Transforming employee expenses with mobile applications

With mobile devices changing the business environment, IT decision makers must take advantage of the mobile mind shift in order to manage employee expenditure in ways that enhance productivity, accountability and transparency.

That's the advice from Concur, who says that by the end of 2017, more than 50% of employees will expect to interact with their company on their smartphone.

Matt Goss, managing director, Australia and New Zealand, Concur, says companies must provide mobile options for expense management.

"It's common knowledge that mobile devices are changing the modern workplace," he says.

"Using their phone, employees can log expenses anywhere, anytime. Employers can also monitor where and when money is being spent.

Goss says, "Smartphones are becoming key productivity drivers and tying expenses into mobile devices can be a real game-changer for businesses.

He says a mobile expenses app can provide a single view of all employees for managers. "This is important, especially when employees are on the road," Goss explains. "Not only does it let employers track expenses but it also lets them fulfil their duty of care, showing them where each employee is at any given time.

"They can track delays, disruptions and disasters that may affect travelling employees, for example.

Concur advises five reasons for businesses to implement a mobile app for expense management:

• Expense claims can be created at the click of a button and are easier for employers to track.
• Paper receipts are no longer required, eliminating the possibility of lost receipts resulting in expenses being unrecoverable.
• Faster expense reimbursement makes employees more productive.
• Manual processes and spreadsheets are error-prone: mobile expense management tools reduce the need for these.
• Managers can track employees' whereabouts for safety.