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The COVID-19 pandemic with its lockdowns, travel restrictions, and the additional risk of any interactions has inspired companies and travel managers to take a fresh look at their Total Risk Management (TRM) and Duty of Care programs. With every trip presenting increased risks, Duty of Care is being seen less as an afterthought of governance, and more as a potentially life-saving necessity.

This new emphasis on Duty of Care is driving a move to agile, cloud-based solutions that support robust care and protection for travelers. Let¡¯s talk about what an optimized approach looks like today.

The legal concept of Duty of Care presumes that individuals and organizations have ¡°legal obligations to act toward others and the public in a prudent and cautious manner to avoid the risk of reasonably foreseeable injury to others.¡± Breaching Duty of Care may give rise to legal action that can result in financial and reputational damage, or even criminal prosecution. But it¡¯s more than that, Duty of Care is a moral obligation.

As a result, it¡¯s important that travel managers make it clear within the organization that it is not a question of if something is going to happen, but of where, when, and how serious. This mindset isn¡¯t just related to COVID-19, and spectacular events such as natural disasters and transportation accidents. Rather, it is the more common occurrence of someone traveling to a foreign country and falling sick, that the importance of Duty of Care comes into play.

How TMCs Are Adapting to Provide Direction

A new definition of the traveling employee base

In this new environment, awareness of employee locations is a must. With the additional risks and threats, global situational awareness is paramount. And because employees never stay in the same place, it¡¯s a 24/7 job. To keep track of employees constantly in motion, Total Risk Management (TRM) programs have had to go from optional to optimal to fully support Duty of Care. That requires new tools, new solutions, and new technology.

It is no longer enough to trust your internal security and risk research and expertise. True Duty of Care requires fast access to local contacts, researchers, networks, and on-the-ground reports. This global, always-on approach calls for a more comprehensive solution that tracks and messages travelers, while addressing and balancing employee privacy concerns. It demands a continually updated stream of security, travel safety, and medical information as well as quick-response assistance services when needed.

Modern Duty of Care requires a cloud ecosystem of integrated partners. We¡¯re on it

The levels of data access required for modern TRM and Duty of Care require a more comprehensive cloud-based approach, powered by the most robust, timely, and complete data set to enable risk mitigation for all companies and organizations. At the SAP ºÚÁϹÙÍø organization, we believe a "best-in-class" solution requires an ecosystem approach that can address the unique needs of every organization as well as the new dynamics of the challenging travel landscape.

Putting our technology where our beliefs are, SAP ºÚÁϹÙÍø solutions have a robust network of integrated solution partners. This approach enables us to provide greater value to our customers by consolidating traveler and employee data from all booking sources while providing rich data to specialized partners.

Our growing network of TRM and Duty of Care specialist partners can help you build a thoughtful and thorough duty of care program¡ªsupported by the latest cloud technologies.

This newly changed landscape of travel management is an opportunity to lower risk, provide employee experiences, and improve business performance, while supporting new levels of transparency across your business, throughout your ever-shifting employee population, and across the globe. Watch the video below to learn how Travel Management Companies (TMCs) can help you today.

For more about the new age of TRM, listen to my Duty of Care panel discussion from the 2021 SAP ºÚÁϹÙÍø Travel Industry Summit on-demand.