business travellers too much time with too many manual processes to research and book travel and complete the relevant expense process.
The good news is that about 45% now use an automated expense management process and, the not so great news, 41% are using spreadsheets.
Most find it pretty time consuming with the research showing almost 50% take between 30 minutes and one hour out of the working day when completing expenses, while 18% spend between one and two hours.
The travel research and booking process is also time consuming with 44% of those surveyed saying they spend up to an hour or more. Again, there's a bit of light as 48% only spend between five and 20 minutes on research and booking for business trips.
When it comes to booking channel, a third use a corporate booking tool while 37% say they prefer to book direct with individual suppliers and 28% use a combination of both.
Respondents were also asked why they preferred direct booking with almost 50% saying it was more convenient, 32% saying it gave them access to more content and 14% saying it's cheaper.
However, the ability to book everything from a single platform got a thumbs up with 76% saying they would rather do that, if possible, than look into individual options.
The convenience and price factors also came out in a recent Concur-sponsored survey, released by the GBTA Foundation.
KDS points to the potential cost of the loss in productivity with salaries for 56% of US respondents at between $50,000 and $99,000.
The KDS State of Corporate Travel and Expense Management survey was carried out on more than 1,000 business travellers in the UK and US. The full report can be downloaded here.
Related reading:
Corporate travellers say more satisfied when booking direct
NB: Time image via Freeimages.